Alatriste (2006)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Agustín Díaz Yanes

Writers:

Arturo Pérez-Reverte (novels)
Agustín Díaz Yanes (written by)

Release Date:

1 September 2006 (Spain)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Biography | History | Thriller | War

Plot:

Viggo Mortensen plays the Spanish soldier-turned-mercenary Captain Alatriste, a heroic figure from the country's 17th century imperial wars.

Plot Keywords:

Army | King | 17th Century | Spain | Shot In The Head

Awards:

4 wins & 20 nominations

Cast

Viggo Mortensen	...	Diego Alatriste
Elena Anaya	...	Angélica de Alquézar
Unax Ugalde	...	Íñigo Balboa
Eduard Fernández	...	Sebastián Copons
Eduardo Noriega	...	Conde de Guadalmedina
Ariadna Gil	...	María de Castro
Juan Echanove	...	Francisco de Quevedo
Javier Cámara	...	Conde Duque de Olivares
Antonio Dechent	...	Curro Garrote
Blanca Portillo	...	Fray Emilio Bocanegra
Francesc Garrido	...	Martín Saldaña
Pilar López de Ayala	...	Mujer de Malatesta
Jesús Castejón	...	Luis de Alquézar
Cristina Marcos	...	Joyera
Luis Zahera	...	Pereira

Also Known As:

Alatriste de Arturo Pérez-Reverte (Spain) (closing credits title)

Runtime:

145 min

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish | Flemish | Latin | Portuguese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Spain:7 | Finland:K-15 | Netherlands:16 | Argentina:13 | Germany:16 | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:MA (2008) | Japan:R-15 | Brazil:16 | France:U (with warning)

Filming Locations:

Baeza, Jaén, Andalucía, Spain

Company:

Estudios Picasso

Trivia:

The role of Inquisitor Emilio Bocanegra is played by a woman, veteran actress Blanca Portillo. This caused controversy, not so much because it might look disrespectful towards the Church, but because many fans could not see the point in doing something like this. Díaz Yanes said that he had had the idea of using a female actress from the beginning, because he saw 'that Great Inquisitor role' as something too cartoonish and black-and-white and wanted to introduce a fresh, less recognizable element to it, and still make viewers suitably uneasy about so powerful and fearful a character. He cited the Oscar-winning supporting role of Linda Hunt in The Year of Living Dangerously (1982), where she played a man, as an example of what he wanted to achieve. Incidentally, Blanca Portillo wears her hair very short in her next film, Volver (2006/I), as a result of having had it cut for this role.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the white flag scene at Rocroi, the corpses around the Spanish soldiers move between takes.

Quotes:

Conde Duque de Olivares: Without Flandes, there's nothing... Captain.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Spanish Movie (2009)

Nice surprise - Great adaptation

Just saw the movie today and have to say that it was a very nice surprise.

Two years ago I read a couple of books within the 5-books saga by Spanish writer Arturo Pérez Reverte and have to say that the movie captures the complexity of Capitán Alatriste and the rest of characters as well as recreates the atmosphere that is present in the books in the 17th century of Spain. Quite difficult deals bearing in mind the ambitious narrative line traced in the books, were good and bad concepts are just embossed (I guess it was like that in Spain 3-4 centuries ago).

There would be a lot to say but just briefly, the story is good and entertaining, the movie is brilliant recreating the books (in my imagination, Alatriste is exactly Viggo's characterization/performance), script is powerful, actors and actresses performance's are in average good, remarking Viggo Mortensen (Alatriste), Javier Cámara (Conde-Duque de Olivares) and Juan Echanove (Francisco de Quevedo). Special mention to the clothing, light, ambiance and the interiors. Just exactly the same you can see in Velazquez and Goyas pictures in the Prado Museum in Madrid! In the bad side, I felt the rhythm was bit slow a few times, and maybe more digital effects to recreate opened scenarios would have been good idea. But maybe these are just personal feelings (used to megaproductions!).

Nice surprise from the Spanish industry. Entertaining. I will definitely read the three books left in the saga!