Welcome Mr. Marshall!

Villar del Río is a small Spanish town. Nobody comes there and nothing happens. One day the news arrives: an American delegation will pass through and money may be handed out under an aid programme. The mayor begins preparations. His advisers have an idea: they must show the Americans whatever it is the Americans expect of Spain. The town is dressed from top to bottom as an Andalusian town; everyone puts on costume, the fronts of the houses are painted and flamenco is learned. At night the townspeople imagine what they will ask America for. Then the awaited day comes. Luis García Berlanga directs. José Isbert and Manolo Morán take the leads. The film was made in 1953, under Franco, and is an open satire despite the censorship; the narrative criticises both American aid and the way Spain represents itself. It was shown at Cannes and won an award there, and had an effect on Spanish cinema becoming known abroad. Berlanga's method is crowded scenes and characters talking over each other, a manner he kept in his later films. The townspeople's dream sections are shot as imitations of different film genres, each in a separate manner. Its hardest side is the ending; the narrative finishes without giving anything and the townspeople pay for it. It is counted among the most cited productions in Spanish cinema. Who it is for: viewers who like classic European satire and ensemble comedy. Who it is not for: there are many characters, the humour is tied to its period and place, and the technical quality is old.