La escopeta nacional (in English, The National Shotgun) is a 1978 Spanish comedy film directed by Luis García Berlanga. The first installment in a critically and commercially successful trilogy, the picture is an indictment of the legacy of Francisco Franco and the business classes upon whom he depended for support. The picture was followed in the trilogy by Patrimonio nacional and Nacional III, which were released in 1981 and 1982.
Contents
Plot
A Catalan manufacturer of electronic intercoms travels to Madrid, accompanied by his lover, to attend a hunt that he himself has organized. What he intends is to interact with people from Spanish high society to promote his business. At the Marquis of Leguineche's estate he meets various characters and experiences a multitude of situations as absurd as they are crazy.
Cast
José Sazatornil as Jaume Canivell
Mónica Randall as Mercé
Luis Escobar Kirkpatrick as Don José, marquis of Leguineche
Antonio Ferrandis as Álvaro
José Luis López Vázquez as Luis José of Leguineche
Amparo Soler Leal as María Jesús, "Chus"
Agustín González as Padre Calvo
Luis Ciges as Segundo
Bárbara Rey as Vera del Bosque
Rafael Alonso as Cerrillo
Production
Among the filming locations is the El Ricón estate, in Madrid. It is in the municipality of Aldea del Fresno (in the southwest of the Community of Madrid), 53 km from the capital.
Berlanga was inspired by an incident during the Franco dictatorship: during a hunt, minister Manuel Fraga Iribarne accidentally shot Franco's daughter in the buttocks.
Franco, however, did not made much of a fuss about it.
Awards
Círculo de Escritores Cinematográficos