Blancanieves

Spanish director Pablo Berger's silent (with sparse title cards) black-and-white film is a strange and moody effort that will appeal to cinema buffs. Set in 1920s Spain, the heroine Carmen (played by Sofia Oria as a child, and Macarena García as a young woman) is the daughter of a famed matador (Daniel Giménez Cacho) and a flamenco dancer (Inma Cuesta). The latter dies while giving birth to Carmen—after witnessing a terrible accident with a bull that leaves Carmen's father wheelchair-bound with a crippling injury. Carmen becomes a Cinderella-like figure after her father foolishly weds greedy nurse Encarna (Maribel Verdú). No sooner does the bullfighter die than Encarna plots—Snow White-like—to have Carmen killed. But the scheme fails, and Carmen is rescued by a travelling troupe that gives comic shows as the Bullfighting Dwarves. Remembering the tips her father had taught her, Carmen enters the ring and becomes a celebrity matador in her own right, eventually attracting the notice of her stepmother, who—of course—tries to do away with Carmen via a poisoned apple. As with the Oscar-winning The Artist, Berger's film features a self-conscious artificiality that makes it seem like a cannily calculated stunt. But for those who appreciate silent film, this will prove most engaging. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include an intro by director Pablo Berger (2 min.), a “making-of” featurette (30 min.), a “Preparing the Shoot” behind-the-scenes featurette (5 min.), excerpts from performances of the film's score in Barcelona and Madrid (4 min.), and a booklet. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a bonus DVD copy of the film. Bottom line: a fine extras package for this treat for silent film fans.] (F. Swietek)