Goya's Ghosts (2006)

Painter Francisco Goya faces a scandal involving his muse, who is labeled a heretic by a monk.

Director:

Milos Forman

Writers:

Milos Forman, Jean-Claude Carrière

Stars:

Javier Bardem, Natalie Portman, Stellan Skarsgård

2 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Javier Bardem	...	Lorenzo
Natalie Portman	...	Inés / Alicia
Stellan Skarsgård	...	Francisco Goya
Randy Quaid	...	King Carlos IV
José Luis Gómez	...	Tomás Bilbatúa
Michael Lonsdale	...	Inquisitor General
Blanca Portillo	...	Queen María Luisa
Mabel Rivera	...	María Isabel Bilbatúa
Unax Ugalde	...	Ángel Bilbatúa
Fernando Tielve	...	Álvaro Bilbatúa
David Calder	...	Monk 1
Frank Baker	...	Monk 2
Ramón Langa	...	Hooded Monk
Manuel de Blas	...	Pyre Monk
Andrés Lima	...	Confiscating Monk

Storyline

The painter Goya becomes involved with the Spanish Inquisition when his muse, Ines, is arrested by the church for heresy. Her father, Thomas, comes to him hoping that his connection with Brother Lorenzo, whom he is painting, can secure the release of his daughter.

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Plot Keywords:

christianity | female nudity | spanish history | period drama | american film directed by czech director | 

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Taglines:

Tell me what the truth is

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, disturbing images, some sexual content and nudity

Did You Know?

Trivia

The tan and brown print satin pelisse worn by an extra during the French invasion is the same costume worn by Anna Chancellor (Mrs. Peake) when she comes to the Worrall's house in Princess Caraboo (1994), by Sheila Gish (Mrs. Norris) to Maria's wedding in Mansfield Park (1999), and by an extra in the first church scene in Miss Austen Regrets (2007).

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Goofs

The film starts in 1792 with the inquisition examining Goya's etchings "Los Caprichos". In fact, the etchings were not created until 1797.

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Quotes

Hooded Monk: Are you prepared to swear on the holy cross that you're telling the truth?
Inés: About the pork?

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Connections

Referenced in Tvoje tvár má známý hlas: Episode #2.7 (2016)

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Soundtracks

Ole Andaluz
Traditional
Performed by Grupo de Francisco de Goya
Directed by Jose Fidel Acosta

User Reviews

A Bleak Masterpiece on the Nightmare of History

I think Goya is after all just a pretext. What Forman wanted to talk about is how people are overwhelmed by history. It's a difficult idea to be grasped for people who live in wealthy societies where nothing much happens and the biggest problems are having more money than you already have and what to do on Saturday night. But Forman manages to show you how you can be powerless and doomed when history moves fast--too fast. The real protagonist of the story is not the painter, but the former Dominican priest, whose life is totally changed--and ultimately destroyed--by the big historical events (the French Revolution, the French invasion of Spain, the English invasion of Spain, the Restoration). The same may be said for the other characters in the story. Goya is there as a witness, and as the symbolic figure of the artist who manages to create something even out of utter destruction. One could say that Goya's Ghosts are exactly those people and events Goya witnessed and can't get rid of, so that he has to turn them into drawings and paintings; but the term "ghost" also refers to what individuals are like in those moments when everything is changing and moving towards God knows what goal. The priest and the young girl and all the other people in the story are just pawns of history, who strut and fret on the stage and then disappear. Ghosts, because they can be annihilated in any moment. It's a sad truth, but it's truth, notwithstanding Hollywood's mythologies of super-heroes that can win against all odds. Joyce said that history is a nightmare one tries to wake up from; Forman showed us the nightmare, and the last nightmarish scene of this movie is one of those you can't forget.

Details

Country:

USA Spain

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 November 2006 (Spain)

Also Known As:

Goya's Ghosts

Filming Locations:

Madrid, Spain

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$159,671, 22 July 2007

Gross USA:

$1,000,626

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$9,448,082

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Saul Zaentz Company, Kanzaman, Antena 3 Televisión

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1