There Be Dragons

This movie exceeded my expectations. Roland Yoffe's first two movies were "The Killing Fields" which I remember as great, and "The Mission" which I remember as being both about a very interesting historical subject and very beautifully made. "There Be Drogans" is similar in an additional way in that it succeeds in addressing the subject of the Catholic Church's role in history without taking sides. It was easier to avoid bashing Catholicism in 1980, but when the subject is the Spanish Civil War and the year 2011 I am kind of amazed. As a Catholic I have come to expect not just hostility but real hatred of my faith if not also of people of our faith. There is also a lot of pretty unexamined myth mongering. One such myth is that the Catholic Church or at least the Spanish Catholic Church was monolithically committed to Franco and that the Church was primarily responsible for the crimes of that regime. As a student of history I am satisfied that this view is ignores what we know about what the Spanish Catholic bishops said and did. While most supported the right, few crossed the line into committing the Church entirely to its service and devout Catholics served and fought for the Republic including one of its best generals who was actually executed for treason by his Francoist colleagues at the end of the war. If there is one Catholic priest commonly associated with Franco's regime and right wing governments in the Spanish speaking world it is Jose Maria Escravia, who was canonized under JPII. Opus Dei has a clear connection to conservative politics in many countries but Escrivia was on record before his death in 1975 that he was often frustrated by this tendency of many committed to his Opus Dei movement and particular so in Spain where he wanted to keep Opus Dei's work separate from secular political commitments. So I was very interested in how he would be portrayed and there is no doubt that this movie presents him in a very positive light.But in the end it does so without really offering any explanation or position on the Spanish Civil War or his role in the winner's regime. While I was entertained by this movie I was also a little perplexed. The key figures are mostly men of the Spanish right, one religious and the other a wealthy friend and rival from his youth. The main plot concerns the tormented life of the latter man and his last desperate attempt at redemption as he dies many years after the war in which he betrayed the woman he loved among others. Yet while the plot depicts leftists hunting the young saint and driving the faith underground it mostly portrays those fighting for the Republic positively and offers very little good or bad about the right-wing Spanish rebels. I guess there was an attempt to be even handed about a struggle in which both sides committed awful crimes. That said, I find it odd that a movie about Escravia would offer so little on the scale of atrocities against Catholic priests, nuns and laity by the more extreme Republican factions. Perhaps there just wasn't room in the script, but I think that The Spanish Civil War is history that continues to move many people and it is difficult for me and others not to carry our feelings about that war into our viewing a movie set in that awful war.In the end I was relieved just to be able to watch a movie touching on a Catholic saint of the 20th century without being turned off and away by a cartoonish depiction of the Church. It entertains if it does not explain everything that so interests me.

The movie was awefully pretentious and full of historical lies.Uncivilized left wing unionists, barbaric republican troops, well meaning right wing military, and a clergy floating in higher sheres,give me a break. The reality was quite diffrent:The clergy openly supported fascism, even asking Hitler and Mussolini for support and at the time were still apologetic about their Conquest of Latin America.I loved the Directors "The Killing Fields" "The Mission "as one of the best movies I've seen.I didn't expect to be led into such a movie fiasco, by an director iI used to keep in high esteem.Also the portrait of two protagonist characters, living under such incredible human stress, failed to convince me about their actions in the film.The acting was shallow and the scenes loaded with klischees.Also if you are not familiar with the spanisch civil war, like most viewers will be, how could he possibly believe that such a complex and stirring conflict could be understood by an unsuspecting audience.Realistically, this is two movies. One about the writer and his father. One about Opus Dei. The two stories are related by the thinnest of threads and the relation doesn't actually need to be there at all.I think the story about father and son, Monolo and Robert, would have been worth pursuing in more depth. The reason behind their rift is only alluded to and not explored terribly well, and their spontaneous reconciliation at the end felt forced. Deus ex machina. Perhaps a bit literally.Meanwhile, the story about Josemaria Escriva -- I can't understand why Joffe didn't show him walking on water as he did just about everything else. I found that this felt like a really nice public relations piece for Opus Dei. I guess the Church and Joffe felt they'd taken enough hits from Dan Brown and needed some positive spin.-----Of what I write now, is in response to the negative feedback I seem to catch, therefore I like to clarify a few points, to enforce my opinion:First of all, this movie polarizes viewers, you either love it or hate it.I hate it, because i believe it is trying to rewrite history. I'm not gonna tolerate lies.I watched this movie with the hope, that it would reconcile the catholic church at the time of the spanish civil war.Like other very good movies have done:La Forja de un rebelde, LIBERTARIAS, LAND AND FREEDOM, Five Cartridges (Fünf Patronenhülsen) (1965).And than there is another movie, that will be posted soon : Los jinetes de Alba, another movie about the spanish civil war, and the catholic church, from a spanish director.The spanish have produced quite a view movies and tv miniseries during the last few years, trying to reconcile this tragic period.The catholic church of spain was well behind in times that concerned women's rights. Intellectual spanish women felt marginalized and deeply discriminated under their clerical authorities.They deeply felt a war waged against them. The spanish republic changed all that in the 1936 election, and transported spain into the age of modern civil rights.When the spanish military, supported by the facist leader Mussolini, and the nazi leader Adolf Hitler, staged their coup de etat, the catholic church did not hesitate, to put their supportbehind the spanish fascist military, with their leader Franco. There are documents that the clergy did not even hesitate do go behind their call of duty, even took on arms against their flocks.Now, I wonder why the director of this film, gets away without mentioning any of this ?

“There Be Dragons” is briefly about St. Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer y Albás. However, it’s meaningful enough to convey another brief glimpse at the magnum opus hinting toward what True Love is!This picture is a very powerful drama about the many faces we as humans can embrace and still preserve our integrity vis-à-vis God!...the vain ignorant who has a false sense of power and vengeance, a glimpse at lust and jealousy mistook for love. While ultimately the truth prevails, by hinting that true love is only there where sacrifice, faith, and forgiveness are genuinely understood and generously offered under an umbrella of humbleness and wisdom!

Some ancient philosopher once reportedly said that 'if you plan on killing a man dig two graves (one for yourself)'. This film puts across a complicated story of human relationships in a time of civil war. It is well produced and well acted. That combination results in a terrific film that is both gripping and thought provoking. It is nothing like I expected but I am glad that I have watched it and will do so again in the future. I am pleased to have it in my film library.

This movie is about the life of Saint Josémaria Escrivá during the civil war in Spain. It reveals much information about both the founder himself as well as of the spirit of the Opus Dei with lots of highly interesting details. At the same time the movie deals with another story of love, hate and forgiveness. Both actions are successfully being combined throughout the movie. Actors were well chosen. Joffé did great research work and has proved himself to be once more a remarkable director.

enjoyed this film . fantasic stroy line keeps you with it.the cast of the film , do the film a great justis .the name of the film refers to our human nature .

Loved this film, if you like dragons you will love this.

Excellent service and product , very pleased