6.4 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.4 |
A young journalist long ago rejected by his now aged and dying father finds himself investigating one of his father's former friends, a candidate for canonization. Uncovering the two men's complicated relationship from childhood through the horrors of the Spanish Civil War unveils a compelling drama filled with passion, betrayal, love and religion. An action packed story set during a murderous time in history that ultimately serves the present by revealing the importance and timeless power of forgiveness.
Starring: Charlie Cox, Wes Bentley, Dougray Scott, Unax Ugalde, Olga KurylenkoDrama | 100% |
Biography | 40% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
There have been a small handful of films about the Spanish Civil War produced in the last few years, and each views the conflict through a different
lens. Guillermo del Toro's dark fairytale, Pan's Labyrinth, examines the dangers of unyielding ideology by way of fantasy and imagination.
The Last Circus, from director Álex de la Iglesia, sees the war as a surreal battle between psychotic, diametrically opposed clowns, fighting for
the hearts and minds of the Spanish people. And now there's writer/director Roland Joffé's There Be Dragons, which takes a decidedly more
pious approach, using the war as an illustration for the necessity of forgiveness and reconciliation wherever there are disagreements and long-
standing grudges.
It's a deeply religious film by definition, a loose biopic of Josemaría Escrivá--the recently canonized Catholic priest who founded the Opus Dei
organization--and a meditation on divine love as the ultimate mediator between warring factions. Opus Dei members co-produced the movie, so you
can expect a certain amount of preachiness and and even some light historical whitewashing, but that doesn't bother me as much as Joffé's stilted,
over-obvious script and the generally wooden acting by a cast comprised largely of native English-speaking actors doing put-on Spanish accents.
There Be Dragons might be marginally more entertaining than catechism class, but that really isn't saying much.
Harry Potter: The Order of Opus Dei
There Be Dragons was shot on 35mm by Mexican cinematographer Gabriel Beristain, and 20th Century Fox has transferred his work to Blu-ray wonderfully, with a 1080p/AVC encode that's strong in clarity and color. If I have one niggling complaint--not even a complaint really, more of an observation--it's that the contrast curve can be quite heavily weighted in the shadows, resulting in some occasionally crushed detail during darker scenes. This is a stylistic decision as much as anything, though, and it never gets outright oppressive or eye-straining, so I don't see any cause for concern. Most importantly, the image looks natural. Grain is still visible, there are no problems with edge-enhancement, and compression/encode issues are limited to brief bursts of noise and some mild flickering/shimmer in two or three shots. There's a slightly soft quality to a few scenes--and some scenes that have been intentionally blurred toward the edges for effect--but the picture overall is more than adequately sharp, with tight high definition detail in all of the areas where you normally expect to see it. The tonality is great too, with a generally warm cast, balanced skin tones, and vivid flashes of color when called for, like the bright reds of the communists' flags and handkerchiefs.
I have nothing but good to say about There Be Dragons' lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, which provides a good deal of energy to a film sorely lacking in liveliness. Obviously, the mix is at its most intense during the battle sequences, where bombs explode with satisfying subwoofer engagement, fighter planes strafe through the soundfield, and bullets crack loudly, whizzing between channels with enough intensity to make you jump in your seat. But even during quieter scenes the track shows an attention to detail by way of fairly immersive ambience, from traffic sounds and the jeers of a mob to the spirit-like gust of wind that opens Escrivá's window during a prayer session. Dynamically, the mix is full and balanced--neither tinny nor bass heavy--and there's a consistent sense of clarity and richness in the effects and score. The accents may stretch credulity, but the dialogue itself is clear and easily understood, with no muffling, crackles, or lowness. I don't think I had to adjust the volume on my receiver once during the film. For those that might need or want them, the disc includes optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
With a fantasy-promising title like There Be Dragons, you might understandably be confused--going into the film blind--by this faith-infused wartime drama, which rather lifelessly portrays the life of Josemaría Escrivá, the Opus Dei founder who was canonized by the Catholic church in 2002. It's not a bad film, and I have no doubt that some Catholic viewers will sing its praises, but it just isn't as affecting or well-written as it could've been and should be. Though the curious might want to consider a one-time rental, this isn't the sort of purchase-worthy film that stands up to repeat viewings.
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