As this is about the dilemma a man faces, male viewers can, I guess, empathize with the young protagonist more. On the one hand, you have a very pure young lady, who is ready to give up everything for the man she adores. On the other hand, there is the seducing, mature and more skilled (at bed) woman. The point where the middle-aged woman seduces happens very quickly, which I think should have been detailed at depth. Towards the end, it is as if you want the young blood to go for the maid, Maribel Verdu as it seems the fair decision. And just when you think the man has made the right decision, she herself ends our anticipation by forcing him to take her life. She would rather die than let her love slip away from her hands like this. The scene where she asks him in tears to use his razor is one of the best parts of the movie. Her acting tops up. I assume the viewers feel relieved when the final note says "The two were arrested three days later." On a final note, the movie also presents a dilemma for the audience: Do we want to see the young man follow his passion for the landlady or do we want to go to bed knowing that the justice takes place because the young man keeps his integrity and chooses the innocent maid for the rest of his life?

Entertaining, sexy melodrama set in Franco's Spain, and based on a true story. A young solider is torn between his virginal, virtuous hard working fiancée, and his hot- blooded, small-time criminal landlady, with whom he has a tempestuous affair. This leads to betrayals and ultimately murder. Well acted, and never dull, but also never goes very deep into the characters, with sudden changes in alliance and attitude occurring without much explanation, and too fast to be believed. Consequentially, it's never very emotional, even if the story is tragic. A movie I enjoyed, but doubt I'd feel the inclination to see again,

The actors make this movie in every way. These are not roles for lightweights and so the choice of Victoria Abril, for example, was classic. I've only ever seen in her Almodovar or French movies in which she plays the beautiful slut. I wasn't familiar with the other actors - the young soldier and his girlfriend - but they played their roles to perfection. The sex scenes are erotic enough to distract you from the plot. In a way, that mirrors what is happening to the young soldier. He is being distracted from what's important in his life when he becomes involved with the corrupt sexy Abril.What a dark, wonderful movie!

there is the fact that is based on a true story. If I had to choose one modern spanish movie to see this would be the one. There is the young soldier that is in love with a pure and virgin girl (marivel verdu), then there is the older woman (Victoria Abril), not so naive that has been around quite a bit and knows "the business" she is also older. the soldier (alejandro sanz) is in between them and that both woman try to do to get his attention and they are all in a love triangle, hard to describe, sometimes is disturbing, sometimes is passionate and above all all the actors are outstanding! the director has done a very fine job, very deep, very impressive, and by all means one of the most underrated spanish movies of all.