DEMONS IN THE GARDEN

Spain, 1982, 100 minutes, Colour.
Angela Molina, Ana Belen.
Directed by Manuel Guttierez Aragon.

Demons in the Garden is one of many films of the Spanish film industry in the post-Franco era, in the '70s and '80s, which looks back to the past and tries to re-assess what happened to Spain during the Franco regime. This film opens in the '40s and moves to the early 1950s. It is a family portrait - literally in the final photo, which reveals the dark side of the Spanish character and its potential for destruction. The tone of the film is satirical. It is also symbolic, especially in the person of the child Juanito, the pampered sick boy who eventually gets better and has to stand on his own feet. The film also comments trenchantly on the power of the matriarch in Spanish society - despite the macho presuppositions of dominance. The film is very well-acted and the cast is led by Angela Molina. looking very gaunt after being the sensuous heroine of so many of the Spanish films of the '70s including Bunuel's That Obscure Object of Desire.

1. An insight into Spain? A narrative of a Spanish family? A symbolic allegory of Spain during the Franco regime? The religious tones of the title and the reference to the various characters?

2. The re-creation of the '40s and '50s, the Spanish town, shops, homes? The glimpses of Madrid and Franco and his entourage? Newsreels? The use of Alberto Lattuada's film Anna and its poster with Silvana Mangano and both nun and vamp, the excerpt with her singing the famous song, and her sensual dance from the film (and the reference to banning by the Vatican)?

3. The screenplay and its portrayal of characters and politics? Its viewpoint about the Franco regime? Memory, a re-assessment, critique?

4. The opening wedding setting the tone? The roles of the various characters? Power and control. service? The tensions? The subsequent behaviour of these characters - in the light of their symbolic behaviour at the wedding ceremony?

5. The '50s and there being less pomp about the family, the audience seeing that they were an ordinary family, the shop, Anna and her marriage, Angela exiled to a farm, Juanito growing up on the farm? An ordinary Spanish town? Their hallowing of Madrid? The over-hallowing of Juan and his links with power - the newsreel, his being able to get penicillin? The impact of the truth that he was merely a waiter? Juanito as the sick, pampered boy of the '50s? His getting better and having to change, stand on his own two feet? The potential for violence?

6. The final photo - an effective dramatic ending. the irony of the group and the audience knowing what was behind each character in the photo?

7. Spain in the '30s and '40s: the aftermath of the civil war, people taking sides, those not supporting Franco called communists? The police and their jibes? Franco and his regime? The inflation of Franco's regime? The difference between pomp and reality? The role of men during this time, their arrogance, power, presumption? The role of women - subordinate, yet smouldering? The control of the matriarch? The potential for eruption? The role of government. the role of the church? The boy symbolising Spain - pampered, faking his illness, getting well, having to stop faking and get up?

8. Gloria as the matriarch, her control over the wedding ceremony, the clash with Angela and the breaking of the bottles, with Anna coming into the family, her pampering of her two sons, the favouritism towards Juan and spoiling him? Her role in the shop - and wanting Juanito, showing him over the shop and explaining all the people who came in? His illness and she able to see that he was faking? Giving money to Juan? Trying to control the women? The ultimate truth and her bashing her two sons and accusing them of being Cain and Abel? Her wanting to reorganise and order the family? Her place in the centre of the final photo?

9. Angela and her work, the smashing of the bottles, Gloria as her aunt? Her loving Juan, her pregnancy? Left alone? Her boy and loving him? Her having to give him up to the family in the town? Her visits? His illness, her pampering? Staying, reading for him? His wanting her to return - her allowing herself to be manipulated by him? His stealing the food for her? His wanting to see his father and her reaction? Her disdain? Her being accused of stealing the money from the safe? The final request that she marry Juan? The feast and her refusal? Support of Anna?

10. Anna and her loving Juan, marrying her husband, her disdain for him and resisting him? Her work in the shop, her stealing the money from the safe for Juan? Her love for Juanito? The friendship with Angela? Her ultimately shooting Juan?

11. Juanito as Juan's son, resembling his father, resembling his mother? Life on the farm, going to the town, the tour of the shop, his grandmother explaining the women to him? His being trapped in the barn? His illness - and listening in? His loving to be pampered, his faking. the food (and the men eating the Spanish omelette), his stealing out to eat ordinary food? His tantrums? His wanting to see his father. the newsreel, writing the letter to Franco? Going in the car to see his father? The to-do in taking him to see his father? His discovery that he was a waiter and his horrified reaction? His seeing Anna steal the money? His saving his mother? His going to the film - and his first mortal sin watching Silvana Mangano? His power over the women? His hearing that he was healed - and his not wanting to get better - but having to? His wanting his mother to marry his father?

12. Juan as the handsome younger son, the violence at the wedding, the clash with the brother, his being shot at? His leaving Angela pregnant? Not coming to see them? His work in Madrid, his connections - and audience expectations of his importance? The shock that he was a waiter? His return, rendezvous with Anna, his debts? His proposal to Angela and her rejection? The confrontation with Anna and her shooting? His mother beating him? The downfall of the arrogant macho man?

13. The contrast with his brother, jealousy at the wedding, the shooting? His later speech about his jealousy of his brother and wanting him dead?

14. The background in the town of the police, the accusations of communist to Angela etc.?

15. The town, the shop, Gloria's explanations of the customers, the projectionist. the crowds going out to see Franco?

16. The film's use of set pieces e.g. the long wedding sequence. the customers in the shop. the eating of the omelette, the going to see Franco's procession, the visits to the doctor, the end with the photo?