Ignatius of Loyola (2016) User Reviews

A historical biopic co-produced by Spain/Philippines , being well shot with high sensibility and attractive scenes

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 16 March 2021]

A nice religious film based on the records of Ignatius of Loyola himself who was born in Loyola 1491 and died in Rome 1556 . As he was the founder of Jesuit Order or Compañia of Jesús, and deemed to be one of the men most important in the XVI Century . A biopic movie and at the same time concerning historical facts, such as War for Pamplona region against the French enemy , including impressive and epic battles . At the beginning it deals with Ignatius as a warrior , as he fights against the French Army , there he is seriously injured and when he is on bed healing his wounds and the very brink of death , Ignatius reads Saints lives , especially St Franciscus . As he receives divine inspiration, and later on , he becomes into a preacher . As he goes to Monserrat where is inspired by Virgen Maria . After that , he goes Manresa as a beggar , and where goes on preaching , while living at a cave .

This self-biographic movie describes Ignatius of Loyola's fundamental and essential role in history as a soldier , a sinner and a Saint . Detailing his brave defense at the battle of Pamplona , fencing alongside the walls to impede the French Army go into the town . Being competently played by Andreas Muñoz as Ignatius , Julio Periñan and Javier Godino, among others . Resulting to be a historical fresco showing Ignatius of Loyola as a Warrior , as a Founder of the Jesuit Order and as a Saint . It contains colorful and evocative cinematograhy , as well as rousing musical score . The motion picture was well directed by Paolo Dy in budget enough .

Alrightly based on historical events about this great Spanish figure . As Ignatius was both , a military and a religious man . Founder of the Compañia e Jesús or Jesuit Order , he emerged as a really brooding and spiritual person during the famous Contrareform or anti-Protestant Reform. At París, Iñigo and his companions founded the Jesuit Order in 1540 . Sworn to go whereever the Holy Father commands , the Jesuits shaped history at the vanguard of the Church. Ignatius of Loyola , Creator of the Jesuit Order , being its First General , formed just over 1000 members , outstanding the following ones : Francisco de Borja , Francisco Javier , Diego Lainez , and founding a lot of schools and religious places . He wrote the Spiritual Exercices that caused an enormous influence as a tool to discernment , getting religiosity and divine faith . Ultimately , Ignatius Loyola was canonized.as Saint in 1622.

Spiritual Journey

[billcr12 · 7/10 · 29 March 2020]

This is a Jesuit production on the life of their founder Ignatius of Loyola. As the son of a wealthy family, and after reading the Lives of the Saints, the young Ignatius decided to follow in the footsteps of S.t Francis of Assisi and travel from town to town as a beggar after giving away all of his possessions. The film is well made with good actors and depending on your particular religious background (I am a lapsed Catholic), your appreciation for this movie will vary from wonderment to disbelief. I am somewhere in between.

The Soldier Saint

[GManfred · 31 August 2016]

"Ignacio de Loyola" traces the life of St. Ignatius from childhood up to his exoneration at the Inquisition at Salamanca in 1537, and subsequent departure for a university in Paris to further his studies. In between he experiences a transformation from a soldier of the king to a soldier of Christ.

It is an intense transformation, having pledged his life to a princess then switching allegiance during his recuperation from a battle wound to a life in the service of God. His wound left him with a limp, a mark of dishonor since he could no longer soldier. It is here that the narrative acquires interest, as the earlier battle scenes had an artificial quality, as though filmed on a sound stage. It takes off as he finds his true calling and is accompanied by some excellent, well written dialogue, especially in some admirable speechifying instances. The overall quality of the script sets 'Ignacio de Loyola" apart from most other films made nowadays and accounts for my rating.

This movie will probably get a bad rap from critics due to its religious nature, but "Ignacio de Loyola" is about much more than that. It is about change, a change of mind and of lifestyle, a change of values and the discovery of what was front and center all the while, what really counts in life. Ignatius Loyola is a saint, but came by it the hard way - steeped in the temporary and ignoring the spiritual. We can all relate to that.

Well acted against insurmountable odds

[jdejuan66 · 3/10 · 29 August 2016]

This movie gets a star for the acting which was good , a bit screamy, but nevertheless unable to surmount the terrible costuming, hair, lighting, effects, drawn out plot and over the top pace of this mess. If you are Catholic and know a bit about San Ignacio's life you might enjoy the film despite the flaws as someone mentioned. If you know nothing about the saint's life and are curious, it might kindle your curiosity. But if you are looking for a well paced, well lit, well made period movie, this isn't it. The battle of Pamplona has some of the most ill-designed and badly executed battle scenes I've seen in a long time. Costuming is awful, so is hair and make up. But lighting wins the award for its flatness and lack of charm. A film that does not consistently rely on images to tell a story is a failure. Couldn't they at least have covered the -clearly- modern windows in Loyola's castle for this production with some banners? Did Ignacio's hair always remain the exact same length throughout his life? did Inquisitors really wear polyester? Was it always sunny everywhere? Beyond these obvious disasters which one might overlook because of budget concerns, there's the issue of pace and plot. I would rescue the scene with the reformed Igancio and the prostitute as an example of good acting and nuance. But the battle with the devil on top of the cliff is drawn-out, annoyingly theatrical and ultimately boring in its video game grandeur.

The movie chooses to focus on the beginnings of the Ignatian adventure when our hero prepares to sacrifice all for honor in war and to prove to himself that he is worthy of his name. We assume this was an important feature of being a nobleman. The French render Ignacio a cripple but he is lucky to escape alive. He endures excruciating pain by undergoing "surgery" a a time when penicillin and anesthesia were not yet invented. Pain and boredom throw him into a new quest for glory, the glory of God against its enemies -in this case the Protestant Reformation apparently. He gives away his wealth, sets off on a pilgrimage, becomes a beggar and practices self-torture in a cave until he rises as a "new man" after defeating the devil... as one does. Basically, he defeats the desire to throw himself of a cliff, an experience I could relate to, but here explained away in the easier to understand "battle against the Devil". Humans have to find somebody to blame when things go wrong. A very mild mannered Inquisition then starts objecting to all of Ignacio's good or weird deeds -as they should- and the rest history.

The worst part of the movie is that is is a poor vehicle for some worthy material. It tries to be many things , adventure, love story, drama and propaganda but it fails by its own reach. May be someone needs to go into the cave again.

A heartwarming film with some flaws

[wyldstyle · 8/10 · 31 July 2016]

This movie was touching especially to those who follow the same faith or better yet, those who are already familiar with the saint. For a 2-hour film, story line was smooth, although it was dragging at some parts. They could have added more of his past life into the movie, and not just 30 second flashbacks. In my opinion there were a lot of important things that happened in his past that could have been squeezed in. The cinematography isn't that great either; it felt chopped up most of the time and the camera angles were sometimes off. The message of the movie was clear and simple. The acting was great, although their accents were heavy so I suggest watching it with subtitles.

All-in-all it was a good film! Would recommend to everyone interested in the life of St. Iggy 😊

The Risks of Watching 'Ignacio de Loyola'

[markrobertdy · 9/10 · 3 August 2016]

If you're expecting a documentary that explains the life of St. Ignatius in detail, complete with direct quotes, references, and biblical passages, you will be disappointed. If you're expecting a film on how to be a perfect and holy Christian, you will be disappointed. Just as the filmmakers took many risks to create this film, watching it will be a risk to you... You risk crying a little, laughing a little... You risk asking questions you might not have asked in a long time... You risk remembering painful memories -- losing a job, a heartbreak, a serious illness, a humiliating moment, the death of a loved one... You risk spending time discussing and arguing with your friends afterwards over coffee... You might even risk putting down your phone and praying again. I strongly encourage everyone to see this film. At the very least, you risk having a good day. At best, you just might figure out how to live a good life.

Sets the world on fire

[kevin_newdirections · 7 September 2016]

The most earnest moment in Ignacio De Loyola comes from a scene where the eponymous saint asks a prostitute to visualize God sat on an empty chair and think of the things that He would say to her. She replies with:, "He doesn't care who I was or where I've been, He only cares where I'm going." And in those words, the essence of the film is captured – no one is too far gone in God's eyes. Just like a sword forged in fire, St. Ignatius is hammered with blows of misfortunes that disguise as a trajectory towards his greatest achievement – The Society of Jesus (Jesuits). Paolo Dy's Ignacio De Loyola humanizes a saint's life beyond a piece of a holy statue. It works as an invitation to examine oneself, a challenge to "set the world on fire" with God's fervor.

Born into a regal and wealthy family, Iñigo López de Loyola (Andreas Muñoz) is a proud Spanish knight who draws chief delight in his military profession, a young man who pursuits a life of fame and vanity. Instead of earning his desire for a hero's death during a battle in Pamplona, he ends up crippled when a French cannonball shatters his right leg. Boredom and frustration starts to seep through his soul in a way pain does to one's body so he forces himself to read the books he has at hand: The Life of the Christ and The Lives of the Saints. After a spiritual calling compels him to live a life bound by the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, he is faced with allegations of blasphemy, and plagued by his inner demons, which he has to conquest as he tries to listen to the voice of God.

Dy and his wife Cathy Azanza's script exudes some flashes of brilliant poetry. It even surprises with a handful moments of humor and some lines which I hope are inspired by Sun Tzu's Art of War. (one of which is "If your enemy is angry, then you have already won.") However, it has the tendency to oversell its message that at times the dialogues seem to be mere discussions of theology. The excessive third person narrations are also occasionally distracting. Narrations like "Iñigo dons his new armor, he opens the door…" assumes that the audience is blind to acknowledge what is happening on-screen. It is squandering Muñoz, who is already an excellent actor, for the script to spell out his every single emotion.

While it is a smart choice to focus on a certain phase in Iñigo's life – his conversion from being a sinner to a saint – the film is yearning for a more solid story. The first half has a slow pace and you can tell it as the days are evidently passing by. As the story trudges along Iñigo's early life as a soldier, his conversion, his Spiritual Exercises and his encounter with The Inquisition, the plot structure suddenly looks strange when it gets to the blood-curling climax which actually happens on a flashback (or is it a dream sequence? I'm confused up till now). The story doesn't really need to be that linear, however, the over-reliance on flashbacks breaks the emotional momentum when it gets back to the present.

While Dy's efforts to handle such a gargantuan religious biopic occasionally fall apart, Ignacio De Loyola manages to deliver its greatest gift to its audience – the deep understanding for discernment. Our souls are continually drawn into two directions: towards goodness and towards sinfulness but if we peel away the many layers of our desires, fears and ambitions, we'll find God there. Hence, every word and every action should be done for His greater glory. The analogy of the Ignatian spirituality and watching a movie is really not that hard to follow. In the cinemas, you will be faced to choose between the two: a mainstream film or a religious film full of philosophical and theological substance.

Full review: http://www.filmpolicereviews.com/reviews/ignacio-de- loyola

Excellent

[imagination-69065 · 10/10 · 23 February 2021]

It's hard to say many words without spoiling it; however, this film was able to capture how a person, Ignacio de Loyola, was touched by God. Not a born-saint but a human being who takes the greatest adventure of all time...to follow Christ.

Very important and inspiring film - shares God's wisdom as given to a Saint.

[able-89172 · 10/10 · 16 March 2018]

This film-story of St. Ignacio de Loyala's life and discernment of his career goals is very significantly presented and very well directed and acted. I felt myself fully absorbed in the viewing of a first screening for a private audience - I only wish I could gather more such viewers to re-view it, again and again, because as a career seeker myself and a career counsellor it is most inspiring. I'd like to pause the play function at times so that I could reflect longer on what it shows, and reflect together with other Christians on the message it carries for my life and those who like me who know that throughout one's life when winds of change happen, even those we think at times God should not have allowed others to interfere in - which leave our career plans practically capsized, or leave us with disabilities - we can still with God's grace somewhere rely on our renewed freedom in Christ, to correctly seek right authority to help us correct the set of our sails and our steps to do His Holy Will.

read this plz

[fsrca · 2 December 2019]

The Father and the Son are the Parents of the Holy Spirit, if many churches are correct. The Trinity is a Family-- two Parents and a Progeny, if many churches are correct. In the Book of Job which is part of the bible, the Lord is compared to a father and also a mother with a womb. "From whose womb comes the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens"--Job 38:29. Saying that the "Father and the Son are the Parents of the Holy Spirit" is simply another way of saying that the Holy Spirit "proceeds from the Father and the Son" which has been official Catholic Church teaching for centuries. According to the Catholic Church, the Son is begotten from the Father. If this is true, the Father is the Father (Parent) of the Son. According to the Church, the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. If this is true, the Father and the Son are the Parents of the Holy Spirit. Of course, the scriptures are vague if the Holy Spirit is the 3rd or 1st or 2nd Person of the Trinity--whichever of these is true, the First Person and the Second Person may be the Parents of the Third. Parent definition 1a from Merriam-Webster dictionary: one that begets or brings forth offspring.