El Matador

Winner of a Nissan Focus Award for Documentary as well as a Merit Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, this fine documentary shows the art of Spanish bullfighting through the eyes and thoughts of young Miguel Espinosa Armillita. Narrated by Ricardo Montalban, El Matador begins with the story of the Armillita clan--for whom bullfighting is a tradition. For 22 years, Miguel's father fought a total of over 2,000 bulls, and was gored only once. Miguel's half-brother, a little older than Miguel has already reached the status of full-fledged matador. Miguel, however, as the film opens is still in training as a novillero, fighting junior bulls. El Matador is the visual record of Miguel's journey from novillero to matador. In home movies, we witness Miguel's early introduction to bulls (his first professional calf fight was at 9), and his more current training with his brother and father. As we watch Miguel progress, we learn tidbits of bullfighting lore and myth (bulls are not angered by the sight of red, for example, they're color-blind; it's the movement which attracts them), and see Miguel in action during many actual bullfights. For many, watching El Matador will be a loathsome experience, since the modern sensitivity of American audiences, in particular would equate bullfighting with cruelty to animals. That doesn't change the fact that El Matador is an excellent film that unabashedly celebrates an age-old Spanish tradition. Highly recommended. (Available from: Gessler Publishing Co., Inc. 55 West 13 Street, New York, NY 10011.)