The Stilts

The Stilts
Film poster
Spanish	Los zancos
Directed by	Carlos Saura
Screenplay by	Carlos Saura Fernando Fernán Gómez
Produced by	Emiliano Piedra
Starring	Fernando Fernán Gómez Laura del Sol Francisco Rabal Antonio Banderas
Cinematography	Teo Escamilla
Edited by	Pablo del Amo
Production company	Emiliano Piedra PC
Release date	September 1984 (1984-09) (Venice)
Country	Spain
Language	Spanish

The Stilts (Spanish: Los zancos) is a 1984 Spanish drama film directed by Carlos Saura and written by Saura and Fernando Fernán-Gómez which stars Fernán-Gómez, Laura del Sol, Francisco Rabal, and Antonio Banderas.

Plot

Following the death of his significant other and his own attempted suicide, old professor Angel falls for younger neighbor Teresa, who is married to Alberto. Angel's sexual advances are initially rejected by Teresa, and upon seeing her with her husband, Angel ends up attempting suicide again.[1]

Cast

• Fernando Fernán-Gómez as Angel[2]
• Laura del Sol as Teresa[3]
• Antonio Banderas as Alberto[4]
• Francisco Rabal as Manuel[2]
• Enrique Pérez as Cobos[2]
• José Yepes [es] as secretary[2]
• Adriana Ozores as Mercedes[2]
• Amparo Soto as Laura[2]
• Willy Montesinos as Revuelta[2]
• Jesús Sastre as mayor[2]

Production

The film is an Emiliano Piedra PC production.[2] It boasted a 70 million ₧ budget.[5] Shooting locations included Torrelodones.[5]

Release

The film screened at the 41st Venice International Film Festival in September 1984.[6] The film was not received with enthusiasm by critics, who generally considered it to be a minor, yet self-consciously minor, addition to Saura's filmography.[7]

See also

• List of Spanish films of 1984

References

1. D'Lugo 1991, p. 188.
2. Willem, Linda M., ed. (2003). "Filmography". Carlos Saura: Interviews. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. p. XXXVII. ISBN 1-57806-493-7.
3. D'Lugo, Marvin (1991). The Films of Carlos Saura: The Practice of Seeing. Princeton: Princeton University Press. p. 190. ISBN 0-691-03142-8.
4. Lachat, Pierre (1984). "Los Zancos (Die Stelzen)". Zoom: Zeitschrift für film (36): 16.
5. Harguindey, Ángel S. (4 March 1994). "Saura rueda 'Los zancos' a la espera de la decisión de Hollywood sobre 'Carmen'". El País.
6. Martí, Octavi (2 September 1984). "Las películas de Saura y Camino, acogidas moderadamente por la crítica". El País.
7. Sánchez Vidal, Agustín (1986). "El cine de Carlos Saura: tipología de una recepción". Artigrama (3): 377. ISSN 0213-1498.