Afternoon at the Bulls

The bullfight is about to begin. On the bill are announced the toreros Ricardo Puente, Juan Carmona and Rondeño II, who will take the alternative. Puente is an old bullfighter, famous in earlier times, who, now bitter and full of resentment, lives with Paloma, a woman who is not resigned to continue being the lover of a man who has fallen into oblivion. Carmona, the fashionable bullfighter, has an important contract to fight in America, but his wife Isabel wants him to reject the offer. Anamaría, Carmona's sister, hopes that her brother will approve her relationship with Rondeño II; but Carmona opposes because he considers him a bad bullfighter. In a fourth, hopeful and exciting plot, a young amateur bullfighter has a plan to sneak into the ring and fight a bull, hoping for public acclaim for his feat of bravery.

Directed by Ladislao Vajda, Afternoon at the Bulls leans on a strong ensemble — Domingo Ortega, Antonio Bienvenida, María Asquerino — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1956.