After telling his own life in his first film, Aprendiendo a morir (1962), El Cordobés made his first real performance. In Chantaje a un torero (1963) he is no longer Manuel Benítez, but Juan Medina, a fiction character. As he himself states, he's not a good actor and doesn't like to act, and that's something evident in this film. Directed by a good director, Rafael Gil, and with several good actors in the cast, Chantaje a un torero is a bad film. It's a bad film because it was made to be shown in a dictatorship's time. Reality is passed through a filter and the result is nothing but annoying. To be more explicit, I'll explain myself: Rich people are 'the good people', the prison priest is almost a saint, beloved and respected by everybody, the prison director looks like a wonderful person, the dialogue is full of 'remarkable' quotes ("What happens if you happen to be guilty? Then I'll pay for my fault like a man")... I think you get the point.
This film was mainly made to show El Cordobés's abilities at bullfighting. The fact is that he only appears doing his thing for a few minutes. So I can't even recommend this film to the bullfighter's fans.
3 or 4 out of 10.
This film was mainly made to show El Cordobés's abilities at bullfighting. The fact is that he only appears doing his thing for a few minutes. So I can't even recommend this film to the bullfighter's fans.
3 or 4 out of 10.