Tired of working on the family wheat farm, and facing a life of financial hardship, Miguel Romero (Miguel Mateo), travels to Barcelona in search of a new life. Given his limited skills, Miguel finds it impossible to find work. Wandering into the Spanish countryside, he finds his way to a torero training school run by Pedrucho (Pedro Basauri) who takes the young man under his wing. Pedrucho teaches him everything he knows about facing bulls. Taken to his first bullfight to observe, Miguel jumps into the ring when Pedrucho’s prized pupil bolts. Impressed by his courage and obvious skill, sports agent Don José (José Gómez Sevillano) adds Miguel to his roster. Miguel quickly rises through the ranks, becoming one of the finest toreros in Spain. While the newfound fame brings Miguel money and great acclaim, the grind of performing, and the risk of death begins to take a toll on him. At the young age of 24, Miguel considers retiring from the ring.

The Moment of TruthFrancesco Rosi’s Moment of Truth is effective because Miguel harbors no romantic illusions about bullfighting. He is selling his body, and the bodies of his bovine opponents, for lots of cash. The wins and the cash pile up, but we know as he does, that the winning streak must end. Hemingway famously wrote about the romance of bullfighting. Frankly, that’s a bunch of nonsense. While there’s no denying there’s a fearful beauty in the ring, this is brutal stuff. Rosi and his cameramen shot with a 300mm lens during actual festivals and fights and because lead actor Miguel Mateo was a real torero, they were able to capture some truly vivid footage.

Be warned that a lot of the footage in the film is very graphic, and not for the faint of heart. We witness several bulls pierced by javelins and slowly bleeding out before the torero delivers the final blow with his sword in “the moment of truth.” Given the fact that Miguel came to bullfighting to escape a difficult life on the farm, Francesco Rosi makes a convincing argument that both combatants are victims of the socio-economic environment.

All of the performers in the film are non-actors (with the exception of Linda Christian, who has a brief cameo as a woman who attempts to seduce Miguel), essentially playing versions of themselves. Miguel Mateo is very charismatic, and exudes total confidence in the ring. The film effectively captures his skills, making for thrilling and dramatic moments. José Gómez Sevillano is totally believable as a sports agent, pushing to get maximum benefit out of his client. Pedro Basauri has an appealing quality as the torero teacher who understands the craft and how to get the most out of his pupils.

The film’s Techniscope 2.35:1 aspect ratio is faithfully delivered in Criterion’s 1080p transfer. While there are a couple of instances of dirt and grime, but the colors are stunning, and grain is handled very well. While The Moment of Truth isn’t one of The Criterion Collection’s top of the line transfers, it’s still better than average.

The LPCM 1.0 Italian audio track works very well for the film. There are no hisses and crackles and dialogue is clear. As long as you don’t expect a particularly surround heavy track, this should be a satisfying experience.

English SDH subtitles are included.

Minimal special features are included:

  • Francesco Rosi (14 min, 1080i) the Italian director recalls how The Moment of Truth came about, the obstacles his crew faced in Spain and the contributions of cinematographers Pasqualino De Santis and Gianni Di Venanzo. The video interview was recorded exclusively for Criterion in Italy in 2004.
  • Booklet: an illustrated booklet featuring an essay by critic Peter Matthews.