THE QUEEN OF SPAIN

Spain, 2017, 128 minutes, Colour.
Penelope Cruz, Antonio Resines, Chino Darin, Javier Camara, Jorge Sans, Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Clive Revill, Loles Leon, Neus Assensi.
Directed by Fernando Trueba.

This kind of film is usually described as a romp, with words to describe it like “rollicking�!

This is an ambitious production, written and directed by Fernando Trueba, Oscar-winner for Best Foreign Language Film, La Belle Epoque, 1992. At first, the title could refer to Queen Isabella of Spain and her rule, and dominance, in the late 15th century. However, there is a strong focus on a glamorous Spanish actress who goes to Hollywood, marries a prominent producer, divorces, is seen as a star, returns to Spain for the filming of The Queen of Spain – but it is the actress who is, of course, the Queen of Spain.

The setting is the late 1940s into the early 1950s. The film is very helpful in offering an initial collage of scenes showing the experience of Spain from the Civil War, the emergence of General Franco, Spain’s role during World War II, the end of the war, the Franco era and the sense of control, even repression. Part of the collage is showing the glamour of Hollywood in the 1940s, star popularity, the fans and gossip, the popularity of the movies.

Penelope Cruz is the star, the queen. She gets the start treatment from the press, from the American producers – the filming of the film within the film has American money, something Franco Spain is happy to accept. There is an American director played by Clive Revill who is generally asleep, wakened to say action or cut, something of a parody on John Ford. Mandy Patinkin is the writer, doing hack work because he has been blacklisted during the Mc Carthy era. There is an American actor, Cary Elwes, playing Ferdinand, quite a camp character and, self-important.

There is a range of characters, some oddball, who are part of the Spanish set – but who have an important role in the latter part of the film, eccentricities and all. There is the costume designer, married to a homosexual head of Department; there is a Spanish actor who has seen better days, who is to play the Moorish king, but has hopes of an invitation to Hollywood; there is Trini, the stars personal assistant – not afraid to spread the gossip; and there is the assistant director, played by Javier Camara, frequently in Almodovar films, serious in his work and managing things so that all goes well.

There is a serious tone when a former director who has been missing for many years turns up, welcome back even though everybody thought he was dead – but was in a concentration camp. He is given work has second unit director and seems ready for a comeback when his suddenly arrested, disappears to a working site were an enormous cross is being erected out of stone in memory of the recent past. He is the target of this attempts on his life.

This all comes together in a plot initiated by the star, and aided by one of the young technicians whom she has seduced, to get the motley troop to affect and escape for the prisoner. This is where the film becomes particularly rollicking, the plan, the execution, using the filming of soldiers on horseback, with the star disguised as one, extricating the prisoner and eluding the authorities to get him out of Spain. A happy blend of humour and excitement.

Plenty of characters, plenty of ingredients, scenes from the actual film – including an extraordinary insertion of Queen Isabella singing the contemporary song, Granada, roaming the battlements!

At the end, Generalissimo Franco decides to visit the set, keeping the Americans and they trying to keep in favour of Spain. While the film has been very anti-Franco, it is a scene where the star, now an American citizen, his father was killed in one Franco’s prisons, speaks out a defiance against fascism.

A movie movie, so to speak, with a great deal of humour, with a great deal of gossip, and many serious undertones.

1. The title, the 20th-century story, the making of the film? About Queen Isabella? A contemporary actress as a contemporary Queen of Spain?

2. The lavish production values, costumes and decor, re-creation of period? The US and Hollywood, Spain and the studios, the countryside? Prisoners, the camp for making the giant cross? The escape episodes? The musical score?

3. The film as rollicking, a romp? Its tone, satire and spoof, the use of caricatures, camp dialogue, Hollywood gossip..?

4. The cast, Penelope Cruz, the Spanish cast, the international cast?

5. The prologue and the collage essay on Spain from the time of the Civil War, Franco, into the 1940s, Hitler, the Allies, the end of the war? The Franco era? Repression? The movies, Hollywood, glamour, marriages and divorce? The glitzy tone and glamour?

6. Spain, in the late 40s and early 1950s, the Spanish film industry, production, American investment? Developing a sense of history? The stars, the ambitions of the Spanish cast? Franco and his officials supervising film, but wanting American money? The American producers and their presence, deals, the writer and his having to do hack work, the director always asleep – and the parody of John Ford? The American star and his camp style? The American attitudes toward Spain? The locals, especially the assistant director and his role, his concern, efficiency, technical skills?

7. Macarena, her return to Spain, the plane journey, press conference and her platitudes? The presence of Trini, her manner, style, gossip, protecting Macarena – but telling all about the gossip? Macarena as an American citizen, and marriages and divorce, the affairs, her promiscuous behaviour, eyeing of Leo, seductive? Her manner? Her career, filming, wanting to understand her character better, the discussions with the writer? The reappearance of Fontiveres, her past relationship with him? Leo, working on the set, the sexual invitation, hitting him as well? The scenes of narrative and her manner as Queen Isabella? And the singing of Grenada?

8. Fontiveres, sudden appearance, his age, bearing, everybody’s reactions, happy memories of him, his past and his skills, his wife and her astonishment? The daughter’s wedding and her not wanting him to be present? His being in the concentration camp? The friends, welcoming back, the reaction, the producer giving him the second unit direction and his success with the action shots? The police, his disappearing, in prison, the building of the statue, hard labour, working with his friends, the police and the orders to kill him, the building collapse and his injuries? Macarena’s visit, pretending to be his daughter, his amorous response? Going to the mine, the further collapse, the setup for his death? The plan for his escape, being ready, the collaboration, his being picked up, changing his clothes, in the van? The vans to Barcelona, Rosa and her performance and Fontiveres responding, their not being taken?

9. The Fontiveres action, uniting the mixed group, their political views, interest in their careers, participating? Leo, his ideas and participation? The writer and the background of his being in the Civil War, being blacklisted by Senator Mc Carthy?

10. The ensemble, Lucia and her work, costumes, marrying the homosexual, and lesbianism, trying with Macarena? The homosexual man, his camp manner, eyeing the men, floating? Prim manner? Julian, self-importance, his roles, the Moorish king, hopes for Hollywood, the discussions with the American actor, the sexual humiliation? His explanation of how he was able to weep on cue? The offer for the American Pirate film with Errol Flynn? Rosa, touring South America, age, her role as the Moorish mother? Performing in the theatre? The solution for getting Fontiveres to Barcelona and to the French border? Fontiveres’ wife, the shock, not want him at the wedding, visiting Macarena, persuading her to visit her husband in prison?

11. The writer, sensible, taking over the direction, the black list? His wanting to be in on the escape? The producer and the money issues? The parody with the director, asleep, saying the official words? Attracted to Macarena? A parody of John Ford – even to the eyepatch?

12. The assistant director, earnest, his skills, getting the riders in action…?

13. The escape plan and its execution, Macarena and Leo dressed as soldiers, Julian as Moorish but riding in? Everybody with their task, the bike, the van, the change of clothes, the phone calls and Trini breaking the code? The police holding them up, getting through?

14. The American actor, self-importance, camp, sexual, eyeing Julian, the cuffs and the torture roller, the sexual experience and his later comments?

15. The film itself, the style of epics of the 1950s – touch of history and corniness, and the singing of Jews?

16. Franco coming to the set, meeting everyone, his meeting Macarena and her defying him?