''Marshland'' ( es, La isla mínima, links=no, ) is a 2014 Spanish

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...

directed by Alberto Rodríguez which stars Javier Gutiérrez and

Raúl Arévalo Raúl Arévalo Zorzo (born 22 November 1979) is a Spanish actor and director, known by international audiences for his role in the film '' Summer Rain'', directed by Antonio Banderas. Career Raúl Arévalo Zorzo was born on 22 November 1979 in ...

. The film was presented at the 62nd

San Sebastián International Film Festival The San Sebastián International Film Festival ( SSIFF; es, Festival Internacional de San Sebastián, eu, Donostia Zinemaldia) is an annual FIAPF A category film festival held in the Spanish city of Donostia-San Sebastián in September, in ...

on 20 September 2014. It swept the

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, winning ten categories, including

Best Film This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

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, Original Screenplay, and

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(Gutiérrez).

Plot

In 1980,

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the Largest cities of the Europ ...

homicide detectives Pedro Suárez and Juan Robles are sent to a " backwater" town on the Guadalquivir Marshes in Spain's "Deep South" to investigate the disappearance of two teenage sisters (Carmen and Estrella) during the town's festivities. Pedro, openly critical of Spain's past during the Francoist Dictatorship, has a problem with authority figures, while Juan seems not to care, though he has a troubled past of his own. The detectives meet with the girls' father, Rodrigo, a local riverboat skipper. Although Rodrigo and his wife Rocío say that their daughters were average girls, the duo hear from the local police that they were known for their promiscuity, and from their friends that they had a deep urge to leave the town. Rocío also gives the detectives a burnt

film reel A reel is an object around which a length of another material (usually long and flexible) is wound for storage (usually hose are wound around a reel). Generally a reel has a cylindrical core (known as a '' spool'') with flanges around the ends ...

she has found, depicting the girls naked and in bed with a man whose face is obscured by a

flash Flash, flashes, or FLASH may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional aliases * Flash (DC Comics character), several DC Comics superheroes with super speed: ** Flash (Barry Allen) ** Flash (Jay Garrick) ** Wally West, the first Kid F ...

. Soon enough, both Carmen and Estrella are found dead and dumped in the local marsh, having been raped and tortured to death. Troubled and with no leads, the two detectives attempt to spy on Quini, the handsome and suave former boyfriend of Carmen. Quini, now dating another town girl, Marina, manages to sneak up on the detectives after they have followed him and attempts to threaten them with a knife. After disarming and sending him away, the two agree that Quini must be part of whatever is occurring. The problem proves to be even bigger after a drunk man named Castro tells the detectives about a similar case: his girlfriend, Beatriz, was close to Quini and the sisters, and was found dismembered in the marshes, her suitcase floating there. Pedro and Juan continue to investigate, gradually unravelling secrets. It is revealed that the riverboats and marshes are being used to smuggle and transport heroin, and that Rodrigo had stolen a

kilo KILO (94.3 FM broadcasting, FM, 94.3 KILO) is a radio station broadcasting in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Colorado Springs and Pueblo, Colorado, Pueblo, Colorado. It also streams online. History KLST and KPIK-FM The 94.3 signal signed on th ...

and sold it, getting him in trouble with the locals. However, the locals involved in the drugs seek out the detectives, revealing their participation in drug smuggling in full but claiming they had nothing to do with the sisters' deaths. One of the men does aid the investigation, however, by describing a white Dyane 6 he saw at the church where one of the girls' purse was found. After digging through more victims' items, the two see a pattern of out-of-town job

brochure A brochure is originally an informative paper document (often also used for advertising) that can be folded into a template, pamphlet, or leaflet. A brochure can also be a set of related unfolded papers put into a pocket folder or packet or can ...

s for women, eventually linking Quini to a man named Sebastián. Digging through Sebastián's past, they find a warrant out for him for the possible sexual molestation of a child, solidifying his chance of being the main culprit. Juan and Pedro deduce that Quini and Sebastián were luring the young women of the town, who were aching to leave and find their own independence through work, by passing these brochures around and then entrapping them into sexual slavery at a local hunting lodge. Waters grow murky, however, when Pedro becomes aware of Juan's past shooting of a girl at a protest during the Franco Era. Pedro is also angered after a possible third culprit, a local factory owner named Alfonso Corrales, is brushed over, most likely due to complex political ties. The two continue on, though, eventually deducing Sebastián's cover as the watchman of the hunting lodge. Pedro attempts to follow and observe Sebastián's white Dyane 6, but loses him. With the help of a local

poacher Poaching has been defined as the illegal hunting or capturing of wild animals, usually associated with land use rights. Poaching was once performed by impoverished peasants for subsistence purposes and to supplement meager diets. It was set a ...

named Jesús, the trio finally chases Sebastián into the marshes. All three are shot by the sniping Sebastián, though as he is about to slay Pedro, Juan is able to sneak up and stab him, which he does repeatedly, in a state. After Sebastián falls dead into the swamp, Juan opens the trunk of the car to rescue a bruised but still alive Marina. The town is brought peace after the case is solved, as well as by the local worker's union accepting a pay raise (which in principle, they felt was too low). All seems well for the detectives, too, as Pedro sees a promotion and relocation closer to his own home and wife. On the final night of their stay, however, Pedro receives photographs from a journalist who has helped on the case. Though Juan justified his shooting story by saying it was his former partner's actions, the journalist reveals that he had in fact been a brutal officer in Franco's notorious secret police, and to have once been known as "The Crow". In the morning, before they drive home, Juan asks a stoney-faced Pedro if they "are good". Pedro does not answer, and the two ride off to an uncertain future.

Cast

Critical reception

The film received mostly positive reviews. It has a critic approval rating of 92% on the

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, with an average rating of 7.72/10, based on 36 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads: "As narratively taut as it is richly atmospheric, ''Marshland'' keeps viewers guessing throughout a procedural thriller with surprising nuance." Critics have hailed ''Marshland'' as one of the best Spanish films of 2014, and have defined it as a suffocating cop thriller with a subtle sociopolitical subplot. They have also pointed out reminiscences of American series ''

True Detective ''True Detective'' is an American anthology crime drama television series created and written by Nic Pizzolatto. The series, broadcast by the premium cable network HBO in the United States, premiered on January 12, 2014. Each season of the ...

'' in the star power of the main actors and the environment of the film, although the film began to be recorded before the series' release. Jay Weissberg of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' deemed the film to be "a satisfyingly atmospheric neo-noir", even if it ultimately disappoints in its denouement, leaving many questions unanswered.

Accolades

, - , align = "center" rowspan = "4" , 2014 , , rowspan=4 , 62nd

, colspan=2 , Golden Shell for Best Film , , , rowspan = "4" , , - , Silver Shell for Best Actor , Javier Gutiérrez , , - , Best Cinematography , Álex Catalán , , - , colspan=2 , I Premio Feroz Zinemaldia , , - , align = "center" rowspan = "39" , 2015 , , rowspan = "3" ,

20th Forqué Awards The 20th Forqué Awards were presented on 12 January 2015 at the Palacio Municipal de Congresos in Madrid. The gala, broadcast on La 1, was hosted by Ana Morgade. History The nominations for all the competitive categories (except for the Bes ...

, , colspan = "2" , Best Fiction Picture , , , , rowspan = "3" , , - , rowspan = "2" , Best Actor , , Javier Gutiérrez , , , - , Raúl Arévalo , , , - , rowspan=10 ,

2nd Feroz Awards The 2nd ceremony of the Feroz Awards was held at the Gran Teatro Ruedo Las Ventas in Madrid, on January 25, 2015. It was hosted by actress Bárbara Santa-Cruz and aired on Canal+ Spain. Winners and nominees The nominees were announced on Decembe ...

, colspan=2 , Best Drama , , , rowspan = "10" , , - , Best Director , Alberto Rodríguez , , - , Best Screenplay , Alberto Rodríguez & Rafael Cobos , , - , rowspan=2 , Best Main Actor , Raúl Arévalo , , - , Javier Gutiérrez , , - , Best Supporting Actor , Antonio de la Torre , , - , Best Supporting Actress , Nerea Barros , , - , Best Original Soundtrack , Julio de la Rosa , , - , colspan=2 , Best Trailer , , - , colspan=2 , Best Film Poster , , - , rowspan=17 ,

, colspan=2 ,

, , rowspan = "17" , , - ,

Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to: Film awards * AACTA Award for Best Direction * Academy Award for Best Director * BA ...

, Alberto Rodríguez , , - ,

Best Original Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best Story. Beginning with the ...

, Rafael Cobos and Alberto Rodríguez , , - , rowspan=2 , Best Main Actor , Raúl Arévalo , , - , Javier Gutiérrez , , - , Best Supporting Actor , Antonio de la Torre , , - , Best Supporting Actress , Mercedes León , , - , Best New Actress , Nerea Barros , , - , Best Original Score , Julio de la Rosa , , - , Best Cinematography , Álex Catalán , , - , Best Editing , José M. G. Moyano , , - , Best Production Supervision , Manuela Ocón , , - , Best Art Direction , Pepe Domínguez , , - , Best Costume Design , Fernando García , , - , Best Makeup and Hairstyles , Yolanda Piña , , - , Best Sound , Daniel de Zayas, Nacho Royo-Villanova and Pelayo Gutiérrez , , - , Best Special Effects , Pedro Moreno and Juan Ventura , , - , rowspan = "5" , 24th Actors and Actresses Union Awards , , rowspan = "2" , Best Film Actor in a Leading Role , , Javier Gutiérrez , , , , rowspan = "5" , , - , Raúl Arévalo , , , - , Best Film Actress in a Minor Role , , Mercedes León , , , - , rowspan = "2" , Best Film Actor in a Minor Role , , Manolo Solo , , , - , Antonio de la Torre , , , - ,

57th Ariel Awards The 57th Ariel Awards ceremony, organized by the Mexican Academy of Film Arts and Sciences (AMACC) took place on May 27, 2015, in Mexico City. During the ceremony, AMACC presented the Ariel Award in 25 categories honoring films released in 2014. ...

, , colspan = "2" , Best Ibero-American Film , , , , , - , 2nd Platino Awards , , colspan = "2" , Best Ibero-American Film , , , , , - ,

Neox Fan Awards 2015 This was the fourth and last edition of the Neox Fan Awards, created in Spain by Atresmedia with the sponsorship of The Coca-Cola Company's Fanta, for teenage audiences to honor the best of the year in television, films, music and sports. The show ...

, colspan=2 , Best Spanish film , , , - , 28th European Film Awards , colspan=2 , European Film Academy People's Choice Award for Best European Film , ,

Bibliography

*'' El cine de Alberto Rodríguez. Conversaciones'', de Manuel Lamarca, Ediciones Carena, Barcelona, 2020, .

References

External links

* * * {{European Film Award – People's Choice Award for Best European Film Films set in 1980 European Film Awards winners (films) 2010s mystery thriller films 2010s serial killer films Spanish mystery thriller films Films set in Andalusia Films directed by Alberto Rodríguez Librero Atípica Films films Sacromonte Films films 2010s Spanish films 2010s Spanish-language films Films about the Spanish Transition Atresmedia Cine films Spanish neo-noir films