Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Reel People: Adrien Brody is Manuel Laureano Rodríguez Sánchez

The film is Manolete and stars Academy Award winner Adrien Brody as the world famous Spanish bull fighter. The film is written and directed by academy award nominee Menno Meyjes (writer of the Color Purple).

Manuel Laureano Rodríguez Sánchez is better known for as Manolete. Born in 1917, Sánchez was born to the father of a blind bull-fighter. He began bull-fighting at the age of 17, and under a former matador (José Camará) who taught him how to refine his style.

Manolete was known for passionate cape work, while he himself maintained a sad and emotionless expression. Manolete became an icon of the Spanish, earning over $4 million dollars in eight years of the 1940s. Manolete became a valuable icon to many as his image helped sell dolls, alcohol, and anything else he promoted. It was not uncommon for bull-fighters to die, but Manolete's image was worth so much that his promoters often prepared the bulls he was fighting by shaving their horns so they would be less dangerous.

Manolete retired, but was lured out of retirment by a young rival (Luis Miguel Dominguín, who was dating Ava Gardner), Manolete re-entered bull fighting only to get gored to death in 1947.

This biographical film could certainly earn Brody some critical awards attention for his portrayal of this Real (Reel) Person.

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7 comments:

Kimberly Ann said...

sounds like a really intersting guys, and brody is always an excellent actor. what a tragedy...Manuel decided to come out of retirement, only to die.

jasdye said...

"for her portrayal?"

do you know something we don't, rc?

RC said...

yikes! Thanks Jasdye...the correction has been made...brody is certainly not a "she."

Art said...

I don't know.. Brody might be a "she" :) But, once again, it is freaky how much the actor looks like the subject.

Will said...

Wow, RC, didn't know about this one, but I really admire Brody as an actor.

How are you finding these films? Just curious, because it's seems I've missed quite a few in my overview.

RC said...

will,

I'm just finding these films with a little bit of (okay, sometimes, more than a little) imdb action.

b13 said...

Brody is one of my favorite actors. He was fantastic in "The Pianist" and "The Jacket."

He and Edward Norton have to be my top picks.