An ex-bullfighter who gets turned on by killing, a lady lawyer with the same fetish and a young man driven insane by his religious upbringing - these are the main characters in this stylish...
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Title: Matador (1986)
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6 wins & 6 nominations.
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Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Assumpta Serna | ... | ||
| Antonio Banderas | ... |
Ángel
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Nacho Martínez | ... |
Diego Montez
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Eva Cobo | ... |
Eva
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| Julieta Serrano | ... |
Berta Giménez
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| Chus Lampreave | ... |
Pilar
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| Carmen Maura | ... |
Julia
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| Eusebio Poncela | ... |
Comisario del Valle
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| Bibiana Fernández | ... |
Vendedora Flores
(as Bibi Andersen)
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Luis Ciges | ... |
Guarda Mariano
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Eva Siva | ... |
Asistenta María y Diego
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| Verónica Forqué | ... |
Periodista
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Pepa Merino | ... |
Secretaria María
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Lola Peno | ... |
Alumna 1ª
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Marisa Tejada | ... |
Alumna 2ª
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Edit
Plot Summary
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Add Synopsis
Storyline
An ex-bullfighter who gets turned on by killing, a lady lawyer with the same fetish and a young man driven insane by his religious upbringing - these are the main characters in this stylish black comedy about dark sides of human nature. Written by Dragan Antulov <[email protected]>
Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated NC-17 for aberrant sexuality including violence | See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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Details
Country:
SpainLanguage:
SpanishRelease Date:
7 March 1986 (Spain) See more »Also Known As:
The Bullfighter See more »Filming Locations:
Madrid, SpainBox Office
Gross:
$206,952 (USA)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
Edit
I am not sure what to expect when the opening scene is a man masturbating to torture porn, a term that was probably not even invented in 1988.
From there we go to alternating clips of Antonio Banderas asking the ex-bullfighter Nacho Martínez about women and he compares getting a woman to bullfighting, while we watch someone do exactly that. We are no, of course, prepared for the necrophilia twist in that encounter.
We find our boy, Antonio, and he is a boy in this film, in a strict Catholic household. I would have to guess that his mother was Opus Dei. He attempts to rape his neighbor and confesses to four murders which we know he did not do. This is just Almodóvar's take on religion and repression. He revisits that subjects again in the film, so it must me a theme for him.
But, then the story shifts to Nacho and Assumpta Serna, with Eva Cobo in a minor role. This is where the story gets interesting with the police trying to solve the four murders and the real murderers trying to lay it on Antonio.
It gets bizarre at the end with Antonio seeing the killers in his mind and leading the police to them. But, they arrive too late as the climax of sex and death occurs simultaneous with an eclipse. How weird is that?