Thunderstorm

As commercial fisherman Diego Martinez is returning with a fleet of boats to his village of San Lorenzo on the Spanish coast, he finds a small sailboat drifting in the ocean. Below deck, Diego discovers the boat's only occupant, an unconscious blonde woman, who has received a blow to her head. Diego tows the boat in and carries the woman through the village to his mother's house. When the woman wakes up, she tells Mrs. Martinez that her name is Maria Ramon and that she is from a village farther up the coast. Maria thanks Diego for saving her and, despite his mother's reluctance, he invites the sensual young woman to stay with them until her boat can be repaired. The local fish-based economy is bad, as the fishermen need more powerful boats to reach larger catches, but the fishing is controlled by Mayor Pablo Gardea, who owns the boats as well as the general store, tavern and most of the town. Diego, tired of working for Pablo, goes to the nearby town of Mendoza and talks with cannery owner Domingo Ribas about acquiring a larger boat. Meanwhile, Pablo visits the coast guards' office and inquires about the registration of Maria's boat. Later, Diego returns to San Lorenzo at the helm of a larger boat and manages to navigate it through the channel into the village's harbor. When he sees Maria standing on a rock, however, he is almost lured onto it. Ribas is impressed by Diego's potential and offers work to all the men in the village, on condition they move to Mendoza. After learning of Ribas' proposal from the local priest, Pablo states that the men will not leave San Lorenzo, and, later, while walking home, Diego is attacked and beaten by two men. He then goes to the tavern and challenges Pablo, who comes at him with a long knife. However, the priest intervenes, but Diego swears to kill Pablo if he ever lays hands on him again. When Maria, who is resented and envied by the townswomen, goes swimming in her lingerie, the lecherous Pablo spies on her, then tells her that he knows about her past. She claims she was in the sailboat, fleeing from a man she had not asked to fall in love with her and feels that bad luck follows her around. Pablo offers Maria work at his tavern, and later, she and Diego walk on the beach and embrace passionately. Maria leaves suddenly and when Diego returns home, he discovers that she has moved to a room above Pablo's tavern. When Diego confronts her, Maria tells him that she has been with many men and does not love him. One night, after Maria finishes her work as a waitress in the tavern and retires to her room, Pablo's son Miguel attempts to rape her but is stopped by Pablo, who fights with him and threatens to break his neck. Some time afterward, despite the threat of a thunderstorm, Diego and his crew, including Miguel, leave harbor to fish. The fishing is good and Miguel challenges Diego to continue, although the storm is rapidly approaching. Later, the boats return to land, and Toro, one of the crewmen, tells Pablo that Miguel was swept overboard during the storm. Diego apologizes to Pablo that he was unable to save his son. However, Pablo believes that Diego killed Miguel and forces Toro to agree with him and provide false testimony. Toro also tells Maria that the men had fought over her and that Diego caused Miguel's death. Maria goes to Diego's boat to tell him that Pablo has gone for the police, and after Diego tells her that he loves her like no other, they spend the night together. The next day, when Diego says that he wants to marry her, she tells him that she is leaving. After the police arrest Diego and take him to Mendoza, Maria tells Pablo her suspicions that he forced Toro to lie. Pablo offers to have Toro retract his statement if she will stay, but she declines. Although Maria claims to sense an imminent thunderstorm, Pablo sends out three of his boats. Later, as a severe storm begins, Diego escapes from the police and takes out one of Ribas' boats.The next day after the storm abates, the village women wait at the harbor for the return of their men. However, when only two boats return, the women go to Pablo's store and accuse him of causing the fishermen's death. Pablo is able to divert the women's wrath toward Maria, claiming that she brought trouble to the village. The women attack and beat Maria, but she is saved when the priest intervenes. Diego returns, steering his large boat safely into the harbor, and begs Maria to stay. After she admits that she loves him and will wait for him, Diego goes to Pablo's and, in front of witnesses, forces Toro to admit that he lied about the accident. Pablo realizes that he can no longer rule the village and attacks Diego with a knife. The fight moves from the tavern, to the street and into the ocean until Diego finally defeats Pablo. However, afterward, Diego discovers that Maria has sailed off in her boat, as mysteriously as she came.