A Man of Reason 2024

Since he was a child, Lucio (Juan José Ballesta) has been acutely aware of the stark inequalities in the world, particularly showcasing the heartlessness of banks towards the working class. In 1942, as his father lay dying, Lucio’s plea for financial assistance from the bank was met with rejection, solidifying his belief that the bourgeoisie would always neglect those from the working class, even in their final moments. After his father’s passing, Lucio harbored dreams of moving to Paris with his sister, Satur (Ana Polvorosa), but her insistence on him serving in the military altered his plans. She promised they could reunite in Paris once he completed his service.

In 1952, Lucio escaped from his military post and rejoined Satur, sharing tales of his ventures into smuggling, a career that had initially flourished but later soured due to betrayal within his team. This escapade landed them in a military prison, but Lucio’s daring escape left him consumed by guilt for abandoning his comrades. Although Satur urged him to return and take responsibility, Lucio found himself unprepared to do so.

With assistance from Satur’s husband, Patrick (Fred Tatien), who worked at the mint, Lucio secured a job as a bricklayer. His unmatched work pace astonished older colleagues, who, during break, proposed that Lucio’s spirit echoed that of an anarchist. Intrigued, he joined the Constituent Assembly of the Clichy Anarchist Association, where he was indoctrinated with the belief that money was the root of evil in society and came to understand the exploitation perpetrated by banks against their workers.

One significant figure in this realm was Quico Sabate (Miki Esparbe), a legendary anarchist and urban guerrilla known for robbing banks to redistribute wealth. Lucio’s rebellious nature soon caught Quico’s attention, leading to a bond where they contemplated the corruption within society. Their initial dinner was a resonance of thoughts, > “bankers and priests are equally untrustworthy,” showcasing their shared disdain for authority.

Lucio’s journey into crime escalated with his attempts to rob banks, culminating in a second successful heist that left him brimming with newfound confidence and purpose. They split the ill-gotten gains into three parts, ensuring that they supported local anarchists, families of imprisoned friends, and compensated their own team.

However, the police were hot on their trail, led by Inspector Costello (Alexandre Blazy), who had started recognizing the patterns of Spanish anarchists behind the crimes. When captured, Lucio managed to evade charges due to lack of evidence, yet suspicions loomed large over him. As tensions rose, Lucio clashed with Quico over the means of revolution; Lucio believed in spreading the ideology through persuasive means rather than violence, which Quico resented.

When Quico decided to return to Spain, Lucio redirected his focus to a more peaceful approach, setting up a printing press with the assistance of Anne (Liah O’Prey), a college student passionate about the social revolution. As they forged a deep connection amidst their shared revolutionary ideals, Lucio’s view blended art with action, although their relationship began under the shadow of a looming police presence.

The news of America’s intervention in Cuba ignited a spark in Lucio, and alongside Anne, they brainstormed ways to aid the cause, ultimately deciding to forge documents to facilitate their mission. Their successful forging of dollar bills led to ambitious plans that involved meeting with Che Guevara (Michel Noher) to discuss the potential of their counterfeit money devastating the American economy.

However, as Lucio’s endeavors escalated, so too did the stakes. He faced arrest multiple times, even as he celebrated becoming a father. With a brief taste of freedom through conditional bail, Lucio continued his resistance work but ultimately fell back into his risky ventures of forgery, driven by a desire to support the anarchist movement.

As police protocols intensified, Lucio conceived a precarious plan to distribute forged traveler’s checks across several banks blindly, ultimately funding the cause. But betrayal lurked in the shadows, leading to his eventual arrest during a meeting that had promised financial windfall but instead revealed treachery at the hands of those he trusted.

Through a series of unfortunate events—including mistaken alliances and ever-watchful law enforcement—Lucio took to negotiating with the City Bank, leveraging his printing plates for his freedom and significant funds for his cause. After a tense standoff, a deal was struck, allowing Lucio to leave and join his family in Bolivia.

In the aftermath of these tumultuous events, Lucio remained a figure of fascination and defiance, illustrating the cyclic nature of struggle against systemic oppression, even as he and Anne parted ways yet maintained a bond that transcended their turbulent history. The narrative closed with the shifting landscape of banking, as the legacy of his actions led to the advent of new financial methodologies, highlighting how one man’s rebellion against oppressive structures could reverberate through time and society.