An adaptation of the anonymous sixteenth century novel Lazarillo de Tormes (1554), it tells the story of Lazarillo, a poor boy who has to live by his wits after being sold to a series of cruel masters.
Acting
Paoletti's mischievous deadpan carries the whole film.
Production
Dirt-poor Spain never looked this authentically miserable.
Writing
Sarcasm so sharp it survived 400 years of censorship.
Director
César Fernández Ardavín
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The 1554 novel was banned by the Spanish Inquisition for mocking church hypocrisy; this 1959 version was the first Spanish film adaptation after Franco's censorship finally relented.
Director Ardavín fought to keep the anti-clerical satire intact, making this a quiet middle finger to decades of Francoist cultural repression.
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