Lion’s Den (15)

Broadcast on Channel 4 Film4
(In Spanish with English subtitles)

Reviewed by John Owen

A dark gruesome murder starts this well observed tale that centres on the wrongfully accused woman, pregnant and innocent railroaded to jail by eager cops and other forces of the state.

After the nightmarish opening the films settle into a rhythms of her life Marta her cellmate friend who exhorts her to get on with it or go under don’t let the bustard’s grind you down approach, an excellent survival strategy. In this cold and indifferent prison system of Spanish justice. A tough it philosophy is best. Born in jail and crying babies could tip anyone over the edge, but she soldiers on.

Family prisons with noisy little kids up to four yrs. of age, finger printed and the baby footprints taken, harsh conditions which may harden people beyond human, maternal norms, keeping your soul and wits about is all important as is the unique solidarity against the system.

It reminded me of the treatment of political prisoner’s Basque and ETA so called terrorist the IRA equivalent in Spain, who are separated sometimes imprisoned 100s of miles away from family and friends to double the punishment.

Routine strip-searching even of the kids bleakly shot in grainy docudrama style with terse language and painfully acute scenarios to highlight the directors focus of this daily grind on people.

Relentless remorseless and never-ending does more than explain the whole stinking capitalist prison system and the role of do gooders, checks and balances as they say, in the social service care, the well-meaning governors and assorted liberals attracted to the crime genre and criminology as a trendy subject: prison clink nick or bird is no laughing matter.

The director’s tactics close up and personal takes no prisoners, despite the gloom he throws more light on this issue than any Hollywood movie does.

You feel a surge of hatred of all authority and unconsciously want to root for her when the final twist in the tale unfolds. Was well worth staying up late to see it right through to the bitter and sweet end.

Catch it on dvd or vhs if you can.

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