islandsharp

I recognise the effort of putting all of this together in a country like Spain, where budgets are far more limited than in the US or UK, for example. This said, there's little more that would attract me to spend time in front of my tely. Dialogs, attitudes (male & female, but specially this last one), and of course details in weaponry, costumes and set in general, are in a clashing anachronism with what they intend to represent. The Spanish language used here corresponds more with 21st century urban slang than something remotely close to the wonderfully rich "Siglo de Oro"-Golden century-; same things could be said to the characters, where, except for their garments, one can find dynamic 2010 women, and very open-minded 16th Century Spanish men.

Unfortunately, Hispania - A brand new historic series, taking place at the time of the Roman Empire-, follows the same trail.

A quite decent war movie that portrays the twilight of the Spanish Empire, which after 400 comes to an end with defeats in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Philipines, Guam, Palau, Marianas at the hands of this new emerging power called United States of America.

Shot on a decent budget given the circumstances of the time(Postwar Spain, international economic blockade...), brings us once again the contrast between the barefoot Spanish soldier, who goes far beyond his duty and politicians in the mother land who abandon him to his own luck as is a constant in recent Spanish History.

At the end of the movie the concept of honorable defeat is highlighted, showing as they depart from their quarters, how the rebels allow the Spaniards to keep their Flag and arms.

The cast includes some domestic and internationally renown names like Fernando Rey(French connection, Don Quixote...), Manolo Morán, Tony Leblanc, etc...

I recommend this film for its uniqueness in showing a time long ago forgotten; a rare piece of Spanish-Asian History.

This movie wants to be a reflection of the heroism that people(Willingly or not)had to have in those turbulent times in order to survive. Its message praises values such as Honor,Gentlemanly, Boldness, commitment and compassion. All of these ingredients Making this film not quite popular in nowadays Spain; a country currently drifting away from the principles that made it Great in the past. I won't enter to discuss its technical quality in comparison with lavish Hollywood productions of the time. We are talking about a product made with a considerable effort in a country smashed by a civil war between Communists an Nationalists which had ended just three years before, leaving a million of dead and a whole nation in ruins. After that, the government was put in to an effort to spread positive values in films like this.

Watch this movie if you ever have the chance; You won't regret it!.