Goya's Ghost

This film is one of the best things I've had the luck to watch lately, and though one would expect that of a Milos Forman's movie, this film is particularly remarkable. I must admit that at first I chose the movie because of Natalie Portamn and Stellan Skarsgard, but I was stunned by their performance and specially Javier Barden's.

Having said that let's talk some of this amazing film shall we?

Our story begins in 1791 in a heated discussion at the inquisition quarters. The matter of discussion is in fact Francisco Goya (Stellan Skarsgard), and his drawings. You are probably familiar to them, but if not I must say they were dark and raw, and usually macabre. All this made the inquisition less than fond about him, but Goya had important friends, as he was painter of the Queen herself. In his various clients there was another important man, a man of cloth as he would say. Lorenzo Casamares (Javier Barden), and the real subject of this film.

This man lived a time when Spain refrained from facing the ideas of illustration, and the revolution of France. This man lived a time of change, and that he did not like. So he had an idea, a terrible idea I must say! The inquisition was wearing thin, and he proposed that would, what's the word? Radicalize their moves.

So he started a campaign against Jews, protestants, and well everything he'd be able to blame of heresy. In between this tangled ideas and moves there is someone, someone who's presence is crucial for everything to come: a woman.

Ines Bilbatua (Natalie Portman), the young daughter of a powerful merchant and the muse of Goya. This girl/woman made a mistake, a silly, public, absurd, innocent, harmless mistake. Something so simple, but I can't tell. All I'll say is it sends her to the inquisition, accused of Judaism.

Goya who is not position to talk to the inquisition, steps out of the situation, hoping that the poor girl will be freed soon. Her family however is not so patient, and after discovering that the young lady was submitted to the "question" (torture) The decide to what's the term again? Radicalize their moves.

And Lorenzo? Oh, he meets Ines! He meets her and cheats her into the act of sexual intercourse. The story is very much lineal to this point, but! Oh the big shinny "but".

Time and war!

The french revolution opens their battle up to Spain, and things well they get well messy I must say, and truth be told I can not say much more. So I leave you with this the bonfire of the inquisition raises, a mind is lost, a child is whored, a man looses sounds, another man looses ideals, morals, and eventually his mind, and kids sing around a moving grave.