EL CAMINO DE LOS INGLESES (SUMMER RAIN)

Spain, 2006, 118 minutes, Colour.
Alberto Amarilla, Maria Ruiz, Felix Gomez, Raul Arevalo, Victoria Abril.
Directed by Antonio Banderas.

El Camino de los Ingleses is based on a novel by a friend of Antonio Banderas, Antonio Soler. It is a reminiscence about summer in Malaga in southern Spain in the summer of 1976. This was a summer that Antonio Banderas himself experienced.

The film, while telling a narrative of coming of age, a focus on half a dozen teenagers and their experience of sexuality, love, lust, obsessions as well as violence, is presented in a rather poetic style, with lots of cinema flair and flash. Banderas said that in the making of the film, everybody wanted to make a film for themselves, their own vision and poetic vision of the characters and narratives rather than a more audience-friendly film. Many commentators feel that they were successful – and that the film does not always communicate to a wide audience. It also depends on audience interest in the characters, their age, their conflicts and their quest – it is very much geared to the younger audience, the kinds of characters portrayed on screen.

The film is set in the summer after the death of Franco, the beginnings of change from a more repressive era of forty years to the modern world. This is very clear in the more ‘permissive’ behaviour, language and attitudes of the characters.

The film is very well acted, has a lot of anguish, shows the pain of betrayals – especially by immature people who are caught up in the interactions of adults over which they have very little control. The film is somewhat pessimistic in tone as it shows the violence, madness and downfall of some of the characters.

A group of young actors brings the teenagers to life and there are some veteran Spanish actors, including Victoria Abril with whom Banderas appeared in several of Almodovar’s films including Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down.

1.The titles of the film? The original Spanish and its focus on the street and all that happened there? The English title and the effect of the rain – and the visualising of the rain?

2.Antonio Banderas and his memories, the novel on which the film is based, his own personal experience of the 1970s, of Malagar?

3.The film as a cinema poem, the visuals, the time, contemplation, pieces and moods?

4.Adolescence and questions, identity, family, sexuality, lust, relationships, violence, madness?

5.Spain in the aftermath of the Franco era, the beginning of change, the contrast with the visit of the young man to the United Kingdom?

6.The character of the commentator, his observations of the young people, his being on radio, playing their music, his comments?

7.The opening and its visual arrest, the operation, Miguelito face-down, the operation, his kidneys? His voice-over, his wanting to be a poet? The summer holidays, working in his father’s shop, his dreams? And the pathos of their lack of fulfilment?

8.The contrast with Luli, her ballet dancing, her dreams?

9.Miguelito recovering, with his friends, going for the swim, their swagger, eyeing the girls, sexual encounters, the big girl and her promiscuity, the group of girls watching? Swimming, sexual encounters, hanging around, riding and talking?

10.Miguelito and his relationship with Luli, the others and their sexual partners? Miguelito and his tensions, going to the teacher and the relationship with her? His guilt? Miguelito and the thug, the dwarf? His helping the others, listening to them, the break with the teacher? His feelings for Luli, his apology, the phone call, the plan to meet, his being bashed, staggering to the rendezvous and her not being there, his death?

11.Luli and her life, her relationships, her friends? The thug and his being attracted to her, the offer of the lingerie? Her dancing, his promises? Her being hurt? Her confession to Miguelito? The phone call, her wanting to meet him?

12.The neurotic young man, sexuality and preoccupations, the large girl? His father, throwing the spear, his father’s mistress? His absent mother, the letter from England, his going to Britain, the sightseeing in London, the effect of meeting his mother and the boyfriend, the wedding? His surprise about divorce and remarriage? His return, his violence at the beach, his eruption? His having thrown the spear into the tree – and the irony of its falling down and killing his father? His fears, arrest?

13.Paco and his family, his father and his mistress, the suicide? Wealth, playing the piano, the businessman arriving and the deals, his wife gliding in and out, silently? Paco and the effect of his family, introverted? His father’s search for the mistress? Paco awkward with the girls?

14.The gallery of adults, the parents, their lives, in emotional mess? The influence on their children?

15.The teacher, the typing school, her reading, the affair, her control, conditions, the break?

16.The thug, his friend, his wanting to be introduced to Luli, the dwarf and his hostility? The sexual relationship, the lingerie? The violence towards Miguelito?

17.Poetic memoirs? Themes? Inconclusive?