THERE BE DRAGONS

UK/US, 2011, 122 minutes, Colour.
Charlie Cox, Wes Bentley, Olga Kurylenko, Rodrigo Santoro, Dougray Scott, Jordi Molla, Derek Jacobi, Geraldine Chaplin, Lily Cole, Ana Torent, Charles Dance.
Directed by Roland Joffe.

One of the most venerated, as well as one of the most controversial, priests of the 20th century was Monsignor Josemaria Escriva, the founder of the movement, Opus Dei. He was canonised by Pope John Paul II in 2002. Opus Dei itself has been part of films like the pot-boiling The Da Vinca Code and of critique in Pedro Almodovar’s Matador.

With production assistance and finance by Opus Dei, Roland Joffe (The Killing Fields, The Mission) wrote and directed a film that offered some biography of Escriva, especially his background and the Spanish Civil War with some fictional sub-plots that offer insight into the saint and his spirituality. The film was There Be Dragons (2011) which had mixed reviews and not a great commercial success. It was clearly taking the side of St Escriva.

Joffe has said that he wanted to show a spirituality that could be lived in everyday life, that holiness was not restricted to a cloister. He admired the spirit of Escriva and his attempts to set up this way of life in Opus Dei.

There is a stong cast: Charlie Cox as the saint, the brooding Wes Bentely as Manolo. Dougray Scott is Manolo’s son in later decades, alienated from his father (and his secret), researching a book on the saint. There are cameos from Derek Jacobi as the chocolate maker, Geraldine Chaplin as the grandmother, Charles Dance as a Vatican monsignor.

The device of the film (probably too complicated, especially as the screenplay kept moving from one time period to another) is to trace the friendship between two little boys in the first decade of the 20th century, in a religious but increasingly anti-clerical Spain, Manolo and Josemaria. The former was from a rich family, the latter from a lower middle-class family. They clashed, both entered the seminary after school, Manolo leaving, Josemaria staying. Manolo follows his father into business and is then recruited during the war to join the republicans and spy, even having the opportunity to shoot Josemaria at his attempt to go to Andorra. Manolo’s journalist son, in the later decades, is researching a book on Escriva.

As regards an image of priesthood, the portrayal here is of a saint in the making. He is devout, Spanish-style. He gathers lay friends around him and they form the first ‘opus’ community, teaching, living communally, cooking, praying. The bishop is at first wary of giving permission, thinking this kind of holiness was reserved for priests and religious, but is impressed by Josemaria and agrees. However, when the Spanish Civil War breaks out, the social needs are far greater. His growing heroism is illustrated in episdoes: seeing a monk barefoot in the snow and Josemaria emulating him, his not buying shoes but giving the money to an old lady shopping, his flagellation and penance, the questions of whether he should stay in Madrid and his seeing his priest friend shot, his going to silent prayer to discern his decisions, his being hidden in a hole in the wall from the soldiers, the travel to France. It is the cumulative effect of these episodes which Joffe uses to illustrate his ideal priest. This is confirmed in the scene of Manolo’s death when he has a sense of Escriva’s presence.

It is interesting to see this film in the context of the troubles in the priesthood in the preceding forty years which this film alludes to but which Escriva in real life disapproved of.


1. The title? The dragon emblem? Latin? Maps and indications of dangers? The title and the war, individuals, human flaws?

2. The structure of the film: Rome and the story of the saint? The Vatican? Robert and his planning the book? The fast forward to the saint’s death? The initial flashback to Ildiko and her death? The setting of the 1970s and 1980s? Robert’s story, his girlfriend, his father? The father and the flashbacks and his narration? The need for clarity in the story strands? The directions given by the narrative?

3. Robert, his period? The Vatican, the good wishes from the bishop? In London, his base? Madrid and his experience of his father?

4. Manolo’s flashbacks: 1911, 1918, 1928, the Civil War, a 30 year period? Spain and change?

5. Spain and politics, religion, church and clergy? The government, socialist, anti-clerical? The loyalists, fascist ideology? The war and German assistance? The Allies for the Republicans? The outcome of the war?

6. The visualising of the war? The soldiers on each side, ordinary soldiers, volunteers, offices? The republican army? Shootings, bombings, planes? The loyalist mole with the Republicans, the radio contact, giving positions for bombs? The deaths? The siege of Madrid and the devastation? Loyalists hiding? The relentless search by Republicans? Merciless killings? The crossing of the Pyrenees, the weather? Arriving in Andorra? The portrait of the war?

7. The introduction to Robert, as a writer, his relationship with his father, lack of contact, wanting information, the father sending the files? His father’s illness, the visits to the hos the pital, the letter, the revelation of the truth, Ildiko as his mother? His father supporting him, his son’s hatred for him? The final reconciliation, Manolo’s death, the sense of the presence of Jose Maria, the lights?

8. Manolo and Jose Maria as children, playing together, the difference in a families, wealth and middle class, the visit to the chocolate factory, the old man and the test and taste, his teaching them? Jose Maria driving the cart and horse, the danger to the car? The change, alienation between the boys?

9. Each boy with his parents, talking, Manolo and his father, arrogance, the striking workers, being on the winning side? Jose Maria, lower class, the family unity, grandmother and aunts, telling stories?

10. The boys’ choices, both going to the seminary, the training, the taunts sky, their fighting, the rector and his breaking-up the fight, his talking to each boy, their futures? Manolo leaving, like his father? Jose Maria and his staying?

11. Manolo and his career, his being invited to spy? Going to the wall, infiltrating the Republican army, in action, the radio, associate? Oriel and his leadership? Ildiko, from Hungary, fighting, Manolo and his attraction, her being with Oriel, with the other men as consolation in war? The clashes, witnessing the destruction? Ildiko and her pregnancy, rejecting Manolo, the planting of the radio, the discovery, the group attacking her, Orile and his story, prison, love, volunteering to shoot, sacrificing himself? The birth of the child, her leaving the child and continuing to fight? The appeal to surrender, Manolo and the gun, his shooting Ildiko?

12. Jose Maria and his contact with Manolo? Writing each year, no answer? The rosary beads? Manolo’s opportunity to shoot Jose Maria in the mountains? His not doing so? Telling the shooter?

13. Jose Maria and his personality, his family, the bonds, gathering his friends, prayer experiences, developing his spirituality, sanctity for everyone, his explaining his ethos to the bishop, the bishop and his superior attitude towards clerical spirituality, his final approval? A spirituality in the context of Spain, political and religious difficulties, the war? Jose Maria seeing the monk without shoes, his being impressed, his own bare feet? His taking the simple and penitential approach? Flagellation? And his reasons? The gathering of the three, teaching Latin, cooking? The title, Opus Dei? Possibilities for development, clerical and lay spirituality, sanctification in ordinary life? The party, Jose Maria’s not buying new shoes, the gift to the old lady?

14. The war, the group, their decisions, possibilities for mass and confessions? Hiding? The lay clothes? Sitting in the park, hearing confessions, the soldiers wanting identity? The death of Father Lazzaro? Hiding in the house, being shielded by the captain? The decision to leave Spain? Travelling through the mountains, the camp, the prayer experience, decision to go on? Reaching the safety of Andorra?

15. Manolo and his death? The sense of Jose Maria’s presence? Jose Maria, the rosary, Robert and the reconciliation?

16. The mystical experience of the young girl, in the institution, Jose Maria in the institution, the girl, her sense of prophecy, the mountains?

17. The final information about Jose Maria and opus day, his life, work, spirit? Canonisation? The words of John Paul II? 20th century saint? The criticisms of Jose Maria, personality, personal flaws, ambitions, his criticisms of the modern church? The film financed by Opus Dei?

18. An opportunity to witness the life of a saint in his context?