|
The
first time many people see a bullfight, after the initial
reactions (the first is usually nervousness - just how gory
is it going to be?), they are often surprised to find themselves
bored. This is, of course, because they do not know how to
interpret what they are seeing and their preformed ideas hamper
their understanding. In the
Plaza de Las Ventas, for example, it is common to see
a mass exit of uncomprehending Japanese tourists after the
third bull (of six).
Because
of the English word, "bullfight," many believe that
it is, in some way, a sport. It is not. In Spanish, the expression
is corrida de toros, with no reference to fighting
or any other kind of competition. The bull is not expected
to try and win - it cannot .*
The bullfighter is not awarded points for strength, or tactics,
or anything else, not even bravery. A bullfight is not covered
in the sports sections of newspapers, but in the "Culture"
section, because it is not sport - it is arte or espectáculo,
a show, like a play or a ballet or an opera (and if you feel
that making a show out of ritual slaughter is unacceptable,
to tell the truth, I am not prepared to argue with you).
With
his emphasis on the macho aspects of bullfighting,
Hemingway contributed somewhat to this misunderstanding
(but it is scarcely possible to write about bullfighting in
English without mentioning him). It is true that bullfighters
are respected for their courage, but they do not win ears
and tails for it. Recklessness or even excessive daring is
disdained by discriminating aficionados. A few of the
best bullfighters have been near cowards (Hemingway writes
at length about the legendary El Gallo, about whom it was
said that "for a bull to kill him would be in bad taste;"
more recently, the now-retired
Curro Romero could on occasion be fairly craven).
*Yes, I know bulls are occasionally spared - never
in a first-class bullring.
 2.-
What to Look For
So if bullfighting is not a sport, what is it? As
I have said, it is an espectáculo, somewhere between
circus and ballet, and its practitioners are accorded the
same respect as writers or musicians.
The
standard
bullfight has six bulls, fought by three bullfighters.
Each bull should be killed within a period of not more than
twenty minutes, in three stages called tercios, directed
by the president of the bullring. You will see him draping
handkerchiefs of different colours from the presidential box,
signals which are echoed musically by the band.
 From
the moment the bull first charges belligerently, almost playfully,
into the ring,
to its dead body being dragged out by a team of mules, a script
is followed, aimed at reducing the bull's strength until the
matador is able to exercise near-complete control over
it. This is the point - for the bullfighter to come to dominate
the beast to the extent that it obeys his will (and it is
a killer beast, however much sympathy it may stir in you,
and one that may weigh up to eight hundred kilograms - a modestly-sized
car), until bullfighter and bull move together with grace
and in harmony.
 The bull
may be met by the matador himself or by one of the peones
in his cuadrilla while the matador watches. In either
case, the first, spectacular moves with the cape as the unweakened
bull charges around the ring have a purpose - to test the
bull, find out how it moves, its preferences, its dangerousness.
Non-aficionados often prefer this part of the bullfight to
the later, final stage when the matador uses the smaller cape,
the muleta. But in fact, it is preliminary and of
little importance, though some bullfighters are famous for
their artistry in it.
All photographs and images ©1991-2001 John Kalucki. Used
by permission. All rights reserved.
Next page > The Beginning
- the First Tercios > Page 1,
2, 3, 4,
5
|
