A mature man , an Indiano called Agustin Caballero (Francisco Rabal) , returns to Spain from South America to meet his relatives Rosalia (Concha Velasco) and Francisco De Bringas (Rafael Alonso). At home he meets a beautiful servant , Amparo (Ana Belen) ,and he falls in love for her . Before getting married , Agustin to be aware she has a dark secret and the intense drama emerges .
In the final of the Francisco Franco dictatorship takes place a fall of the Franquist state/Catholic Church relation , it originates the realization of a lot of films dealing with the loving stories between priests and women , such as ¨Pepita Jimenez (1974), about Juan Valera novel , directed by Rafael Moreno Alba with Stanley Baker and Sarah Miles , ¨La Regenta¨ , based on Leopoldo Alas Clarin , by Gonzalo Suarez with Emma Penella , ¨Cartas De Amor De Una Monja¨ by Jorge Grau with Analia Gadé and ¨Tormento¨ . This one was well directed by Pedro Olea , being based on Benito Pérez Galdos novel . It starts the fruitful collaboration between important producer José Frade and Olea , both of them create a trilogy set in Madrid , formed by ¨Pim , Pam , Pum .. Fuego ¡ (1975) ,¨La Corea¨ (1976) and this ¨Tormento¨ (1974) . Its main inconvenient resides on a boring and slow storyline written by various hands , as playwright Ricardo López Aranda , novelist Angel Maria De Lera , producer José Frade and the same director ; all of them attempt regularly concentrate the original screenplay in a limited runtime : 90 minutes . Furthermore , a strict censorship avoided the explicit moments on the relationship between the lovely servant and the affected priest .
Well shot with appropriate settings and a large as well as notorious Spanish star-system . As main cast is pretty well , such as Ana Belen as a maid who has a torrid affair , Francisco Rabal as veteran Indiano who realizes his sweetheart has a hidden romance , Javier Escriba as suffering Padre Polo and Concha Velasco who steals the show as the mean , jealous cousin . Support cast is frankly excellent , plenty of familiar faces such as : Rafael Alonso , Maria Luisa San Jose , Amelia De La Torre , Milagros Leal , Ismael Merlo , Maria Isbert , among others. Colorful and evocative cinematography by Fernando Arribas , showing splendidly exteriors from ¨Madrid Castizo¨ , including ancient monuments and classical buildings of the Austrias . Very good and adequate production design by Antonio Cortés . Atmospheric though sad musical score by Carmélo Bernaola . The motion picture was professionally directed by Pedro Olea , a good craftsman who has directed nice films such as : ¨Tiempo De Tormenta¨, ¨El Dia Que Naci yo¨, ¨El Maestro Esgrima¨, ¨El Bosque Del Lobo¨, ¨Aquelarre¨, ¨Dias De Viejo Color¨, and several others . Rating : Acceptable and passable . Well worth watching .
In the final of the Francisco Franco dictatorship takes place a fall of the Franquist state/Catholic Church relation , it originates the realization of a lot of films dealing with the loving stories between priests and women , such as ¨Pepita Jimenez (1974), about Juan Valera novel , directed by Rafael Moreno Alba with Stanley Baker and Sarah Miles , ¨La Regenta¨ , based on Leopoldo Alas Clarin , by Gonzalo Suarez with Emma Penella , ¨Cartas De Amor De Una Monja¨ by Jorge Grau with Analia Gadé and ¨Tormento¨ . This one was well directed by Pedro Olea , being based on Benito Pérez Galdos novel . It starts the fruitful collaboration between important producer José Frade and Olea , both of them create a trilogy set in Madrid , formed by ¨Pim , Pam , Pum .. Fuego ¡ (1975) ,¨La Corea¨ (1976) and this ¨Tormento¨ (1974) . Its main inconvenient resides on a boring and slow storyline written by various hands , as playwright Ricardo López Aranda , novelist Angel Maria De Lera , producer José Frade and the same director ; all of them attempt regularly concentrate the original screenplay in a limited runtime : 90 minutes . Furthermore , a strict censorship avoided the explicit moments on the relationship between the lovely servant and the affected priest .
Well shot with appropriate settings and a large as well as notorious Spanish star-system . As main cast is pretty well , such as Ana Belen as a maid who has a torrid affair , Francisco Rabal as veteran Indiano who realizes his sweetheart has a hidden romance , Javier Escriba as suffering Padre Polo and Concha Velasco who steals the show as the mean , jealous cousin . Support cast is frankly excellent , plenty of familiar faces such as : Rafael Alonso , Maria Luisa San Jose , Amelia De La Torre , Milagros Leal , Ismael Merlo , Maria Isbert , among others. Colorful and evocative cinematography by Fernando Arribas , showing splendidly exteriors from ¨Madrid Castizo¨ , including ancient monuments and classical buildings of the Austrias . Very good and adequate production design by Antonio Cortés . Atmospheric though sad musical score by Carmélo Bernaola . The motion picture was professionally directed by Pedro Olea , a good craftsman who has directed nice films such as : ¨Tiempo De Tormenta¨, ¨El Dia Que Naci yo¨, ¨El Maestro Esgrima¨, ¨El Bosque Del Lobo¨, ¨Aquelarre¨, ¨Dias De Viejo Color¨, and several others . Rating : Acceptable and passable . Well worth watching .