Plot
Bienvenido Mr. Marshall (Welcome Mr. Marshall) is a comedy predicated on the Marshall Plan, which provided American financial aid to deserving European communities. When two Marshall-Plan representatives announce plans to drive through a small Spanish town on the Iberian peninsula, the mayor, in cahoots with a publicity agent, intends to make as good an impression as possible. As a result, all signs of Western culture are hidden, and the town is transformed into a picture-postcard version of Old Iberia. As the townsfolk await the arrival of the Americans, each citizen conjures up visions (mostly inaccurate) of what life might be like in the good old USA. The satirical thrust of Bienvenido Mr. Marshall was misinterpreted as "leftist" by some observers when the film opened at the Cannes Film Festival. ~ Hal Erickson, RoviReview
Considered by many to be one of the best Spanish films ever made, Bienvenido Mr. Marshall resonates more deeply with people familiar with the culture that produced it, which inevitably lessens it impact with viewers outside of Spain. That said, there's also more than enough to entertain even people who couldn't even figure out on which continent Spain can be found. The basic premise -- that a village recreates itself in the image of what it thinks visiting dignitaries want to see, so that they may better qualify for hoped-for foreign funds -- offers plenty of can't-miss comic opportunities, and writer/director Luis Garcua Berlanga and co-writer Juan Antonio Bardem take full advantage of them. The screenplay is very well structured, with each sequence playing off each other to create the desired snowball effect, and with characters sketched in with just enough loving detail to make their foibles resonate that much stronger with the audience. The cast is well-near perfect throughout, and Manuel Berenguer's expert camerawork adds immeasurably to the film's success. Marshall is welcome, indeed, especially among viewers looking for a charming comedy that they haven't come across before. ~ Craig Butler, RoviCast
- Lolita Sevilla - Carmen Vargas
- Alberto Romea - Don Luis
Credit
Francisco Canet - Art Director, Peris - Costume Designer, Ricardo Munoz Suay - First Assistant Director, Luis García Berlanga - Director, Eloy Mella - Camera Operator, Manuel Berenguer - Cinematographer, Juan Antonio Bardem - Screenwriter, Luis García Berlanga - Screenwriter| Bienvenido Mister Kaita (2006 Film), Bienvenido - Welcome (1994 Film) | |
| Bienvenido a casa (2006 Film), Bienvenidos en el Restaurant (2004 Film) |
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