Olé!

Juana Suárez

2/18/2013

Roman Hlawacz /Olé!/1977

Olé! is a one minute silent color animation that takes its title from the Spanish interjection "olé", commonly used in Spain as a sign of admiration, encouragement or celebration. It is a word deriving from the Arabic, often heard in bullfighting and flamenco dancing contexts as well as in every day conversation.  In Hlawacz's humorous film, the illustration of the Spanish guitar player borrows from the Mexican stereotype of a man with a big sombrero and a big mustache, somewhere in a cacti dessert.  There, amidst the arid nature, a voluptuous Spanish señorita comes to allure him with her charms. In spite of the geographical misconception, the narrative is daring for the typical characteristics of the animations of the time. The señorita loses one of her castanets, turning the big sombrero into a curtain. Suggesting decorum in the action, the intended isolation barely keeps the viewer from the sassy striptease going on behind that second screen. Steaming cute romance that certainly deserves a good ¡Olé!

Source: http://archive.org/details/ole_pl

The Enthusiast Archive website describes this film as silent.  Archive.org describes it as sound.  There is no sound in the film. 

Juana Suárez