If you have no idea what this crazy looking film is about, the synopsis is as follows-
1937, Spain is in the midst of the brutal Spanish Civil War. A "Happy" circus clown is interrupted mid-performance and forcibly recruited by a militia. Still in his costume, he is handed a machete and led into battle against National soldiers, where he single handedly massacres an entire platoon. This absurd and disturbing scenario raises the curtain on a twisted tale of love, revenge, and psychopathic clowns that could only spring from the mind of filmmaker Álex de la Iglesia.
Fast forward to 1973, the tail end of the Franco regime. Javier, the son of the clown, dreams of following in his father's career footsteps, but has seen too much tragedy in his life - he's simply not funny and is only equipped to play the role of the Sad Clown. He finds work in a circus where he befriends an outlandish cast of characters, but as the Sad Clown he must take the abuse of the brutish Happy Clown Sergio, who humiliates Javier daily in the name of entertainment.
It is here that he meets Natalia, a gorgeous acrobat, and abused wife of
Sergio. Javier falls deeply in love with Natalia and tries to rescue
her from her cruel and violent husband, unleashing Sergio's jealousy.
But Natalia is torn between her affection towards Javier and her lust
for Sergio.
With neither man willing to back down, this twisted love triangle
evolves into a ferocious battle between Sad Clown and Happy Clown,
escalating to unbelievable heights in this absurd, shocking, irreverent
and unforgettable film.
The Last Circus recently won The Silver Lion Award at the 2010 Venice Film Festival, for Best Director and best Screenplay. It has also been nominated for a whopping 16 Goya Awards, including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay.
If you need anymore coaxing to jump into this twisted cinematic universe that Iglesia and Co. have concocted, read Todd Brown's review HERE, or Twitch contributor Charles Webb's review HERE.
Also, be sure to check out The Last Circus' official site as well as the Facebook page. if you still want more goodness, go to Magnolia Pictures where you can see the press kit, trailers, and more.
If, like me. you've been eating up every scrap that drops on The Last Circus...have another bite, and chew on the clip below.
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