ús ▁Ferr ero , ▁Mat ador ▁drew ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁natural ism ▁and ▁hum our ▁of ▁the ▁director ' s ▁previous ▁work ▁into ▁a ▁deeper ▁and ▁dark er ▁terrain . ▁Al mod ó var ▁cast ▁several ▁of ▁his ▁regular s ▁actors ▁in ▁key ▁roles : ▁Antonio ▁B ander as ▁was ▁h ired ▁for ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁Áng el , ▁a ▁b ull f ight ing ▁student ▁who , ▁after ▁an ▁attempted ▁ra pe ▁incident , ▁f als ely ▁conf esses ▁to ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁mur ders ▁that ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁commit ; ▁Juli eta ▁Ser rano ▁appears ▁as ▁Áng el ' s ▁very ▁religious ▁mother ; ▁while ▁Car men ▁Ma ura , ▁Ch us ▁L amp re ave , ▁Ver ónica ▁For qué ▁and ▁E use bio ▁Pon cel a ▁also ▁appear ▁in ▁minor ▁roles . ▁New com ers ▁Nach o ▁Martínez ▁and ▁Ass um pta ▁S erna , ▁who ▁would ▁later ▁work ▁with ▁Al mod ó var ▁again , ▁had ▁minor ▁roles ▁in ▁the ▁film . ▁Mat ador ▁also ▁marked ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁Al mod ó var ▁included ▁a ▁notable ▁cin ematic ▁reference , ▁using ▁King ▁Vid or ' s ▁D uel ▁in ▁the ▁Sun ▁in ▁one ▁scene . ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁premier ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁and ▁drew ▁some ▁controvers y ▁due ▁to ▁its ▁subject ▁matter . ▁Al mod ó var ▁just ified ▁his ▁use ▁of ▁violence , ▁explaining ▁" The ▁moral ▁of ▁all ▁my ▁films ▁is ▁to ▁get ▁to ▁a ▁stage ▁of ▁greater ▁freedom ". ▁Al mod