"A genius farce.

(...) the director systematically uses the sequence shot, a narrative device which will make him one of the great masters of European cinema (...)

(...) Plácido was welcomed with surprise by the great audience and applauded decidedly by the critics."

Diego Galán

EL PAÍS

"Acerbic, critical and waving sarcasm like a flag, Berlanga "plays" with cinema using magnificent sequence shots."

CINEMANÍA

"One of the greatest comedies in the history of cinema and one of the best films in Spanish cinema. Plácido is a masterpiece that combines dark humour and parody in its social comments as well as politely displaying an afflicted existential acrimony.

(...)A film characterised by its light rhythm, a brilliant script, masterly dialogues and everlasting music. Not to be missed."

EL CRITICÓN

"The script is simply perfect (...) all the secondary characters are played superbly by prodigious actors whose performances manage to transcend despite their fleeting presence on the screen.

The most important element of this film is the agile way it camouflaged itself as one more regional comic sketch, as a harmless and pleasant piece of work and an exercise in genial extravagance. This was always going to mislead censorship (...)

Berlanga is aware he cannot strike with spite or excessive acerbity, something that has caused him many problems with the government. He decides not to emphasise his views but he never omits details, even if small in appearance they have an overwhelming effect once the film is over."

Alejandro Diaz

MIRADAS DE CINE

"One of the best ways of insinuating subversive messages into a repressive culture has always been to present them in a humorous guise (...) peel away the humor, and you will find acerbic critiques of Spanish culture under Franco in which the bitterness is masked by farcical loquacity and absurdism (...)

(...)the film offers a scabrously mocking portrait of officialdom putting on a display that is as grotesque as it is hypocritical."

Stephen Holden

NEW YORK TIMES