Barcelona, in the forties. Young Andrea Ramos Brunet (Conchita Montes) comes to town to begin college in the midst of a family with a lot of problem . She's staying at her stiff-upper-lip aunt Angustias (María Cañete)'s flat , along with other family members as his uncle Juan Brunet (Tomás Blanco) , his wife , grandmother Sra. Brunet (Juana Mansó) and especially the underdog , strange uncle Román Brunet (Fosco Giachetti) . Along the way, Andrea befriends an university mate , Ena (Marian Deny). But the arguments between relatives and Andrea are continuous and it results in unfortunate consequences .
A classic family saga based on novel by prestigious Carmen Laforet , in which a young woman becomes involved in an oppressive environment and extreme poverty combined with a terrible family drama resulting in a surprising and fateful ending. It's a completely fascinating drama that is truly absorbing from beginning to end, though it has some flaws and gaps and turns out to be dated , being professionally made by the great director Edgar Neville who also provided excellent films as La vida en un hilo (1945), El último caballo (1950) and Duende y misterio del flamenco (1952). An interesting and engaging melodrama with confrontation , quarrels , making evident the open wounds left by the Spanish civil war seem to be alive . Actors are frankly well , as the cast is dominated by celebrities at the time , particularly stunning are Conchita Montes and Fosco Giachetti giving a real "tour De force" and both of whom played "Frente de Madrid" also shot by Edgar Neville . Along with a better than average support cast , such as : Tomas Blanco , Rafael Bardem , Mary Delgado , Adriano Rimoldi , Matilde Muñoz Sampedro and the indispensable Julia Caba Alba . And the ending, while not shocking, was unexpected.
The motion picture was competently directed by Edgar Neville. It got 1947 Prize of the National Syndicate of Spectacle to best film . Edgar Neville was married to Ángeles Rubio Argüelles y Alessandri but his true sweetheart was actress Conchita Montes who also wrote the script along with him . Neville , Count of Berlanga de Duero , was considered to be one of the best filmmakers in the Francoist time . Edgar Neville was born on December 28, 1899 in Madrid, Spain as Edgar Neville Romrée (conde de Berlanga de Duero) and died in 1967 . He was a writer, producer and director . He was a notorious playwright , screenwriter and filmmaker , standing out the following movies : the terror classic La torre de los siete jorobados 1944 , La vida en un hilo 1945 , El crimen de la calle de Bordadores 1946 , El traje de luces 1946 , Nada 1947 , El marqués de Salamanca 1948 , El último caballo 1950 , La ironía del dinero 1955 , El baile 1957 , Mi calle 1959 . He also made documentary as La Ciudad Universitaria, Juventudes de España, Duende y Misterio del Flamenco. Cante Jondo, among others .
