TORO

Spain, 2016, 105 minutes, Colour.
Mario Casas, Luis Tosar, Jose Sacristan, Claudia Canal, Ingrid Garcia Johsson.
Directed by Kike Maillo.

Toro is a tough Spanish gangster film, filmed in Almeria and the Mediterranean coast, looking across to Africa.

There is a 10-minute prologue establishing the character of Toro, his relationship with gangster lord, Ramon (José sacristan), his wanting to break free, a car chase and the death of his brother.

Five years later he has served a term in prison and is on day release. He drives an airport taxi. He is in love with a schoolteacher. His older brother is in debt to the gangster chief, is brutalised and comes to his younger brother, with his daughter, for help. Toro, at first, remembering the death of the other brother, is reluctant. Family duty prevails.

The bulk of the film concerns the two brothers getting the revenge on Ramon, Ramon killing their close friend to whom he went for tarot consultations, the blinding of Toro’s teacher girlfriend, Toro robbing his safe, the brother giving information to Ramon’s assistant which leads to a final confrontation and Ramon’s death.

The film is reminiscent of some of the French gangster films produced by Luc Besson.

The two stars are two of Spain’s leading actors, Mario Casas, Luis Tosar.

1. A Spanish gangster film? Comparisons with gangster films from other cultures?

2. The title, the focus on the young man himself, his background and his brothers, gangster life, his dependence on Roman, his wanting to break free, his work with his other brothers, the driving, the confrontation, the car chase, his brother being shot, his grief, looking at José standing on the roof of the hotel?

3. Five years later, Toro and his imprisonment, day release, returning to prison? Driving the airport taxi? His changed life? His relationship with Estrella? Love, proposal? All going well? His brother coming to an appeal to him?

4. Ramon, suave businessmen, gangster, his range of thugs? His immediate associate and relying on him for house jobs, for vengeance? The religious background, everybody in the church, the priest, Ramon being installed in the order, his medal? His personal life, women, his assistant’s wife? The stiletto in his arm band? Relentless?

5. His going to see the woman with the tarot cards? Her interpretation? The mysterious card, the knight in armour? Avenger? The ultimate meaning?

6. José, his relationship with his daughter, her looking like a boy, reading the comics, in the church? The thugs coming? His debt to Ramon? Unable to pay? Bashing his hand? Abducting his daughter? His character, relationship with Toro, with his dead brother, having observed the shooting from the roof? His decision to appeal to his younger brother?

7. Toro’s response, memory of his dead brother, antipathy towards Ramon? Concern for his niece? His sense of duty to family?

8. The detail of dealing with the crisis? The decision to rob the safe? Toro, infiltrating, in the room, Ramon and the woman, Toro tying her up, emptying the safe? Getting the money to his brother, the issue of buying the tickets to Africa, the irony of his having bought them already? The thugs, getting Diana back? Diana and her wanting to see her mother?

9. Ramon, his vengeance, going to the tarot woman, the wine and the food, his killing her?

10. Going to Estrella, discovering the blood, her eyes, his motivation – and the eyes on Ramon’s sculpture in his room?

11. In his apartment, the thugs outside, his associate? Toro and his getting into the building? The jack from the car and his using it to get in? Some brutal fights? The elevator and the shooting? Getting to the top floor?

12. José, with the money, going to the building, going to the woman’s apartment, her daughter, forcing her to phone her lover? His response?

13. Toro, shot at, his wounds, confronting Ramon, the associate coming in, his motivation against Ramon, shooting him?

14. Jose, taking his daughter to find her mother, his leaving the money, driving away?

15. Toro, the experience, his returning to the prison? Estrella in hospital, losing her sight? What future?