El Lobo (2004)
Release Year: 2004
Nation: Spain
Alternative Title: The Wolf, El Lobo - Der Wolf, El Llop, O lykos, A farkas, Kurt, Wolf
Director: Miguel Courtois
Writer: Antonio Onetti
Production & Genre
Awards & Similar
Awards:
Similar: N/A
Story
El Lobo is set during the latter stages of Franco's dictatorship in Spain in the 1970s. The film follows Txema, a Basque construction worker who is arrested due to his connection with terrorists. He is approached by the secret service who see him as an ideal candidate to infiltrate the terrorist group ETA and become their mole. Initially, Txema declines but eventually agrees due to his financial problems which were likely orchestrated by the secret service themselves. Adopting the undercover name 'Lobo', he becomes a trusted member of ETA and learns about internal divisions between those who want to abandon armed struggle in favor of political activism and those who insist on fighting for Basque independence at any cost. The group's leaders gain Txema's trust, leading him to become privy to their most daring plot yet: assassinating Prime Minister Carrero Blanco. After the successful assassination, tensions rise between the secret service and the military, with the latter eager to launch an immediate attack against ETA. Meanwhile, the Barcelona police arrest one of ETA's leaders who was betrayed by a rival within the group. This leads to the generals deciding they can no longer wait for Txema to complete his mission and plan to eliminate him along with other suspected members in Madrid.
Summary
El Lobo is a French-Spanish thriller film directed by Miguel Courtois, released in 2004. The movie is based on a true story set against the backdrop of Spain's political landscape during Franco's dictatorship in the 1970s. It explores themes of betrayal, trust, and manipulation through its protagonist Txema, who becomes an undercover agent for the secret service infiltrating ETA, a Basque separatist organization. The film delves into the complexities of ideological divides within ETA between those advocating for political activism over armed struggle and those committed to pursuing independence by any means necessary.
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