Death in Granada (1996) User Reviews

Good story

[cybamuse · 7/10 · 15 March 2001]

Right off the bat, let me confess, I know nothing about Garcia Lorca beyond the fact I had heard one of his stories being acted out on BBC radio... So, sitting down to watch this movie, I was prepared for anything, but essentially the worst. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised!

At the start of the Spanish Civil war in the 1930's, a famous poet and playwright, Garcia Lorca goes missing. The story takes up when a fan who was a child when he met Garcia Lorca, returns to find out at whose hand did the venerable poet die at.

You have to assume that the story is more or less completely fabricated - because no one knows what happened to Garcia Lorca. So, that said, the storyline was pleasantly paced leading up to the gripping twist at the end.

Strong performances were turned in by all the cast - in particular, Esai Morales (Ricardo - the grown up child wondering what happened to his hero), Andy Garcia (Garcia Lorca - albeit, I will admit that at times, Andy Garcia came across as a smooth talking mafia dude rather than a writer...) and Miguel Ferrer (Centano).

I enjoyed this film and recommend it to anyone who likes action-based drama's centred in history!

Beautiful to look at!

[genshman · 6/10 · 17 May 2002]

I didn't know much about Garcia Lorca or Spanish history; I was interested in this movie just because some of my favorite actors are in it.

The plot itself is not very intriguing, and the main character can hardly keep one's interest to keep on watching. But I'm glad I saw the film because of its incredible camera work. Most of the scenes were so beautifully lit and filmed that I could not get my eyes off the screen.

So, if you're interested in Spanish history or Garcia Lorca, this is a must. If you like to see films with excellent camera work, this is also a must.

For everyone else: forget it.

All in all: 6 out of 10.

Curious mixed bag

[nostinkin · 6/10 · 31 May 2010]

Like the very mixed reviews one finds here, this movie struck me as a curious mix of bad, clunky acting and directing and poignant, even haunting , moments. It's as if the movie had a talented script writer and poor director...but probably vice versa. The basic story line - a young fan returns decades later to try to discover the truth of Lorca's death - is artificial and implausible,while the depiction of the violence and ambiguities of Spanish Civil War is most effective.I watched it with interest, while at times I couldn't imagine how such a bad scene could have made on film in an apparently serious movie. Overall worth watching but be forewarned....

two questions

[marycadney · 14 August 2010]

This movie is about more than the murder of Federico Garcia Lorca. It shows the contrast between the artistic authority of anyone like Lorca and the power of the so-called authoritarian governments, such as the one formed by the Fascist party in Spain, 1936-1976. If you are creative in music, dance, theatre or art then you are the natural enemy of the power-hungry, who create nothing, and are compelled to disguise their inadequacies with culture they steal from you and those like you. They covet your authority, and what you make, in order to present themselves to the world as "authoritarian" and "cultured." But they are only impotent thugs. Too many Americans are sympathetic to such motivations and procedures, and find this movie confusing. These are the same uninquisitive folk who never notice that Spain was not involved in World War II -- Hitler occupied every country in northern Africa, Scandinavia and Europe, except for Spain. Why not? The Allies, relentlessly speaking out against the horrors of fascism, never said a mumbling word about Spain. Why not? I especially liked the movie because of Andy Garcia's portrayal of Lorca. His Lorca is intelligent, vigorous, creative, comfortable, confident and responsible.

Entertaining and informative, although with some concerns

[mdglass · 7/10 · 1 March 2004]

I confess an appreciation for any film which opens a new door into the previously unknown. Prior to seeing this film I was unaware of Garcia Lorca, and at the very least this film provided me with exposure to him and some of his work, and a small look at the Spanish civil war.

I also very much enjoy Andy Garcia, as well as Esai Morales. However, in retrospect, I believe Antonio Banderas would have been a better choice for the Garcia Lorca role.

The original title, "Death in Granada" was probably a more apt title, as the movie does tend to concentrate more on the adventures of Ricardo (Morales), but overall I was very satisfied. Heck, I now even own a book of Garcia Lorca's collected works! I'd say that speaks well enough for the film.

Slow death

[lib-4 · 6/10 · 31 July 1999]

Though the costumes are nice, the movie is just too slow and muddled. I never get the feeling of Lorca's greatness from Garcia's acting. James Olmos is adequate, but not much else helps this to be a gripping story. I wanted to know a lot more about why Lorca was chosen to die. I don't think that the writers or directors put this across well.

For The Love Of A Poet...

[mbruce007 · 6/10 · 17 December 2020]

"It was five in the afternoon...It was exactly five in the afternoon", the opening words that come to haunt Marcos Zurinaga's moving thriller, The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca, a partly-fictionalised story attempting to uncover the truth about the assassination of Federico Garcia Lorca, one of Spain's most respected and yet controversial authors, by the Civil Guard, at the turn of the Spanish Civil War in 1936. The film tells of a journalist, Ricardo (played passionately by Esai Morales), a Spanish exile who decides to return to his native Granada some 20 years after Lorca's death in an attempt to uncover the truth about the demise of his literary hero. However, now under Franco's dictatorship, the tensions of Spain's past are still palpable, and soon Ricardo's quest for answers becomes a dangerous one indeed.

This film is not particularly well known, unless perhaps you're a Lorca aficionado. It seems to have gone straight to video, and petered out over the years, and is not easily sourced in the shops. More's the pity, since this is a gripping work. Andy Garcia, a prominent actor at the time, takes the role of Lorca. His cuban roots means he has enough Spanish in him to execute the role well. Also worth a mention is Dutch actor, Jeroen Krabbé, who takes the role of the dubious Colonel Aguirre. Krabbé is an incredibly versatile actor and a very familiar face in cinema. Any Bond fan will know him as the bumbling General Koskov from The Living Daylights (1987).

As a Languages graduate having studied abroad in Andalusia, (Lorca's turf, as it were), I've become very interested in Lorca's history. Scarcely two weeks ago I visited Lorca's family home, which was, paradoxically, tucked away in the expanse of Granada. I couldn't help feeling a sadness in the rooms, given his tragic story. The film, in a broader sense, is also about time and memory. The recurring motif of the clock, which ties in with the quotation of "Five in the afternoon" from Lorca's "Lament for the Death of Ignacio Sánchez Mejías" recalls other European films such as Schlöndorff's The Tin Drum (1979) and Tom Tykwer's Run Lola Run (1999). The film's direction, by Puerto Rican director, Marcos Zurinaga, is inspiring, and the soundtrack by Mark McKenzie is both sad and beautiful.The cinematography by Juan Ruiz-Anchía is also very pleasing, featuring many nostalgic shots of Granada. The only thing that lets the film down in terms of authenticity is the mix of accents. Some actors attempt a Spanish accent, while others do not, but maybe I'm being pedantic there. This is a very understated film, consequently one can only hope for it's resurgence.

Stupid and unfortunate exploitation of Lorca's tragedy

[webbobilbao · 1/10 · 11 May 2010]

This stupid mixture of thriller and biopic is extremely ridiculous, dramatically cloying, from Andy Garcia playing a kind of Super-Lorca, to the costumes or the cheap touristic Spanish setting. The music is horribly cheesy, Franco's fascists appear as the bad guys of a bad thriller (they were actually more rude than that, and more dangerous). And there was nothing about homosexuality, SuperLorca should be a hero for all the audiences and Andy García has a Latin lover image to be protected. Don't play Lorca then! I don't know if it was less the time spent in investigating Lorca's real background during the civil war or the shame of the crew making such a horrible movie, in which I'm sure nobody believed. And what an ending...!

If you are interested in Lorca and know nothing previously about him, stay away from this thing. It deserves truly a 1, because no movie can be worse than this one. I don't know how his biographer (Ian Gibson) took some part, I suppose he regrets doing it, or maybe he needed some money.

Blood Of A Poet in a Full Blooded Film

[wobelix · 9/10 · 5 March 2004]

Some of the other commentators could be right: this film might not be totally accurate, historically speaking. But than again, it is a film. And it does portray the life & death of this astonishing Poet & Playwright & Person, FEDERICO GARCIA LORCA, very well.

The film has two story lines, and the second (or first ?) obscures the attention for the Man of the Title every now and then. But the film keeps the viewer on edge, it is intriguing and in a way very exciting.

Andy Garcia has not been better in years, and the cabby has always been a miraculous actor. Others are very well too, so this film must be well directed.

Every individual who is caught by the story, and is getting interested in Lorca, is an asset to this film. And who knows, maybe we all start to read his beautiful work again in great numbers.

The film is very beautifully shot. For those who are intrigued by Lorca and want to know more: please buy his work, but also: there is the other film on his death. 'LORCA, MUERTE DE UN POETA' of '87 (you could check out my comment on that one too..). Available on DVD thanks to the lovely Suevia Films-label, in Spanish but with English subtitles, and on the 'net' available at the Spanish Barnes & Noble, El Corte Ingles. This film is less glamorous than THE DISAPPEARANCE..., yet breathtakingly beautiful, and airs a bit more (in an unobtrusive way) of Lorca's poetry.

Watch both these films, you won't be disappointed ! Might even send you looking for some fabulous books !!

Good , But slightly exaggerated

[aya862001 · 7/10 · 5 February 2004]

I don't know if all of the film's events were historically correct, but I liked it and the next day after watching it I bought a collection of Garcia's poems to read. However I believe that there was some exaggeration in the movie,yes Garcia Lorca was an important poet in Spain yet not to the point of making him seem sacred. However it was surely worth watching.

Nothing to do with Lorca

[edusuni · 2/10 · 11 February 2003]

When you go to watch a movie dubbed `Lorca', you expect it to have something to do with Lorca. This one doesn't. They only take advantage of the great Andalusian poet's name to sell a low quality product. It is a bad detective story. Some one is looking for something no one is interested in. ¿Who killed Lorca? A firing squad, of course. ¿Who gave the order? Nobody cares. Millions of people were executed by both sides during the Spanish Civil War. Garcia Lorca (this is his correct last name) happened to be on the losing party, so if someone could have taken credit for his death, he would have done so immediately. Franco surely would have decorated him. No one had, or has, to hide for this particular reason. To sum it up: avoid it.

This one is in my Top 10 Movies of all time :)

[sammie22 · 10/10 · 27 June 2006]

Andy Garcia and Esai Morales were amazing in this movie.

This is one of my all-time favorites.

It also introduced me to Lorca's writing, so i am forever grateful.

Lorca was a genius and he is loved and missed. What a beautiful poet. I went out and bought 2 of his books and I've carried them with me for years. They are well-loved and read often. Lorca is like a kindred spirit. If Garcia hadn't portrayed his character so well, I may have never known Lorca was even a poet that ever existed! and now i can't imagine not knowing his writing. What caught my ear was Garcia reciting one of Lorca's poems. I was in the other room and the TV was on and i heard this beautiful poetry i'd never heard before. I came into the TV room and i was just glued to the set.

This is the first time I saw Esai Morales and then when I saw him in NYPD Blue I said, hey! i know him! :-) He's a wonderful actor.

Garcia really did Lorca proud with his performance. I had always loved Andy before but this time i really fell in love with him. I can't even imagine anyone else playing this role. I hope he knows how great he was in this movie.

I am still in awe every time i see this movie.

:-)

Garcia Lorca did a lot to anger the extremists.

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 24 February 2007]

Before I had seen "The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca", I knew about the Spanish Civil War but had never heard of playwright Federico Garcia Lorca. In that sense, the movie was good to see as it identified who he was and told the story of the detective investigating his murder at the hands of Franco's army. True, the movie probably won't give you any kind of religious experience, but the point is to understand what the Fascists did to their opposition (Garcia Lorca's homosexuality made him a double target). So I recommend it if only to understand that part of Spain's history. Starring Esai Morales, Andy Garcia and Edward James Olmos (happy 60th, Edward!).

Another thing that I recommend is Garcia Lorca's play "Yerma", about a woman and her relationships with various people. When it debuted in Madrid in 1934, some people called it "irreligious" and scornfully called the women lesbians. That just goes to show why Franco and his cronies hated Garcia Lorca so much, and also the tensions that led to the civil war.

Travesty

[wknights-84917 · 5/10 · 26 February 2024]

Started well enough, but the ending is a travesty of what we know of Lorca's death, which is ultimately very little. The worst part of this is that it pretends to know what happened and does so in a way that actually let's the fascists off the hook by means of a convoluted plot that injects the entirely fictional into the completely historical. A missed opportunity to make a good film about an important moment. As I need 600 words, I'd like to point out that Ian Gibson has done as much as anyone to reconstruct that moment in Granada. But he well knows that it didn't happen like this. We know he died with a teacher and at least one bullfighter, if not two. We don't know who shot him or who gave the orders.

Wonderful

[EsighFan4life · 14 August 2003]

This movie was great. The actors were terrific. The plot was very well written and done. Who could pass up a movie where two hotties are in it? Esai Morales Did a great job and Andy Garcia did as well. W2G!

Interesting, if not accurate take on the Spanish Civil War

[lingmeister · 7/10 · 5 April 2002]

It is interesting tidbit in what happened during the fascist times, although from other reviewers, the details were not accurate. Not too much of the movie was on Garcia Lorca, and the jumping back and forth on the timeline, along with all the names that were thrown around, did not make this movie a bit confusing at times. The relationship between Ricardo and Maria was not believable, and for them to marry after what was finally revealed... it must have been put there just to give it a happy ending. But it was interesting how each character's version of the story changes the truth a little, until the final end.

I thought the music was misused, trying to give this film an epic feel when it is not.

compelling historical drama

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 19 October 2016]

Ricardo Fernandez (Esai Morales) and his family escaped the Spanish Civil War to Pueto Rico 18 years ago. He wants to write about his childhood hero political writer Federico Garcia Lorca (Andy Garcia). He goes back to Spain to investigate Lorca's disappearance despite his father's concerns. As a child in Granada, Ricardo brought his family to Lorca's play. It is the start of the Spanish Civil War and Lorca is seen as a leftist agitator. Young Ricardo is taken with the charismatic Lorca.

This is an interesting historical drama. There is a bit of melodrama. The acting is good for the most part. It may be more compelling to concentrate more on Lorca and his life instead of the back and forth between the two time lines. It may also have more tension if the movie doesn't basically give away Lorca's end right from the start. I don't know anything about the real life of Lorca and it's nice to get a version of it here. The location shoots don't hurt either.

Well...

[TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews · 6/10 · 24 December 2009]

I haven't read the Ian Gibson books, nor any others by that author. Maybe together, they make a good yarn, I don't know. I also have to confess to not be that familiar with the Spanish civil war, and Franco's dictatorship. Perhaps this is compelling to those who are. And finally, the version of this that I watched was the 114, not 142, minute cut. But I gotta admit, this did not grab my attention. Apart from the most well-known and talented actor of this thing nearly only appearing in flashbacks(that's not a spoiler... you find out that he's dead almost immediately), it just did not capture my interest. I understand that it isn't historically accurate, either(though I guess that's to be expected, few films make that effort, sadly). It's about, well, Lorca, who was a controversial artist(and frankly, I'd *like* to find out more about him), and a man who tries to determine what exactly happened to him. I guess if you want to see Spain without going there, this is decent enough. The performances range. Ferrer is good as usual. There is bloody violence and a scene of sexuality in this. I recommend this to people who can imagine enjoying it. 6/10

simply ..G R E A T !

[king_kubaj · 10/10 · 21 August 2003]

the more i watch this movie the more i get crazy about the poet

i don`t know why ..but there is something strange with that movie ..

the execution scene is perfect ...

andy garcia`s performance is unbeatable..

the music is impressive ..

i give it 10/10 ..

A thought-provoking tragedy of the disappearance of the great Andalusian poet.

[lgarcia1291 · 9/10 · 27 October 2003]

An understated, yet extremely powerful movie.

When I first saws the film several years ago, I knew relatively little about Garcia Lorca, yet I was so moved that it spurred me to read Ian Gibson's biography on Lorca, and consume the Andalusian's poetry with passion. Oh, the genius that was Lorca!

Though the film may have taken liberties with history and the tragic Spanish Civil War, it nonetheless exposes the American public to Lorca -- whom it may be argued, may be the best Spanish poet of all time. For at least that much, we have to be thankful for.

Andy Garcia is stirring as the passionate, yet politically-naive Lorca, especially when reciting lines from the poet's "Lament for Ignacio Sanchez Meijas" (At Five In The Afternoon) as if in a near-state of frenzy or delirium. In fact, I believe this is his best role to date! Esai Morales is equally good as Ricardo, the expatriate reporter trying to get the low-down as to how his childhood hero met his eventual fate during the Spanish Civil War. James Edward Olmos was a bit over the top for me as the enigmatic Lozano, but credible. Relatively-unknown Marcella Walerstein (Maria Eugenia) is eye-candy as Ricardo's love interest and Miguel Ferrer was a bit wooden, as the villain, Centeno.

The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca is an otherwise, dark movie with more than a hint of film noir, but definitely well worth viewing -if not for the gorgeous shots of the Andalusian countryside and its various cities and locales. The costumes are great and the scenes of the Flamenco-dancing gypsies in tiny, cave-restaurants add flavor and soul to the movie. Although at times, Disappearance can be a trifling difficult to follow, especially with everyone seemingly giving Ricardo the run-around. I must say, that after watching the film for the first time, I literally sat on my couch mesmerized, wanting to cry for the poet. Within hours, I had purchased a copy of the movie.

Director Marcos Zuringa is to be commended for taking the high road, the road less traveled. Instead of bringing forth another culturally-void film experience, he and Andy Garcia have given us at least a hint of the genius that was Lorca with this, "The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca" -- an Iberian gem and a "must see" for those in search of a meaningful movie experience. Defintely a "keeper" for your video library.

I give it ****!

A complete waste of time

[teje · 10 April 1999]

I was living in Granada when they were shooting the film on location and I was really looking forward to seeing it. It wasn't worth waiting for. The direction was dull, the actors uninspired and the plot just plain silly. Perhaps it would just have been a boring film if it was a fictional story but the makers of the film claimed that it was based on the books about Lorca written by Ian Gibson. And since it was full of historical errors it was not only a boring but also an irritating film. The only good thing about it is the view of the Alhambra. An interesting note is that the fascist bull fighter is the real life bull fighter who appears in the Madonna videos.

Thought provoking...

[steph-22 · 8/10 · 29 September 1998]

I thought the movie was well done in terms of direction and acting. Unfortunately, the plot got a little stupid towards the end. But, I still liked it because it made me think. I felt "inspired."

Andy Garcia does an excellent job. I'm not his biggest fan, but I must admit that he acts very well in this movie.

Esai Morales also does a good job although, despite his incredible good looks, tends to "over-act" in my opinion. Nobody is perfect!

Worth seeing!

It was okay

[trnsxlbutterfly · 8/10 · 24 March 2005]

I actually was an extra in this movie. It was explained to me that Garcia Lorca was a playwright. Although I don't know the full history of Federico, it was rumored that he was a homosexual. His murder was believed to have been motivated by his political views and/or his homosexuality. In the movie I am one of the audience members watching the play as well as a reporter at the on-stage after party. I remember when Edgar James Olmos sat down next to me, he smiled and extended his hand to introduce himself. He didn't have to acknowledge me but he did. That was cool. At one point Andy turned to me and asked if I had a pen he could use. I know cheesy, but those are the priceless memorable moments of my movie career. Enjoy the movie.

Elizabeth

Powerful

[aseed · 8/10 · 5 August 2001]

Having recently seen Lorca's play Blood Wedding and having just come back from Spain, I wanted very much to see this film and was not disappointed. Several scenes will stay in my memory forever--Lorca's first meeting with the young Ricardo, and the scene of his execution.

trivialization of a magnanimous event

[hooshi · 5 January 1999]

I did not find this movie interesting at all, and I will try to give my reasons: firstly the movie was totally miscast. Ask anybody familiar with Spanish literature, and you will be told that Andy Garcia is quite unconvincing as that giant Garcia Lorca , for instance when reciting the fanmous "Death at 5 o'clock".The other personages don't do any better.Secondly, poor directing has turned it into a B,pseudo film noir, rather than a serious political thriller, and last but not least,since I saw it in the mutilated TV size Video I missed much of supposedly good cinematography.I hope somebody sometime will make a more dramatic film about the life of this great human being.