Based on the stage play `La Locura de Amor' (Teatro del Principe, Madrid, January 12th 1855) by the dramatist Manuel Tamayo y Baus (1829-1898), Vicente Aranda's film `Juana la Loca' ran into several problems even before it appeared in public. The Italian co-producers changed certain parts of the film for the Italian premier, and Aranda had to threaten them with law suits. However, the version we see here in Spain is the original as Aranda conceived it.
The story centres around Juana, eldest daughter of Isabel de Castilla and Fernando de Aragón, historically known as `Los Reyes Católicos', whose youngest sister, Catalina (Catherine of Aragón) was to end up headless following her marriage to Henry VIII, king of England, and mother of Carlos who was to be Carlos I of Spain and V of Germany. As was the habit in those days, her future marriage was arranged so as to unify the odd kingdoms lying around medieval Europe, the same as her progenitors had already done whilst tackling such enterprises as getting that Genovese sailor to hop off across the Atlantic and discover new worlds. Her chosen spouse was Phillipe, crown prince of Flandes and Normandy, otherwise known as `Felipe el Hermoso' (Philip the beautiful), as Spain already had control of most `vlaemink' territory, roughly known as Flandes, today being part of the Netherlands. Unfortunately the future Queen Juana lost her head by falling so hopelessly in love with this goodly hunk of man (played here rather insipidly by Daniele Liotti), that she went crazy as he was always off on such masculine adventures in the arms of other women.
Thus the plot is set for this film. Sumptuously costumed, the film takes us to historical castle and palaces in Sigüenza, Talamanca de Jarama, what I think is the Monastery of `Las Huelgas' in Burgos, and Guimaraes in Portugal, among other carefully chosen spots. What else is carefully chosen remains to be seen. Pilar López de Ayala carries out a very worthy rendering throughout her lengthy and complex reading of the part, the only weak or at best doubtful parts being precisely when she is with her beloved dashing prince: melodramatic moments verging on histrionics. Otherwise her performance is very recommendable, even giving the slightest of hints as to the stage-play origins of this work at times. The rest of the cast is reasonable enough without anyone attracting too much attention, whether on purpose so as to keep the leading actress clearly up front in the limelight, might be debatable.
Whatever, Liotti most definitely was not up to the mark: his playing was somewhat insipid, lacklustre, without feeling. Was the real historical character also left-handed?
Vicente Aranda has never reached me as one of our great directors: if `Tiempo de Silencio' (1986) (qv) is his best film, followed by `La Pasión Turca' (1994), in neither case I found the film totally satisfying in terms of doing justice to the novels on which they are based - by Luis Martín-Santos and Antonio Gala, respectively -, and others of his films like `Celos' or the `Capitán Sánchez' TV series, just simply left me unimpressed.
Added to that, José Nieto, one of Spain's most accomplished film and television composers, seemed to be rather uninspired for `Juana la Loca'. And that is strange, as I would have thought that this kind of film was right up his street. However, as it turns out, his contribution was interspersed with what sounded very much like the Burgos school of organists, such as Antonio de Cabezón, frequent but very hazy suggestions of `La Folia Española', and what I at first identified as something from the Valencian Court musicians and which had me worrying, until the end credits put my unease at rest naming Luys de Milán, important 16th century composer.
Even with the Turkish Belly Dancer thrown in for good measure, this film was missing most of its potential. Perhaps when they do the re-make they will invite Isabel Coixet to do it. Then I might well be the first in the queue at the box-office.
The story centres around Juana, eldest daughter of Isabel de Castilla and Fernando de Aragón, historically known as `Los Reyes Católicos', whose youngest sister, Catalina (Catherine of Aragón) was to end up headless following her marriage to Henry VIII, king of England, and mother of Carlos who was to be Carlos I of Spain and V of Germany. As was the habit in those days, her future marriage was arranged so as to unify the odd kingdoms lying around medieval Europe, the same as her progenitors had already done whilst tackling such enterprises as getting that Genovese sailor to hop off across the Atlantic and discover new worlds. Her chosen spouse was Phillipe, crown prince of Flandes and Normandy, otherwise known as `Felipe el Hermoso' (Philip the beautiful), as Spain already had control of most `vlaemink' territory, roughly known as Flandes, today being part of the Netherlands. Unfortunately the future Queen Juana lost her head by falling so hopelessly in love with this goodly hunk of man (played here rather insipidly by Daniele Liotti), that she went crazy as he was always off on such masculine adventures in the arms of other women.
Thus the plot is set for this film. Sumptuously costumed, the film takes us to historical castle and palaces in Sigüenza, Talamanca de Jarama, what I think is the Monastery of `Las Huelgas' in Burgos, and Guimaraes in Portugal, among other carefully chosen spots. What else is carefully chosen remains to be seen. Pilar López de Ayala carries out a very worthy rendering throughout her lengthy and complex reading of the part, the only weak or at best doubtful parts being precisely when she is with her beloved dashing prince: melodramatic moments verging on histrionics. Otherwise her performance is very recommendable, even giving the slightest of hints as to the stage-play origins of this work at times. The rest of the cast is reasonable enough without anyone attracting too much attention, whether on purpose so as to keep the leading actress clearly up front in the limelight, might be debatable.
Whatever, Liotti most definitely was not up to the mark: his playing was somewhat insipid, lacklustre, without feeling. Was the real historical character also left-handed?
Vicente Aranda has never reached me as one of our great directors: if `Tiempo de Silencio' (1986) (qv) is his best film, followed by `La Pasión Turca' (1994), in neither case I found the film totally satisfying in terms of doing justice to the novels on which they are based - by Luis Martín-Santos and Antonio Gala, respectively -, and others of his films like `Celos' or the `Capitán Sánchez' TV series, just simply left me unimpressed.
Added to that, José Nieto, one of Spain's most accomplished film and television composers, seemed to be rather uninspired for `Juana la Loca'. And that is strange, as I would have thought that this kind of film was right up his street. However, as it turns out, his contribution was interspersed with what sounded very much like the Burgos school of organists, such as Antonio de Cabezón, frequent but very hazy suggestions of `La Folia Española', and what I at first identified as something from the Valencian Court musicians and which had me worrying, until the end credits put my unease at rest naming Luys de Milán, important 16th century composer.
Even with the Turkish Belly Dancer thrown in for good measure, this film was missing most of its potential. Perhaps when they do the re-make they will invite Isabel Coixet to do it. Then I might well be the first in the queue at the box-office.