Goya in Bordeaux is only the second Carlos Saura film I’ve seen (the other being Tango). They’re very much of a piece — good-looking (they’re both photographed by Vittorio Storaro, so that’s a given) and inclined to be on the slow side. But Tango works better dramatically. Goya suffers from being a biopic that tries not to be a biopic, and in so doing loses much in the way of dramatic thrust. (It also assumes you’re awfully familiar with the life of Francisco Goya.) But setting that aside, the biggest problem is that its theatricality (scenes are shot with a lot of stage effects) is distracting and distancing, while the use of the paintings starts to feel like a lecture in an art class. There’s an extended sequence toward the end of Goya walking through diorama like representations of his war paintings. It’s very clever, but all I could think of was being taken to the Civil War Cyclorama in Atanta when I was a child — and I was just about as bored. (Though I’ll admit I don’t recall any full-frontal nude, hacked-up corpses bathed in green light in the Civil War display.)
It’s not that Goya is a bad film. The performances are good — especially Francisco Rabal and Maribel Verdú — and there are individual scenes that are quite striking. It’s a film that starts well and then starts wandering around to no apparent point. The flashback structure of Goya recalling his life is a solid concept, but there seems only the slightest relation between those scenes and anything happening in the film’s present. I’d call it a failed experiment that’s worth a look, but I can’t imagine ever paying a repeat visit.
Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present Goya in Bordeaux Friday, Aug. 8, at 8 p.m. at Phil Mechanic Studios, 109 Roberts St., River Arts District (upstairs in the Railroad Library). Info: 273-3332, www.ashevillecourtyard.com
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.