''Los Tarantos'' is a 1963 Spanish musical drama film directed by
Francisco Rovira Beleta
Francisco Rovira Beleta (1913 in Barcelona – 23 June 1999) was a twice Academy Awards, Academy Award nominee Spanish screenwriter and film director. His film ''The Robbers (film), Los atracadores'' was entered into the 12th Berlin International ...
. It was nominated for an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
in the
Best Foreign Film category.
The film is based on the play ''La historia de los Tarantos'' written by Alfredo Mañas, and inspired by ''
Romeo and Juliet
''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...
'' by
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
.
Plot
The love between two gypsies, Juana La Zoronga and Rafael El Taranto, from different families in
Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
, is thwarted by the enmity between their respective parents. Rafael sees Juana dance at a gypsy wedding and is captivated by her beauty and charm. They fall in love, aided by their younger siblings, who are secretly friends and sympathetic to the young lovers.
Juana earns the respect of Rafael's formidable mother, Angustias, through her spirit and grace in flamenco. However, her father Rosendo, an old beau of Rafael's mother, remains obstinate despite the pleas of Juana, Rafael, and Angustias. Juana's father offers her to his colleague, Curro, to make her forget about her romance with Rafael. But neither Juana nor Rafael can forget their love. Curro becomes arrogant, killing Rafael's friend Mojigondo and beating Juana when he suspects she has been meeting with Rafael. Desperate, Juana seeks Rafael out in his dovecote, and they make love, planning to elope the following day. However, Curro, incited by Juana's brother Sancho, finds them together and kills them both. Rafael's brother subsequently hunts Curro down in his stables and kills him.
Angustias and Rosendo are united in their grief, and Juana's younger brother comforts Rafael's younger sister, showing that the feud will not continue any further.
Cast
*
Carmen Amaya ... Angustias
*
Sara Lezana ... Juana
*
Daniel Martín ... Rafael
*
Antonio Gades ... Mojigondo
*Antonio Prieto ... Rosendo
*José Manuel Martín ... Curro (as J. Manuel Martín)
*
Margarita Lozano ... Isabel
*Juan Manuel Soriano
*
Antoñita Singla ... Sole (as Antonia 'La Singla')
*Aurelio Galán 'El Estampío' ... Jero (as A. Galán 'El Estampío')
*
Peret... Guitarist
*Andrés Batista ... Guitarist
*Emilio de Diego ... Guitarist
*'Pucherete' ... Guitarist
*Blay ... Guitarist
*El Chocolate ... Cantaor
*'La Mueque' ... Cantaor
*'Morita' ... Cantaor (as 'Morità')
*Enrique Cádiz ... Cantaor
*'
El Viti' ... Cantaor
*J. Toledo ... Cantaor
*Antonio Escudero 'El Gato' ... Juan/Bailaor (as A. Escudero 'El Gato')
*D. Bargas ... Bailaor (as D. Bargas 'Lulula')
*Amapola ... Antonia/Bailaora
*'El Guisa' ... Bailaor
*Antonio Lavilla ... Sancho
*Francisco Batista
*Carlos Villafranca ... Salvador
*Josefina Tapias
See also
*
List of submissions to the 36th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
*
List of Spanish submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tarantos, Los
1963 films
1960s musical drama films
1960s romantic musical films
Films set in Barcelona
1960s Spanish-language films
Films directed by Francisco Rovira Beleta
Films based on Romeo and Juliet
Fictional representations of Romani people
Spanish musical drama films
1963 drama films
Films set in slums
Spanish-language musical drama films