Adaptation of "Life is a Dream", by Calderón de la Barca, presented according to the most traditional schemes of "quality" cinema. This begins in a written prologue: "Because Calderón placed his drama in Poland, a distant and legendary kingdom, then we do it too. And like "Life is a Dream" by Calderón De la Barca, The Chained Prince wanted to dispense with all historical or geographical realism¨. King Basilio of Poland (Antonio Vilar) decides to imprison his son Segismundo (Javier Escrivá). And then the king appoints to his nephew Astolfo (Luis Prendes) as heir to govern Poland. Sigismund is imprisoned and bound with chains since the king believes that his birth has brought a bad omen to his life and that is why he denies him permission for freedom. But the king can no longer prevent the people from discovering him and frees Sigismund. Basilio, after repenting, subjects his son to a test, thus leading to a confrontation with the monarch. But Segismundo is shown to be a ferocious and savage being when he discovers what the world to which he has been forbidden access is like, so he is locked up again, but then things change once again.
The Chained Prince is a 1957 Spanish drama film directed by Luis Lucía. It is a fairly free film adaptation of the work "Life is a Dream" by Pedro Calderón de la Barca. The performances are mediocre, starring Antonio Vilar as the king who keeps his son Segismund locked in a cave, because he believes that his birth has condemned him to a fateful fate. The production is lavish and forceful, and the performances sometimes border on the ridiculous, with interpretations that coincide with this excessive general tone, especially when some actors act looking into space or at the camera in the style of films from the 40s. But the result is frankly acceptable, thanks to an impressive production designby Sigfrido Burmann and colorful photography by Alejandro Ulloa, for this it is necessary to see the recent remastering, since it shows the luxurious and lavish settings, avoiding past copies that do not appreciate the slenderness of the atmospheric sets. I have seen other black and white historical films by Luis Lucía that do not highlight the fullness of the settings and the brilliant environments. The cast is quite good with the best actors of the 50s and 60s, such as: Javier Escrivá as Segismundo, Antonio Vilar as King Basilio, María Mahor as Rosaura, Katia Loritz as Estrella, Paul Naschy - Mongol Chief, Javier Loyola as Clotaldo , Juan Cortés as Baron Gunter, Lorenzo Robledo, Alfonso de la Vega, Pedro Osinaga, Ángel Menéndez and Luis Morris, who provides annoying comic relief.
Financed with a generous budget by Europa de Cine S. A. and with union credit, it is a great production with lavish settings and many extras. Filmed in magnificent locations in Navacerrada, Sierra de Guadarrama, Castillo de Manzanares, Madrid, Enchanted City of Cuenca and interiors in the studios in Seville, Madrid. The film was acceptably directed by Luis Lucía. The film was acceptably directed by Luis Lucía. Getting some awards and nominations, such as: CEC Award Winner 1961 Best Film, María Mahor CEC Award Winner 1961 best Lead Actress shared with: Peaches in Syrup, CEC Award Winner 1961 best Director and 1960 Award Winner of the National Entertainment Union to Luis Lucía National Entertainment Union, classification: 1st place and 1960 Winner of the National Entertainment Union Award for best photography by Alejandro Ulloa.
Luís Lucia was a lawyer for the powerful production company Cifésa. His film debut was ¨13-13¨ and later ¨Businessman¨, two ¨ordinary comedies. Later he directed two outdated historical dramas: ¨Princesa De Ursinos¨ and ¨Jeromin¨. Lucía directed fantastic comedies such as ¨La Lupa¨, ¨Un Ángel Tuvo La Culpa¨. And he made various Folkloric films for Juanita Reina: ¨Lóla La Piconera¨, ¨Gloria Mairena¨, Carmen Sevilla: ¨Hermana De San Sulpicio¨, Lola Flores: ¨Morena Clara¨, Antonio Molina: ¨Esta Voz Es Una Mina¨, among others. And he made various vehicles for children and youth prodigies, such as Marisol, Rocío Dúrcal and Ana Belén. Rating: 6.5/10. An acceptable film with large sets, brilliant cinematography and exaggerated performances and only for fans of Spanish cinema.
