The Weakness of the Bolshevik

The Weakness of the Bolshevik (Spanish: La flaqueza del bolchevique) is a 2003 Spanish psychological drama film directed by Manuel Martín Cuenca from a screenplay he co-wrote with Lorenzo Silva, based on Silva's novel La flaqueza del bolchevique.

The Weakness of the Bolshevik
Theatrical release poster
SpanishLa flaqueza del bolchevique
Directed byManuel Martín Cuenca
Screenplay by
Based onLa flaqueza del bolchevique
by Lorenzo Silva
Starring
CinematographyAlfonso Parra
Edited byÁngel Hernández Zoido
Music byRoque Baños
Production
company
Rioja Audiovisual
Distributed byUnited International Pictures
Release date
  • 31 October 2003 (2003-10-31)
Running time
95 minutes
CountrySpain
LanguageSpanish
Budget$275,792[1]

Plot

In Madrid, a middle-aged man driving his car rams into the rear of another car that is driven by a woman named Sonsoles. They argue and then the frustrated businessman harasses her by sending lewd remarks on her phone. He stalks her and this eventually leads him to the school where her 15-year-old sister María studies. He follows her and introduces himself to her with a false name and profession. They start spending time together, going to a park and afterwards to the swimming complex. María later learns that the person she is seeing is named Pablo López. However, after an initial reluctance, she gives in and they again start to see each other. On the other hand, a colleague of Pablo is wooing him hard, but he disperses her advances as he has grown to have feelings for María. Meanwhile, Sonsoles's older lover fixes a device in her landline which traces unknown numbers and hence she knows that Pablo is behind the act. However, she does not know about her sister's involvement with him and so she sends goons after him to teach him a lesson. But when the goons target Pablo, María is with him, and she is molested by the goons. Pablo tries hard to save her, but he is captured, and when María tries to save herself by hitting one of the goons with her knee, she is thrown against a rock and dies on the spot. Pablo, overcome by sorrow and grief, stays by her until the police arrive and is arrested. In prison, he sees a flashback of María and becomes elated.

Cast

Production

The film is a Rioja Audiovisual production.[3] It was shot in Madrid.[4]

Release

Distributed by United International Pictures,[5] the film was theatrically released in Spain on 31 October 2003.[3]

Reception

Jonathan Holland of Variety considered the film to be a "superbly helmed and played parable of moral breakdown and recovery", "let down only by a weak conclusion".[6]

Mirito Torreiro of Fotogramas gave the film 4 out of 5 stars, writing about the "effective, devastating and unquestionably moral" story, praising the discovery of the new talent María Valverde, whereas negatively assessing "a finale that deflates the earlier drama".[7]

Accolades
Year Award CategoryNominee(s) ResultRef.
200418th Goya AwardsBest Adapted ScreenplayManuel Martín Cuenca, Lorenzo SilvaNominated[8]
Best New ActressMaría ValverdeWon
13th Actors and Actresses Union AwardsBest Film Actor in a Minor RoleRubén OchandianoNominated[9][10]
Best New ActressMaría ValverdeNominated

See also

References
  1. "The Weakness of the Bolshevik". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
  2. "The Weakness of the Bolshevik (La flaqueza del bolchevique) (2003)". FilmAffinity. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  3. "La flaqueza del bolchevique · España 2003". Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  4. "Recorre los 21 distritos de Madrid a través de sus películas". City of Madrid Film Office. [[Madrid Destino|]]. 8 April 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  5. "Film #21847: La flaqueza del bolchevique". Lumiere. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  6. Holland, Jonathan (2 October 2003). "The Weakness of the Bolshevik". Variety.
  7. Torreiro, Mirito (29 May 2008). "La flaqueza del bolchevique". Fotogramas.
  8. "La flaqueza del bolchevique". premiosgoya.com. Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas de España. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  9. "Intérpretes nominados en los XIII Premios Unión de Actores". El Mundo. 11 May 2004.
  10. Benito, Miren Lucía (10 May 2004). "'Aquí no hay quien viva' y 'Te doy mis ojos', grandes ganadoras en los Premios Unión de Actores". elmundo.es.
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