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The Cuenca Crime

Play trailer The Cuenca Crime 1980 1h 28m History Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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Two men are wrongly accused of murder, tortured and sent to prison, only to discover on their release that the victim is alive and well.

Critics Reviews

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Diego Galán El Pais (Spain) Beyond its deficiencies, The Cuenca Crime is valuable because of its existence, ability to evoke, and willingness to give back to cinema its nonconformist character. [Full Review in Spanish] Aug 19, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Marco L (CASTELLANO) El crimen de Cuenca no es una película fácil de ver, ni quiere serlo. Su impacto va más allá de la historia que cuenta. No solo nos muestra una de las injusticias judiciales más grandes de España, sino que también se ha convertido en un emblema de la lucha contra la censura. Pilar Miró, con su dirección decidida y sin concesiones, sumerge al espectador en una historia incómoda, donde esa brutalidad y el total abuso de poder se muestran sin filtros. Pero lo que más inquieta no es solo lo que cuenta, sino cómo lo hace. La película reconstruye los hechos con una crudeza que sigue siendo impactante hoy en día. La interpretación de Daniel Dicenta y José Manuel Cervino es sobrecogedora, y la relación entre sus personajes aporta un nivel de humanidad que hace que su sufrimiento sea aún más difícil de digerir. No son solo víctimas de la justicia, sino de un sistema podrido por la presión social y la impunidad. Las escenas de tortura fueron, y siguen siendo, lo más polémico de la película. Miró no se anduvo con rodeos: las muestra de forma cruda y directa, hasta el punto de resultar insoportables. Es difícil no apartar la mirada, pero ahí está la clave. No es un recurso gratuito, sino la manera de reflejar la brutalidad de un sistema dispuesto a fabricar culpables con tal de cerrar un caso. Sin embargo, la película no se queda en la violencia. Va más allá y pone el foco en la hipocresía de una sociedad que, sin pruebas, prefirió condenar antes que dudar. A nivel técnico, la película destaca por su fotografía, que refuerza esa sensación de asfixia y desesperanza, y por la partitura de Antonio García Abril, que acompaña la historia sin subrayar demasiado la tragedia. También es clave el trabajo del reparto secundario, con nombres como Fernando Rey, Héctor Alterio o Amparo Soler Leal, que suman solidez al relato. Puede que El crimen de Cuenca no sea una película perfecta. Su tono es a ratos demasiado efectista y algunas escenas alargan más de la cuenta el sufrimiento de sus protagonistas. Pero su relevancia va más allá de lo cinematográfico. Es un testimonio necesario, un recordatorio de lo fácil que es construir una verdad a base de mentiras y del peligro de una justicia que no busca la verdad, sino culpables. (ENGLISH) The Crime of Cuenca is not an easy film to watch, nor does it intend to be. Its impact goes beyond the story it tells. It not only exposes one of the greatest judicial injustices in Spain but has also become a symbol of the fight against censorship. Pilar Miró, with her bold and uncompromising direction, immerses the viewer in an unsettling story where brutality and the absolute abuse of power are laid bare without filters. But what unsettles the most is not just what it tells, but how it tells it. The film reconstructs the events with a rawness that remains shocking to this day. The performances of Daniel Dicenta and José Manuel Cervino are harrowing, and the relationship between their characters adds a level of humanity that makes their suffering even harder to endure. They are not just victims of justice but of a system corrupted by social pressure and impunity. The torture scenes were, and still are, the most controversial aspect of the film. Miró does not hold back: she presents them in a stark and direct way, to the point of being almost unbearable. It is difficult not to look away, but that is precisely the point. It is not gratuitous violence but a way to expose the brutality of a system willing to create scapegoats just to close a case. However, the film does not dwell solely on violence. It goes further, focusing on the hypocrisy of a society that, without evidence, preferred to condemn rather than question. On a technical level, the film stands out for its cinematography, which reinforces that feeling of suffocation and despair, and for Antonio García Abril’s score, which accompanies the story without overemphasizing the tragedy. The supporting cast is also crucial, with names like Fernando Rey, Héctor Alterio, and Amparo Soler Leal, all of whom add depth and weight to the narrative. Perhaps The Crime of Cuenca is not a perfect film. At times, its tone is too theatrical, and some scenes extend the suffering of its protagonists longer than necessary. But its significance goes beyond cinema. It is a necessary testimony, a reminder of how easy it is to fabricate truth through lies and the dangers of a justice system that seeks culprits rather than the truth. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/15/25 Full Review Emilio T The movie is not only important because the real fact that changed politics and law in Spain, but because, when it was released in 1983, its director was accused of attacking security forces of the nation, and almost went to judge, indicating that freedom of expression was not fully developed in the country. Torture scenes are hard, so, it is good that you know it. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 12/13/24 Full Review Audience Member I don't think this was every released in the US, but if you can see it, do so. When a man disappears from his town, suspicion is cast on two men who are tortured until they accuse one another of the crime. But with the victim merely missing, was there even a crime? Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member Impactante y brutal, sobre todo por la realidad de los hechos... Los valores que nos desvelan esta historia no tienen parangón, la amistad, el perdón, pero por sobre todas las cosas la dignidad... Al final uno se siente un poco vacío, no en vano, pierden los que menos lo merecían…. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member En DVD Impactante y en su tiempo polemica pelicula que denuncia que pone sobre el tapete los oscuros entresijos de la justicia ciega en un caso real ocurrido en Cuenca. Rodada de una manera cruda y en todo lo posible imparcial tratando de retratar de una manera bien lograda una epoca de la España preguerra. Basada en hechos reales. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member LETTERBOX. Concisa y algo convencional y sensacionalista, pero logra no desviarse mucho de su camino (en historia y estilo) antes de llegar a un final conmovedor. / Concise and somewhat conventional and sensationalistic, but manages to not deviate too much from its path (both in story and style) before reaching its moving finale. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Cuenca Crime

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Movie Info

Synopsis Two men are wrongly accused of murder, tortured and sent to prison, only to discover on their release that the victim is alive and well.
Director
Pilar Miró
Producer
Alfredo Matas
Screenwriter
Pilar Miró, Juan Antonio Porto
Genre
History, Drama
Original Language
Spanish
Runtime
1h 28m