Belle Epoque (1994) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I disagree with the Amazon editorial. Yes, this is a funny, sexy movie; maybe a young man's dream come true. It also has a lot of real commentary on Spanish society at the time; right before the Spanish Civil War. The characters end the movie thinking all is well in the world and don't know the Civil War is right around the corner. I am sure this aspect is lost on most American audiences, but it is a very real part of the film and juxtaposes the light, sexy, comic aspects of this movie. The scene where the priest hangs himself in the church right before the young couple get married is very symbolic of how the church felt at this time of liberalization and the backlash that led to the Civil War (1930s). See the movie! It is one of my all-time favorites.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Belle Epoque (1994)

BELLE EPOQUE is the irresistible story of Fernando a handsome young Spanish Civil War deserter who befriends a free-thinking artist. Fernando finds himself in a romantic dilemma when the artist\'s four beautiful daughters return to their country home -- which woman should he romance? The answer ishilariously simple as Fernando is seduced instead by each of the high-spirited sisters. BELLE EPOQUE is a rollicking sensual romp celebrating newfound sexual freedom for women. A delicious blend ofhumor and passion that captured the Oscar(r) (1993) for Best Foreign Language Film and introduced theworld to the enchanting beauty of Penelope Cruz (Vanilla Sky).System Requirements:Running Time: 109 minutesLanguage: Spanish / EnglishSubtitles: English / SpanishFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre:LATIN/DRAMA Rating:R UPC:043396793798 Manufacturer No:79379

Click here for more information about Belle Epoque (1994)

Read More...

Libertarias (Juegos De Guerra) (1996) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I heard about Vicente Aranda's magnificent film "Libertarias" ("Freedomfighters") shortly after I first heard of Ken Loach's "Land and Freedom". In this film, instead of the retelling of the George Orwell "Homage to Catalonia" story, we instead follow the lives of a group of anarchist CNT militia women at the opening phase of the Spanish Civil War, some liberated from a brothel, and some former nuns liberated from a church. The two movies have some similarities - both are based around the Spanish Revolution that occurred during the Spanish Civil War... but there as a far greater focus on the anarchist state of mind in this film. It also does not shy away from the issue of free love, of the Revolution's effects on the minds of liberated religious people, or even mysticism, as in one curious scene where an old anarchist ghost is channeled through a woman in a trance - the grumpy spirit criticizes the anarchist militia hero, Durruti, and tells the militants how to defeat a nearby enemy.
This film is a lot of fun. Originally I was a little put off by the less serious "feel" of the characters in the film than I initially expected (Prostitutes? Nuns? Sex?) ...but as the film took it's course I could see how different threads - the war, personal transformation, feminism, catholicism, anti-fascism, sexual feelings, and anarchist direct action - were all woven together quite cleverly.
As with Loach's "Land and Freedom", don't expect a happy ending in this film - we all know who won the Spanish Civil War! But this movie helps us see deeply into the world of the left libertarians who resisted Franco and Fascism and dared to imagine a more free, more libertarian world than the one we have today.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Libertarias (Juegos De Guerra) (1996)

Spain, July 19, 1936. The War has just begun and women as always play their part in this human tragedy. Maria, an innocent young nun, is forced to leave the convent after the arrival of the revolutionary troops in Barcelona. She takes refuge in a brothel, where she meets a group of "Libertarias", who are being "drafted" for the "Free Women" organization under the leadership of Pilar (Ana Belen) a pure feminist warrior, passionate and fiery. Alongside, Charo (Loles Leon) the hooker with the heart of gold and Floren (Victoria Abril) a spiritualist, Maria joins in. Within the brutal realities of war, Maria experiences love with an unexpected character and companionship through those she is fighting with. Libertarias is an epic of six women fight for freedom, their struggle for justice amid their passionate cry for a better world. One of Spain’s best known directors, Vicente Aranda, Winner at the Tokyo International Film Festival, has made 17 previous films including the internationally acclaimed "Amantes".

Click here for more information about Libertarias (Juegos De Guerra) (1996)

Read More...