View source for Viva la Muerte (film)

{{Short description|1971 drama film directed by Fernando Arrabal}}
{{missing information|the film's production, and theatrical/home media releases|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Viva la muerte
| image          = 1971 French theatrical release poster for Arrabal's film Viva la muerte.jpeg
| director       = [[Fernando Arrabal]]
| producer       = [[Hassen Daldoul]]<br>[[Jean Velter]]
| writer         = [[Fernando Arrabal]]
| starring       = [[Mahdi Chaouch]]<br>[[Anouk Ferjac]]<br>[[Núria Espert]]
| music          =
| cinematography = [[Jean-Marc Ripert]]
| editing        = [[Laurence Leininger]]
| studio         = Isabelle Films<br>[[SATPEC]]
| distributor    = Alliance Releasing Corporation
| released       = {{film date|1971|5|12|df=y}}
| country        = [[France]]<br>[[Algeria]]<br>[[Morocco]]<br>[[Francoist Spain|Spain]]<br>[[Estado Novo (Portugal)|Portugal]]<br>[[Philippines]]<br>[[Brazil]]<br>[[Italy]]  
| language        = [[French language|French]]<br>[[Italian language|Italian]]<br>[[Spanish language|Spanish]]<br>[[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]<br>[[Arabic language|Arabic]]<br>[[Filipino language|Filipino]]<br>[[Tagalog language|Tagalog]]<br>[[Cebuano language|Cebuano]]<br>[[Berber language|Berber]] 
}}
'''''Viva la Muerte''''' (English: '''''Long Live Death''''') is a 1971 internationally-produced [[drama film]] shot in Algeria, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Brazil, Philippines, Morocco and Tunisia and directed by [[Fernando Arrabal]].<ref>{{cite journal|title=Arrabal's VIVA LA MUERTE! From Novel to Filmscript|last=Brown|first=Edward G|journal=Literature Film Quarterly|date=June 1984|volume=12|issue=2|page=136|url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/literary-criticism/6904833/arrabals-viva-la-muerte-from-novel-filmscript|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102191927/http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/literary-criticism/6904833/arrabals-viva-la-muerte-from-novel-filmscript|url-status=dead|archive-date=2014-01-02|access-date=2 January 2014}}</ref> The film was released on 12 May 1971 and Arrabal drew on his own childhood for inspiration for the movie.<ref>{{cite book|last=Crouse|first=Richard|title=Son of the 100 Best Movies You've Never Seen|year=2008|publisher=ECW Press|isbn=978-1550228403|page=277|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B5alnowvF3sC&q=%22Viva+la+muerte%22+Arrabal&pg=PT311}}</ref> ''Viva la Muerte'' takes place at the end of the [[Spanish Civil War]], telling the story of Fando, a young boy whose father was turned in to authorities as a suspected [[communism|communist]] by his [[FET y de las JONS|Falange]]-sympathizing mother. It has gained [[cult film|cult popularity]] as a [[midnight movie]]. The opening credits sequence features drawings by artist, actor and novelist [[Roland Topor]].

==Synopsis==
When Fando's [[fascism|fascist]]-sympathizing mother turns his father in to the authorities as a suspected communist, Fando (Mahdi Chaouch) is told that his father was executed. In truth the father is actually just imprisoned and Fando eventually begins to search for him, constantly imagining what his father might be up to or what might have happened to him.

==Cast==
*[[Anouk Ferjac]] as La Tante
*[[Núria Espert]] as La Mère
*[[Mahdi Chaouch]] as Fando
*[[Ivan Henriques]] as Le Père
*[[Jazia Klibi]] as Thérèse
*[[Suzanne Comte]] as La Grand-mère
*[[Jean-Louis Chassigneux]] as Le Grand-père
*[[Mohamed Bellasoued]] as Colonel
*Víctor García as Fando - 20 ans

==Reception==
''[[Allmovie]]'' gave ''Viva la Muerte'' four stars, remarking that the film's extreme visuals would make it "not for the faint of heart".<ref>{{cite web|title=Viva la Muerte|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/v155105|publisher=Allmovie|access-date=2 January 2014}}</ref> The ''[[New York Times]]'' gave the film a mostly positive review, stating that while it was "no perfect movie, it seems to me inescapably a major work."<ref>{{cite news|last=Greenspun|first=Robert|title=Viva La Muerte (1971) Screen: Arrabal's 'Viva la Muerte'|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9A06E2D6163AE73ABC4E51DFB667838A669EDE|access-date=2 January 2014|newspaper=NYT|date=October 26, 1971}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title|0066530}}

[[Category:1971 films]]
[[Category:1971 drama films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Fernando Arrabal]]
[[Category:Films set in Spain]]
[[Category:Films shot in Tunisia]]
[[Category:French avant-garde and experimental films]]
[[Category:French drama films]]
[[Category:1970s French-language films]]
[[Category:French independent films]]
[[Category:Spanish Civil War films]]
[[Category:Roland Topor]]
[[Category:1970s avant-garde and experimental films]]
[[Category:Tunisian drama films]]
[[Category:1971 independent films]]
[[Category:1970s French films]]


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