The Blacksmith and the Devil


I think this is the first Basque movie I've ever seen. Maybe even the only one on Netflix.

The story goes like this: A man made a deal with the devil in order to survive the Spanish civil war and go back to his wife. Years later the devil is having trouble cashing in on the deal, as the blacksmith is so damn bad(ass) and furious that even Old Nick is afraid of him.

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In this case the story piqued my interested, as I like a little brawl with the devil. You have my attention. Some of the effects were a little clunky, but overall I enjoyed this little bit of local folklore brought into life. If a film can hit the right spots, then to me the story matters more than production value.

And then there's the language, which I personally enjoy listening to. This little autonomous corner of Spain has a unique language which isn't related to any other European languages. I like to hear languages spoken even though I don't understand anything without subtitles. I also feel that it allows a small glimpse into the culture itself.

I think that good films make a splash impact when they hit your brain. They spread into other areas of your brain as well, poking at curiosity all around. A good film will make you interested in relevant trivia, or the setting and backstory of the filming process. Even the country or the language. I feel that smaller budget "foreign language" movies do this especially well.

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