LAS LEYES DE LA FRONTERA/  THE LAWS OF THE FRONTIER/ OUTLAWS

Spain, 2021, 130 minutes, Colour.

Marcos Ruiz, Begona Vargas, Chechu Saslgado, Carlos Oviedo.

Directed by Daniel Monzon.

The frontier here is a city in northern SpaSwen Temmelin, Gerona, in 1978. It is a focus on a group of young people, self-centred, no consideration for the law, involved in drug dealing and, eventually, in bank robberies. However, it is framed by sequences in the early 21^st-century, a lawyer visiting a prison and waiting to be called to see prisoners, then a flashback to this man’s life as a teenager, then coming back to the present and his visiting one of his friends from that early time.

Something of the Spanish tone, religious overtones and serious families is presented in the discussion about the death of Pope John I at the time. Which is located in September 1978.

Nacho is 17, bullied at school, wearing glasses, giving the impression of something of a geek. However, he likes to spend a lot of time at games arcades, even helping out with closing the store and friendly with the manager who gives him free games. But, he encounters a man in his 20s and a woman whom he thinks is his girlfriend. They befriend him, play games with him in the arcade, and he persuades them not to rob the manager. They invite him to join with them, meet their friends, the various rendezvous, the games, introduced into drugs… This is affirmation from people instead of being bullied. However, at home, he is more alienated from his father.

The young people have no regard for any laws at all. And Nacho becomes more and more involved, participating in the drugs and deals, standing as a lookout for a bank robbery, then even participating. However, he is attracted to the young woman, she seeming fairly free in her manner, an episode at the beach and a sexual encounter while his friends set him up with a very sympathetic prostitute. Which means then that Nacho is quite transformed, standing up to his bullies at a later encounter.

There is quite some melodrama in the latter part of the film, drug dealing with local tourists, an episode at a service station which one friend is trying to rob but is shot by the manager, later the car crashing. And a final robbery that Nachi becomes involved in but his friend urges him to escape and live a better life.

And there is an ambiguous portrait of the local police, and a rather proper police investigator from the city – who has an encounter with Nacho’s father, enabling his son to live the better life, which means that the older man, now a lawyer, has been helped by his friend in prison, the sympathetic policeman, his supportive father.

1. The title, law, the breaking of the law, gangs, drugs and dealing, the amoral life?
2. Spain, the late 1970s (and the death of Pope John Paul I and a Catholic family)? The city of Gerona, streets, buildings, arcades, clubs, homes? The beaches? Pharmacies, bank, prison? The musical score and the times?
3. The opening, Nacho, his age, visiting the prison? The film as his memory?
4. Nacho’ story, age 17, bullied at school, the devout family, taunts from his sister? Going to the arcade, playing the games, the friendship with the owner, closing the store for him? Allow the free games? The encounter with Zarco and Tere? The approach, friendship, the using him, his being aware of this? The attraction of the two?
5. Zarco, his background, crime, relationship with Tere, the later revelation that she was his sister? The range of friends, the drug background, the clubs, the contacts? Crime, robberies? Developing the technique for the pharmacy stores, for robbing banks?
6. Nacho, timid, but being friendly, joining the group, playing the games on the arcade, but stopping them from robbing the owner? His first drugs, the effect? The attraction to Tere? Her being tantalising? The reaction of his family? Going to the beach, the sexual encounter? Being taken to the prostitute, her charming him? His further attraction to these people and their world? Wanting to be part of it? His role as a lookout, his role in the pharmacies and Tere pretending to be giving birth, his role in the robbery of the banks, his insistence on participating?
7. Tere, attractive, with Zarco, with Nacho, with the others, dancing, alluring to Nacho?
8. The other members of the gang, their roles, friendships? The drugs for the French tourists? The Germans on the beach? Driving for the drugs, the service station, the shooting? The crashed car? The bodies?
9. The police in the town, drinks at the clubs, attitude towards the gang, interrogations, torture? The new policeman, his reserve, suit, examining the car wreck? Disapproval of the torture?
10. The buildup to the final bank robbery, Nacho insisting on participating?
11. Chino, the interrogation, on the lookout, going to phone, Tere seeing him? The drive away, the shooting, the car chase, the motor bikes, Nacho shooting the officer on the motorbike? His wound? Abandoning the car? Zarco urging him to freedom?
12. Nacho, his return home, the alienation from his father, his father helping him, going to the holiday house, the testimony of the neighbour, fishing, the wound from fishing, the interrogation by the police? The father, giving his story of his protests in the past, the help from his father, able to live a proper life? The detective letting him be?
13. A year later, Nacho going to the club, the final encounter with Tere, her slipping him the bracelet?
14. The present, the discussions with Zarco, the long imprisonment, 28 years, his health? Tere visiting him every month until she died? Nacho going to her funeral? Her insistence that he visits Zarco? His career as a lawyer, his cases, promising to help Zarco?
15. The title, the laws of the frontier, the attitude of young people in the 70s, care-free? No moral anchoring? Self-centred? Prison consequences? And the possibility for a better life – and Nacho reflecting on the 28 years, studies, failed marriage, legal work?