Pan's Labyrinth

I was living in New York when this movie first came out and I have to drive an hour away to Syracuse to catch a showing. I was one of three people in the theater. I was a fan from the beginning and have always been impressed with the story and how it was executed. The ending, while sad, made me cheer inside because the twist is the blood of an innocent was indeed spilled to guarantee Ofelia's way into her father's kingdom.

The Last Circus

You have to feel bad for Javier, always being told who and what to be. He wants to be a happy clown like his father but is told he'd only be a sad clown because of circumstances of his life. Well his father certainly was right, talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy. Everyone is this movie has major issues though and I really enjoyed how over the top this movie became. The ending was perfect with Javier and Sergio in the van, forever the sad and happy clown.

Here is an accurate portrayal of my reaction to this film:

13 Assassins

OK, this is not my style film. I'm not into samurai movies. I guess I can appreciate it for what it is, but it's really just not my thing. The gore is way to much for me and I found it hard to follow because sometimes the subtitles go so fast that I had a tough time keeping up while trying to stay in tune with what was going on in the film. The naked woman with no arms just about sent me over the edge with this film and that was within the first half hour. Not my cup of tea...AT ALL! 

The Last Circus

The Last Circus is an interesting film. I actually enjoyed it up until about half way through. I can handle bizarre, but this film became so over the top after the mid-way point. By the end, my head was spinning. I think it's a well made film, but there was just too much going on by the end. When Javier burned his cheeks and lips with the iron, I was pretty much done. I did stick it out, but with loss of interest. The big bummer: I totally thought the flying motorcycle guy was going to somehow save the day at the end.

Crazy Clowns...

This was one of the more interesting movies we have watched. Both clowns are on the brink of crazy to start with, then a woman pushes them both over the edge. Their roles are almost reversed in parts of the film. After the jezebel dies you see both clowns being who they are, happy and sad.

Below is a link for a review from Daft Bot. The end of the review says some great things about the film.

http://daftbotblog.wordpress.com/2010/10/03/review-the-last-circus-balada-triste/

13 Assassins

This movie had been on my "to watch list" for some time. Now I wish I would have watched it sooner.

Overall I thought it was a great samurai movie. Tons of action, good triumphing over evil, I even enjoyed the humor brought in by the last edition to the team.

Most samurai movies have cheesy sound effects and music, but this one does not. The score was good and blended well in the movie.

I paid attention to the cuts in the movie, and I must say the director did an awesome job. There are multiple scenes where the story is told through the eyes of the actors.

The Last Circus...A Cautionary Tale

The Last Circus - Quite the horror film.  While I can't say that I 'enjoyed' it, I certainly did not doze off during it.  I found the moral of the story to be: don't be a tease and don't play games with people's hearts and affections - it can really go badly and mess you up!

Red Dawn

I saw Red Dawn this weekend.  I know this isn't an international film but it made me think about what other countries think about the way we portray them in our films.  On a side note I thought the remake was pretty good.

The Island was interesting for me because it took place after the war, and was filmed by the Russians. It is interesting to watch movies that portrait a time in History seen differently because of the country. That man had so much guilt for living after his friend was shot by the Nazi but in the end he was the chosen one because he was blessed.

Pans Labyrinth I thought was pretty great. I had seen this movie back when it came out. But like all movies I was able to catch things that I didn't catch the first time watching  it. The actors did a great job and I think the film was very pretty.

I thought the Last Circus was one of the better movies we have been assigned. This movie I watched with my husband who agreed that is was good.

Here's what I thought of  The Last Circus....

Interesting Info.

"Beasts of the Southern Wild" child star Quvenzhane Wallis isn't wasting any time locking in her next role. The 8-year-old Houma resident has joined fellow "Beasts" star Dwight Henry in the cast of "Twelve Years a Slave," which is currently shooting in New Orleans.

Dwight Henry, left, and Quvenzhane Wallis -- stars of the locally shot 'Beasts of the Southern Wild' -- have both been cast in the Steve McQueen-directed adaptation of 'Twelve Years a Slave.'

The film is based on the 1853 autobiography of Solomon Northup, a free man of color who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Washington, D.C., after which he spent years working on Louisiana plantations. Chiwetel Ejiofor is playing the part of Northup, and Wallis -- whose casting was first reported on Indiewire's Shadow and Act blog -- is playing one of his children.

For his part, Henry --- the New Orleans baker who played Wallis' father, Wink, in the locally shot, critically lauded "Beasts of the Southern Wild" -- is playing the character of Uncle Abram, a father figure to fellow slaves.
Other cast members include: Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Alfre Woodard and Garret Dillahunt.

Steve McQueen ("Shame") is directing for Brad Pitt's Plan B Entertainment production shingle. The film started shooting in late June and has about a week left of principal photography.

Click here to read the original text of "Twelve Years a Slave" -- which is in the public domain -- for free online.

13 Assassins - The opening scene was very disturbing, I did not understand why the young couple had been killed so brutally. I walked away only to return with more killing, but this time a family with young children.
The acting and display of scenery was well done. It made you feel as if you were in the middle of the action and made me feel as if the sword was coming my way.
The focus was to be a samurai and after all the killing and one man standing, he states it is a burden to be a samurai.

The Last Circus-This film was a bit disturbing. I had no idea the violence this film contained. The beginning of moving gave me the impression that it was about the war.  Not about two angry clowns both caring for the same woman only to have her die at the end. I did not enjoy this movie.

Pan's Labyrinth

Pan’s Labyrinth

This was a different movie for me. The setting was dark and suspenseful. This children’s story displays both good and evil.  The fairy tale brought to life filled with magical displays of events.  Ofelia was a very intriguing young girl.  I enjoyed watching this film.

Review

Can someone please post the review for the test?? I missed the last class and Dr. Hammond has not responded to my Emails. Thank you.

A Woman is A Woman

Another example of the "French New Wave" style, when critics decided to try their hand at making movies.  Based on this film, it is best if they stick to what they know best -reviewing.  Far too choppy & experimental for my taste.

The Last Circus

This movie shows not only the madness of the characters, but also the abusive relationships that they share during  a sad period in the España of Franco. Happiness, rage, torture, revenge, madness, abuse, injustice, and love triangles all in one movie.

Masked at the beginning with a time of peace -after a horrible civil war- the circus surroundings show the true stage for this movie. Destruction, isolation and abusive behaviors are depicted. Some special effects were very good, others not. The plot was difficult to understand in some areas, I found myself asking why they did this or that in some parts, but overall it kept me watching.

The song, Balada Triste de Trompeta was a hit for Rafael (famous Spanish song writer and singer). The lyrics are powerful as it is the singing. I am wondering if the singer was aware of the film, or did he died prior to the release. The video of him singing is old and right with the times depicted.  I am sure that he never expected for this song to end up years later in a triller. The performance of the song was very powerful at the times, I am not surprised by the choice of the writers to have the sad clown idolized it.

Crazy clowns and a beautiful girl with a troubled soul in a crazy ending!

A Woman is a Woman (French- 1961)

 Director: Jean-Luc Godard

Actors: Anna Karina (Angela), Jean Paul Belmondo (Alfred), Jean-Claude Brialy (Émile)

This is a French New Wave movie. This is the first movie for Godard and first in color and Cinemascope. French filmmakers of 1950-1960s were influenced by Italian Neorealism and Hollywood and so the French New Wave was created. Angela is an [exotic] dancer who is in a relationship with Emile. She wants to have a child but he does not. The movie goes on to show the intrinsic relationship as Angela includes her friend Alfred as a possible candidate to father her child.

I was surprised by the nudity, however I expected it from the era. The movie was too choppy for my taste and some scenes had worse transitions than others. Intersting but not a movie I would watch again.

A Woman is a Woman

 A woman is a Woman is a very bizarre, but intriguing. It kept my attention the entire time and I enjoyed it. I love the bedroom scenes when 

Angela and Emile weren't speaking to each other and drug the lamp across the room to get books

and point out words on the covers instead of talking.

une femme est une femme

I enjoyed watching this movie. I think both men and women can relate to Angela and Emile. The score was very entertaining. The pauses and the starts were great at keeping my attention. The bickering of Emile and Angela reminded me of old American TV couples like Samantha and Darren from Bewitched, or Wilbur and Carol from Mr. Ed. Even the music reminded me of older cartoons.

The Red Violin - Originally: Le Violon Rouge (1998)

This French Canadian and Italian made film directed by Francois Girard is deeply moving and captivating, especially for anyone who has a deep connection with classical music and  a love for the masters - not just those who composed music but also those who used their skills and expertise in the craftsmanship of creating beautiful instruments.

The film won numerous awards including but not limited to: an Oscar, a Grammy, and Golden Globe.  The cinematography is breathtaking, and the haunting music of a solo violin that plays throughout stirs your soul.  The movie spans over 300 years and the violin touches the lives of many characters in many different countries.  And though this movie is fictional, it is apparent that the story line was somewhat influenced by a red Stradivarius violin - click here to read about its unique story.

Samuel L. Jackson is the big name in the movie known to us in the USA.  Originally, his part was offered to Morgan Freeman.  Samuel plays an expert who is hired to authenticate and appraise many antique instruments that come from the Chinese government to an auction house.  As he notices the odd color of a particular violin, his interest is peaked with the hope that could this be?  Could this be the last violin made by master violin maker Bussotti (fictional person) that has been missing for hundreds of years?  Jackson's character is then obsessed to find the truth.  The methods used to prove authenticity are quite fascinating, although the story does not go into great depths about them.

Jackson's character is very important to the movie, and he does a wonderful job.  But I would be remiss if I did not call your attention to a small boy who plays 6 year old Kasper Weiss (Christof Koncz)- an orphaned child with a beautiful haunting gift as violinist, who also suffers from a weak heart.  PLEASE NOTE:  THIS WAS THE ONLY ACTOR IN THE MOVIE WHO ACTUALLY PLAYED THE VIOLIN, and this is a clip from the movie showcasing his marvelous talent:

Until I researched who the true violinists were in the movie, I really did not expect this young child to have this level of playing ability.  It's truly awesome. I also wondered if they had sped the movie up (especially at the end of this clip where he finishes and rests) but I found they did not.  Also, for you non violin players out there...the kid is playing on a full size violin which means fingering the harmonics with his left hand is much more difficult because of the limited reach his small hand and fingers would have.

The solo violinist who you hear dubbed over the other actor's "playing" and the left hand you often see in closeups belongs to Joshua Bell:

In the credits, Joshua is referred to as the "stunt violinist".  :)

Remember, this movie spans over 300 years and the violin is given an unique life as it touches the lives of all those who held it, whether they played it or not.  Why was this the last violin master violin maker Bussotti ever made?  And who was it made for originally?  And what is so special about its color? How did it travel between Italy, Germany, England, China, and Canada?  Who actually has possession of the violin in the end?  For the answers to these questions, you must watch the flick!

English subtitles used when Italian, French, German, and Chinese is spoken.  This film can be found on Netflix.

13 Assassins

The honor between the two biggest enemies and their devotion to the samurai craft set the stage for action, bloodshed, death, and success.  The samurai showed complete selflessness to preserve freedom from a barbaric lord.

The Interrupters

The director did a fantastic job capturing the real pain and joy of the people of Chicago.  Their issues with trust is common among all communities.  Often we retreat when we have been dishonored or betrayed.  With a community that is riddled with betrayal, it is no wonder why the ability to trust is sometimes nonexistent.  The Interrupters fought to bring honor and trust back to the communities that they themselves once distrusted.  The story was hard to watch because it resembled much of what I saw growing up.

Beasts of the Southern Wild

"Beasts of the Southern Wild" was a fantatic film! It takes a very talented director to capture the raw emotion of real life. The use of music, sound, and imagery made the "beasts" come to life.

Woman is a Woman

I found this film to be quite comical. The banter and love dance between Angela and Emile was quite entertaining. Their inability to communicate except through partial book titles and occassional jabs made it hard to believe that they were in fact a couple. The idea of having a baby seemed more like a spoiled bratt's way of getting what she wanted, much like a child begging parents for a new toy. I wasn't sure if Emile was just rude or silly when he attempted to solicit strangers to sleep with Angela to get her pregnant. The entire movie was riddled with comedic moments and kept me laughing. Well done!

Metropolis Restored

For a silent film, I was engaged to the end. The use of lightening, sound, and action was well balanced. Each scene perfectly set up the next and left you wondering what would happen next. The analogy of the Tower of Babel was surprising, but well played. I watched this film about ten years ago but enjoyed it as if it were the first time.

The Bicycle Thief

The Bicycle Thief was a relatable film. A man was tasked with providing for his family in a time when jobs were scarce. Trajedy struck and forced Anthonio to consider acts he wouldn't have otherwise. During his search for the real criminal, Antonio himself becomes a crimina. The director captured quite a bit of emotion through the music and lighting. Various town scenes showed the times to offer little signs of success and fortune. The true standout was the restaurant scene as Bruno watched the weatlhy children eat. Antonio left a melting impression on Bruni when he commented that one must make a million a day to eat like they did.

Beasts of the Southern

I did enjoy the fillm from last Friday night and would like to know why were their spikes on the roof after the storm? I tried to put a picture on but it did not work, so hopefully someone will remember.

So French

Perhaps the funniest moment in the movie is when Angela tells her friend "I despise everyone."  The friend replies, "Me too."  Then they laugh........While I typically don't like to see people fulfilling stereotypes, this tiny bit of dialogue  made me laugh with them. It's easy to only see the outside impact of perceived French arrogance, but these two characters reference this cultural trait in a way that acknowledges the absurdity of it.  Like!

The Last Circus

This is a very disturbing and dark film.  The violence is way over the top as far as my tastes go and my ability to watch.  I made it about a third of the way through and turned it off due to the graphic violence.  Praying this film is not a topic for our test coming up.

Little Big Soldier

Little Big Soldier -2010

Director: Ding Cheng
Action Director: Jackie Chan

Roles:  Jackie Chan (Little Soldier of LIang) Leehom Wang (General of the Wei Kingdom) also starting are Du Yuming (Guard Wu), Rongguang Yu (Deputy Genral Yu), Sung-Jun Yoo (Prince Wu), Lin Peng (Songster)

The film is in Chinese with English subtitles.

This story takes place during the final years of the Warring States in China and the different wars among the Dynasties.

The story shows a soldier  (Chang) that, by playing dead, survived a massacre in an ambush where more than 2000 Liang and Wei soldiers are killed. The soldier (Chang) finds a wounded young general (Lehoom) and decides to take him as a prisoner with the intention of turning him in for a ransom, which would offer the opportunity to freedom and a normal life. As they travel to Liang, they are encountered by challenges and mishaps. The young general almost succeeds at escaping a few times. The journey brings them together and ultimately they learn to respect and care for each other.  I did not expect the ending but it was very moving and it perhaps offers the new story line for Chan.

There is a lot of comedy action and underlying stories. Jackie Chan is a master at comic martial arts.  Wait for the credits! In the usual Jackie Chan style, you will see funny messed up action takes at this time.

Trivia: The movie opened on February 14^th for the Chinese New Year. This was the 99^th film for Chan. He planned this film more than 20 years prior to the release and was originally to play the young general, but now an older Chan, decided to play the role of the soldier.  Jackie Chan’s wife, Yo Lin, suggested the actor Lehoom Wang to play the young wounded general’s role.

 
Whatch the trailer in Youtube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFRMJ3vOJyI&noredirect=1

 

 

 

"Beasts of the Southern Wild"

"Beasts of the Southern Wild"
This movie is a blast of sheer, improbable joy, a boisterous, thrilling action movie with a protagonist who can hold her own.
This film is a remarkable creation, imagining a self-reliant community without the safety nets of the industrialized world.

"Beasts of the Southern Wild" is a must see film. I am glad I had the opportunity to attend the showing at Eckerd College, Friday night.

Bicycle Thief

This movie is shown in Italy post World War 2. Jobs are scarce and Anthony is grateful to have a job, which requires a bicycle. Unfortunately it is stolen on his first day. A theme that I felt in this movie was the value of father and son. Also I felt it really emphasized on the poverty in post war Italy.

The Bicycle Thieves

The Bicycle Thieves

The movie shows the Italy of post war. Being able to speak Italian, I enjoyed very much the opportunity to hear the language and view this movie without the distraction that reading subtitles sometimes creates. I was able to better relate to the emotions.  Resilience, hopes, love, pride, happiness, perseverance, and finally desperation and shame were felt in the dialoge and witness in the acting. The director (Vittorio de Sica ) does a good job at directing that young man and his son as they frantically search for that bicycle. A very difficult financial climate in Italy forced many to live with the essentials and on the fringes. A sad ending to this movie as this father, who fought hard to be a role model to his son, was forced to steal that bicycle. It is the only thing that could offer means for his family to survive.

    

The Bicycle Thief

I would say there are people today that can relate to the hard-times this movie depicts. The imagery used in the movie really shows the poverty levels of all people. When Ricci and his son are in the restaurant, you can really see how worn there clothes are compared to the other patrons. While watching, I made sure I listened closely to the score of this movie. I noticed at times I was listening very carefully to hear the added sounds.

I like the fact the movie does not end in a "they lived happily ever after" fashion.

The Bicyle Theif

The movie was just ok for me. I enjoyed the filming of the city around him. I found it interesting how his child was treated more like an adult. The little boy Bruno was more like his friend or roommate. The child had to work and spent much of his time helping his father find his bike. I loved the bond that father and son shared. I am happy he wasn't arrested in front of his child and that seen for me was the only seen where Bruno acted like a child and not an adult.

The Bicicyle Thief

I thought this film was great, from the acting to the cinematography. The City of Rome, if that is where it was filmed, became a character itself and even though it was in black and white the shots of the city made an impact. The child playing Bruno did an excellent job. It was clear that he was his Father's conscience and I loved his facial expressions and all around acting ability.

I think anyone going through tough times could really relate to this film no matter what country or era they are from. I know I can relate all to well and am familiar with pawning things so I could eat. I was waiting for him to steal a bike and was very impressed with the character of this man given his circumstances.

The Bicycle Thief

This is an interesting review by Kenneth Turan, especially since he is encouraging his audience to "go see" a movie that is 60 years old. I really liked the movie and think that there is a lot to talk about (say, in a research paper). This is Neo Realism for sure and the use of non-professional actors, natural lighting, and real locations really drive this film. I loved that you could hear every footstep.The distress portrayed in this film gives its audience a glimpse of post war Italian families doing everything they can just to survive. Although it is sort of depressing, there is a lot to take away from this film.

Woman Is A Woman

I appreciate this class and the curriculum.  And I realize a main part of this class is so we are exposed to many different types of foreign films and their styles.

However, with that said, I really do not have anything nice to say about this film.  The music, the acting, the scenes, were, in my opinion - horrible.  I had trouble getting through the film and really wanted to shut it off, but kept watching just in case we were tested on it.

And regardless of the supposed comedic content, I thought the film very degrading to women.

International Cinema-The Flowers of War

So I was browsing on Netflix for a International movie and came across Flowers of War. It has Christian Bail and is about the war between the Chinese and Japanese. Wow this ended up being a great movie. All I can really say is wow. I copy and pasted the info for this movie if anyone is interested.

Cast:

Christian Bale, Paul Schneider, Ni Ni, Xinyi Zhang, Tony Dawei, Atsuro Watabe, Tianyuan Huang, Shawn Dou,Kefan Cao

In 1937, as the Japanese army brutally invades the Chinese city of Nanking, an American mortician is trapped inside a western cathedral and vows to protect a group of young schoolgirls and 13 courtesans who are seeking refuge from the soldiers.

You can view it without having to rent the DVD.

The Bicycle Thief

A gritty, sad portrayal of postwar Italy.  I think the primary theme was that times were tough all over.   We saw this with the poor old man going to church for soup, the enormity of the pawn shop where they sold their sheets, the poverty that the actual thief lived in.  Ricci tried to be the man his family needed, but in the end, as he and his son melted into the crowd, it was shown that he was another of the faceless masses simply struggling to survive the devastation and humiliation after the end of World War II..  Anti German sentiment was shown not only by the hat worn by the original thief, but also subtly by the group of German speaking priests, which I suppose illustrated the isolation from suffering enjoyed by the Vatican during the post war era.

Good Article/Metropolis number 1 on list

In high school, Colin Levy spent a year-and-a-half working on a five-minute short film. Little did he know that the film, which starred his father and was filmed in his backyard, would go on to win a national YoungArts award -- and a one-on-one meeting with legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese.
Levy calls the meeting "a defining moment" in his path as a filmmaker, and in an email to The Huffington Post, he recalled meeting the Academy Award-winning director as a teen.
After receiving a personalized tour from Thelma Schoonmaker, Scorsese's trusted film editor for over 40 years, Levy stepped into Scorsese's office, where, according to Levy, the director complimented the teen on his short film and his basic use of 3D animation.
Following his meeting with Scorsese, Levy sent the filmmaker a thank you card, and to his surprise, he received several books and DVDs -- including "A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies" -- as well as a list of 39 foreign films to watch, as recommended by Scorsese himself.
Six years later and Levy, now a filmmaker and visual effects artist, has finally started to check off the films on Scorsese's list with purpose. In an email to The Huffington Post, Levy said that he was recently inspired to start watching all 39 films, in order, as part of a screening series he organized at Pixar.
After Levy tweeted about his list on Monday, it was quickly posted to Reddit by one of Levy's followers. It received more than 250,000 views in a single day.

Martin Scorsese Foreign Film List: Director Recommends 39 Films To Young Filmmaker Colin Levy

The Huffington Post  |  By Crystal Bell Posted: 03/27/2012 10:30 am Updated: 03/27/2012 10:37 am

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In high school, Colin Levy spent a year-and-a-half working on a five-minute short film. Little did he know that the film, which starred his father and was filmed in his backyard, would go on to win a national YoungArts award -- and a one-on-one meeting with legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese.
Levy calls the meeting "a defining moment" in his path as a filmmaker, and in an email to The Huffington Post, he recalled meeting the Academy Award-winning director as a teen.
After receiving a personalized tour from Thelma Schoonmaker, Scorsese's trusted film editor for over 40 years, Levy stepped into Scorsese's office, where, according to Levy, the director complimented the teen on his short film and his basic use of 3D animation.
Following his meeting with Scorsese, Levy sent the filmmaker a thank you card, and to his surprise, he received several books and DVDs -- including "A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies" -- as well as a list of 39 foreign films to watch, as recommended by Scorsese himself.
Six years later and Levy, now a filmmaker and visual effects artist, has finally started to check off the films on Scorsese's list with purpose. In an email to The Huffington Post, Levy said that he was recently inspired to start watching all 39 films, in order, as part of a screening series he organized at Pixar.
After Levy tweeted about his list on Monday, it was quickly posted to Reddit by one of Levy's followers. It received more than 250,000 views in a single day.

Colin Levy @ColinLevy

Six years ago, I had the chance to meet Martin Scorsese. He was gracious, intimidating. It was a defining moment in my path as a filmmaker.

25 Mar 12

Here's the list of 39 foreign films supposedly given to Levy by Scorsese. The Huffington Post has reached out to Martin Scorsese and his representatives to verify the authenticity of the list, but they have yet to respond.

The Bicycle Thieves

This movie is classic Italian neorealism at its best.  It broke my heart to watch it -  so much suffering &   desperation.   We rarely see many "mainstream" movies depicting Italy after the war, but this works very well.  Director Vittoria de Sica presented the political & social climate in the country, simply by presenting a simple story line of a man trying to find his bike, and all the symbolism that it represented.
On a lighter note, I could see where Tim Burton used scenes from this movie for his first film "Pee Wee's Big Adventure", a comedy about a boy trying to find his stolen bike....

Arn: The Knight Templar (Arn: Tempelriddaren)

While searching Netflix for a movie to write about for our assignment, I came across this Swedish movie with some Norwegian credits as well.  The movie was also shot on location in Morocco ( a very popular country to film movies of all genres requiring desert scenes or ancient scenes), Spain and Scotland.

Arn: The Knight Templar is the first movie based on Jan Guilliou's trilogy of the Crusades.  The movie is sometimes spoken in English, but also spoken within the movie is Arabic, French, and Swedish.  At times when English is not used, subtitles are.

I am a living history re-enactor and I love films such as these.  I love them for historical content, sets, and costuming.  I had not heard of Arn within history so I did a search to find out whether or not there had actually been an "Arn".  My search was actually inconclusive, I don't have the time to devote to hitting the head on the nail for this as my school and life schedule won't allow.  I found in a quick online search that probably Arn is a fantasy character, although I found a couple of sources that said he existed.

In short, the plot of the movie is about Arn who is raised in a monastery and grows up under the influence of an "retired" Knight Templar.  He learns the values and moral of the knight as well as becomes an apprentice learning his fighting skills.

When he is of age to leave the monastery, Arn returns to his clan.  He wins a dispute between his and a rival clan.  He also falls in love with a young girl of nobility that is promised in marriage to someone else in the rival clan.

Arn and his lover create a child out of wedlock.  The Church steps in and "sentences" the two.  The girl to 20 years in a convent, her child taken from her at birth.  Arn, 20 years to serve in the Crusades.

Of course, at the end, boy gets the girl - but not without tragedy involved.

There were some historical errors in the movie:

The Church was a powerful source in those days, and very political.  I am not well-versed on ancient Swedish law or monarchy. I suspect that it is very possible that the Swedes may have allowed the Church even more power over political matters, especially since to this day it is the Swedish Guard who guard the Pope.  It is possible that the Church may have had the power to "sentence" both Arn and his lover as they did in the movie.  On one hand a political infraction was committed, yet on the other Arn and his lover sinned.  Hard call without knowing more background history.

Arn's costuming was close to the time period, but the cross on his robe is not quite right for his time period of  the 1180's.

Also, Saladin would have known he could not make an offer of safe passage of all Christians from Jerusalem in exchange for the surrender of the Holy City.  He would have known that Arn didn't have the power to grant that.  Saladin did make that offer historically, but he made it through the proper channels.

Anyway, sometimes we need to view a movie as strictly entertainment.  Even when loosely based on historical facts, we need to keep in mind that a director always takes some liberty in artistry and ideas.  We need to be smart enough to decipher between the facts and fiction and research things of interests when we are unsure.

Regardless, it was still a good movie.  I enjoyed it. And I will be watching the other two movies within the trilogy.

The Official Story - LA HISTORIA OFICIAL

Country: Argentina

Drama

Cast: Norma Aleandro “Alicia”, Hector Alterio “Roberto”, Chela Ruiz “Sara”, Chunchuna Villafane “Ana”, Hugo Arana “Enrique”
Director: Luis Puenzo
Screenplay: Aida Bortnik, Luis PuenzoThis is an emotionally gripping, fictional look at a couple torn apart by the infamous Argentine campaign of killings and torture that sent thousands of accused terrorists to unmarked graves in the mid-and late-'70s. Alicia (Norma Aleandro) and Roberto (Hector Alterio) adopted a little girl (Analia Castro) during this period of governmental terror in Argentina. Alicia has always wondered about the parents of their little girl, a topic her husband has forced her into forgetting as a condition of the adoption -- he alone knows the full story. Thanks to censorship, Alicia -- like others -- is not fully aware of how much killing has gone on until her students at school start complaining that their textbook histories were written by murderers. Add to this a long conversation with a friend who had been in exile after she was tortured by the government, and Alicia starts to do some serious political and personal research on her own. The results reveal the identity of the little girl's dead parents and reveal that Alicia's husband has had a nasty hand in the government repression and dirty dealings with foreign businesses. She also learns the identity of the girl's grandmother. Her next decision will determine what to do with this informationThe

The Official Story was released in 1985. It is an Argentinian Drama depicting the fictional story of a woman who is married to a military man and finds out that her “adopted” daughter was one of the children that had disappeared during the dirty ward of the 1970s, when people were abducted by the military for suspicion of terrorism and never seeing again, including their children or soon to be born babies. More than 45,000 people disappeared after they were tortured or raped, and subsequently killed. Although this movie is not based on a real story, they do depict the realities of many in Argentina and the story of many others who eventually were found by the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo. The movie won  the Oscar for1985's Best Foreign Language Movie.

I lived through that era, saw the stories first hand and felt the cruelty of the Military in power.  I can assure you that this movie is close to real life and very moving. Both men and women would enjoy watching it.