Los Borgia (2006)

Director:

Antonio Hernández

Writers:

Piero Bodrato (screenplay)
Antonio Hernández (writer)

Release Date:

6 October 2006 (Spain)

Genre:

Biography

Tagline:

Ambition...Passion...Power

Plot:

A portrait of the bloody dynasty that spawned a pope, Alexander VI, as well as the role model for Machiavelli's "The Prince," his son Cesare Borgia, and a legend of femme duplicity, daughter Lucrezia Borgia.

Plot Keywords:

Italy | Beautiful Woman | Murder

Awards:

1 win & 6 nominations

Cast

Roberto Álvarez	...	Burkard
Eloy Azorín	...	Jofré Borgia
Linda Batista	...	Sancha de Aragón
Marco Bocci	...	Pedro Bembo
Antonio Dechent	...	Michele Corella
Roberto Enríquez	...	Paolo Orsini
Fabio Grossi	...	Cardenal Rafaele Riario
Antonio Hernández	...	Cardenal Gianbatista Orsini
Lluís Homar	...	Rodrigo Borgia
Lucía Jiménez	...	María Enríquez
Giorgio Marchesi	...	Alfonso de Aragón
Diego Martín	...	Perotto
Ángela Molina	...	Vanozza
Carlotta Montanari	...	Dancer
Sergio Múñiz	...	Juan Borgia
Miguel Ángel Muñoz	...	Ramón
Esther Ortega	...	Isabella
Sergio Peris-Mencheta	...	César Borgia
Eusebio Poncela	...	Cardenal Giuliano della Rovere
Katy Louise Saunders	...	Giulia Farnese (as Kate Sanders)
Javier Tolosa	...	Gonzalo de Córdoba
Federico Torre	...	Macellaio
Benedetta Valanzano	...	Pentesilea
Antonio Valero	...	Cardenal Ascanio Sforza
María Valverde	...	Lucrecia Borgia
Massimo Vanni	...	Soldier
Paz Vega	...	Caterina Sforza
Enrique Villén	...	Savanarola

Also Known As:

The Borgia (International: English title)

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish | Italian | Latin

Certification:

Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:18

Company:

Antena Aragón

Fresh and lively, not too long

I have just finished watching the "versión extendida" of Los Borgia, the 2dvd-set lasting 92+93 minutes respectively. Was it too long? Not really. The story spans about 14 years (1492-1506), has three or four main characters (pope Alejandro VI with his children César, Lucrecia and Juan), each with their own plots and subplots. While I haven't seen any of the previous, shorter versions, I suspect they were too condensed to give much room to characterization and plot development. In fact, had Los Borgia been turned into a television series twice as long, it might have been better still.

What did I like about this film? First, the way it was photographed, the sets and the dresses, that really looked like clothes made for wearing. Second, the acting, which was modest and unobtrusive. The characters -- usually taken to be the personification of all that is evil in the Roman Catholic Church -- were depicted as fully human, at times even likable, without taking away anything of the gruesomeness of their deeds. And that is the third thing I like about this film: the way the makers have turned a black page in church history into a lively period piece, without resorting to cheap pornography, as could easily have been the case.

Some minor quibbles: the DVD does not have any extras, which always is a shame, and subtitles (Spanish or English) are sadly lacking -- a drawback to those who, like me, aren't Spanish and might have difficulties understanding everything that is said. Also, for those that are not well up in history around 1500, it might have helped if the makers had inserted dates every now and then. If I remember correctly only once a specific date (1503) is mentioned by one of the characters.

In conclusion, I really liked this film. It gives a fresh and lively look on a controversial episode in the history of Europe.