Spanish crime films in the fifties and sixties had to be scripted under the limiting scrutiny of the Censorship Board (JSOC), and the Police could only be presented as efficient and exemplary in all circumstances. The ending was therefore predictable, but script-writers could focus on the suspense of how the police got there. This is not really explained in the film which, through the action, focuses on the criminals' psychology and relationships. If the film glosses over the police investigation, not to upset the censors, this is compensated by the fragments it offers of urban Spain (Barcelona) in the late fifties (high-rise buildings in the blue colour outskirts and Jazz Club or pelota matches in the centre). The film was re-re-released as a DVD in 2008, Spanish language only, as one of a six-pack collection of films all starring the always impeccably dressed leading man Arturo Fernández. (bpeb)
Review of A sangre fría
