'Luger': Bruno Martin's deep dive into underworld Madrid's violence and honour code among thieves

'Luger', the debut feature of director Bruno Martín has one key idea it seeks to explore, the notion that there is "no honour among thieves".

In order to disprove to portray that, Martín goes in the complete opposite direction to show a murky, poor side of Madrid; a world where loyalty, sacrifice and a sense of honour survive among those who have the least.

Set around an industrial estate on the outskirts of the Spanish capital, the film follows Rafa, a man trapped in a spiral of violence after the theft of a German pistol from the Second World War: the legendary Luger. But this gun has a story of its own which explains its central role in the tale; a last, mysterious bullet in its barrel.

Martín says that the gun acts as a symbolic axis that connects a "microcosm of neighbourhood delinquents with the historical macrocosm of the European war". The choice of a Luger, charged with memory and epic, introduces a tragic dimension: humble characters become embroiled in a legacy of war and power that transcends them.

Loyalty and redemption rewarded

The film's great virtue is the balance between dark humour andextreme violence, spiced with a rhythm punctuated by beats of music that immerse the viewer in the bubble of the characters.

The plot frustrates the audience, challenges them to empathise with the characters and suffer with them, which was precisely one of the filmmaker's objectives. "It's a film that will make you have a good and a bad time, our aim is for the spectator to enjoy", said Martín.

Martín, who is also anactor, editor and co-producer, plays Charly, an ambiguous and morally complex character who embodies the central themes of the film: honour and loyalty in the face of betrayal and injustice. Together with David Sainz and Mario Mayo, in the lead roles, the characters trace a story where friendship, forgiveness and redemption prevail over crime and violence.

Far from being a conventional thriller, Luger successfully mixes its dark humour and drama, with fast paced action, giving the viewer no respite to relax for a moment.

The film begins by avoiding unnecessary explanations, to focus on an emotional journey that ends with the audience being moved. "We wanted people to care about the characters, not the explosions," stresses the director, who also adds that during its journey through film festivals, many of the audience cried at the end of the movie.

Echoes of Guy Ritchie and Quentin Tarantino

Aesthetically and narratively, Luger clearly draws inspiration from classics made by Quentin Tarantino, Guy Ritchie, Sam Peckinpah, Walter Hill and also Fabian Bielinsky. There are also notably nods to films such as 'Training Day', 'The Warriors', 'Nine Queens' and even 'Die Hard'.

However, despite the subconscious references of a film-loving director, the result maintains its own identity: a traditional thriller, with humour, realistic violence and a human background that avoids the artificiality of many contemporary productions.

The soundtrack, by Levi Star, reinforces this Spanish and visceral tone with percussion, cajón and flamenco clapping give pulsating rhythm to the plot. An accompaniment that underlines and highlights moments of comedy, drama and tension.

Award tour triumphs

Shot in only 20 days, Luger has been well received on the international film festival circuit.

Praised and rewarded in Strasbourg with the Crossovers Grand Prix, selected at the Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas and screened at the SitgesInternational Film FestivalÓrbita, its creators maintain the humility of those who are living the dream of making stories for the Seventh Art: "We are intruders in all the festivals, we don't fit completely in the social cinema or in the pure genre, but that makes us special".

For Martín and his scriptwriter Santiago Taboada, this first film is a dream come true after years of work and writing. They spent more than three years developing the script, "We want to continue making films, tell real stories and move the audience," they say.

And if anyone asks why see Luger, the pair have a ready-made answer: "It's a film in which you're going to have both a good and a bad time at the same time. You won't look at your mobile phone for a second. It's a journey that grabs you and leaves you wanting more".

Lugar is expected to be released in selected cinemas across Spain later this year