El maestro de esgrima (1992)

El maestro de esgrima: Directed by Pedro Olea. With Omero Antonutti, Assumpta Serna, Joaquim de Almeida, José Luis López Vázquez. A fencing master in pre-revolution Spain is hired to teach fencing to a beautiful young woman. Although he has never taught a woman before, he is fascinated by her and agrees. She wishes to learn a particular thrust which he is famous for. When a local nobleman becomes involved with her the intrigue begins.

“Pérez-Reverteu0026#39;s second novel and the first that I read; I was immediately attracted to the authoru0026#39;s ability to set his scene in a historical moment in time, which he has done in other books, most notably the `Capitán Alatristeu0026#39; series, as well as his easy-flowing narrative style which carries the reader on into the plot. And as his story develops, so do the characters: there is depth and feeling, such that it seems that real personalities spring up out of his pages.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIt was with some scepticism that I sat down to watch `El Maestro de Esgrimau0026#39; as previous viewings of film versions of Pérez-Reverteu0026#39;s novels left me with a very bad taste: `Territorio Comancheu0026#39;(qv) and `La Tabla de Flandesu0026#39;(mysteriously called `Uncoveredu0026#39; (qv) by those responsible for making the horrendous disaster) were very poor efforts for the cinema. However, from the very first moments, it was obvious that a lot more care had been taken in making `El Maestro de Esgrimau0026#39;.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003ePedro Olea (`Más Allá del Jardínu0026#39; (qv) based on a book by Antonio Gala) had something decent in mind when he embarked on this film. He was fortunate in choosing Omero Antonutti as the fencing master. From the book one would have expected someone somewhat thinner and perhaps even a little older: however, Antonutti, who I can remember in one of the best two or three Spanish films of all time – `El Suru0026#39; (1982)(qv) – made an excellent contribution, together with Assumpta Serna as Adela de Otero. At times I suspect that the chemistry could have been a little better, but on the whole these two principal actors keep everything on course. Serna was certainly quite a good choice, but again, from having read the book, I might have thought of someone just a few years younger. She is always good to watch, and hardly anywhere better than precisely in `El Maestro de Esgrimau0026#39;. Another interesting point is that no doubles were used in the tepeé dual at the end of the film; it only lasts a few minutes, but it is very well done. Antonutti and Serna both had to take fencing classes, and the result is well worth the effort.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eJosé Nieto – one of the best film-music composers in Spain for many years – tones in well with the proceedings and the Madrid of the 1830s.”