The film “Tin and Tina” is a psychological thriller originally from Spain, telling the story of twins, who, after many years of upbringing in the strict rules of monastic life, finds herself free in a new foster family.
Unexpected freedom opens up many opportunities for them and causes unpredictable consequences. The film depicts a distorted reality formed by the twins as a result of the literal interpretation of the Bible in the monastery.
Plot
Despite the name, the main characters of the newsreel are the young family of Lola (Milena Smith) and Adolfo (Jaime Lorente). The action takes place in the 1980s in Spain. Lola, a deeply religious girl, seeks to cement her relationship with her lover when she finds out about her pregnancy. Adolfo, joyfully accepting this news, prepares to become a father. However, on the day of the wedding, the bride experiences the loss of her long-awaited and beloved babies, and with them she loses her faith in the Lord.
The groom, with the intention of helping Lola regain her faith, decides to bring her to the convent. In this mysterious place, they meet two seven-year-old twin orphans, Tina (Carlos González Morollon) and Tina (Anastasia Russo), with their angelic faces that instantly attract attention. Lola begins to develop a strange feeling for these children, wanting to adopt them, while Adolfo is cautious and sees something suspicious in them. The orphans, who grew up in strictness and imbued with Catholic morality, are very different from ordinary kids, causing secret doubts and intrigue in the hearts of the couple.
Lola realizes that she wants to adopt these children, and persuades her husband to join this idea.
Gradually, spending more and more time with the albino twins, the girl feels that sinister secrets are hidden behind their pretty, but at the same time repulsive appearance. Closely watching their every move, she senses that they hold dark secrets that could destroy their entire lives. In the course of events, the man dies. His death is shrouded in mystery, and it is unclear if the children were involved in this tragedy, or if it was just an accident.
In the final scene of the work, we see Lola next to the twins at her husband’s funeral. This moment carries the connotation of a happy ending, but not because of the widow’s restored faith in religion. The bottom line is that she was able to take in the albino twins as if they weren’t a threat, and apparently adopted them. Although the heroine herself became a believer, most likely it is better for the twins to stay with her than in an orphanage, subject to the blind faith of the monks.
This ending symbolizes Lola’s journey and her willingness to provide children with a safe and caring environment, despite their violent personality traits.
The meaning of the film
The central question is whether the siblings were the true villains or were they simply victims of manipulation. Having spent their entire lives in a strict monastic orphanage, guided only by fanatical nuns, the twins actually sincerely thought that their actions were for the good. They grew up in isolation, having no knowledge of the outside world, only immersed in religious instruction.
Ignorance of the consequences of their actions became apparent when they performed an act on an animal with the intention of blessing it. Their decision to drive the bully Pedro off the hill was based on the belief that they needed to defend their faith at all costs.
Despite the fact that religion does not call for harm to others, Tin and Tina clearly demonstrate the opposite. The upbringing of children in a monastery has led them to accept the literal interpretation of religious texts. They are unable to distinguish good from evil. They do not realize that hurting or killing someone, even if that person does not profess their faith, is a negative act.
This limited understanding can have serious consequences and cause danger in today’s society, where different faiths and worldviews constantly meet and intersect.
Hero characteristics
The director of the picture, Rubin Stein, carefully selected the cast in such a way that the appearance of the characters resembles creatures from the fantasy universe of vampires. There are four key roles in the film drama:
- Lola is an unusually beautiful and fragile woman, but she has an unbending self-confidence. She loves her husband and dreams of children, but life dictates otherwise. Grasping the adoption like the last straw, the lady almost does not hesitate and takes the children who are shown to her first.
- Lola’s husband, civil aviator Adolfo, loves his chosen one and tries to support her. He does not spend as much time at home as Lola, so he is not aware of her difficulties. However, he has no reason not to trust her. Adolfo is a kind husband, but, like many men of that time, he believes that raising children is the responsibility of women.
- Tina, one of the albino twins, might be cute if it weren’t for her make-up and the cold cynicism in her eyes and laugh. Meeting such a girl in a dark alley will make anyone shudder. Despite her young age, the actress plays her role very talentedly. It is these children who give the film an atmosphere of terrible horror and fear. All the time while they are on the screen, the feeling of goosebumps does not leave the audience.
- Tin makes a less pleasant impression than his sister. His behavior is as strange as his sister’s. It is difficult to say who is in charge in their pair, but both children are capable of causing horror with their appearance alone.
Conclusion
The film “Tin and Tina” is a unique combination of three genres. Thriller and horror are clearly visible, but the question of the presence of science fiction remains open.
Religious fanaticism is always a threat. Adherents of any faith can interpret dogmas in different ways, justifying their actions. They are convinced that they are on the side of God. Although Catholicism is covered in the filming, the free interpretation of the Holy Scripture is possible in any religion, which makes the idea of a film adaptation interesting, and how the viewer decides to relate to it.
