Deseo

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. It is beautiful to look at, meaningful, and captivating. The scenery and visuals are stunning. The actors and creators of the film did a splendid job of relaying this story of love despite suspicions of differences too deep to accept.

The film has at times a dream-like quality. The characters may be a bit exaggerated, but this is the deliberate style of the film. During the Nazi era, a person's character must have become very well defined as the horror of what was happening became clear.

As a non-Spanish speaker and also not having lived at that time I am at a slight disadvantage in reviewing a film like this, but my experience of it was an exceptional one.

DESEO looked very promising. A movie about the political situation by the end of WWII and also a forbidden love story between a married communist woman and a NAZI sympathizing in a very convoluted Spain; but the movie is unable to get the point almost completely. This is really a pity, because movies about WWII are generally no more than war scenes and NAZIS portrait as psychopaths but rarely mentions the reasons why many countries were allied or passive with Germany (even USA before Pearl Harbor).

In 1945; a woman belonging to a communist family fallen from grace, find a job in the house of a very seductive Argentinean magnate who is secretive helping important members of the NAZI regime escape to Argentina under protection of General Peron (and also General Franco) governments. The woman has several reasons to hate the fascism; her husband is in prison for political reasons, his father was killed in front of his family by the FALANGE (Franco's army), his mother is paraplegic because of that and they lost everything their had and living in absolutely misery. For all these reasons, the temptation of an elegant world, fancy clothes and good sex seems quite logical, even when she had to betray her own ideas and husband.

The story looks very good, but the development is poor and flipping from the light social history to the soap opera model. The beginning showing misery and desperation and the seductive tycoon, are well conceived albeit slow moving. But after that, things never really get convincing. The political situation is described using a few dialogs. The obsessive love story loose credibility every second. Sex scenes are as hot as candle six feet away. Moments like the notice of Hitler's dead are so bad acted that they should be left in the cutting room.

The cast composed of very important and well-known Spanish and Argentinean actor's fails almost completely. Leonardo Sbaraglia starts very seductive, but when things get dramatic he is unable to deliver. Leonor Watling has a one facial expression character; even when she looks very nice and unprotected, is hard to believe somebody could get so obsessed about her. Cecilia Roth is a caricature, absolutely miscast. Norma Leandro unnecessary as Sbaraglia mother and head of the organization. Sarda, Cava and Alterio are the only ones able to get some credibility in their small parts.

It is really sad, because with all the misses, there are a few intelligent details. The story never tries to create a heroine out of Watling role. The fears and persecution of communist under Franco regime are very well described and touching, as is the misery those peoples were condemned.

In sum, if you do not know history or if you are looking for something trying to show history realistic, take a look otherwise do not loose your time, read a book about the subject.

DESEO is a strong story by Ángeles Caso brought to the screen by director Gerardo Vera with a fine cast, a story that attempts to clarify the puzzling factions in Spain of 1945 and only succeeds moderately well in allowing the viewer to understand the political machinations of a tortured Spain at war on civil as well as international grounds. The script is smart and the delivery of the various characters by a talented cast allows some insights into the dilemma that still confuses historians: more important for a film, the dimly lit fractions do supply a fine background for a love story.

In Franco's Spain there are communists, fascists, monarchists, and republicans. We meet a family once well appointed before Franco's overthrow of the monarchy (the father of the family was assassinated by Franco's soldiers): the mute mother (Rosa Maria Sardà) is tended by two daughters - Raquel (María Vázquez) and Elvira (Leonor Watling) whose husband Julio (Ernesto Alterio) is imprisoned for being a communist. Living at near poverty level after a previous life of culture, Elvira finds a job as a maid with Pablo (Leonardo Sbaraglia), a wealthy Argentinean who with his strange 'friend' Alina (Cecilia Roth) maintain undercover ties to Hitler. There is an immediate attraction between the cultured Elvira and Pablo and a love of poetry and intellectual matters soon develops into a physical relationship. Elvira struggles against falling in love as her husband is due to be released from prison, but re-entering the luxury world of her childhood, affording her the ability to make enough money to keep her mother and sister in better conditions, softens her heart and she falls in love with Pablo. Pablo is warned by Alina that their 'mission' to help Nazi officers to escape to Peron's Argentina may be hampered by Elvira's past and her political association with anti-Nazi groups. When Hitler dies and Julio is released from prison, the crises politically and emotionally reach a breaking point and as with all war stories there is no full resolution of the effects on people's lives, lives fractured by the transient factions in a country torn by disparate commitments and betrayed trusts and loves.

Despite the at times confusing progression of the plot, the presence of such superb actors as Cecilia Roth, Rosa Maria Sardà, Leonor Watling, and Leonardo Sbaraglia (complemented by minor roles by Emilio Gutiérrez, Gloria Muñoz, Jordi Bosch and Norma Aleandro) make this an involving drama. The period costuming is excellent and the musical score by Stephen Warbeck ably enhances to tense and erotic atmosphere. While not a great movie, it is certainly worth viewing for both the love story and for some further insights into Spain's political history. Grady Harp