Lorca - Mord an der Freiheit

Some of the other commentators could be right: this film might not be totally accurate, historically speaking. But than again, it is a film. And it does portray the life & death of this astonishing Poet & Playwright & Person, FEDERICO GARCIA LORCA, very well.

The film has two story lines, and the second (or first ?) obscures the attention for the Man of the Title every now and then. But the film keeps the viewer on edge, it is intriguing and in a way very exciting.

Andy Garcia has not been better in years, and the cabby has always been a miraculous actor. Others are very well too, so this film must be well directed.

Every individual who is caught by the story, and is getting interested in Lorca, is an asset to this film. And who knows, maybe we all start to read his beautiful work again in great numbers.

The film is very beautifully shot. For those who are intrigued by Lorca and want to know more: please buy his work, but also: there is the other film on his death. 'LORCA, MUERTE DE UN POETA' of '87 (you could check out my comment on that one too..). Available on DVD thanks to the lovely Suevia Films-label, in Spanish but with English subtitles, and on the 'net' available at the Spanish Barnes & Noble, El Corte Ingles. This film is less glamorous than THE DISAPPEARANCE..., yet breathtakingly beautiful, and airs a bit more (in an unobtrusive way) of Lorca's poetry.

Watch both these films, you won't be disappointed ! Might even send you looking for some fabulous books !!

Like the very mixed reviews one finds here, this movie struck me as a curious mix of bad, clunky acting and directing and poignant, even haunting , moments. It's as if the movie had a talented script writer and poor director...but probably vice versa. The basic story line - a young fan returns decades later to try to discover the truth of Lorca's death - is artificial and implausible,while the depiction of the violence and ambiguities of Spanish Civil War is most effective.I watched it with interest, while at times I couldn't imagine how such a bad scene could have made on film in an apparently serious movie. Overall worth watching but be forewarned....

Though the costumes are nice, the movie is just too slow and muddled. I never get the feeling of Lorca's greatness from Garcia's acting. James Olmos is adequate, but not much else helps this to be a gripping story. I wanted to know a lot more about why Lorca was chosen to die. I don't think that the writers or directors put this across well.

I did not find this movie interesting at all, and I will try to give my reasons: firstly the movie was totally miscast. Ask anybody familiar with Spanish literature, and you will be told that Andy Garcia is quite unconvincing as that giant Garcia Lorca , for instance when reciting the fanmous "Death at 5 o'clock".The other personages don't do any better.Secondly, poor directing has turned it into a B,pseudo film noir, rather than a serious political thriller, and last but not least,since I saw it in the mutilated TV size Video I missed much of supposedly good cinematography.I hope somebody sometime will make a more dramatic film about the life of this great human being.

I didn't know much about Garcia Lorca or Spanish history; I was interested in this movie just because some of my favorite actors are in it.

The plot itself is not very intriguing, and the main character can hardly keep one's interest to keep on watching. But I'm glad I saw the film because of its incredible camera work. Most of the scenes were so beautifully lit and filmed that I could not get my eyes off the screen.

So, if you're interested in Spanish history or Garcia Lorca, this is a must. If you like to see films with excellent camera work, this is also a must.

For everyone else: forget it.

All in all: 6 out of 10.