This “Limited Edition” Blu-ray was released this week by Radiance Films.
Thanks to the support of movie fans around the world, we have been seeing a recent uptick in new Blu-ray distribution companies. One recent addition is Radiance Films, who specialize in classic, cult and arthouse films from around the globe. Their product thus far has been staller and has introduced viewers to many titles they may not have otherwise been able to find. This week sees an interesting picture from Spain that is difficult to classify. The Dead Mother aka La Madre Muerta involves a psychopathic criminal whose actions years earlier end up leading to a complicated kidnapping.
The main character is the sociopathic criminal Ismael (Karra Elejalde), who breaks into a home, shooting and killing a mother before firing a bullet into the victim’s daughter. Twenty years later, Ismael is still a dangerous individual, causing trouble and living on the fringes of society with his girlfriend Maite (Lio). One day, he passes by a psychiatric institute and comes face-to-face with the now-teenage girl, Leire (Ana Álvarez) who is living at a special facility.Shocked and terrifiedthat she will identify him to authorities, he and his significant other kidnapthe girl. However, it’s very clear that the witness has the mind of an infant due to his cruel act years earlier. The pair decide to hold the girl for ransom, but their hastily contrived plan leads to mistakes.Ismael also begins feeling affection towards his victim, while Maite becomes jealous and wants her dead.
There’s plenty of nasty characters, violence in the picture and a shocking set-up for the story, although the filmmaker only implies the gruesome business and keeps much of the violence offscreen (with the exception of one brutal attack in a bar early on). Instead, it attempts to focus on Ismael’s psychological state. He’s introduced as a cold-blooded killer, but viewers do see his iciness begin to thaw as he spends more and more time with the youngster whose life he permanently ruined.
There are some eccentric moments as Ismael attempts to entertain her by acting like a clown, as well as presenting her with her favorite treat, chocolate, while she is confined in his home. The movie avoids explicitly telling us what Ismael is thinking, instead simply showing his movements and allowing us to interpret them. This, of course, leads to plenty of confusion, even from the other characters. Maite soon suspects her man of having adult impulses towards his captive and lashes out against him in jealousy. Still, the motivations are never clearly defined, although by the close there is a clear attempt by Ismael to seek some kind of forgiveness from his victim.
As for thrills, there is a stellar sequence just after the midpoint of the film in which Maite calls the institute director (Elena Irureta) in order to make kidnapping demands. Instead, a nurse named Blanca (Silvia Marsó) picks up the phone, recognizes the voice and sets out to free Leire herself. The incredibly tense section follows her as she sneaks into the abode of Ismael and Maite, tries to avoid broken glass on the floor and then strives to locate and save a teen with limited abilities and a lack of understanding about what is going on. Things don’t go as planned and Blanca ends up trapped in the building for an extended period while the killers are present. This lengthy bit delivers several surprises and presents a twist that many North American viewers wouldn’t have seen coming.
The photography is also very appealing. Despite being a low-budget endeavor, it’s nicely shot in widescreen and the creaky, rundown old buildings that are featured add atmosphere to the proceedings. In fact, the film probably looks much sharper here than it did in the theaters thanks to the excellent transfer. This effort isn’t perfect (the lead character doesn’t appear to age at all despite the timespan presented and it isn’t paced as quickly as other thrillers from its era). Yet, by the close, the movie makes its mark as an odd but interesting drama/thriller with a standout section and a unique tone that keeps viewers intrigued throughout.
This is a Limited Edition of 3000 copies. The image quality comes from a strong 4K restoration supervised by director Juanna Bajo Ulloa. There’s a commentary track from the director, in addition to a lengthy making-of documentary featuring behind-the-scenes images and interviews with cast and crew. It is all informative, but the most pertinent information comes from the filmmaker himself.
Ulloa does come across as slightly brash and even criticizes the attempted rescue in the picture as the most conventional and least interesting bit in the film (although he amusingly states that he wanted to show viewers how, in the real world, jumping in and trying to be a hero doesn’t always go smoothly). The self-criticism is unfortunate, as the sequence is extremely well put-together and displays a natural ability at generating suspense. Ulloa also goes into the motivations of the characters and his intentions to keep things vague and open to interpretation, as well as noting some of the dangers present with having the young actress playing Leire getting thrown around and/or dragged by various cast members.
Additionally, a 38-minute short from Ulloa called Victor’s Kingdom aka El Reino de Víctoris also included. It won a Goya (the Spanish equivalent of the Academy Awards) for Best Short and is a moody and atmospheric tale of how a fairy tale inspires two characters (and an interloper) to escape the abusive home of a patriarch. It has also been given a 4K restoration. There is also plenty of publicity material present for the movie in the form of stills, as well as a very odd trailer for the picture. And there is also a CD included that contains the film score.
The movie garnered plenty of attention in its home country (it was also nominated for several Goyas). And, the movie’s director and cast have continued working on major projects in Spain. This title does have some controversial elements but is well acted and anything but dull, delivering some riveting and tense moments. The disc looks great and it’s wonderful to see another interesting feature arrive from Radiance Films that will be new to many viewers. The Dead Mother Blu-ray is definitely worth a look.