The Dead Mother (1993)

• Year: 1993
• Released: 14 Jan 1994
• Country: Spain
• Adwords: 12 wins & 4 nominations
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107479/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_dead_mother
• Metacritics:
• Available in: 720p, 1080p,
• Language: Spanish
• MPA Rating: N/A
• Genre: Drama, Thriller
• Runtime: 111 min
• Writer: Juanma Bajo Ulloa, Eduardo Bajo Ulloa
• Director: Juanma Bajo Ulloa
• Cast: Karra Elejalde, Ana Álvarez, Lio
• Keywords: kidnapping, murder,

6.9/10

The Dead Mother Storyline

Ismael Lopez, a petty criminal, shoots and kills a painting restorer during a bungled burglary, and shoots her daughter as well. Twenty years later, and the daughter Leire has been left mute and with a mental age of a child, spending most of her time in a mental home. A chance meeting between Leire and Ismael, who now works in a bar, leads Ismael to think that she still might be able to recognize him, and turn him in to the police. With the help of his girlfriend Maite, he kidnaps Leire and chains her to the bed in his house. He is unable to kill her, however, and instead asks the mental home for a ransom for her return. Whilst a prisoner, though, Leire and Ismael grow closer and closer through his attempts to make her laugh and their mutual love for chocolate.—Jonathan Broxton

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The Dead Mother Movie Reviews

An excursion into off-beat noir thriller film-making

`La Madre Muerta’ is perhaps one of these films of the last 15+ years or so which belongs more to the Basque and Catalonian elements of film-making as opposed to being Spanish in essence and style. Juanma Bajo Ulloa is one of the most active in this school. Inasfar that Spanish is used in all his films, not Euskera, whereas many Catalonian directors use their own language, Bajo Ulloa has a peculiar style veering between the bizarre and the maccabre for putting his stories on screen. This was evident from his hilarious `Airbag’ (1997)(qv). His intellectual capacity and seething imagination fuse into behest collaboration, making sure that none of his cinematographic works can be considered easy or comfortable viewing. Indeed, elements of verbal and physical violence are hallmarks of his trade, at times, one may feel inclined to argue, unbeseemingly or simply unnecessarily, adding to the global perspective of the feeling that one is seeing something which is not facile fodder. In Karra Elejalde he has found his perfect accomplice: both were born and brought up in Vitoria (Gasteiz), political capital of the province of Euskadi (Basque Country).

`La Madre Muerta’ is a curious analysis of crude situations and persons in harsh scenarios. If Elejalde is brilliant as the tortured warped mind, Ana Álvarez is magnificent as the silent inmate of an asylum whose mental processes are so evidently switched off. Her part is essentially non-speaking in the whole film. You should compare her in this film with her rôle in `Brujas’ (1996)(qv) and `Las Amargas Lágrimas de Petra von Kant’ (2001)(TV)(qv), and it should become evident that we are talking about an actress of a very high standard. Both are well supported by the Portuguese-born actress Lio, and Silvia Marsó carries out an important secondary part very correctly.

Whilst Ismael and his girl-friend Maite are holding Leire captive, chained to a bed most of the time, because Ismael fears she might recognise him as the murderer of her mother, some incredible scenes unfold. However it is useless to consider this story as one which goes from scene to scene in any sort of sequence, nor is the development of any scene necessarily in the usual form of doing anything; Leire stares at him expressionless as he plays the clown in an effort to make her smile, and then the creaking wicker chair weighs in on the scene, adding its ominous note of doom-like metaphysicalness; similarly the effect inside the ruins of a dripping church with creaking wooden floorboards and steps; similarly when Blanca hides from Ismael behind doors and furniture in her attempt to snatch Leire from there, the muscles of her sphincter break down, and the consequent pool spreads out under the snoring Ismael in the wicker chair …….. .

Weird; bizarre and maccabre. Accompanied by the incredible symphonic material by Bingen Mendizábal, at the very least a beautiful suite in itself without the film. Add to that the extraordinary photography by Javier Aguirresarrobe, and you can be sure of something a little out of the commonplace. Compare the photography in this film with `99.9′ (qv)and `The Others’ (qv) and you will understand what I mean when I say he does not simply film the scenes but forms an active part in the making of feelings and sensations – absolutely a genius.

`La Madre Muerta’ is not a film for just watching a story: go elsewhere; it is a film for studying the playing out of the scenes, not only by the actors themselves but also by the scenarios, the music and the photography. The result at times may be gruesome or even thrilling in a horrorific sense, guaranteed not to be relaxing viewing.

An unsettling yet captivating picture

Man breaks into a painter’s house. Whilst searching for anything valuable and looking at various photos and sculptures, he stumbles upon a painting that particularly strikes him – a mother and a child, separated through one decisive cut in the middle of the canvas. He gazes at the scenery, whilst the camera lingers on his eyes, when suddenly the painter makes her presence known. The man immediately shoots her. Leaving the crime scene, he encounters the painter’s daughter, who gives him a challenging look as if she wants to avenge her mother. The man shoots once again, and the title sequence follows. La madre muerta.

Honestly, I wouldn’t have even heard of this movie, had it been not for the fact that I randomly chose a ‘European film’ module at uni. I’ve always loved movies, however I never really had a chance to venture out into non-English films. Now I do have the opportunity, and we started with Spanish film. La madre muerta is violent. It’s brutal. But also somewhat… moving? Ismael, played by Karra Elejalde, is a psychopath for sure, he kills whenever he pleases, and kidnaps the girl whom he shot at the very beginning, the only difference being she’s now mute and mentally impaired. Their dysfunctional, disturbing and completely inappropriate relationship is what makes the movie truly interesting. The inner turmoil of both Ismael and Leire is visible, and both actors give everything they’ve got, Ana Alvarez especially. I really like how the plot subverts the expectations. You’d think that a character gets away or has enough of a plot armour to remain unseen, and yet Ulloa has no mercy for anyone. I should watch some more movies of Ulloa. This one is a great beginning.

¨Dead mother¨ potently challenges the viewer with impressive images , intense drama and unsettling events

Downbeat but excellent film about tragic deeds occur a dim-witted girl and lead a cruel nightmare . Emotive drama , thriller , grim tragedy , and befittingly photographed . It deals with an unfortunate girl , a nasty killer and his fiancée , including engaging interpretation , and acceptable direction . This Spanish picture is an enjoyable story with an interesting characterizing about a few characters , tragic drama and thought-provoking events . The movie caught the attention of the Spanish media and spectators because of its shocking visual style and the crude scenario . It deals with an extremely merciless villain named Ismael Lopez (Karra Elejalde , Bajo Ulloa’s fetish actor) and his girlfriend (Lio) . During a botched burglary he kills a mother and hits her daughter who leaves mute and mentally disconnected from the world . Many years later , Leire (Ana Alvarez) is in a health home and with a mental age of a child and Ismael bears the obsession she might identify him, so he decides to abduct her . Ismael carries out the kidnapping and asks the mental institution for a ransom ; but them emerges a strange relationship between the girl and the heartless delinquent , and it becomes a tragic one , driving the final to an inevitable and upsetting tragedy .

This interesting but depressing film contains human drama , thrills , passion , emotion , tragical events , complemented with a colorful cinematography and sensitive musical score . These elements provide the setting for this piece of dramatic deeds , giving it its own special quality and ambient ; making a strong description of a drama inside a couple of tiny delinquents and a mentally weak girl . As in the picture there are machismo , jealousy , depression , death , illness , isolation, and madness . After two years of writing along with his brother Eduardo ; Alejandro Ulloa directed this his second long movie . This film along with ¨Butterfly wings¨ or ¨Alas de Mariposa¨ forms a splendid diptych in which stands out its darkness , gloomy environment and deep drama , both of them were shot in Vitoria ; however his third film ¨Airbag¨ disappointed some of his longtime buffs who preferred the obscurity of his first movies . Top-notch protagonist trio , Karra Elejalde , Ana Alvarez and Lio , all of them give fine acting . The storyline relies heavily on the continued relationship among them but it doesn’t make boring , however the film sometimes is slow moving . Karra Elejalde as a relentless murderous is awesome . The young girl played by Ana Alvarez is marvelous with her sweet and enjoyable countenance , but also bears excessive gesticulation . Good support cast formed by a plethora of notorious Spanish actors such as Silvia Marso as a good girl , Elena Irureta as Director woman and Ramon Barea as Night Club Owner . Emotive as well as thrilling musical score by Bingen Mendizabal . In addition , a spotless pictorial cinematography by Javier Aguirresarobe and a willingness , almost perfect of the elements of each shot , every sequence , every space . Aguirresarobe subsequently would make a prestigious career in Hollywood such as ¨Fright night , ¨The twilight saga: eclipse¨, ¨The road¨ , ¨The others¨ and many others . Splendidly filmed on location in Vitoria , Pais Vasco , where the same director was born and lives .

Juanma Bajo Ulloa is a good but little prolific filmmaker and with “La Madre Muerta” won prizes in several Festivals like Venice and Montreal . In 1989 he filmed his first movie in 35 mm , “The kingdom of Victor” that won the Goya of the Spanish academy to the best short movie . His first long film was the successful ¨Butterfly wings¨ in which appears a brief cameo by Karra Elejalde as a neighbour , this movie achieved numerous national and international prizes . As it won 3 Goyas of the Spanish academy , such as best first movie , actress and original screenplay . In 1993, he realized his second picture , ¨La Madre Muerta¨ or ¨Dead mother¨ , considered to be his best by many of his aficionados . As it was released in the Festival of Cine of San Sebastian it won the first prize and subsequently won awards in many international festivals . In 1996, his third movie , “Airbag” , an action road-movie , became the biggest Spanish box-office hit of all time , being a real international success . However this success , he has been unable to make any other movie in the last 8 years . He attempted to adapt the Spanish comic hero “Capitán Trueno” but the producers turned him down , and being finally realized by Antonio Hernandez . Others projects couldn’t be financed due to creative differences with producers. In 2004 he filmed in secret, and with his own money, his fourth movie, “Fragil”, that will be released in 2005 but was a commercial flop .