Amantes ***1/2

Amantes is a Spanish movie that I thought I would love. A quick synopsis from IMDB:

Set in '50s Spain, a young man (Sanz) leaves the army and looks for a job so he and his fiancée (Verdu) can get married. He rents a room from a widow (Abril), and shortly begins a torrid affair with her. The fiancée figures it out and decides to win him back by offering herself to him and taking him to meet her family. Ultimately he has to make a decision. Based on a true story.

This 1991 movie moved me since I had just recently broken up with my boyfriend at the time. After watching this movie, I must have cried for several days on and off in the shower. (Never let anyone see you cry. First rule of being Chinese. The best way to hide it is to do it in the shower. The water washes tears right down the drain.)

The reason why this movie cut me so deeply was that it appeared that the two lovers were set on having a beautiful life. The love they shared burst into the air whenever they were near. Then the affair begins. The change in Sanz is very subtle. He starts to be secretive. He then starts to treat his very innocence and young fiancee with slight condescension. It is as if he doesn't have the time of day for her. This especially hurts Verdu. She is also confused. She can't understand how their love could go so wrong.


************************Spoiler**********************************

When the truth comes out, Verdu confronts her fiancee. She demands that he meets her. She still believes that she can win him back. She brings her whole life savings to him. They meet on a bench. She looks to him with her forlorn loving eyes. He appears to be regretful, then he takes her money and stabs her with a knife. The symbolism here is unmistakable. He breaks her heart figuratively and literally stabs her to death.

A young woman lost in love gives up everything to be vulnerable with the man she wants to spend the rest of her life. At her most vulnerable moment, he kills her. At that moment, I hated all men. I wanted all the unfaithful, cheating, selfish bastards to be tortured to death. I was furious with the writer. I was angry with the director. Then I read the notes, it was based upon a true story. Who is to know exactly how true the movie is to real life events? I know that the movie had quite the impact upon me for many years afterwards.