Abre los ojos (1997)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Alejandro Amenábar

Writers:

Alejandro Amenábar (writer)
Mateo Gil (writer)

Release Date:

19 December 1997 (Spain)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Romance | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Plot:

A very handsome man finds the love of his life, but he suffers an accident and needs to have his face rebuilt by surgery after it is severely disfigured.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Mask | Nightmare | Psychiatrist | Suicide

Awards:

5 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Eduardo Noriega	...	César
Penélope Cruz	...	Sofía
Chete Lera	...	Antonio
Fele Martínez	...	Pelayo
Najwa Nimri	...	Nuria
Gérard Barray	...	Duvernois
Jorge de Juan	...	Encargado L.E.
Miguel Palenzuela	...	Commisario
Pedro Miguel Martínez	...	Médico Jefe
Ion Gabella	...	Recluso paranoico
Joserra Cadiñanos	...	Guardia
Tristán Ulloa	...	Camarero
Pepe Navarro	...	Presentador T.V.
Jaro	...	Médico 1
Walter Prieto	...	Médico 2
Carola Angulo	...	Médico 3
Fanny Gautier	...	Secretaria (as Fanny Solorzano)
Luis García	...	Guardia jurado 1
Javier Martín	...	Guardia jurado 2
José Ángel Egido	...	Policía
Richard Cruz	...	Conductor
Raúl Otegui	...	Chico servicios
Pepe	...	Gato
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alejandro Amenábar	...	Laughing Guy in Disco Bathroom (uncredited)

Directed by
Alejandro Amenábar

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Alejandro Amenábar		writer
Mateo Gil		writer

Produced by
Ana Amigo	....	associate producer
Fernando Bovaira	....	producer
José Luis Cuerda	....	producer
Andrea Occhipinti	....	associate producer
Alain Sarde	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Alejandro Amenábar
Mariano Marín

Cinematography by
Hans Burman

Film Editing by
María Elena Sáinz de Rozas

Art Direction by
Wolfgang Burmann

Set Decoration by
Carola Angulo
Ramón Moya		(setting)

Costume Design by
Concha Solera

Makeup Department
Elisabeth Adánez	....	assistant makeup artist
Paca Almenara	....	makeup designer
Susana Cortés	....	makeup artist trainee
Silvie Imbert	....	hair stylist
Silvie Imbert	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Jesús Alonso	....	assistant production manager
José Antonio García Tapia	....	assistant production manager
Emiliano Otegui	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mateo Gil	....	assistant director
Mateo Gil	....	second unit director
Salud Gismera	....	trainee assistant director
Ignacio Gutiérrez-Solana	....	assistant director
Raúl Otegui	....	assistant director

Art Department
Félix Álvarez	....	painter
Emilio Ardura	....	upholstery
Pablo Arroyo	....	props
Ignacio Borja	....	graphic designer (as Nacho Borja)
Pedro Jesús De la Fuente	....	construction coordinator
José G. Donado	....	painter (as José Garcia Donado)
Antonio Gómez	....	carpenter
Luis Gómez	....	carpenter
Vázquez Hermanos	....	property master
De La Oliva	....	property master
José Luque	....	carpenter
Ricardo Mengíbar	....	property master
Natalia Montes	....	props
Natalia Montes	....	storyboard artist
Iñigo Navarro	....	sketcher
Óscar Romero	....	props
Sergio Rozas	....	assistant set decorator
Sergio Rozas	....	storyboard artist
Rafael Serras	....	set decorator trainee
Roberto Torralba	....	carpenter

Sound Department
Sergio Bürmann	....	boom operator
Juan Carlos Cid	....	boom operator
Juan Dibarboure	....	sound editor trainee
Jaime Fernández	....	sound re-recording mixer
Patrick Ghislain	....	sound mixer
Daniel Goldstein	....	sound designer (as Goldstein & Steinberg)
Pelayo Gutiérrez	....	sound editor
Julien Naudin	....	sound effects editor
Jaime Puig	....	sound stereo consultant: Dolby
Alfonso Raposo	....	sound re-recording mixer
Nacho Royo	....	sound editor
Ricardo Steinberg	....	sound designer (as Goldstein & Steinberg)
José Vinader	....	sound

Special Effects by
Reyes Abades	....	special effects
Colin Arthur	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Belén Arsuaga	....	visual effects
Félix Bergés	....	visual effects
Pedro Blanco	....	visual effects
Alberto Esteban	....	visual effects coordinator
Ricardo Gómez	....	visual effects
Luis Guerra	....	visual effects
Rafael Menéndez de Luarca	....	visual effects
Óscar Miranda	....	visual effects
Inés Montero	....	visual effects
Abraham Portolés	....	visual effects
Juan Antonio Ruiz	....	visual effects
Aurelio Sánchez Herrera	....	visual effects
Carlos J. Santos	....	opticals
Jacinto Soria	....	modeler
Adolfo Villalón	....	modeler

Camera and Electrical Department
Miguel Ángel Bardavio	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Hans Burman	....	camera operator
Pablo Bürmann	....	first assistant camera
Wolfgang Burmann	....	director of photography: second unit
Pablo Carrión Bautista	....	electrician
Juan Carrión	....	gaffer
Pablo Carrión	....	electrician
Roberto de Miguel	....	second assistant camera (as Roberto Miguel)
Domenech	....	camera rental
Pablo Hernández Smith	....	director of photography: second unit (as Pablo Hernandez)
Pedro López	....	electrician
Carlos Montero	....	camera trainee
Francisco Ramos	....	key grip
Ramiro Sabell hijo	....	first assistant camera: second unit
José Sacristán	....	electrician
Luis Sáenz	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Gregorio Sánchez	....	first assistant camera: second unit

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Humberto Cornejo	....	wardrobe
Ana Cuerda	....	assistant costume designer
María Isabel Escobar	....	costumer
Concha Solera	....	costumes

Editorial Department
Natalia Sáinz de Rozas	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Enrique Camarasa	....	music recordist
Juan Carlos Cuello	....	music producer
Bartolomé Espadale	....	music production manager
Mario Klemens	....	conductor
Eduardo Ruiz-Joya	....	music mixer (as Eduardo Ruiz Joya)
José Vinader	....	music mixer

Transportation Department
Félix Fontal	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Emilio Ardura	....	tapestry
Javier Bellot	....	press attache
Amanda Castro	....	assistant to director
Mar de Frutos	....	location manager
Alberto García	....	production assistant
Mateo Gil	....	assistant to director
Juan Giraldez	....	location manager
Montserrat González	....	legal advisor
Rafael Hostelería	....	caterer
Alfonso Jadraque	....	location manager
José M. Méndez	....	legal advisor
José Miguel Mendiola	....	financial controller
Sofía Merlin	....	location manager
Víctor Mínguez	....	production assistant
Eva Muslera	....	production accountant
María Teresa Payero	....	production secretary
Juan Luis Pedrero	....	production accountant
Lola Pérez	....	legal advisor
José Luis Sánchez	....	location manager
Carlos J. Santos	....	title designer
Carmen Soriano	....	direction secretary
Carmen Soriano	....	script supervisor
César Urrutia	....	press promotion

Thanks
Javier Aramburu	....	thanks
Olga de Bartolomé	....	thanks
Armand Basi	....	thanks
Fabrice Benoît	....	thanks
Fernando Cañas	....	thanks
Concha Doñaque	....	thanks
Luis Dorado	....	thanks
Andy Ferguson	....	thanks
Luis Fernández Inglada	....	thanks
Nieves Herranz	....	thanks
Luis A. López Calvo	....	thanks (as Luis Antonio López Calvo)
José Mercado	....	thanks
Ian Padrón	....	thanks
Nano de la Peña	....	thanks (as Fernando de la Peña)
Antonio Ramos	....	thanks
Nacho Sáenz de Tejada	....	thanks
Ana Steinberg	....	thanks
Tomás Zapata	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Canal+ España
• Las Producciones del Escorpión S.L.
• Les Films Alain Sarde
• Lucky Red
• Sociedad General de Televisión (Sogetel)

Distributors

• AFMD
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (video)
• Artisan Entertainment (1999) (USA) (all media)
• Ascot Elite Entertainment Group (Switzerland)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2004) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Cine Archivo (2001) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• De Filmfreak (2001) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (in association with)
• De Filmfreak (2001) (Netherlands) (video)
• Helkon Filmverleih GmbH (2002) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Lions Gate Films (2003) (USA) (all media)
• Momentum Pictures (1997) (UK) (DVD)
• Odeon Video (Greece)
• Odeon (Greece)
• Redbus Film Distribution (UK)
• Sociedad General de Televisión (Sogetel) (Spain)
• Sogepaq Distribución
• VCL Communications (2002) (Germany) (DVD)
• Videotrónica (Portugal) (video)
• Warner Bros. (Argentina)
• Warner Home Vídeo (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Molinaro S.A.

Other Companies

• Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, The  orchestra
• Summit Entertainment  foreign sales

Also Known As:

Open Your Eyes (UK) (USA)
Apri gli occhi (Italy)
El contrato (Spain) (working title)
Ouvre les yeux (France)
Permanent Midnight (USA)
Öffne die Augen (Germany) [de]
Aç gözünü (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Abra os Olhos (Brazil) [pt]
Anoixe ta matia (Greece) [el]
Ava silmad (Estonia) [et]
Avaa silmäsi (Finland) [fi]
De Olhos Abertos (Portugal) (video title) [pt]
Deschide ochii! (Romania) [ro]
Luk øjnene op (Denmark) (TV title) [da]
Otwórz oczy (Poland) [pl]
Ouvre les yeux (Canada: French title) [fr]
Preso na Escuridão (Brazil) [pt]
Virtual Nightmare - Open Your Eyes (Germany) [de]

MPAA:

Rated R for some strong sexuality, language and some violence.

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

Spain | France | Italy

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Chile:18 | France:U | Germany:16 (video premiere) | Hong Kong:IIB | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/16 (video premiere) | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:13 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Finland:K-15

Filming Locations:

Madrid, Spain

Company:

Canal+ España

Trivia:

Director Cameo: [Alejandro Amenábar]with other two people in the bathroom of the disco, when César goes there. He is the last one that gets out.

Goofs:

Continuity: As César runs on an "empty" street at the beginning of the film, three people can be seen. One, a man in a blue shirt, standing in the bottom right corner of the frame, and two other people on a balcony above him.

Quotes:

[Repeated line.]
Nuria: Open your eyes.

Movie Connections:

References The Wicker Man (1973)

Soundtrack:

T-Sebo

Mind-bending.

"Abre Los Ojos" is one of the most astonishing movies I have ever seen. It's so full of astounding twists that it constantly makes you sit up and wonder what the next shot will bring you. At the same time, you keep wondering if a movie with so many twists will be able to tie everything up at the end, but Amenabar and his co-writer manage to do just that, in a reasonably (if not perfectly) satisfying manner. Eduardo Noriega's acting is so good it's beyond belief, and so is the "disfiguring" makeup. Pair this off with "The Game" for a truly mind-bending double feature and see what cinema should be like more often. (***1/2)