The Matador Movie Review

Gerald Wright's Movie Coverage

THE MATADOR MOVIE REVIEW

Directed by: Stephen Higgins & Nina Gilden Seavey
Running time: 75 minutes
Release date: October 31, 2008
Genre: Documentary
Distributor: City Lights Pictures
MPAA Rating: Not rated

The subject matter of Bullfighting is quite controversial. The fact that a person (the Matador) is attempting to kill a bull is something to dwell on. Some people consider this an art, others look at this as a sport, and for many Spaniards this is simply part of their cultural tradition. Many people find bullfighting to be an inhumane way to treat an animal. However, this film isn't a vehicle for advocacy by any means.

In this objective documentary, filmmakers Higgins and Seavey takes a look at David Fandila and his journey to become Spain's top-ranked bullfighter. This story gives the audience a thorough look at his life as a child with the urge to become the greatest. It's odd to think that there is a love for this large beast that a matador must kill. David Fandila known to his fans as El Fandi is a soft spoken man who has a natural will to win. As a once competitive skier, he stays in prime physical condition. The film shows his commitment as a child to his adulthood in preparation for his quest.

Spanish style bullfighting is called corrida de toros (running of bulls) or fiesta brava (the ferocious festival). In traditional corrida, three toreros or matores each fight two bulls, each of which is at least four years old and weighs 450-700 pounds. Each matador has six assistants, two picadores (lancers) mounted on horseback, three banderillos (flagmaen), and a mozo de espada (sword page). Collectively, they comprise a cuadrilla (entourage). A corrida starts with the paseillo, where everyone involved in the bullfight enters the ring and presents themselves to the public while directing themselves to the presidency. This is symbolic in asking for the keys to pueta de los toriles, which is the door the bulls are behind. There are three parts to this spectacle. It's formally called tercious, being separated by horn signals. There are three toreros/matadors in each corrida, and each will have two bulls. In the first tercio, the bullfighter uses the capote, a very large purple and yellow cloth. Now enters two picadores on horseback armed with a lance. The second part is la suerte de banderillas. Three banderillos have to stick a pair of banderillas into the attacking bull's back to weaken him. In the final suerte suprema, the bullfighter uses the muleta, a smaller size red cloth. The matador has to show his mastery to dominate the bull, and to establish an artistical symbiosis between man and beast. The corrida ends with the torero/matador killing the bull by using his sword, known as an estocada.

The filming of this portrait of El Fandi is shown over a three year period examining his struggles in reaching his pinnacle. This brilliant film makes bullfighting, which is often unknown and misunderstood in the non-Hispanic world, comprehensible, vibrant and even impassioned to a general eye. The filmmakers capture this young matador El Fandi presenting the graceful and bloody ritual as an important part of Spanish culture and art. Illustrating through his career of a superstar matador, he explodes by executing moves in a classical style of purity. Documenting his rise to fame in his country with tremendous and impressive investigative filmwork, I found myself engaging every scene.

The cinematography in this film is spectacular. It sparkles with vivid colors of the costumes and reveals beauty behind the brutality of bullfighting while focusing on a young man's driven ambition to be the best.

FILM RATING (B+)