Goya's Ghosts
List Price:
Our Price: $14.49
You Save: $10.47 (42%)
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Buy Used: from $4.95 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD details
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD details
Actor: Bardem, Portman, SkarsgardBrand: Sony
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); French (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 114 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-02-26
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures
DVD Reviews of Goya's Ghosts
DVD Review: It's nothing personal.
Summary: 4 Stars
It's not the masterpiece some would have you believe, nor is it the failure that others say it is.
The truth lies somewhere in the middle. Personally, while I did not consider it brilliant, I did appreciate it.
I liked Natalie Portman's performance as the naive Inez who unwittingly gets caught up in the political intrigues of the Spanish Inquisition, and is put to the question, (euphemism for torture). Found guilty of confessing she gets put in jail where she meets Brother Lorenzo of the ruling council (Javier Bardem), who takes advantage of her naivete.
Set against the backdrop of the French revolution and Bonaparte's invasion of Spain, will she ever find freedom, will the Inquisition ever be brought to account for its actions, and will Lorenzo get his comeuppance.
I found it's historical background to be quite interesting, I did not know that Bonaparte installed his own brother as King of Spain. In some ways, it's quite a good movie. It has to be said that some of the coincidences are too contrived.
If this movie has any failing it's at the directing level. If you're doing a movie where the artist is a central character, an observer of history and atrocity, the art needs to be integrated into the story in a more compelling way.
I kept thinking of the movie Frida, starring Salma Hayek about the artist Frida Kahlo, which is a visually stunning work of genius in terms of how it integrates the art, the character, and the story. It got nominated for 6 Oscars and won two.
I hope you will enjoy this movie.
If you were to find this review helpful, please click yes.
DVD Review: Unbelievably naive and historically inaccurate
Summary: 1 Stars
Apart from the beautiful costumes, this movie has practically no redeeming features. The directing is uninspired, the acting (with the possible exception of, occasionally, Javier Bardem) unexceptional, the plot naive and improbable, and the historical facts badly stereotyped or totally wrong. The Spanish Inquisition has been portrayed more accurately in the Monty Python skits than in this film. Goya, who is supposed to be the main character, is nothing of the sort, we don't learn anything important about his psychological makeup, his opinions or even his art (although I appreciated the educational value of the demonstration of the printing process, even though the latter demonstrates the aquaforte-making technique while Goya's 'Caprichos' were aquatints, moreover produced in 1799 and not, as the movie states, in 1792.) The film is also full of crude anti-religious and especially anti-Catholic bias. I am surprised that it was Milos Forman who had written and directed this abysmal flop.DVD Review: So bad it was almost funny. Almost.
Summary: 1 Stars
Natalie Portman's acting was horrific. Fifteen years of torture and all she can do is shuffle her feet and stick out her lower jaw like she's packing a dip? I've seen more convincing portrayals of torture victims in community theater. And after 15 years of being imprisoned she'd barely aged!
Also, it was ridiculous to cast Portman as both the mother and daughter (adding a mustache to the latter to differentiate the two didn't make it any more convincing).
The script relies too much on coincidence to be believable.
I love Spain. I love Goya. I love Milos Forman (Amadeus is my favorite movie). I wanted to love this movie. Unfortunately it was one of the biggest disappointments I've ever seen. My wife and I ended up laughing throughout the last hour of it.
DVD Review: A Nearly Great Film that Nobody Saw
Summary: 4 Stars
Milos Forman's (Amadeus and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) film about some of the fascinating events that occurred during the time of Francisco Goya was not widely seen and received for the most part mixed reviews. It was criticized primarily for being too slow and having a convoluted plot. I suppose I can see where those points might have merit but I found Goya's Ghosts pros to far outweigh the cons. So much so I was very close to giving this a five star rating. My one true hang-up was that the film is a Spanish production shot in English. Odd, and the mix of accents can be slightly annoying in flashes.
The performances here from Stellan Skarsg?rd, Javier Bardem, and Natalie Portman are highlights in all of their careers. This is probably the only time besides No Country for Old Men that I really watched Bardem. In the first half of this film Bardem plays a character that is behaviorally not very different from his role in 2007's best picture Oscar winner, but as Goya's Ghosts moves forward his character changes and Bardem's depth is on display. He really is a great actor. Portman on the other hand has always been touted as great for her potential but has never really had a showcase role. Here she does, and unfortunately no one saw it. Portman is a legitimate super-talent that only gets these tiny opportunities to show that off to the mainstream. Something tells me she doesn't care about that but it would be nice to see her land a big budget Oscar bait role where she can really get the credit she deserves. Stellan Skarsg?rd is good in almost everything he has ever done. Moreover, the supporting cast is also strong. Especially the performance of unlikely cast member Randy Quaid. That's right, I said Randy Quaid, who plays King Carlos IV.
The film is set in late 18th century Spain during the time of the French Revolution. Goya (Skarsg?rd), a famous artist for Spanish royalty, seemingly becomes a target from the inquisition. Lorenzo, a monk who soon becomes in charge of the inquisition's more intense initiatives, defends Goya. Lorenzo actually becomes a subject of one of Goya's paintings. In?s (Portman), a Goya muse, is soon targeted by the inquisition. This brings microcosmic conflict between many of the film's characters while the macrocosmic conflicts of the time period shift the characters even more profoundly. This makes for some very interesting and unpredictable circumstances. So much so, that it might be best to leave the rest unmentioned here. Suffice to say, I enjoyed this film far more than I thought I would.
Goya's Ghosts references his paintings effectively and although the film may be guilty of unlikely coincidences, some melodrama, and some historical inaccuracy; it is certainly no more guilty of those things than other period pieces that are widely acclaimed by today's critics. Goya is the straight man of Goya's Ghosts, he is the observer and his work is used toward the narrative while the film is used as a tribute of sorts toward his work. I see Goya's Ghosts as being one par with both One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Amadeus. Perhaps if Foreman were appreciated today like he was twenty or thirty years ago critics would've received this film with the same level of praise? Not sure, but I'm recommending this.
DVD Review: Creative story line with twists set in the Spanish Inquisition
Summary: 5 Stars
Movie is worth renting alone for being set in the Spanish Inquisition.
Movie begins its engaging twists early. The transformations of Bardem's character are intrigueing and Portman gives a worthwhile performance as well. Wide historical swath and deceptive title uses Goya as a passive sounding board for the bizarre events unfolding around him. Excellent paintings by Goya abound, a very underappreciated historical painter.
Description of Goya's Ghosts
Academy Award? nominees Natalie Portman and Javier Bardem star in two-time Academy Award? winning director Milos Forman's thrilling new romantic drama! Goya's Ghosts is a sweeping historical epic, told through the eyes of celebrated Spanish painter Francisco Goya (Skarsgard). Set against the backdrop of political turmoil at the end of the Spanish Inquisition and start of the invasion of Spain by Napoleon's army, the film captures the essence and beauty of Goya's work which is best known for both the colorful depictions of the royal court and its people, and his grim depictions of the brutality of war and life in 18th century Spain. When Goya's beautiful muse (Portman) is accused of being a heretic, renowned painter Francisco Goya (Skarsgard) must convince his old friend Lorenzo (Bardem), a power-hungry monk and leader of the Spanish Inquisition, to spare her life.Even Milos Forman's most ardent supporters are sure to have mixed feelings about Goya's Ghosts. As expected from the Oscar-winning director of One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, the production values are strong and the performances solid. Unfortunately, his fictional take on the life of subversive painter Francisco Goya (Stellan Skarsg?rd), circa the Spanish Inquisition, feels undercooked compared to previous issue-driven works, like The People vs. Larry Flynt. As in that film, censorship and hypocrisy take center stage. Co-written by Luis Bu?uel scenarist Jean-Claude Carri?re (That Obscure Object of Desire), Goya's Ghosts concerns the painter's relationships with two subjects, Brother Lorenzo (Javier Bardem) and artist's model Ines (Natalie Portman). When Ines is suspected of practicing Judaism, she's tortured until she confesses, leading to her incarceration. With Goya's assistance, her family enlists Lorenzo to fight for her freedom, but to no avail. For his own transgressions, Lorenzo flees the country, while Ines lingers in prison. The story then skips ahead 15 years. Goya has since lost his hearing, Ines remains imprisoned, and a defrocked Lorenzo is living a life of leisure in France. After Napoleon invades Spain, the three are once again thrown into each other's orbit. Of the trio, Goya emerges as decency incarnate, Ines as a victim of religious fundamentalism, and Lorenzo as a man who found his conscience far too late to save anyone--least of all himself. The humor that bouyed Amadeus might not have been appropriate in this case, but Goya's Ghosts is a real downer. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
General DVDs
DVD Video
- Action & Adventure
- African American Cinema
- Animation
- Anime & Manga
- Art House & International
- Classics
- Comedy
- Cult Movies
- Documentary
- Drama
- Educational
- Fitness & Yoga
- Gay & Lesbian
- Horror
- Kids & Family
- Military & War
- Music Video & Concerts
- Musicals & Performing Arts
- Mystery & Suspense
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Special Interests
- Sports
- Television
- Westerns
Bestsellers in General DVDs
Frost/ NixonUniversal; Release date: 2009-04-21; DVD
Best price: $11.39
Price in other shops:
Lost in AustenImage Entertainment; Release date: 2009-04-14; DVD
Best price: $14.98
Price in other shops:
AustraliaTwentieth Century Fox; Release date: 2009-03-03; DVD
Best price: $12.99
Price in other shops:
DoubtRelease date: 2009-04-07; DVD
Best price: $14.43
Price in other shops:
True Blood: The Complete First Season (HBO Series)Release date: 2009-05-19; DVD
Best price: $38.99
Price in other shops:
FireproofSony; Release date: 2009-01-27; DVD
Best price: $8.50
Price in other shops:
The ReaderGenius; Release date: 2009-04-14; DVD
Best price: $12.30
Price in other shops:
The WrestlerTwentieth Century Fox; Release date: 2009-04-21; DVD
Best price: $11.49
Price in other shops:
Marley and Me (Single-Disc Edition)Twentieth Century Fox; Release date: 2009-03-31; DVD
Best price: $10.55
Price in other shops:
Slumdog MillionaireTwentieth Century Fox; Release date: 2009-03-31; DVD
Best price: $10.40
Price in other shops:
Similar DVDs, VHS Video, Audio CDs
Elizabeth - The Golden Age (Widescreen Edition)UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAIN.; Release date: 2008-02-05; DVD
Best price: $6.36
Price in other shops:
Vicky Cristina BarcelonaGenius; Release date: 2009-01-27; DVD
Best price: $10.31
Price in other shops:
There Will Be BloodPARAMOUNT PICTURES; Release date: 2008-04-08; DVD
Best price: $11.97
Price in other shops:
MoliereSony; Release date: 2008-01-22; DVD
Best price: $11.97
Price in other shops:
The Other Boleyn GirlSony; Release date: 2008-06-10; DVD
Best price: $8.55
Price in other shops:
No Country for Old MenRelease date: 2008-03-11; DVD
Best price: $8.70
Price in other shops:
SilkWarner Brothers; Release date: 2008-02-26; DVD
Best price: $2.92
Price in other shops:
Atonement (Widescreen Edition)UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAIN.; Release date: 2008-03-18; DVD
Best price: $4.93
Price in other shops:
Lust, Caution (Widescreen Edition)Universal; Release date: 2008-02-19; DVD
Best price: $11.46
Price in other shops:
Love in the Time of CholeraWarner Brothers; Release date: 2008-03-18; DVD
Best price: $3.59
Price in other shops: