After spending a night with a sensual prostitute, the King of Spain decides that he wants to see his wife naked. His decision causes a real revolution amidst his subjects.After spending a night with a sensual prostitute, the King of Spain decides that he wants to see his wife naked. His decision causes a real revolution amidst his subjects.After spending a night with a sensual prostitute, the King of Spain decides that he wants to see his wife naked. His decision causes a real revolution amidst his subjects.
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- Awards
- 12 wins & 8 nominations total
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- Lucrecia
- (as Maria Barranco)
- Gran Inquisidor
- (as Fernando Fernan-Gomez)
- Abadesa
- (as Carmen Elias)
- Paca Távora
- (as Eulalia Ramon)
- Rivadesella
- (as Jose Soriano)
- Cosme
- (as Jose Antonio Correa)
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An engaging story that describes the main literary issues from prestigious writer Gónzalo Torrente Ballester . Surprising story with luxurious settings , glamorous costumes and abundant erotic frames , but the movie has not mythological accuracy neither expecting historical . However , the film talks about the successful arrival of the Indian fleet to Cadiz and the victory of Spanish troops in Flandes . It is a decent picture in which entertainment and embarrassing events are well developed from start to finish , though crammed with several unappropriated intercourse scenes -in softcore style- between the Earl and his wife when copulate in the choir of the church of San Plácido (where by coincidence are also very nearly the kings) in front of the choir nuns . Nice acting by Gabino Diego as Felipe II who after watching a sensual prostitute , he wants to see his wife naked . Top-notch Joaquin De Almeida as a Jesuit missionary who replies that the luck of the governed depends on the ability of its rulers rather than their morality . And overacting by Juan Diego as a Capuchino friar who ensures that the claim of the king is a serious sin that can bring punishment on the whole country . As trivia to be noted the close resemblance of Gabino Diego and Gurruchaga with Philip IV and the Count-Duke of Olivares respectively . In addition , a fine support cast such as Luis Barbero , Emma Cohen , José Maria Tasso , Eulàlia Ramon Enrique San Francisco , Carmen Elias and Pepe Soriano .
Atmospheric and evocative musical score by José Nieto who composes a stirring soundtrack , including a magic leitmotif . Adding a spotless pictorial cinematography by Hans Burmann and a willingness , almost perfect of the elements of each shot , every sequence , every space ; being rightly filmed on location . Most of the film was shot in the Renaissance palace of the Marquis of Santa Cruz in Viso del Marqués (Ciudad Real) and the Monastery of Uclés (Cuenca). This Andrés Santana production was professionally written , produced by Imanol Uribe who also directed , though has has some gaps and flaws , such as the different treatment of historical characters , but these are outweighed by good realization and a good cast . Filmed in his usual formal and stylistic scholarship , without leaving a trace the thought-provoking issues , in terms of dramatic and narrative excitement ; being extremely academic and a cold rendition . It resulted to get enough success at Spanish Box office . And won Goya Awards to Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Juan Diego) , Best Costume Design (Javier Artiñano) , Best Makeup and Hairstyles (Romana González and Josefa Morales) , Best Original Score (José Nieto) , Best Production Design (Félix Murcia), Best Production Supervision (Andrés Santana) , Best Screenplay – Adapted (Joan Potau and Gonzalo Torrente Malvido) and Best Sound (Ricard Casals and Gilles Ortion) . Uribe who lived and had a son with actress María Barranco , gained fame early in his career for his controversial socio-political portraits of the Basque people , such as ¨Fuga Segovia¨, ¨Muerte Mikel¨ . His extraordinary imaginative abilities have been able to produce well-written stories , as he turned to thriller as ¨Adios Pequeña¨, ¨Plenilunio¨ and drama as ¨Bwana¨ , ¨Rey Pasmado¨ , ¨Extraños¨ and his biggest hit smash : ¨Dias Contados¨ or ¨Running out.
Based in famous novel Cronicas Del Rey Pasmado wrote by Spanish Gonzalo Torrente Ballester was adapted for big screen whereby according the stringent monk Villaescusa (Juan Diego) any victory from Spanish Army against their sinful enemies were resulted of true mindfulness on religious rites, vows of chastity, prayers and so for to get blessing of God, so when the King (Gabino Diego) spent a night with easy girl (Laura Del Sol) exposing her gorgeous nude body, he is awestruck by heavenly vision decides hereinafter get it from own Queen (Annie Roussel), so he stumbles in the stern watchdog Villaescusa even a Portuguese Jesuit saying otherwise.
Astonish me see a lowest rating in so hailed production that earned many prizes at Spain, it really is an unusual offering from European cinema regarding over religious background occurred on that obscure era, the director Imanol Uribe got described it in humoresque manner, highly underrated, as far I know this picture never was released in any format in Brazil, a crying shame.
Thanks for reading.
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First watch: 1994 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-Youtube / Rating: 8.
The star-studded cast reads almost like a Who's Who of Spanish filmmaking in the early 1990s, featuring enshrined greats like Fernando Fernán Gómez and Juan Diego alongside then-youthful favorites like Gabino Diego and Javier Gurruchaga.
I would highlight that the excellent Portuguese actor Joaquim de Almeida, for many years now a regular in Hollywood as well as Europe, delivers an absolutely delicious performance as the Jesuit priest Almeida (no, no relation!). The intellectual Jesuits have always been suspect to the more conservative establishment in the Catholic Church, and Almeida plays the role with such subtle ambiguousness – an ambiguity that is absolutely key to developing the more complex elements of the film's plot – that long after the credits have rolled you will still be wondering about and arguing over his place in the story.
The film is also very well shot and expertly set, creating a suggestive yet realistic ambiance that is up to the level of the plot and the acting.
In perhaps his best role ever, Gabino Diego is the young Felipe IV, the homely Habsburg monarch to whom he bears a surprising resemblance. Felipe is dumbstruck by the brief sight of a naked prostitute – the Court favorite because of her exquisite beauty – which suddenly leads him to realize that he has never seen the Queen, his own lovely wife, in the buff. Why? Because although ribaldry and bawdiness were the norm for the commoners of 17th-Century Spain, the nobility and royals only had sex for procreation's sake – at least with their spouses – with floor-length nightgowns tailored with a conveniently located opening at the level of the pelvis to avoid the sins of concupiscence. Something that Felipe's equally young Bourbon Queen finds hard to understand, but she acquiesces to the customs of these oddly pious and dour Spaniards. Surrounded as he is by very conservative priests who constantly protect (and isolate) him as one of the visible heads of the Church in Spain, the naive King needs more than a little help to arrange a romantic tryst alone with the Queen, without the overbearing and antilibidinous presence of their omnipresent escorts and attendants. It is this entertaining and intriguing "foreplay" that is the backbone of the film.
Did you know
- GoofsThe King's favorite (valido) is the historical Gaspar de Guzmán y Pimentel, Count-Duke of Olivares. The other characters address him as Count, when protocol would have said Count-Duke.
- Quotes
Rey: How beautiful... This is the first time I've seen a completely naked woman... Have you ever seen anything more beautiful in your life, Count? Paradise must be like this.
Conde La Peña Andrade: Those in the Holy Office don't say the same thing, sir.
Rey: What do they know about naked women?
Rey: According to them, everything.
Details
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- Countries of origin
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- Also known as
- The Dumbfounded King
- Filming locations
- Real Monasterio de Santo Tomás, Ávila, Castilla y León, Spain(convent and cloister)
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- See more company credits at IMDbPro
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