Anselmo (Miguel Martín) is an aging lifelong shepherd who lives a spartan but happy existence in a run-down hut in a field near a rural Spanish town. With just his sheep and his dogs for company, the man prefers to keep to himself.
Despite this, he seems to be a local fixture known by most everyone in the village. The Espanex development company approaches him with a generous offer to buy his land and the house, but Anselmo is unwilling to cooperate. He simply wants to be left alone to tend his herd and read his books.
Local businessmen Julian (Alfonso Mendiguchía) and Paco (Juan Luis Sara) are embroiled in Espanex’s land-buying scheme, hoping to make a windfall of cash when the deal finally goes through. They enlist the help of other villagers to subtly pressure Anselmo into taking the deal, but still the shepherd refuses: He will not give up his simple, pastoral existence just so others may profit. The story escalates and ends at an eventual climax which is both unexpected and somewhat satisfying but bodes ill for Anselmo’s wishes.
El Pastor is a very serious drama that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It is a natural drama that sucks the viewer in and keeps them there. The characters and their motivations are realistic and well portrayed. Miguel Martín does an excellent job as the stoic titular character, but the way Alfonso Mendiguchía maintains and then drops his mask of politeness absolutely steals the show. This was a film somewhat familiar in setting and conflict but new in its use of simple realism. There’s an almost documentarian quality to many segments of the film. Shot-for-shot, it has some of the better cinematography I’ve seen in the last decade.
El Pastor’s greatest strength is the way it uses pastoral imagery and beautiful shots of the landscape to connect the viewer to Anselmo: In your gut, you can understand why he will not leave his home. The dull and realistic color helps to make the dramatic scenes lit by street lights and headlights all the more vivid and shocking. The true conflict of the story lies in the struggle between Anselmo’s desire to continue his life of pastoral individualism butting heads with Espanex’s desire for needless capitalist expansionism. All told, El Pastor is highly recommended, especially for students with an interest in environmentalism. Editor’s Choice.