''To Die in Madrid'' (french: Mourir à Madrid) is a 1963 French

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". Bill Nichols (film critic), Bil ...

about the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...

, directed by

Frédéric Rossif Frédéric Rossif (February 16, 1922 – April 18, 1990) was a French film and television director who specialized primarily in documentaries, frequently using archive footage. Rossif's common themes included wildlife, 20th-century history and conte ...

. It was nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for Best Documentary Feature.

Background

In 1936, the

Popular Front A popular front is "any coalition of working-class and middle-class parties", including liberal and social democratic ones, "united for the defense of democratic forms" against "a presumed Fascist assault". More generally, it is "a coalition ...

won the elections in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

and thus provoked a rise in discontent on the part of the right: monarchists, fascists, conservatives and others nostalgic for the pre-republic, for "eternal, Catholic and imperial Spain", attempted to overthrow the current government in

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

with a putsch that took place on 17 and 18 July 1936. Although it failed, this coup d'état was the trigger for a bloody civil war that Frédéric Rossif documents in ''To Die in Madrid''.

Production and release

The film is a formidable piece of archival research on the Spanish Civil War, drawing on documents from the Soviet Union, the United States, France, Germany and Spain. Rossif is not a historian, but he teaches us the essential fact that the war was won thanks to the massive support of the Germans and Italians. The commentary is by Madeleine Chapsal, for the most part said by Jean Vilar and Suzanne Flon. The music is by Maurice Jarre. The producer is Nicole Stéphane. This film was not easy to make and was much attacked at its release by both the extreme right and the extreme left. The French government, in order to please the Spanish dictator

Franco Franco may refer to: Name * Franco (name) * Francisco Franco (1892–1975), Spanish general and dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975 * Franco Luambo (1938–1989), Congolese musician, the "Grand Maître" Prefix * Franco, a prefix used when ref ...

, delayed the release of the film for more than a month and asked to cut some scenes. According to Nicole Stéphane's testimony in 2006, the Spanish government asked for twenty-five cuts and the French censors finally made six.

Cast

John Gielgud Sir Arthur John Gielgud, (; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Briti ...

as Narrator (voice) *

Irene Worth Irene Worth, CBE (June 23, 1916March 10, 2002) was an American stage and screen actress who became one of the leading stars of the British and American theatre. She pronounced her given name with three syllables: "I-REE-nee". Worth made her Bro ...

as Co-Narrator *

Suzanne Flon Suzanne Flon (28 January 1918 – 15 June 2005) was a French stage, film, and television actress. She won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress for her performance in the 1961 film ''Thou Shalt Not Kill''. Flon also received two César Awards and two M ...

as Récitante / Narrator (French version) (voice) * Roger Mollien as Récitant / Narrator (French version) (voice) *

Germaine Montero Germaine Montero (1909–2000) was a French singer and a stage, television and film actress.Conway p.87 Partial filmography * '' Sapho'' (1934) - Madame Sombreuse * ''The Sin of Rogelia Sanchez'' (1940) - Rogelia Sanchez * '' Saint Rogelia'' (19 ...

as Récitante / Narrator (French version) (voice) *

Pierre Vaneck Pierre Vaneck (born Pierre Auguste Van Hecke; 15 April 1931 – 31 January 2010) was a French actor. During his career, he won a Molière Award in 1988 and received a César Award nomination in 2009. Biography Son of a Belgian army officer, Pi ...

as Récitant / Narrator (French version) (voice) *

Jean Vilar Jean Vilar (25 March 1912– 28 May 1971) was a French actor and theatre director. Vilar trained under actor and theatre director Charles Dullin, then toured with an acting company throughout France. His directorial career began in 1943 in a sma ...

as Récitant / Narrator (French version) (voice)

Awards

* Prix Jean-Vigo (1963) * Prix du

Chevalier de la Barre Chevalier may refer to: Honours Belgium * a rank in the Belgian Order of the Crown * a rank in the Belgian Order of Leopold * a rank in the Belgian Order of Leopold II * a title in the Belgian nobility France * a rank in the French Legion d'h ...

(1963) *

BAFTA Award for Best Documentary This page lists the winners for the BAFTA Award for Best Documentary, formerly known as the Robert Flaherty Documentary Award, for each year. History The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), is a British organisation that hosts an ...

(1968) * Nomination:

Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...

(1966)

References

External links

* 1963 films 1963 documentary films 1960s French-language films French documentary films French black-and-white films Films directed by Frédéric Rossif Documentary films about the Spanish Civil War 1960s French films {{France-documentary-film-stub