Based on the book of the same title by Benito Pérez Galdós, the film tells the story of a young orphan called Marianela (Mary Carrillo in her first movie role) who works as a guide for the born blind son of the local coal mine owner, Pablo (Julio Peña). She is in love with him and happy to know that he will never see her, since she is far from beautiful and is looked down by the rest of the people. But one day a doctor says he can operate Pablo to let him see... The role of Marianela was played on stage by famous Catalan theater actress Margarida Xirgu in 1916 and is beautifully played here by Mary Carrillo. Beautiful photography and a good mise en scène complete the portrait of a typical small village set in the deep of the wilderness and its miserable people.
Review of Marianela
