Sangre y Flores (1992)
When wandering caballero Andrés (Brau) has a chance meeting with Azucena (Savage), they are wounded by Cupid and fall in love at first sight.
Their affair becomes dangerous when it is discovered by Azucena’s violent, possessive boyfriend Ignacio (Readinger) and his menacing thugs.
Left without a room for the night, Andrés finds shelter in a seemingly abandoned house, where the next morning a mysterious man at a typewriter (Kropa) offers breakfast and urges Andrés to pursue the truth in his heart.
This film imagines an early ’90s origin story of a 1912 poem taught to Spanish students, “La Torre” by Antonio Machado.
English subtitles are available in the Vimeo
player via the “closed captioning” control.
Full Cast and Crew
- Directed by
- Screenplay by
- Based on a Poem by
Cast
- Anthony Brau
- Andrés
- Annie Savage
- Azucena
- Luc Readinger
- Ignacio
- Andy Kropa
- Antonio Machado
- Pepe Luepe
- himself
- Bill Reynolds
- Rico Reynolds
- Erin File
- old lady
- Ben Riepe
- Mr. Policeman
- Thomas Welander
- Cupid
- Alberto Castillo
- camarero
- Mateo Tomate
- el boracho
- Brian Timmons
- 3rd man in lineup
- Matt Welander
- himself as Mateo Cesar (archive footage, uncredited)
- Thomas Welander
- himself as Tomas Cesar (archive footage, uncredited)
- Dave Welander
- himself as Cisco Cesar (archive footage, uncredited)
- Producer
- Assistant Producer
- Editor
- Editing Technical Advisor
- Director of Photography
- Music Supervision
- Set Decoration
- Casting
- Additional Casting
- Stubby Owner and Trainer
- Spanish Language Consultant
- Creative Consultant
- Camera Operator
- 1st Unit Camera Operator
- 2nd Unit Camera Operator
-
- Jeff Weiss
- Anthony Brau
- Video Equipment provided by
-
- Adventureland Video
- Bev Alderson
- First Presbyterian Church, Mt. Pleasant
- Special Thanks to
-
- Ramona at VFW
- Adventureland Video
- Bev Alderson
- First Presbyterian Church, Mt. Pleasant
- Mt. Pleasant Police Dept.
- Ben Wiley
Plot Synopsis
SPOILERS: Synopsis includes important plot points.
A wandering caballero walks along a road at the edge of town, while elsewhere, an unseen typist writes the first two stanzas of a poem. The poem describes the arrival of such a caballero onto a plaza where a lady in a tower holds a white flower.
Andrés, the caballero seen walking, makes his way to a bar in town, where Azucena is ignored by her boyfriend Ignacio. Andrés spends his last coins on a bottle of Corona. Ignacio has been obsessively drinking milk from half-pint cartons, and demands another of the bartender. The bartender recommends Andrés use the yellow pages to find a room for the night.
At a table in the bar, wingéd Cupid sharpens a weapon and wounds both Andrés and Azucena, who then exit discreetly together. Discovering himself alone, Ignacio becomes enraged with jealousy and knocks the pile of empty milk cartons to the floor.
Later that day, reading Azucena’s telephone number from a scrap of paper, Andrés calls her from a payphone. Luckily, he is able to find a dime on the ground to be able to place the call, and arranges to meet with Azucena again.
That evening, Azucena brings her car to pick up Andrés, and they can barely contain their happiness at seeing one another, having fallen in love at first sight. Azucena tells Andrés she wants to show him something, and drives them toward «la torre» (“the tower”).
In another part of town, Ignacio and his friends Pepe and Rico stop at Z’s Quick Break for snacks. They leave in Ignacio’s car and proceed to shout out the windows and indulge in mayhem, with Jane’s Addiction cranked to full blast. As they drive past, Ignacio points out «la torre» to his friends, and they recognize Azucena’s car parked there.
Ignacio confronts Azucena and threatens Andrés with deadly violence before Pepe and Rico pull him back to their car and they depart. Fearing for having endangered Andrés, Azucena speeds away. Andrés is left alone to lament having never arranged a place to stay for the night.
Andrés wanders to the basement of a seemingly abandoned house to find shelter. He wakes the next morning to the sound of a typewriter in another room, and discovers Antonio at his writing desk. Andrés apologizes for trespassing, but Antonio, mysteriously aware of their recent encounter, is more interested in persuading Andrés to admit his love for Azucena.
Back at the bar, Azucena half-heartedly accedes to Ignacio’s demand for loyalty, but is afterward stopped on the street by Antonio, who insists it is dangerous for her to ignore her feelings for Andrés. Overwhelmed by not knowing what she feels, Azucena walks away, bumping into an old lady carrying groceries home. Antonio offers assistance, but moments later the old lady is mugged by Pepe, who had been lying in wait.
Antonio again intervenes, and recovers the old lady’s purse. A passing policeman observes the altercation and runs to investigate. Pepe flees while the old lady, overcome by the struggle, faints upon being questioned by the policeman. Seeing Antonio holding the purse, the policeman apprehends him.
At Antonio’s home, Andrés is restless, and decides to call Azucena to ask for another meeting at the tower. There, he admits his love for Azucena, and in spite of her fear, she too confesses her love for him. The two plan to leave town together the next day, but as they walk away, Ignacio emerges from a hiding place where he had been watching them.
Freed from jail, Antonio returns home, somehow already aware of Andrés’ intended departure. Andrés thanks him again and says goodbye, and Antonio turns his attention back to the poetry in progress on his typewriter. Meanwhile, just as Azucena is about to go to her rendezvous with Andrés, she is stopped by Ignacio, Pepe, and Rico, who take her away in Ignacio’s car.
Andrés waits at the tower, holding a white flower for Azucena. Ignacio reveals himself, and along with Pepe and Rico, severely beats Andrés while Azucena is made to watch. At the same time, Antonio’s poetry degrades into gibberish.
Ignacio, Pepe, and Rico walk away together, enjoying their success at thwarting Azucena’s hope for escape. A bloodied Antonio falls to the ground, unconscious. Nearby, Azucena holds the white flower.