Film Analysis of "The Miracle of P.Tinto"

"The Miracle of P Tinto" is a projected film of Spanish nationality with a original written Spanish text, created and directed by Guillermo Fesser and Javier Fesser (Spanish comedians) that later will be translated to other languages for the further projection in different countries like France or England with modified scripts.

Beside the two enviable screenplay writers, this film has an unequal production crew, cause and consequence of the following annotations for a generic, and therefore modest, formal analysis:

      The great majority of the shots that form the film are medium, for example the scene in which Usillos appears ringing the doorbell with his head. The wide shots set the image; usually they are present at the beginning or end of the sequences, almost always present at the family reunions around the table. The close ups detail and exaggerate the gaze (especially the closer close ups of the madhouse director’s blood injected eyes) and gestures of the characters, which emphasize the comicality.

For last, a very used shot is the detail shot: the keys, a comic, the exam sheet, Usillos crushed finger…

      The dolly movements, even though they are scarce, they are well justified. For example in the first scene appear continues lateral and ascending vertical dolly movements that accompany the voice in off narration that is directed to the action. Another type of dolly movement that we find frequently is that which ‘’describes’’ us the characters from bottom to top.

      The pan movements are very scarce, especially the tracing ones (two or three), for example; in the sequence 89, when a car is moving and stops in front of the factory. The rest of the shots are without movement. 

      Zenith and chopped shots abound always when the father and Joselito are in the scene, which gives them an individualist perspective, personality and importance in front of the other characters.

The editing is all-rhythmical. For the action sequence they use a more accelerated editing of the shots in order to accentuate the comic. The accelerated editing combines with the camera movements, scares but present, to achieve a classical action editing resembling films like E.T. For scenes where priors the dialogue, they use the shot/counter shot.

      A formula that they repeat several times during the film is beginning with the close up of one of the characters and then the other character enters in the shot in foreshortening and continuing in its vice versa. Usually they end these shots/counter shots with the character in foreshortening that exits the frame leaving, this way, the other character in a close up.

      The lighting is one of the most distinguished elements. It’s very achieved with special attention to the images that are without colour, this is, black and white, and very well achieved in a delicate focalization that complement the dusk and down light.

When we speak that the ‘Miracle of P. Tinto’’ is a work of art, we referee precisely at its technical production, even though we cannot deny that it has nothing to envy in this aspect any other Spanish comic films.