THE LAST CIRCUS (2010)

4 stars

Chasm Films/Radiance Films. Blu Ray. 17th August.

Set during the Spanish Civil War – two clowns working hard to make an audience of mainly children laugh. The sounds of some kind of conflict outside – then an armed man dressed in leather struts in with a whole bunch of soldiers. He demands that anyone who can carry a weapon gets into the trucks as they and now part of the 11th Division of the Republican army commanded by Colonel Lister.

Handed weapons, they circus troupe make for a motley crew of recruits. They are told to shoot the fascists when they break through the doors. Much gunfire and fighting as the two forces meet.

Our funny clown (Santiago Segura), dressed in a dress cuts, a bloody swathe with his machete – wiping out an entire regiment. He is eventually felled and captured. Later his young son Javier comes to find him amongst the prisoners. Reunited with his father – who tells him not worry

With the fighting over. His grown son (Sasha Di Bendetto) comes to see his father at the labour camp prison where they are to building a giant cross. Javier tells him he wants to be a clown like his father and grandfather – his father tells him he should be a sad clown because what he has suffered through.

He tells him he should take revenge. His son sneaks into the camp and sets off dynamite in the cave tunnels. In the ensuing panic his father is trampled to death by a horse ridden by the Colonel.

The narrative then jumps forward. 25 years of peace under Franco. Madrid 1973

Javier (Carlos Areces) is preparing for his first appearance as a sad clown. Being shown round he sees the enchanting and beautiful Natalia (Carolina Bang), a trapeze artist and girlfriend of his boss, the lead clown Sergio (Antonio de la Torre), who is an arrogant man who is abusive towards Natalia.

Hilariously, as he is being shown the ropes, the bike stuntman keeps going wrong and slamming into walls and the like.

Natalia and Javier begin a clandestine relationship as she feels safe with him, but then Sergio catches them and things spiral out of control from there…

Wild and over the top at times, this is twisted love triangle and tale of obsession, with dark comedic elements mixed in with brutal violence. At times it is absurd and surreal with Javier turning into a gun toting killer clown firing off dual machine guns!

There are echoes of Hitchcock during the well staged climax which ends up hundreds of feet up on the giant cross, though some of the CGI has badly dated.

Some of the CGI used is a bit distracting. Areces and de la Torre are excellent in their respective roles as the two warring circus performers, with Bang also notable as their love interest. This is stylishly directed by Álex de la Iglesias, working from his own script. Limited to 2000 copies

Steve Kirkham

EXTRAS

Interview with director Álex de la Iglesia.

New audio commentary by Spanish horror expert Valeria Villegas Lindvall

New video essay by Xavier Aldana Reyes, author of Spanish Gothic (2017)

Plus: Making of The Last Circus (2010); Behind the scenes footage; Visual effects footage: Trailers

Limited-edition booklet featuring new writing by Andy Willis, co-author of The Cinema of Álex de la Iglesia (2007) and co-editor of Spanish Popular Cinema (2004); O-card slipcase with new artwork by Nick Charge, full-height Scanavo packaging and reversible sleeve featuring original poster artwork and alternative artwork by Nick Charge