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Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

A Masterpiece!

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

for reflect, "ad usum Delphini", a period, a life and an art. for the mix of sadness and romanticism. for the work of Mell Ferrer. without be a great film, giving the impression to be part of the so many frescoes of the Hollywood from the same period, it is nice and seductive and noble in its generous message about compromises, glory, politic and Church. and this represents a precious virtue for define it as an oasis. for atmosphere and for the grace of details. and, sure, for something special. like an old scent . so, a beautiful film.

A great deal of time before and after the years covered in this life of El Greco that a certain amount of context is lost. The film El Greco is about his art, but it's also about his life and his greatest love.Mel Ferrer no doubt in the hopes that the film would lift him into the ranks of the Hollywood elite produced and starred in this film with a European cast. There are no other Americans in the film, but a few familiar faces from European productions. Most prominent will be Adolfo Celi who is the one who first brings El Greco to Spain on a commission to paint his daughter's portrait, the daughter played by Rosanna Schiaffino. And Schiaffino becomes the great love of his life. But Spain was also home to that most repressive of religious institutions the Inquisition. Their penalties were most severe for deviancy from the Roman Catholic faith and in fact the Church in Rome was virtually a Spanish protectorate in the 16th century. A lot of people used the Inquisition to settle some personal scores. Institutions to preserve orthodoxy in any society usually sooner or later become instruments of repression and/or vengeance. And El Greco made a lot of enemies. Fernando Rey plays Philip II of Spain, the most powerful man in Europe and the Americas as he colonized most of it while he was King. Such people as Raymond Massey and Montagu Love played him before, a great deal more fanatical than Rey is. But Rey does come across as a man with the burdens of the world on him and for the most part they really were. Ferrer is aiming for his royal patronage.El Greco was born in Crete which was part of the Venetian city/state/republic and that brought him to Italy and then to Spain specifically Toledo. He lived a good deal longer than the action in this film. Ferrer gives a restrained and dignified performance, but the man who really could have done this role justice would have been Tyrone Power and he hadn't been available for 8 years.El Greco the film is beautiful and dignified, but terribly slow moving. It never did for Mel Ferrer what he intended.

About an artist. And about a slice of Spain history. A love story and definition of art against prejudices. In same time,delicate description of stranger condition. A Hollywood production, with same recipes of "ad usum delphini" history, glamor and unhappy love, with a magnificent Mell Ferrer and sweet colors. Seed of nostalgia, chair for rediscover of past, few flavor of childhood, with great heroes and nice adventures, "El Greco" is form of a fado. Portrait of an era, circle of magic gestures and hope, victory of a not-yet born Don Quijote. It is not a masterpiece. But it is more that. An escape. And lucky coin. Window. To a world who believes in everyone.

"El Greco" is the engrossing story of the great artist's years in 16th century Toledo. With the preponderance of films dealing with English and French history in cinema, this film gives a much needed, rare and welcome glimpse of the Spanish culture's rich history. Ferrer accomplished an exceptional feat in producing this film and acting the title role. It is obviously a labor of love, with the costumes, settings, music, and events beautifully evocative. Having seen many of the works ("The Death of Count Orgaz", etc.) and the artist's Toledo workshop in person, I can vouch for the period authenticity. Some of the events will come as a surprise when the religious and mystical content of his work is considered. As the film portrays, El Greco ran afoul of the Inquisition and later produced some of his greatest works out of his greatest anguish. A must for lovers of art and Spanish history. Will we ever see a comparable film about the life of Velazquez, another of the many immortal masters of art this great nation has produced?