;

There Be Dragons

2011

Action / Biography / Drama / War

24
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 13% · 40 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Spilled 54% · 1K ratings
IMDb Rating 5.7/10 10 5211 5.2K

spanish civil war spanish civil war (1936-39) priest catholic dying saint

Plot summary

Arising out of the horror of the Spanish Civil War, a candidate for canonization is investigated by a journalist who discovers his own estranged father had a deep, dark and devastating connection to the saint's life.While researching the life of Josemaria Escriva, the controversial founder of Opus Dei, the young journalist Robert uncovers hidden stories of his estranged father Manolo, and is taken on a journey through the dark, terrible secrets of his family’s past.

Director

Roland Joffé Photo
Roland Joffé

Top cast

Olga Kurylenko Photo
Olga Kurylenko as Ildiko
Golshifteh Farahani Photo
Golshifteh Farahani as Leila
Charles Dance Photo
Charles Dance as Monsignor Solano
Charlie Cox Photo
Charlie Cox as Josemaría Escrivá
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU
1.09 GB
1280*546
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles
23.976 fps
2 hr 1 min
Seeds ...
2.25 GB
1916*818
English 5.1
NR
Subtitles
23.976 fps
2 hr 1 min
Seeds 7

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by ma-cortes 7 / 10

Historical film about a journalist who discovers an intense drama plenty of war , love-hatred , treason , and religion

Spanish/US co-production developing dramatic deeds during Spanish Civil War and the historic figure about Jose Maria Escriba De Balaguer . Enjoyable biographic movie well written and played , being compellingly directed by Roland Joffé . Arising out of the terror of the Spanish Civil War, a candidate for canonization is investigated by a reporter (Dougray Scott) who aware his own estranged father (Wes Bentley) had a deep, dark and devastating connection to the saint's (Charlie Cox) life .This interesting film is full of compelling drama with love , passion and subsequent betrayal , touching scenes , historical events and good feeling . It is a simple , dramatic and intelligent portrait of a time when the Spanish people live taking on among them . This is an agreeable account of the survival of the human spirit against difficulties ; an epic portrayal of Faith, Forgiveness and Redemption . The movie is plenty of graphic , striking and memorable moments about timeless power of forgiveness and dictating a strong emotional response from the spectator , though some moments is unrealistic . Interesting and thought-provoking movie with evident excitement that can sometimes be undercut by inadequacies in the screenplay , being written and adapted by the same Roland Joffé . This moving picture results to be a breathtaking spectacle about dramatic consequences of Spanish civil war , including strong emotions , brooding dialog and a heartbreaking final . ¨There be dragons¨ or ¨Encontrarás Dragones¨ results to be other of the innumerable stories to deal with dramatic deeds regarding the Civil War background , a familiar theme about the global horrors of a fratricide war , impossible to forget to Spanish cinema . However the story needs a vibration more real than the one offered in this slow-moving and sometimes dull film . But anyway, its is compensated with the great performances from main cast as Charlie Cox as Josemaría Escrivá , Wes Bentley as Manolo Torres as Dougray Scott as Roberto Torres as Rodrigo Santoro as Oriol , Olga Kurylenko as Ildiko and sensational support cast , mostly Spanish , such as Unax Ugalde , Ana Torrent and Jordi Molla , interpreters who provided a considerable boost to the result . Furthermore , a spotless pictorial cinematography by Gabriel Beristain and a willingness , almost perfect of the elements of each shot , every sequence, every space .The film develops an intrigue by means of flashbacks and dealing with Jose Maria Escriba De Balaguer's life . The events were the following : during the Spanish Civil War , Escrivá was hidden in a psychiatric sanatorium and fled from Madrid, which was under republican control, via Andorra and France, to the city of Burgos, held by the nationalist forces of General Francisco Franco. After the war ended in 1939 with Franco's victory, Escrivá was able to resume his studies in Madrid and complete a doctorate in law. His principal work was the foundation, government and expansion of Opus Dei.The motion picture was well directed by the British Roland Joffé , being realized in academic style and general coldness , filmed in his usual formal and stylistic scholarship , without leaving a trace the thought-provoking issues , in terms of dramatic and narrative excitement . He is a good filmmaker mainly of epic subjects . After a long career filming for television , he made his movie debut in a big way with ¨The killing fields¨ winner of three Oscar and dealing with madness and atrocities committed by humans , Joffe's usual theme. ¨The mission¨, one of his greatest hits , had Palme d'or at Cannes , a graphic monument to Portuguese oppression in South-America , but Joffe has not quite held his place at the top level . He subsequently directed ¨Fat Man and Little Boy¨ referring to two atomic bombs dropped by America on Japan . Joffe's meagre output for the cinema makes it all the more surprising that he has turned out three splendid films and several others near-disasters such as ¨The scarlet letter¨, ¨Captivity¨, and ¨You and me¨. Rating ¨Encontraras Dragones¨ : Better than average , worthwhile watching .
Reviewed by

Reviewed by va_eer 5 / 10

This movie is mis-titled...

"There Be One Draggin' Movie" is more like it... I respect the tragedy of the Spanish Civil War and the hatred for Franco but pullllllease... get to the point... I don't want to feel EVERY bullet... the ones that should have been meant for me.... ugh!

I liked that the film reflected the pain, confusion, and agony of war but it's not the first time something has been made of the topic... the movie goes on and on and on switching between battles scenes, treachery, religious strength and doubt, love... thank God for no cheap sex scenes... maybe I just don't get it but the wringing of hands can only be put up with for so long... and NOT for two hours.... aaaaaargh!

Read more IMDb reviews

6 Comments

Be the first to leave a comment