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A 17th-century Spanish con man scams his way through rogues, whores, and fake holy men. Chaos ensues.
TMDB
55
IMDb
61

El buscón (1979)

picaresque mischiefperiod satireshameless hustle

Overview

Comedy

XVII century Spain. Don Pablo tries to climb position and falls into the hands of students, rogues, whores, fake skilled, executioners, jailers and comedians. Based on "The Buscón called Pablos" Francisco de Quevedo.

Flag of ESESSpanish
Content warning

Standout Aspects

Acting

Francisco Algora's gleefully amoral Pablos carries every scam with twisted charm.

Costume

Absurdly detailed 17th-century rags-to-riches-to-rags wardrobe on a shoestring.

Writing

Quevedo's savage wit survives, barely, through Berriatúa's uneven adaptation.

Best for:Streaming: Niche pick for Spanish cinema completists and literary adaptation fans.·Solo: Weird little gem to discover alone with zero expectations.·Rewatch: Ana Belén's dancing scene deserves a second look, honestly.
Heads up:Sexual Content: Bawdy period-appropriate brothel scenes, played for grotesque comedy.·Violence: Casual 17th-century cruelty: public humiliation, beatings, gallows humor literally.
L

Director

Luciano Berriatúa

ReleasedNov 27, 1979
Runtime1h 34m
StatusReleased

Vibe

Pacefast
Intensitymedium
Tonelight
Feellight
N.G. Films

Top Cast

Ana Belén

Ana Belén

La Bailarina

Queta Ariel

Queta Ariel

Juan Diego

Juan Diego

Diego Coronel

Antonio Iranzo

Antonio Iranzo

El Padre

Francisco Algora

Francisco Algora

Pablos, el Buscón

Pep Armengol

Pep Armengol

Actor

Kiti Mánver

Kiti Mánver

Ana

Francisco Olmo

Francisco Olmo

Francisco Rabal

Francisco Rabal

Mata

Josele Román

Josele Román

Félix Rotaeta

Félix Rotaeta

Ask about El buscón

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Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Cultural

Quevedo's novel invented the Spanish picaresque; this 1979 adaptation arrived during the 'Transition' when Franco's censorship had just ended, making its crude energy oddly political.

Trivia

TMDB's 5.5 rating comes from literally two votes—this film is so obscure it basically doesn't exist statistically, which somehow fits Pablos's whole deal.

Reviews

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