The War of the Madmen

The War of the Madmen^[1] a.k.a. The War of the Loonies^[2] (Spanish: La guerra de los locos) is a 1987 Spanish drama film directed by Manolo Matji [es] (in his directorial debut) which stars Álvaro de Luna, José Manuel Cervino, and Juan Luis Galiardo.

The War of the Madmen
Spanish	La guerra de los locos
Directed by	Manolo Matji
Screenplay by	Manolo Matji
Story by	Isaac Montero
Produced by	José María Calleja
Starring	Álvaro de Luna José Manuel Cervino Juan Luis Galiardo Pep Munné Luis Marín Pedro del Corral Emilio Laín Joan Potau Cesáreo Estébanez Francisco Algora Patxi Catalá Achero Mañas Manuela Camacho Emilio Gutiérrez Caba Maite Blasco Ana Marzoa Alicia Sánchez
Cinematography	Federico Ribes
Edited by	Nieves Martín
Music by	Pepe Nieto
Production company	Xaloc PC
Distributed by	InCine
Release date	11 April 1987 (1987-04-11)
Country	Spain
Language	Spanish

Plot

Set in August 1936 against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War, the plot explores the plight of a group of asylum inmates, who come across a group of guerrilla fighters after escaping from the psychiatric hospital upon the break-in of Rebel forces.^[3]

Cast

• Álvaro de Luna as Saturnino Grande, el Rubio^[3]
• José Manuel Cervino as Ángel Frutos^[4]
• Juan Luis Galiardo as don Salvador^[5]
• Pep Munné [es]^[6]
• Luis Marín^[7]
• Pedro Díez del Corral [es] as Rufino^[8]
• Emilio Laín as Serafín^[9]
• Joan Potau [es] as Rafael^[9]
• Cesáreo Estébanez [es] as Paulino^[8]
• Francisco Algora^[6]
• Patxi Catalá as Emilio^[8]
• Achero Mañas^[6]
• Manuela Camacho
• Pepe Yepes [es]^[10]
• Emilio Gutiérrez Caba as comandante^[4]
• Maite Blasco [es]^[6]
• Alberto A. López [es] as Bartolo^[8]
• Ana Marzoa^[7]
• Alicia Sánchez [es]^[7]

Production

The film is a Xaloc PC (José María Calleja) production.^[11][9] It was lensed by Federico Ribes, scored by José Nieto, and edited by Nieves Martín.^[12]

Release

The film was released theatrically in Spain on 11 April 1987.^[13] It grossed 9,271,979 ₧ (30,446 admissions).^[14]

Reception

Ángel Fernández-Santos of El País assessed that despite the film suffering at its opening (in which the helmer should have explored the bad guy's evilness more and with more nastiness) it grows in potency as it progresses.^[15]

Accolades

Year	Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
1988	2nd Goya Awards	Best Screenplay	Manolo Matji	Nominated	[16]
		Best Actor	José Manuel Cervino	Nominated

See also

• List of Spanish films of 1987

References

1. Porton, Richard (1999). Film and the Anarchist Imagination. London: Verso. p. 95. ISBN 1-85984-702-1.
2. "From Spain, a schedule of double features". The New York Times. 27 March 1987.
3. Torres 2004, p. 217.
4. Torres 2004, p. 219.
5. Nieto Jiménez, Rafael (5 May 2020). "Perlas olvidadas del cine español (6). La guerra de los locos (Manolo Matji, 1987)". Rinconete. ISSN 1885-5008 – via Centro Virtual Cervantes.
6. "La guerra de los locos". Fotogramas. 29 May 2008.
7. Bayón, Miguel (1990). La cosecha de los 80: el "boom" de los nuevos realizadores españoles. Murcia: Editora Regional de Murcia. p. 34. ISBN 84-7564-094-X.
8. Festival of films from Spain, third-87. ICAA. 1987. p. 20. ISBN 978-92-0-007716-6.
9. Ripoll-Freixes, Enric (1992). 100 peliculas sobre la guerra civil española. p. 175. ISBN 8487411150.
10. "Fallece a los 70 años el histórico actor valenciano Pepe Yepes". Europa Press. 30 October 2012.
11. Torres, Augusto M. (2004). Directores malditos. Madrid: Huerga y Fierro. ISBN 84-8374-480-5.
12. Bayón 1990, p. 34.
13. Rothauge, Caroline (2014). Zweite Republik, Spanischer Bürgerkrieg und frühe Franco-Diktatur in Film und Fernsehen. Göttingen: V & R unipress. p. 389. ISBN 978-3-8471-0210-6.
14. "Relación de las cien primeras películas españolas por cuantía de recaudación durante el año 1987". Boletín Informativo del Contro de Taquilla. Datos de 1987 (PDF). Vol. 13. ICAA. 1988. pp. 133–134.
15. Fernández-Santos, Ángel (5 May 1987). "Buen 'western' a la española". El País.
16. Viaje al cine español. 25 años de los Premios Goya (PDF), Lunwerg, 2011, p. 270, ISBN 978-84-9785-791-8