The Dumbfounded King (1991)
"El rey pasmado" (original title)

Director:

Imanol Uribe

Writers:

Joan Potau, Gonzalo Torrente Ballester (novel),

Stars:

María Barranco, Joaquim de Almeida, Laura del Sol

12 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
María Barranco	...	Lucrecia
Joaquim de Almeida	...	Almeida
Laura del Sol	...	Marfisa
Gabino Diego	...	King
Juan Diego	...	Villaescusa
Fernando Fernán Gómez	...	Gran inquisidor
Alejandra Grepi	...	Doña Bárbara
Javier Gurruchaga	...	Valido
Eusebio Poncela	...	Conde de la Peña Andrade
Anne Roussel	...	Queen
Luis Barbero	...	Ferrán de Valdivieso
Emma Cohen	...	Duquesa Viuda del Maestrazgo
Christine Dejoux	...	Colette
Carme Elias	...	Abesse
Eulàlia Ramon	...	Paca Távora

Storyline

---

Plot Keywords:

based on novel

---

Details

Country:

Spain France Portugal

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

1 November 1991 (Spain)

Also Known As:

A kába király krónikája

Filming Locations:

Guimarães, Portugal

Company Credits

Production Co:

Aiete Films S.A., Arion Productions, Inforfilmes

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

User Reviews

A wonderful film that didn't make it to the US

This movie is about a Spanish king in the middle ages who decides one day that he'd like to see his wife naked. Gasp! The courtiers are appalled; his wife says ... "Why not?"; and the church begins an investigation. Out of all the hoohah over what today seems an ordinary request, only one man stands up for the king -- a Jesuit priest. The movie's depiction of the various reactions to the king's request is always interesting, and sometimes fascinating. It's a stylish, colorful production, and never lacks for beauty. The only problem I had with it was that I saw it in Paris, in Spanish with French subtitles, and so I probably missed half the jokes. Not all of them -- there are some wonderful visual jokes, like the man whose wife wants the church's permission to have sex with him, so the couple goes to a convent and has sex surrounded by a circle of nuns (all of them discreetly facing away, of course).