Why this 1935 Spanish melodrama still hurts to watch (Nobleza baturra review)

If you have ninety minutes to spare and don't mind scratchy 1930s audio, Nobleza baturra is actually a pretty wild ride. People who love dusty, old-school village dramas with sudden outbursts of folk singing will absolutely eat this up. But if you get annoyed by plots where a single whispered rumor completely ruins a woman's life, you will probably want to throw your shoe at the screen. 😠

I went into this expecting a dry history lesson. Instead, I got a movie that feels like a soap opera set in a giant sandbox.

The whole plot hinges on Pilar, played by Imperio Argentina. She is great, by the way—she has these incredibly expressive eyes that do about 80% of the acting work.

Two guys are obsessed with her. One of them gets rejected and decides the best way to handle his hurt feelings is to tell the whole village she is "dishonest."

In 1935 Aragon, this is basically a social death sentence. It reminded me a bit of the heavy-handed misery in Shoes, where society just crushes a girl for trying to exist.

There is this one guy, Perico, played by Miguel Ligero, who is supposed to be the funny sidekick. He spends a lot of time talking to his donkey, and honestly, the donkey gives a very grounded performance. 🐴

Some of the scene transitions are hilariously abrupt. One second a guy is crying on a hill, and the next, everyone is doing a coordinated dance in the town square.

Also, the lighting in the indoor tavern scenes is so dark. I think they only had two working lightbulbs on set that day.

But there is something so raw about the singing. When Imperio Argentina starts belting out those jota songs, you can feel the dust in the air.

It gets a bit preachy near the end about forgiveness and "noble rustic values." I kind of tuned out during the big speeches.

Still, for a movie made right before the Spanish Civil War, it has this strange, energetic life to it. It is definitely not perfect, but I am glad I watched it.