If They Tell You I Fell (1989)

Film Overview
"If They Tell You I Fell" is a Spanish movie released in 1989, directed by Vicente Aranda and based on a book of the very same name by Juan Marsé. The film is also known as "Si te dicen que caí" in Spanish. Set in the after-effects of the Spanish Civil War and during the early Francoist period, the movie explores the severe truths of war, repression, sexuality, and survival through a blend of gritty realism and dream.

Plot
The narrative reconfigures the bombardment of societal standards and suffocating political contexts in Spain post the civil war through the conduit of 2 childhood pals, Ramón and Manuel. Ramón gets away the war to America, growing as an author, while Manuel disappears under mysterious scenarios. Ramón returns to Spain years later on to investigate Manuel's fate, unwinding several versions of the truth that are flowed around Manuel's life and death.

Story Narrative
The film utilizes a nonlinear narrative method that dives innately into the past and today while also showing parallel stories. At the heart of the movie is Manuel who seemingly falls into a double persona, the among truth and the other of a dream alter-ego 'Andrade'. Andrade is a famous guerilla who plays an important function in the resistance versus the oppressive Franco regime. The movie shuttles in between numerous stories and memories, a trait that shows the fragmented and contradictory nature of historical memory.

Characterization
The film successfully portrays the characters, making them complex and human, hence relatable, showing how they make it through using sex, betrayal, and cunning in war-ridden Spain. Manuel's actions and experiences reflect his desperate requirement to make it through in the middle of turmoil and his alter-ego Andrade's heroic resistance against an oppressive political system. The dichotomy in his character likewise showcases the ethical compromises that individuals should make in extreme scenarios.

Film Style and Technique
"If They Tell You I Fell" is filled with sequences that are aesthetically striking, and it utilizes its nonlinear story to mirror the fractured nature of memory and history. Aranda's distinctive style of mixing realism and dream is on complete display screen, he efficiently stabilizes gritty depictions of life throughout wartime with fantastical components, which serve to highlight the movie's central styles. The graphic representation of sex and violence in the film has been managed with raw credibility, sparing no pain to the audience, however contributes to the essence of the plot.

Important Reception
The movie was received with mixed responses on release, critics applauded the bold storytelling and aesthetically striking scenes but others were wary of the film's representation of sex and violence. Despite the grim and harsh truth that it paints of post-war Spain, the movie wonderfully mixes historical occasions with fictional narratives. The cinematography, the intense efficiencies, and the unflinching representation of the battles faced by regular people throughout a political crisis were admired.

Conclusion
On a broader note, "If They Tell You I Fell" is more than simply a war film. It's a study of survival in severe situations, a commentary on the fluidity of truth, and an exploration of personal and collective memory. Simultaneously harsh and poetic, the movie's mixing of truth and fiction makes it a long-lasting piece of Spanish cinema.

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