The story is set in Spain, circa 1948, in the era when fascist Generalissimo Francisco Franco was still NOT dead. It begins with the arrests of two philosophy students for writing anti-fascist graffiti on the walls of their university in Madrid. For this ostensibly minor offense, the two protestors were sentenced to the extreme punishment of eight years in a hard labor camp.

They were soon sprung by a resistance group aided by two North American women posing as tourists. The American girls and the two fugitives set off in a red windowless convertible on a long journey toward the French border, encountering various soldiers along the way, some of whom were brutal and threatening, others comically inept, but all representing the threat of capture and a return to the labor camp for the student fugitives. Along the way, the heroic foursome also encountered some colorful local characters and engaged in some interesting cultural and romantic exchanges.

This really happened. Well, sorta. The screenplay is a fictionalized version of what happened, and the secondary characters are completely fictional, but the essence is factual. The story was based on an autobiographical account by Manuel Lamana, who was one of the two protestors. According to the film's closing word slides, the words painted by the two students can still be seen on the university walls today.

I have a soft spot for Spanish movies in general. I always admire how the Spanish manage to treat serious subjects without pretension, in the context of realistic everyday situations. In the case of this specific film, I found it a warm, charming reminiscence skillfully blended with a political thriller. I am especially impressed by how deftly and transparently this film manages to weave suspense, politics, romance, and humor without allowing any of those elements to step on the others.