Juicio final

Intense and stirring drama with distresses, poorness, pain, death and eventually redemption. It deals with a young man called Paco (Gustavo Rojo) who doesn't love work, he dedicates himself to the good life, being with his friends and worldly vices. He is a young man who is ashamed of his parents, so his father (Manuel Arbó) is a hard worker in a factory and his mother (María Francés) is a housewife, so the one who likes the good life finds out from his girlfriend that she worked as a housekeeper of a woman who has a lot of money. So he's unemployed and needs money to survive, then plans a robbery and enters to rob the house where served his old girlfriend (Silvia Morgan, wife of producer Sergio Newman), whom he abandoned before discovering that she was pregnant ; but things go wrong and he is persecuted by the Police (José Calvo) and accused of a crime.

This is is a Crime movie that eventually becomes into a sentimental melodrama with interest enough. Few actors and little stage and as a result, a great plot where director elaborates an agreeable intrigue with a religious message included. It is a phsychological drama with brief character studio, great set design, a short intrigue, emotion and sentimentality. Beautiful film with a very human script and high quality direction. This is a sad and exciting movie made in maudlin Feuilleton or Folletín style and formally shot in Neorrealist mould. However , it stands out in the Spanish cinema at the time, in spite of its darkness and oblivion, thanks to a skill realization by José Ochoa and getting considerable interpretations.

Gustavo Rojo plays competently a guy who doesn't want to work but he actually worked all his life, even after he was 90, almost until his death at 93. Gustavo Rojo was Uruguayan and Mexican, but he was Spanish, the son of Spanish parents and first married to a Spanish woman. He was born on board a ship headed for Uruguay and there he was given Uruguayan nationality for having been born near that country and having been registered in it. And they added the name of the ship to its name. The actors are very professional and give great realism to their acting. Gustavo's nicely accompanied by a stupendous cast, such as: Silvia Morgan, Manolo Gómez Bur as the ambitious nephew, Félix Dafauce as lawyer at law, José Calvo as police inspector, Matilde Muñoz Sampedro, María Francés, Manuel Arbó, Santiago Rivero as public prosecutor, José Riesgo, José Luis Ozores, Antono Molino Rojo, Carmen de Lucio, José Manuel Martín, Rufino Inglés, and early appearance of Arturo Fernández as Paco's friend.

Here stands out the cinematography in black and white with plenty of shades by Sebastián Perera, though a perfect remastering being really necessary. Shot in streets , markets , Main Street, Rastro, Main Square and particularly surroundings Madrid of the Austrians. As well as a rousing and awesome musical score by Rafael de Andrés. The film was well directed by José Ochoa. He was a good writer and filmmaker who made a few pictures, such as: El anónimo (1957), La mestiza (1956), Júrame (1964), Alma aragonesa (1961) and Juicio final (1960). Rating : 6.5/10. A great film, a gem to discover.