THE NAKED MAJA
US/Italy, 1959, 111 minutes, Colour.
Tony Franciosa, Ava Gardner, Amadeo Nazzari, Lea Padovani, Gino Cervi.
Directed by Henry Koster.
The Naked Maja is American/European style popular biography, this time of the famous Spanish painter Goya. Anthony Franciosa does fairly well in the central role, though is not an imposing actor. The film gave a great deal of attention to Ava Gardner in the title role.
The film is colourful, uses wide screen especially for creating an atmosphere for the situations that Goya was to capture on his canvas, both historical and his nightmarish art. Direction is by Henry Koster, a director of pleasant films for many decades including the first Cinemascope film The Robe. Popular entertainment, not definitive biography.
1. How enjoyable this film as a biography, history?
2. How much audience knowledge of the artist Goya and his work, his environment and background? Did the film explain him well? Help to understand his art in his time?
3. The use of wide screen and colour, recreation of the period in locations, costumes? The Spanish atmosphere? The background and visualising of Goya and his art?
4. The focus of the title? The painting behind the credits? The focus on the countess? The emphasis on the person, on the issues of the time?
5. The importance of the portrayal of Spain? The initial presentation of high society? Lower classes? The initial incident with the Inquisition and the witch? The church and politics? How these incidents bore fruit later when applied to Goya? The presentation of Spain at the end of the 15th century? Political action, invasions? National loyalties? The dangers of living in these times? Did the film make the Spanish background credible?
5. How convincing was Anthony Franciosa's portrait of Goya? As an artist with inspiration? His temperament? Intensity? The way he worked? Goya's own social and religious attitudes? His love and infatuation for the Countess? His torment, his being hurt, the impact of the final reconciliation and his continuing his work? An interesting and accurate portrait of an artist?
6. The initial portrayal of the countess and people's impression of her? Her way of life and values? Her exercise of authority? Interest in Goya and love for him? Mutual infatuation and love? The countess as the subject of his paintings? The pressure on her to send him away? The mutual hurt, the, effect of her illness?
9. The paintings and Goya's immortality? Immortality for the countess? The significance of the final words? The melodramatic impact of the dying sequence? Its lengthy monologue, emotional feeling? How convincing, moving?
10. The importance of the supporting cast, the relationships to Goya, to the countess, the Spanish politics and invasion? The question of the Inquisition and the trial of Goya as regards nudity in paintings?
11. The achievement in this film as regards art and biography?
