A bloody civil war, a romantic triangle, and personal rivalry between boyhood friends are the makings of Roland Joffe's attempt to produce an epic film that would stand with those of David Lean. Despite the lofty ambition, Joffe's grand scale "There Be Dragons" fails to achieve that goal. While handsomely mounted and photographed, Joffe's script is not on a caliber with the literate work of Robert Bolt, who wrote the Lean epics. Joffe's cast of little-known or unknown performers can only be described as adequate; no Alec Guinnesses or Peter O'Tooles herein, only Wes Bentley as Manolo and Charlie Cox as Josemaria.
In early 20th-century Spain, two young friends and rivals travel life together from boyhood through their early years as seminarians. However, the two part company at that point, one to embrace God and the other to pursue worldly endeavors; Joffe intends the disparate characters to be opposing sides of the same persona, but with Cox and Manolo, the persona has little depth. "There Be Dragons" opens when Josemaria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei, is about to be canonized; seeing a news opportunity, Roberto Torres, a Spanish journalist, undertakes research into the life of the Spanish priest and re-connects with his estranged father, who knew Josemaria when he was younger. The story unfolds in flashbacks as the writer uncovers historical information on his subject, and secrets long held are revealed. The early scenes cover the boyhood years of Escriva and his friend, Manolo; evoking nostalgia, the childhood moments with family and friends glow against picturesque Spanish villages and countryside; Geraldine Chaplin and Derek Jacobi have effective, but small roles during these episodes. Throughout, the film cuts back and forth between the present, where Torres and his girlfriend tend and query the reporter's aged father, and the past, where both Escriva and Manolo are caught up in the turmoil of the Spanish Civil War.
The battles are effectively staged and shot, and memorable scenes occur in Madrid, where priests are persecuted, hunted, and murdered. Relatively short for an ambitious epic, "There Be Dragons" sags a bit in the middle, bogged down by the requisite romantic interlude, and moves to a sappy conclusion; Wes Bentley's old age make-up is particularly poor, and an homage to "2001: a Space Odyssey" is a head-scratcher; movie buffs will expect the monolith to appear and "Thus Sprach Zarathustra" to blare from the soundtrack. Although the theme of forgiveness crops up regularly in Joffe's screenplay, any attribute that might qualify Josemaria for canonization is left unsaid and unseen, although reference is made early on to a miracle that occurred in his name. Perhaps a great epic film could have been made from this material; a grand romance and personal rivalry against a sweeping historical canvas like the Spanish Civil War, but "There Be Dragons" is no "Dr. Zhivago." Although Joffe's film is worth a viewing and does generate interest, the results are disappointing in light of what might have been with a better script and cast.
In early 20th-century Spain, two young friends and rivals travel life together from boyhood through their early years as seminarians. However, the two part company at that point, one to embrace God and the other to pursue worldly endeavors; Joffe intends the disparate characters to be opposing sides of the same persona, but with Cox and Manolo, the persona has little depth. "There Be Dragons" opens when Josemaria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei, is about to be canonized; seeing a news opportunity, Roberto Torres, a Spanish journalist, undertakes research into the life of the Spanish priest and re-connects with his estranged father, who knew Josemaria when he was younger. The story unfolds in flashbacks as the writer uncovers historical information on his subject, and secrets long held are revealed. The early scenes cover the boyhood years of Escriva and his friend, Manolo; evoking nostalgia, the childhood moments with family and friends glow against picturesque Spanish villages and countryside; Geraldine Chaplin and Derek Jacobi have effective, but small roles during these episodes. Throughout, the film cuts back and forth between the present, where Torres and his girlfriend tend and query the reporter's aged father, and the past, where both Escriva and Manolo are caught up in the turmoil of the Spanish Civil War.
The battles are effectively staged and shot, and memorable scenes occur in Madrid, where priests are persecuted, hunted, and murdered. Relatively short for an ambitious epic, "There Be Dragons" sags a bit in the middle, bogged down by the requisite romantic interlude, and moves to a sappy conclusion; Wes Bentley's old age make-up is particularly poor, and an homage to "2001: a Space Odyssey" is a head-scratcher; movie buffs will expect the monolith to appear and "Thus Sprach Zarathustra" to blare from the soundtrack. Although the theme of forgiveness crops up regularly in Joffe's screenplay, any attribute that might qualify Josemaria for canonization is left unsaid and unseen, although reference is made early on to a miracle that occurred in his name. Perhaps a great epic film could have been made from this material; a grand romance and personal rivalry against a sweeping historical canvas like the Spanish Civil War, but "There Be Dragons" is no "Dr. Zhivago." Although Joffe's film is worth a viewing and does generate interest, the results are disappointing in light of what might have been with a better script and cast.