Lute: Forge On or Die

In Spain of the 1960s, a poor family of quinquis - a nomadic ethnic group with a tradition as old as that of the gypsises of Spain but with even more obscure origins - have a nomadic life marked by poverty. The son, Eleuterio Sánchez Rodriguez, nicknamed "El Lute", steals some chickens and is condemned to six months in jail. El Lute moves to the slum outskirts of Madrid with his common law wife, Chelo, starting an itinerant life as a peddler of pots and pans and living in a quinqui shantytown. He gradually embarks upon as life of petty criminality, eventually participating in the theft of a jewelry store during which a bystander is killed.

Release Date

September 19, 1987

Status

Released

Original Title

El Lute: camina o revienta

Runtime

2h 3min

Budget

Revenue

Language

Spanish

Part of

El Lute Collection

Includes: Lute: Forge On or Die, El Lute II: Tomorrow I'll Be Free