''Blood and Sand'' (Spanish: ''Sangre y Arena'') is a 1916 film based on the novel ''

Sangre y Arena Sangre may refer to: * Sangre, a fictional Earth-like planet in the science fiction novel ''The Men in the Jungle'' by Norman Spinrad * Sangre (comics), the de facto leader of the Marvel Comics supervillain group Children of the Vault *''Sangre (fi ...

'' by

Vicente Blasco Ibáñez Vicente Blasco Ibáñez (, 29 January 1867 – 28 January 1928) was a journalist, politician and bestselling Spanish novelist in various genres whose most widespread and lasting fame in the English-speaking world is from Hollywood films that were ...

. The film was co-directed by Blasco Ibáñez himself and Max André. It was produced by the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

- French label Prometheus Films, named after the Editorial Prometeo, Blasco Ibáñez's publishing house, which backed the cost of the film. It was the first time that the novelist assumed management tasks and production. Moreover, thanks to the success achieved in Spain, ''Sangre y Arena'' exerted a significant influence on the

Spanish cinema Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

in the immediate years, and stood at the origins and then used as appellant '' españolada'' genre. It was the only time that Blasco Ibáñez himself reflected in images the design of his own work. It remains a tape from the

Czech Film Archive The National Film Archive (, abb. NFA) is a film archive located in Prague, Czech Republic. It was established in 1943 (From 1943 to 1945 known as Filmový archiv, from 1945 to 1989 Československý filmový ústav, then from 1990 to 1992 Český f ...

, a version with 800 meters of length less than the original film. This version was restored by the Valencia Film Archive and Prague's, with a changed ending, where the parallels between

bullfighting Bullfighting is a physical contest that involves a bullfighter attempting to subdue, immobilize, or kill a bull, usually according to a set of rules, guidelines, or cultural expectations. There are several variations, including some forms wh ...

and

bandit Banditry is a type of organized crime committed by outlaws typically involving the threat or use of violence. A person who engages in banditry is known as a bandit and primarily commits crimes such as extortion, robbery, and murder, either as an ...

s are reinforced.

Restoration

The copy held by Valencia Film Archive was given by Dolores Nebot Sanchis in 1993. It was a

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

roll in

nitrate Nitrate is a polyatomic ion A polyatomic ion, also known as a molecular ion, is a covalent bonded set of two or more atoms, or of a metal complex, that can be considered to behave as a single unit and that has a net charge that is not zer ...

support found in a state of decay that produced irreversible damage to the image, and contained about a sixth part of the full footage. From that footage, restored in 1993, 93 meters were saved. In 1996, following a projection by the

Spanish Film Archive Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

of a series of films archived at the

, the Valencia Film Archive contacted with

Národní Filmový Archiv The National Film Archive (, abb. NFA) is a film archive located in Prague, Czech Republic. It was established in 1943 (From 1943 to 1945 known as Filmový archiv, from 1945 to 1989 Československý filmový ústav, then from 1990 to 1992 Český f ...

and got on loan their copy so they could complete the nitrate footage as close as possible to the original length. That copy was repaired with nitrate material from diverse origin, with

fingerprint A fingerprint is an impression left by the friction ridges of a human finger. The recovery of partial fingerprints from a crime scene is an important method of forensic science. Moisture and grease on a finger result in fingerprints on surfac ...

and loss of emulsion problems. It was restored in the

ISKRA ''Iskra'' ( rus, Искра, , ''the Spark'') was a political newspaper of Russian socialist emigrants established as the official organ of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP). History Due to political repression under Tsar Nicho ...

lab and the security ''transfer'' used an

optical printer An optical printer is a device consisting of one or more film projectors mechanically linked to a movie camera. It allows filmmakers to re-photograph one or more strips of film. The optical printer is used for making special effects for motion ...

with wet window. From the Valencia Film Archive footage were extended some sequences that were shorter in the Czech copy. Also, some sequences were completed and others added, sequenced according to the order of the original novel.

References

Bibliography

* {{cite web , last1=Bosch , first1=Isabel , last2=Lahoz , first2=Ignacio , title=Sangre y Arena , series=Collecció Imatges Rescatades , url=http://ivac.gva.es/la-filmoteca/publicacions/colleccions/id_97/sangre-y-arena , publisher=Institut Valencià de l'Audiovisual i de la Cinematografia , location=Valencia , date=1999 , language=es 1916 films Spanish silent films Films based on Spanish novels Spanish black-and-white films Films based on works by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez