Juana la Loca (2001)

Calificación de los usuarios:

6.6/10   

Director:

Vicente Aranda

Escritores:

Vicente Aranda (screenplay)
Antonio Larreta (screenplay)

Fecha de Lanzamiento:

30 agosto 2002 (USA)

Género:

Biografía | Drama | Historia | Romance

Plot:

The love story who transformed Juana, Queen of Spain, into Juana "The mad". A story of passions, lies and jealousy with a politic fight behind.

Plot Keywords:

Queen | Passion | Queen Of Spain | Spain | King

Premios:

14 wins & 12 nominations

Comentarios de los usuarios:

Impressive story, lesser execution

Reparto

Pilar López de Ayala	...	Juana
Daniele Liotti	...	Felipe
Rosana Pastor	...	Elvira
Giuliano Gemma	...	De Veyre
Roberto Álvarez	...	Admiral
Eloy Azorín	...	Álvaro de Estúñiga
Guillermo Toledo	...	Capitán Corrales
Susi Sánchez	...	Reina Isabel (as Susy Sánchez)
Chema de Miguel	...	Don Juan Manuel
Andrés Lima	...	Marqués de Villena
Cipriano Lodosa	...	Marliano
Manuela Arcuri	...	Aixa-Beatriz
Carolina Bona	...	Inés
Jorge Monje	...	Hernán
Sol Abad	...	Mucama

También conocida como:

Giovanna la pazza (Italy)
Locura de amor (Spain) (working title)
Mad Love (USA)
Madness of Joan (USA)
Madness of Love (USA)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality/nudity.

Duración:

115 min

País:

Spain | Italy | Portugal

Idioma:

Español

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Relación de Aspecto:

2.35 : 1

Sonido:

Dolby Digital

Clasificación:

Argentina:16 | Finland:K-11 | Japan:R-15 | Peru:14 | Spain:13 | USA:R | Canada:AA (Ontario)

Locaciones de Filmación:

Barajas, Madrid, Spain

Compañía:

Canal+ España

Conexiones de Película:

Remake of Locura de amor (1948)

Banda de Sonido:

Danza del Vientre

Impressive story, lesser execution

I liked this film, but I think it could have been better. There were three things that, in my opinion, weakened its impact. The first thing was the presence of a narrator. I happen to believe that using a narrator in a film with characters and dialogue, although sometimes justifiable, is many times a sign of script or directing weakness; usually, if both the screenplay and the director are good enough, conveying all the information should be possible (and would be more powerful) without a narrator explaining what's going on.

The second thing that bothered me was the acting. I found it impossible to connect with the characters, however poignant I found their story (OK, Liotti's looks grabbed my attention quite a bit, but I wouldn't chuck that up to talent...). I felt that de Ayala's acting lacked a certain depth and had a narrow range (most of it consisted of numerous infantile fits of rage in between scenes where she eagerly spread her legs). Liotti seemed lifeless, although I was told his voice was dubbed in Spanish, which usually lowers the power of a performance quite a bit (apparently, he originally delivered a lot of his dialogue in Italian).

The third thing that bothered me was the film's (director's?) incapacity of explaining the roots and justification of Juana's mad love for Phillip. Yes, I know it was a powerful combination of lust and emotional dependency, that Juana was a passionate woman and apparently Phillip was quite a fiery lover, but I never felt the characters' passion.

The film focused too little on Juana's personality/character and the way the chemistry between her and Phillip developed. I realized how powerful her passion for him was, but it was only thanks to the dialogue, not to the acting, neither to the filming style (does anyone else think the film needed more close-ups, mostly during highly emotional scenes?). In my opinion, the film scratches the surface emotionally and artistically, but fails to go deep.

Having said all that, let me assure you that, overall I think it's still a film worth seeing, although definitely not for historical accuracy. The story, loosely based on the Spanish queen Juana de Castilla's life, is quite moving, maybe more for those who have experienced the kind of passion that Juana had for Phillip. A woman so passionately in love with her man, so consumed by her love and so anguished by his philandering and growing lack of reciprocity to her love that she becomes obsessed with possesing him and forgets she is a queen and that her first duty is to her people. I was just sorry to see such a passionate love story idea being presented in a bit of a lethargic manner.