Two of Spain’s Greatest in Carlos Saura’s Goya En Burdeos

Maribel Verdú (Duquesa de Alba); Watch Goya En Burdeos (GOYA IN BORDEAUX) and 26 other Spanish films for free at the Pelicula Spanish Film festival, RED CARPET CINEMAS, Shang Rila Plaza Mall from October 5-15, 2023.

Written by

Jude Thaddeus Bautista

The sexual tension between Jose Coronado (Goya Joven) and Maribel Verdú (Duquesa de Alba) was palpable, even when someone interrupted their portrait session. Goya: Duchess, please. Would you mind turning a bit to the left? That’s it… Right there. Duchess: Maestro, must I… stand the whole time? Goya: Remember, Duchess. I’m deaf. If you speak slowly, I’ll understand. Duchess: Must I stand the whole time? Goya: Only today, Duchess. Later I’ll work from the sketches. Would you like to rest? Duchess: No, that’s all right. One must pay a price for art and this will be a masterpiece… Right, maestro?

Maribel Verdú (Duquesa de Alba) and Jose Coronado (Goya Joven); Watch Goya En Burdeos (GOYA IN BORDEAUX) and 26 other Spanish films for free at the Pelicula Spanish Film festival, RED CARPET CINEMAS, Shang Rila Plaza Mall from October 5-15, 2023.

Goya: Nothing would give me more pleasure than this picture being the best I have ever painted. Duchess: Let’s drop the protocol. Call me Cayetana. They say you always work at night. Is there a reason? Goya: The colors, Duchess… Cayetana. Colors are different by candlelight. Warmer and more beautiful. Duchess: So we should always view the paintings at night? Goya: Perhaps.

Jose Coronado (Goya Joven); Watch Goya En Burdeos (GOYA IN BORDEAUX) and 26 other Spanish films for free at the Pelicula Spanish Film festival, RED CARPET CINEMAS, Shang Rila Plaza Mall from October 5-15, 2023.

Duchess: The night is for loving. Goya: Excuse me? Duchess: The night has been made for sleeping. Or so they say. Goya: And for painting… and loving. Duchess: I’ve heard of your ‘love’ affairs. Goya: And I of yours…

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Watch Goya En Burdeos (GOYA IN BORDEAUX) and 26 other Spanish films for free at the Pelicula Spanish Film festival, RED CARPET CINEMAS, Shang Rila Plaza Mall from October 5-15, 2023.

Watch 27 Spanish films for free at the Pelicula Spanish Film festival, RED CARPET CINEMAS, Shang Rila Plaza Mall from October 5-15, 2023.

Pelicula at Shang Plaza

This year’s edition of Pelicula has a tie up between Instituto Cervantes Manila and the Haribon Foundation. Where viewers can choose among several environmentally themed titles: As bestas (THE BEASTS) which recently won the TIFF Grand Prix as well as Best Director and Actor, Tambien la Lluvia (EVEN THE RAIN) starring Gael Garcia Bernal, Fonos, El Olivo (The Olive Tree), Alcaras and Tiera (Earth). Instituto Cervantes will plant one tree for each viewer of these titles.

Carlos Saura one of Spain’s greatest Film makers. Watch Goya En Burdeos (GOYA IN BORDEAUX) and 26 other Spanish films for free at the Pelicula Spanish Film festival, RED CARPET CINEMAS, Shang Rila Plaza Mall from October 5-15, 2023.

A tribute to Carlos Saura ,‘One of the fundamental filmmakers in the history of Spanish cinema’ is also part of the fest: Goya En Burdeos – a biopic of Spain’s greatest artist mixed with surrealism as only Saura can make and El rey de todo el mundo – combines theater, music, dance and fantasy that is the visual signature of Saura.

Watch 27 Spanish films for free at the Pelicula Spanish Film festival, RED CARPET CINEMAS, Shang Rila Plaza Mall from October 5-15, 2023.

Instituto Cervantes Manila honored Saura who passed away from respiratory failure at the age of 91 last February 10, 2023. ‘He was due to receive the life-achievement Goya honorary award the following day during the 37th Goya Awards’. From: Carlos Saura wiki.

Foreground: Francisco Rabal (Goya) and Jose Coronado (Goya Joven). Watch Goya En Burdeos (GOYA IN BORDEAUX) and 26 other Spanish films for free at the Pelicula Spanish Film festival, RED CARPET CINEMAS, Shang Rila Plaza Mall from October 5-15, 2023.

(More Than) Two Master Artists

What a privilege it was for Filipino audiences when Carlos Saura’s work about Francisco Goya – Goya En Burdeos was screened at RED CARPET Cinemas of Shang Rila Plaza Mall last Tuesday. (For free might I add) It’s not often that the universe aligns and produces a landmark movie such as this one.

Watch Goya En Burdeos (GOYA IN BORDEAUX) and 26 other Spanish films for free at the Pelicula Spanish Film festival, RED CARPET CINEMAS, Shang Rila Plaza Mall from October 5-15, 2023.

Pelicula is ongoing and will continue to screen a lot more of Spain’s best films (for free) until Sunday October 15. A very fruitful partnership as RED Carpet Cinemas has recently been renovated and upgraded.

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Carlos Saura is considered among the greatest film makers of Spain easily top three, who made a movie about Goya also among the greatest artists in history. It didn’t disappoint. If we’re going to be honest the film involves more than two great artists as the cinematographer is Vittorio Storaro. Who is one of three living D.O.Ps (Director of Photography) who has won three Oscars: THE LAST EMPEROR, APOCALYPSE NOW and REDS. The slight difference being Storaro is Italian and not Spanish. And a French Production Designer Pierre Louis Thevenet. All of them Saura, Storaro, Thevenet winning awards for this project. This film is a product of the best Europe has to offer.

The Salon of Duchess Osuna is where intellectuals, aristocrats and artists gathered to talk freely. Watch Goya En Burdeos (GOYA IN BORDEAUX) and 26 other Spanish films for free at the Pelicula Spanish Film festival, RED CARPET CINEMAS, Shang Rila Plaza Mall from October 5-15, 2023.

Awards

GOYA IN BORDEAUX has won acclaim: Carlos Saura won Best Artistic Contribution, Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, Grand Prix des Ameriques, People’s Choice at the Montreal World Film Festival, Vittorio Storaro – European Cinematographer (European Film Awards).

Watch 27 Spanish films for free at the Pelicula Spanish Film festival, RED CARPET CINEMAS, Shang Rila Plaza Mall from October 5-15, 2023.

And nearly swept the Goya awards in 2000, Best Actor (Francisco Rabal), Best Supporting Actor (Jose Coronado), Best Cinematography (Vittorio Storaro), Best Production Design(Pierre-Louis Thévenet), Best Costume (Pedro Moreno) and Best Make Up and Hairstyles (Jose Quetglas).

Prairie of San Isidro near Madrid is an exterior scene shot in studio with painted background. Watch Goya En Burdeos (GOYA IN BORDEAUX) and 26 other Spanish films for free at the Pelicula Spanish Film festival, RED CARPET CINEMAS, Shang Rila Plaza Mall from October 5-15, 2023.

As celebrated as it is, if one were to peruse Saura’s filmography one may not even see GOYA in the top ten of his works. More an indication of how prolific and illustrious his body of work is. Among his countless awards: BAFTA Best foreign Language film- Carmen (1983), Two Silver Bears for Best Director – La caza (1966) and Peppermint Frappe (1968), One Golden Bear – Deprisa, deprisa (1981), Cannes awards: Jury Prize – La Prima Angelica (1974), Grand Prix of the Jury – Cria Cuervos (1976).

Saura has made a total of 35 feature films, 15 Documentaries and 6 short films. In a career that spans 6 decades.

Francisco Rabal (Goya); Watch Goya En Burdeos (GOYA IN BORDEAUX) and 26 other Spanish films for free at the Pelicula Spanish Film festival, RED CARPET CINEMAS, Shang Rila Plaza Mall from October 5-15, 2023.

Goya’s State of Mind

Saura had the almost impossible ambition of going into the state of mind of the great 18^th century artist. This is an attempt to visualize that world of imagination in his mind.

To do this he made creative use of sets, not unlike theater. Although with the advantages of lighting and camerawork. The walls glowing, closing in on him. And the lone dark hooded figure of Cayetana haunting that space, haunting his mind. The older version of Goya (Francisco Rabal) follows the dark figure into a distorted corridor. Where he sees a room, and a younger version of himself (Jose Coronado).

Watch 27 Spanish films for free at the Pelicula Spanish Film festival, RED CARPET CINEMAS, Shang Rila Plaza Mall from October 5-15, 2023.

The first 30 minutes of the movie, more than half were all shot in studio. What’s supposed to be exterior spaces have cleverly painted backgrounds, in the style of Goya, if not pulled directly from his works. In one scene the young and old versions of Goya talk to each other. Between them are glass panels of famous lithographs of his work. Pertaining to his writings and thoughts of their conversation. There’s a strong fantasy element to the film.

Fantasy and Reason

The screenplay was cowritten by Carlos Saura and Luigi Scatinni. Both can be praised for the poetic dialogue throughout. He retained some of the famous quotes in the script. Saura wanted viewers to experience one of Goya’s caption on his lithograph Los Caprichos (1799) The Sleep of reason Produces monsters:

“Fantasy abandoned by reason produces impossible monsters.

Attached to it, it’s the mother of arts and the origin of wonders.”

La fantasía abandonada de la razon, produce monstruos imposibles:

unida con ella, es madre de las artes y origen de sus marabillas.

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There are two Hollywood films that come to mind from his approach: Robert Rodriguez’ SIN CITY (2005) and BEING JOHN MALKOVICH (1999). SIN CITY has the benefit of having better green screen technology. 100% of it was shot in studio. Although its more a dark noir, comic book that leaned on the look and decision to shoot it in-studio. Being John Malkovich on the other hand attempted to give audiences that experience of being inside the famous actor’s mind, if not identity.

Watch 27 Spanish films for free at the Pelicula Spanish Film festival, RED CARPET CINEMAS, Shang Rila Plaza Mall from October 5-15, 2023.

Jaleo

A recurring theme in the works of both Francisco Goya and Carlos Saura is their love of dance and music. Saura is known for his flamenco themed trilogy in the 1980s: Bodas de Sangre (Blood Wedding), Carmen, and El amor brujo featuring the work of Spanish flamenco dancer Cristina Hoyos. He later made the movies Flamenco (1995), Tango (1998), and Fados (2007). From Carlos Saura wiki.

Lithograph entitled: The Andalusian dance (El Vito) Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes) Spanish ca. 1824–1825

Goya on the other hand created works of art in dance and song. Most notably his lithograph The Andalusian dance (El Vito) ca. 1824–1825 “The title of this print refers to a popular type of jaleo dance, an antecedent of flamenco that was performed by a solo female dancer and accompanied by singing, clapping, guitar, and tambour.” From metmuseum.org

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That’s why jaleo could be seen in important portions of the movie. When Goya first meets the Duchess of Alba it’s in the Salon of the Duchess of Osuna. Where politicians, thinkers, writers, artists and aristocrats gathered to talk freely about the ideas and news of the day without fear of reproach.

José Antonio (Bailarín Duques de Osuna) is also the choreographer for all jaleo scenes in the film. Watch Goya En Burdeos (GOYA IN BORDEAUX) and 26 other Spanish films for free at the Pelicula Spanish Film festival, RED CARPET CINEMAS, Shang Rila Plaza Mall from October 5-15, 2023.

There was a six string orchestra playing for a jaleo dancer in a matador costume with castanets. Performed by dancer Jose Antonio who choreographed the jaleo scenes in the film. It has less of the stomping and more of pirouettes and leaps much like ballet. Saura could not miss honoring jaleo the forebear of what we now see as flamenco. The older Goya himself dances it in one scene while in Bordeaux, longing for his home in Spain.

Spain’s Turbulent History

Another parallelism between Saura and Goya is how politics and the turbulence / conflicts of the times influenced their work. Saura’s first film Cuenca (1958) and Los Golfos (1962) can be considered social commentaries on poverty in Madrid and Spain during the times. Including the traumas of the civil war in the thriller La Caza (The Hunt) 1966.

Watch 27 Spanish films for free at the Pelicula Spanish Film festival, RED CARPET CINEMAS, Shang Rila Plaza Mall from October 5-15, 2023.

The difference being, Goya was moved by the Napoleonic Wars and the corruption of Spanish ruling class in the later stages of his career. We can see in this movie Goya’s work taking a darker turn, literally.

Eulàlia Ramon (Leocadia) and Francisco Rabal (Goya); Watch Goya En Burdeos (GOYA IN BORDEAUX) and 26 other Spanish films for free at the Pelicula Spanish Film festival, RED CARPET CINEMAS, Shang Rila Plaza Mall from October 5-15, 2023.

The Napoleonic invasion of Spain, broke Goya’s heart, thinking France was this liberal savior of Europe. His loss of faith in humanity was reflected in the Black Paintings. ‘the name given to a group of 14 paintings by Francisco Goya from the later years of his life, likely between 1819 and 1823. They portray intense, haunting themes, reflective of both his fear of insanity and his bleak outlook on humanity. From Black Paintings wiki

Watch Goya En Burdeos (GOYA IN BORDEAUX) and 26 other Spanish films for free at the Pelicula Spanish Film festival, RED CARPET CINEMAS, Shang Rila Plaza Mall from October 5-15, 2023.

Watch 27 Spanish films for free at the Pelicula Spanish Film festival, RED CARPET CINEMAS, Shang Rila Plaza Mall from October 5-15, 2023.

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Artists as Inspiration

Although among Saura’s films Goya is not the only artist as subject. He also made Buñuel y la mesa del rey Salomón (Buñuel and the table of King Solomon – 2001) about surrealist film maker Luis Buñuel. Saura considers this his best work. Because of his personal knowledge of Buñuel, his province mate (both were born in Aragon). The story was based on a number of their conversations.

From left: Spain’s great film makers Luis Buñuel and Carlos Saura (1960s) both from Aragon.

Goya’s fascination and idolatry of (Spanish Master and earlier court painter) Diego Velazquez can also be seen in this film. Jose Coronado (young Goya) made the trip to Italy just to view the haunting and mysterious Las Meninas (1656) and was awestruck.

Just like, Goya and Saura, learning about the lives of our great artists can be a source of enlightenment and inspiration.

Eulàlia Ramon (Leocadia) and Francisco Rabal (Goya). Watch Goya En Burdeos (GOYA IN BORDEAUX) and 26 other Spanish films for free at the Pelicula Spanish Film festival, RED CARPET CINEMAS, Shang Rila Plaza Mall from October 5-15, 2023. (20)

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Written by

Jude Thaddeus Bautista

Duchess: The night is for loving. Goya: Excuse me? Duchess: The night has been made for sleeping. Or so they say. Goya: And for painting… and loving. Duchess: I’ve heard of your ‘love’ affairs. Goya: And I of yours…

Watch Goya En Burdeos (GOYA IN BORDEAUX) and 26 other Spanish films for free at the Pelicula Spanish Film festival, RED CARPET CINEMAS, Shang Rila Plaza Mall from October 5-15, 2023.

Pelicula at Shang Plaza

Instituto Cervantes Manila honored Saura who passed away from respiratory failure at the age of 91 last February 10, 2023. ‘He was due to receive the life-achievement Goya honorary award the following day during the 37th Goya Awards’. From: Carlos Saura wiki.

(More Than) Two Master Artists

Pelicula is ongoing and will continue to screen a lot more of Spain’s best films (for free) until Sunday October 15. A very fruitful partnership as RED Carpet Cinemas has recently been renovated and upgraded.

Awards

GOYA IN BORDEAUX has won acclaim: Carlos Saura won Best Artistic Contribution, Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, Grand Prix des Ameriques, People’s Choice at the Montreal World Film Festival, Vittorio Storaro – European Cinematographer (European Film Awards).

And nearly swept the Goya awards in 2000, Best Actor (Francisco Rabal), Best Supporting Actor (Jose Coronado), Best Cinematography (Vittorio Storaro), Best Production Design(Pierre-Louis Thévenet), Best Costume (Pedro Moreno) and Best Make Up and Hairstyles (Jose Quetglas).

Saura has made a total of 35 feature films, 15 Documentaries and 6 short films. In a career that spans 6 decades.

Goya’s State of Mind

Saura had the almost impossible ambition of going into the state of mind of the great 18th century artist. This is an attempt to visualize that world of imagination in his mind.

Fantasy and Reason

“Fantasy abandoned by reason produces impossible monsters.

Attached to it, it’s the mother of arts and the origin of wonders.”

La fantasía abandonada de la razon, produce monstruos imposibles:

unida con ella, es madre de las artes y origen de sus marabillas.

Jaleo

Spain’s Turbulent History

The difference being, Goya was moved by the Napoleonic Wars and the corruption of Spanish ruling class in the later stages of his career. We can see in this movie Goya’s work taking a darker turn, literally.

Artists as Inspiration

Goya’s fascination and idolatry of (Spanish Master and earlier court painter) Diego Velazquez can also be seen in this film. Jose Coronado (young Goya) made the trip to Italy just to view the haunting and mysterious Las Meninas (1656) and was awestruck.

Just like, Goya and Saura, learning about the lives of our great artists can be a source of enlightenment and inspiration.

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Saura had the almost impossible ambition of going into the state of mind of the great 18^th century artist. This is an attempt to visualize that world of imagination in his mind.