Goya's Ghosts
by Milos Forman
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Blanca Portillo, Javier Bardem, Natalie Portman, Randy Quaid, Stellan Skarsg?rdDirector: Milos Forman
Brand: Sony
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Dubbed)
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 114 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-02-26
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures
Movie Reviews of Goya's Ghosts
Movie Review: An interesting perspective on a master painter: Goya
Summary: 5 Stars
Goya's Ghost is an excellent film that surfaces the great contributions of Francisco Jose de Goya y Lucientes. Born on March 30th, 1746, Goya was a famous Spanish painter and printmaker who served to record history through his art during the Spanish Inquisition.
During his life, Goya was given great commissions, such as decorating the bare stone walls of El Escorial and the Palacio Real del Pardo, where Spanish monarchs were to reside, therefore, Goya was given access to the royal court and painted many of the portraits of the time.
Goya was a favorite of King Carlos III and became a friend to Crown Prince Don Luis, living in his house while he was painting the portraits of the Queen. After an illness where he contracted a high fever, Goya is left deaf and became introspective and reserved. Goya becomes rather informed about the French Revolution because while recuperating he dedicates his idle time to reading the philosophical writings of the rights of man.
During the reign of Charles III and IV, Goya becomes the royal painter, finally promoted to First Court Painter and assigned a salary of 50,000 reales, which was a fortune at the time. Goya is not given to flattery and paints subjects as he sees them, and the Queen of Spain is rather upset when she sees her image interpreted by Goya because the result is that of a rather ugly female.
In this movie, we see Goya's relationship to Brother Lorenzo, played by Javier Bardem and to a model he uses, played by Natalie Portman. The movie surfaces how Judaism was persecuted. Anyone suspected of respecting or following any of the traditions of Jews ended in jail, put the test, the famous "Question" which through torture tested those accused on their resolve to tell the truth. But the cruelty of the torture was such that anyone put to the test would end up asking: "What is the truth you seek?" and they would confess to anything so they would be left alone.
Ines, Goya's model, is suspected of practicing Judaism simply because she refuses to eat pork during a night out with her brothers. Her father asks that Goya intercede with those in power to obtain the freedom of his daughter and because he is a rather wealthy merchant he donates a large fortune to the Church in exchange for his daughter. But the Church representatives are not moved and while they accept the donation, they do not return Ines and the father proves to Brother Lorenzo how any man / woman put to "The Question" would confess anything for the torture to stop.
Brother Lorenzo visits Ines in prison and is taken by the young beauty, and he takes advantage of her situation... much ensues... and we learned lots about the Spanish Inquisition and how Spain is influenced and transformed by the French Revolution and Napoleon's invasion.
We enjoyed the film, learned about a subject that we rarely find in films, the Spanish Inquisition, and were very impressed with Natalie Portman's ability to play multiple roles for she is Ines... young and old, and a daughter that is born while in prison, fathered by Brother Lorenzo. Enjoy!
Summary of Goya's Ghosts
Even Milos Forman's most ardent supporters are sure to have mixed feelings about Goya's Ghosts. As expected from the Oscar-winning director of One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, the production values are strong and the performances solid. Unfortunately, his fictional take on the life of subversive painter Francisco Goya (Stellan Skarsg?rd), circa the Spanish Inquisition, feels undercooked compared to previous issue-driven works, like The People vs. Larry Flynt. As in that film, censorship and hypocrisy take center stage. Co-written by Luis Bu?uel scenarist Jean-Claude Carri?re (That Obscure Object of Desire), Goya's Ghosts concerns the painter's relationships with two subjects, Brother Lorenzo (Javier Bardem) and artist's model Ines (Natalie Portman). When Ines is suspected of practicing Judaism, she's tortured until she confesses, leading to her incarceration. With Goya's assistance, her family enlists Lorenzo to fight for her freedom, but to no avail. For his own transgressions, Lorenzo flees the country, while Ines lingers in prison. The story then skips ahead 15 years. Goya has since lost his hearing, Ines remains imprisoned, and a defrocked Lorenzo is living a life of leisure in France. After Napoleon invades Spain, the three are once again thrown into each other's orbit. Of the trio, Goya emerges as decency incarnate, Ines as a victim of religious fundamentalism, and Lorenzo as a man who found his conscience far too late to save anyone--least of all himself. The humor that bouyed Amadeus might not have been appropriate in this case, but Goya's Ghosts is a real downer. --Kathleen C. FennessyAcademy Award? nominees Natalie Portman and Javier Bardem star in two-time Academy Award? winning director Milos Forman s thrilling new romantic drama! Goya s Ghosts is a sweeping historical epic told through the eyes of celebrated Spanish painter Francisco Goya (Skarsgard). Set against the backdrop of political turmoil at the end of the Spanish Inquisition and start of the invasion of Spain by Napoleon s army the film captures the essence and beauty of Goya s work which is best known for both the colorful depictions of the royal court and its people and his grim depictions of the brutality of war and life in 18th century Spain. When Goya s beautiful muse (Portman) is accused of being a heretic renowned painter Francisco Goya (Skarsgard) must convince his old friend Lorenzo (Bardem) a power-hungry monk and leader of the Spanish Inquisition to spare her life.System Requirements:Run Time: 114 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA/MILITARY & WAR Rating: R UPC: 043396198104 Manufacturer No: 19810
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