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A priest, a commissar, and a confession booth that doubles as a death trap.
TMDB
50
IMDb
56

El canto del gallo (1955)

clergy vs. statefrantic escapemoral chess match

Overview

Drama

A Catholic priest lives in a communist country where all religious are being killed. When trying to escape is stopped by a commissioner who had been a fellow student.

Flag of ESESSpanish
Content warning

Standout Aspects

Acting

Rabal's sweating desperation is pure cinema.

Direction

Gil squeezes tension from every shadow.

Production

Franco-era Spain pretending it's Eastern Europe.

Best for:Solo: Late night existential crisis fuel.·Streaming: Criterion Channel rabbit hole essential.
Heads up:Violence: Religious executions shown and implied.·Emotional: Hope gets methodically dismantled.
Rafael Gil

Director

Rafael Gil

ReleasedSep 26, 1955
Runtime1h 35m
StatusReleased

Vibe

Pacesteady
Intensityhigh
Tonedark
Feelheavy
Aspa

Top Cast

Francisco Rabal

Francisco Rabal

Padre Miller

Jacqueline Pierreux

Jacqueline Pierreux

Elsa

Gérard Tichy

Gérard Tichy

Gans

Antonio Riquelme

Antonio Riquelme

Conserje

Julia Lajos

Julia Lajos

Carlota

Alicia Palacios

Alicia Palacios

Madre de Pablo

Carmen Rodríguez

Carmen Rodríguez

María

Asunción Balaguer

Asunción Balaguer

Mujer humilde

Luis Induni

Luis Induni

Sargento Lubeck

José Manuel Martín

José Manuel Martín

Preso

Francisco Sánchez

Francisco Sánchez

Guardia

Matilde Muñoz Sampedro

Matilde Muñoz Sampedro

Elena

Porfiria Sanchiz

Porfiria Sanchiz

Casera

Ask about El canto del gallo

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Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Cultural

Made during Franco's Spain, the film's anti-communist stance was state-approved — yet its depiction of hunted clergy eerily mirrored how Republicans had been treated just years earlier.

Trivia

Rafael Gil shot the prison escape sequence in a single night after their location permit expired at dawn.

Gallery

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