▁Bern al ), ▁was ▁mode led ▁largely ▁on ▁Pat ric ia ▁High sm ith ' s ▁most ▁famous ▁character , ▁Tom ▁Ri ple y , ▁as ▁played ▁by ▁A lain ▁Del on ▁in ▁René ▁Cl ément ' s ▁Pur ple ▁No on . ▁A ▁criminal ▁without ▁sc ru ples , ▁but ▁with ▁an ▁ad or able ▁face ▁that ▁bet ray s ▁nothing ▁of ▁his ▁true ▁nature . ▁Al mod ó var ▁explains ▁: ▁" He ▁also ▁represents ▁a ▁classic ▁film ▁no ir ▁character ▁- ▁the ▁femme ▁f ata le . ▁Which ▁means ▁that ▁when ▁other ▁characters ▁come ▁into ▁contact ▁with ▁him , ▁he ▁emb od ies ▁fate , ▁in ▁the ▁most ▁trag ic ▁and ▁no ir ▁sense ▁of ▁the ▁word ". ▁Al mod ó var ▁claimed ▁he ▁worked ▁on ▁the ▁film ' s ▁screen play ▁for ▁over ▁ten ▁years ▁before ▁starting ▁the ▁film . ▁ ▁Bad ▁Education ▁premier ed ▁in ▁March ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁in ▁Spain ▁before ▁opening ▁in ▁the ▁ 5 7 th ▁C annes ▁Film ▁Festival , ▁the ▁first ▁Spanish ▁film ▁to ▁do ▁so , ▁two ▁months ▁later . ▁The ▁film ▁gross ed ▁more ▁than ▁$ 4 0 ▁million ▁world wide , ▁despite ▁its ▁NC - 1 7 ▁rating ▁in ▁the ▁US . ▁It ▁won ▁the ▁G LA AD ▁Media ▁Award ▁for ▁Out standing ▁Film ▁– ▁Limited ▁Release ▁and ▁was ▁nominated ▁for ▁the ▁B AF TA ▁Award ▁for ▁Best ▁Film ▁Not ▁in ▁the ▁English ▁Language ; ▁it ▁also ▁received ▁ 7 ▁European ▁Film ▁Award ▁nomin ations ▁and ▁ 4