As in the novel of the same title from Camilo Jose Cela, "La Colmena" is a sad composition with the stories of many people in the Madrid of 1942, just the postwar of the spanish civil war. The main theme of the film is the contrast between the poets, surviving close to misery under the Franco's regime, and the winners of the war, the emerging class of the people that makes easy money with illegal business.
Sebastian (Alfredo Landa), dressmaker of great prestige, is aware of the boredom that produces sexual routine with his wife. Is then made with a good amount of erotic material, including books and magazines and catching up on what is current in the sexual aspects. His wife, alarmed at the new attitude of Sebastian, there is even the possibility to enter. Sebastian, determined to modernize the extreme, organize a parade with new models essentially erotic.
Laura, a pianist who has left home to flee her abusive husband, meets Marta, a vedette with whom she will work on the preparation of her new show.
Enrique Tolosa is a boss administrator of a small company which employs 50 workers. There never has gotten into politics, has made himself stood professionally and created a family and no one has asked opinion on how would be the destiny of their country. The story begins whenheI first asked to give their vote at the polls for the election of political parties. With the decision to vote is faced with doubt and decides to investigate on their own to know which political trends that are managed as possible, is the one he goes to his temperament.
The day of his wedding, Carlos recibes the most unexpected present he coud receive, a son. Carlitos, makes the weadding a complete disaster and fails to place. Carlos to solve the misunderstanding, decides to follow the boy home to meet his mother and to find out what is going on. This will bring him more than one surprise.
Father Saturio is a priest unable to keep his mouth shut if he sees injustices being committed. That is why they have transferred him on various occasions from the parishes where he has been assigned. On this occasion, he will have to face Mrs. Aurora, a rich and powerful woman. The war is served.
Marisa Salinas gets her first job at one of the top publishing companies of her country. Don Ricardo Arencibia, her boss, is a man who does not appreciate innovation and new proposals from the staff, but enjoys bloody crime stories, and beautiful women. Don Ricardo invites Marisa out for dinner; they start behind friends and, soon, they start a sexual relationship. All goes well - safe for a little mystery that envelops Ricardo's ex-wife. Marisa decides to investigate... and she will uncover much more than she expected: Ricardo had been trying to make Marisa look like his former wife, and there is a plot involving large scale corruption.
A young girl marries the wealthy father of one of her male friends at college, but she soon finds herself falling for her new husband’s son. The husband finds out about the two, and comes up with what he believes to be a foolproof plan: he will frame his wife and his son for his own murder, then have the pair locked in a room in his remote, isolated estate–with his own dead body.
The Iberian F.C. is a female football team makes a splash in the world of football, rather than their athletic skills, their physical attraction for the male audience. Each of the components of the whole suffers a different and peculiar relationship status, derived from its new sports.
Juan arrives in Madrid with the intention of succeeding as a singer. With the only company of his guitar, he goes from club to club asking for work.
Diego, retired from flamenco due to an illness, is obsessed with the memory of Antonia Jiménez, a beautiful woman he loved in the past and with whom he formed an artistic duet. Now, after having triumphed on the stages of half the world, she returns from America, while he is dedicated to survive in the suburbs of Madrid mixed up in shady business. He kills the man who stole his woman. A tragedy could be sensed in the air.
Doña Pura, don Benito and don Augusto are three venerable old people who usually coincide each month in the queues of the mutuality windows to collect their pension, an opportunity they take advantage of to talk about life. When they learn that the old don Felipe, an acquaintance, is very sick and is alone and without money for a decent funeral, they decide to ask for a loan to help him, but, as they do not grant it, they decide to rob the savings bank. To do this, they will plan everything thoroughly and manufacture a homemade explosive.
Antonio is the leader of an underground armed group fighting in the village of Ronda against Napoleon's troops which have imposed French rule in 1808 Spain. Micaela is madly in love with Antonio but he is devoted to Carmen, the region's most beautiful gypsy who lives and sings at a local inn.
Ugly, persistent, and (initially) annoying admirer pursues a beautiful actress. At first he is laughed of, especially by his ultra handsome rival, but with his firm insistence, and gradually emerging charm, he seduces the lady, to the total shocked surprise of his rival.