Word: miguelin
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...Miguelin himself does change, however, as fear sets in. Hemingway once remarked that the true test of a bull-fighter comes after his first major wound. The natural matador will concentrate harder when he returns to the circuit, while the man out for money alone will lose his nerve. Once wounded, Miguelin begins to suffer from dreams and fantasies of death. The camera, which before had recorded the full spectacle of the bull-fight from a discreet distance, focuses directly on Miguelin and the bull as, for the first time, he realizes that he and the beast are alone...
...depiction of this shift in Miguelin's psyche comes slowly and subtlely, in contrast with the incomparable boldness which Rosi exercises in the style of this film. Amazingly abrupt shifts of scene, striking colors, and entirely straightforward dialogue often make you wonder how the director manages to maintain the dramatic interest to well...
...Italian neo-realist film-makers, coupled with Rosi's own sensitivity to detail. During the bullring scenes particularly, Rosi's skillful use of faces in the crowd provides a visual comment on the action which raises the film far above the newsreel level. Or, is another instance, Rosi places Miguelin outside the Madrid ring selling souvenirs and records the scens when a policeman, unaware that he was on candid camera, chases the poor boy away...
...film, that between the public image of a matador and the man who fights bulls for a living. This device is largely responsible for the effectiveness of the scenes in the ring; because so much of the film is not staged, you can never be sure that Miguelin will not be actually gored at any moment...
Critics have contended that Rosi's message in Moment of Truth amounts to a thorough disgust with bullfighting. I, for one, think his target is more specific. Rosi is clearly enraptured with the gracefulness of the sport, and he takes pains to elaborate on the courage of Miguelin which allows him to rise above the other would-be matadors. Rosi also seems to enjoy the ritual which goes along with every bullfight and which accounts for the extraordinary beauty of his film...