Customer Reviews

Los Borgia (The Borgias)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First, a few clarifications. Although the "Product Details" section says the film is 120 minutes in length and is presented in a "full screen" version, it actually runs over two hours and twenty minutes and is in a wide-screen format(it looks to be about 2.35:1 to me). Yellow, English subtitles are also available.

Now for the movie itself. I'm not an expert, but the film seems to be fairly accurate historically, especially for "movie history". This is most apparent in the depiction of Lucretia Borgia, played by Maria Valverde. She is not the murderous poisoner of legend, but a pawn of her father and brothers who is married off so the Borgias can create political alliances with other powerful families. There are some liberties taken with historical facts in order to tighten the narrative and make events less confusing. For example, in reality, Lucretia was only thirteen years old at the time of her first marriage. However, there's plenty of corruption, intrigue and assassination to keep the film interesting. Late in the film, when it looks like it might be slowing down a bit, Paz Vega shows up as sword-wielding Borgia opponent Caterina Sforza and gives the film a shot of adrenalin.

The movie is beautiful looking with lucious sets, costumes, and photography. It's fortunate that the film is presented in widescreen so this can be fully appreciated. The acting is also fine. The film has many virtues, but for me, comes up just short of those other Renaissance films QUEEN MARGOT and the first ELIZABETH with Cate Blanchett. That said, it's still a fine, entertaining film and well worth watching.

My only major complaint is that the closing credits are in such small print that they are indecipherable, even on a large HDTV screen.

My best friend's major complaint is that everyone shown in the film was too clean, as if they all bathed every hour.

I don't know much about Italian history of the era of the Borgias, but the film appears to try to give an accurate and reasonably unbiased summary of known facts about the Borgias and their times. The cinematography is excellent, the music enhances the emotions without being overly dramatic, and the costumes and architecture aappear to be accurate. The acting is superb and convincing. Paz Vega is outstanding in a very small part.

The events are depicted realistically, with more violence than many would care for; this film is not for the squeamish nor is it appropriate for children.

I liked this film immensely, but I cannot place it on my list of 100 greatest films I've even seen. But I would regret having missed it. Note that it is presented entirely in Spanish, with English subtitles available.

If you love history, as I do, you should not miss this movie. Pity it wasn't longer. Details are amazing. The resemblance - based, of course, on existing paintings - of the actors to the actual characters they were playing was just incredible.

Lucrezia Borgia, I was glad to see, was depicted not as the wicked woman we all remember but as a dutiful daughter, used by her unscrupulous father again and again as a pawn for the benefit of the family name.

This is an outstanding period piece. Thumbs up from me!

Scandalous. A must see for the lover of intrigue and decadent church practices. Well crafted and acted.

This is a great primer for the new SHOWTIME miniseries with Jeremy Irons. The action scenes are fun. My only complaint would be how fast the subtitles seem to fly by.

The casting, acting, direction and writing are all excellent. Los Borgias is a sympathetic interpretation; the darker rumours are portrayed as just that but left ambiguous enough that they could have some truth to them. The movie makes what on paper sounds stranger than fiction comprehensible. For example, when you read that Cesare threw an orgy with 50 prostitutes for his father (the pope), sister, and their friends it seems unimaginable, but the way it is portrayed in the movie makes it somehow less scandalous and more comprehensible. The movie achieves that with all of the scandalous things--it humanizes them. Nonetheless, it still leaves you feeling abhorrence for Cesare and some for Alexander too. Lucrezia, on the other hand, is portrayed as an innocent victim of her family's ambition.

The movie manages to cover all the most important events without feeling rushed. And while it does condense things, it does so while staying as true to the history as possible.

English subtitles, but a good view of the time of the Borgias. Women were just pawns, no matter how much their families loved them. The families used the young women to make alliances and seal pacts. Lush photography.

Since the advent of Showtime's Borgia series, no film or documentary at all pertaining to the Borgias cannot pass without some comparison to the Showtime offering. In many respects I found this film superior.

The success of a film is dependent upon a multiplicity of factors. Some of those are intangibles. Why we like one performer's work and not another's. Such an intangible struck me at the very onset of the film. The actors from the start of the film were 'darker' and more 'angular'. Certainly in keeping with my own preconceptions of a proper 'Borgia-esc' look.

Much of the film was exceptionally well done. However, some literary license was taken with historical fact. While it makes for a better telling story, purists may bristle. There is also some violence and nudity which some might be troubled with. This IS a foreign language film (Spanish) and for those like me the subtitles are essential. This film flashes those subtitles perhaps more quickly than any other film I have encountered recently. While they are by no means beyond comprehension, they do require a bit of effort to keep up with and can deter somewhat from one's appreciation of the action on the screen.

It is said that Mario Puzo drew upon the Borgias as inspiration for the Godfather. 'Los Borgias' is certainly an excellent 'Godfather' where Sonny lived and there was no Michael to assume his father's mantle.

I don't remember why I got this movie. It is really an almost. I think I had the impression that the actors were very good, but the script and the unity of the story was just not the cream of the crop. However (not being an expert on these things) the costumes and sets were fabulous, really well done. For me I live somewhere where there are no spanish speakers, or media, and so it was nice to hear the Spanish language spoken and tell myself I'm not losing it. I imagine that is not a great concern for most perusers, tho. This might be only a 2 star.