A Glimpse of Roland Joffe’s war epic, “There Be Dragons [2011]”
CAUTION: NO DRAGONS were hurt during the production of this film or the construction of this review.
This is not a tale about castles and princesses, valiant knights or oversized ponies. It’s not even about vampires, diabolical villains or their cronies, nor is it situated in medieval dungeons or as the title suggests, about dragons. But this movie does stray from the norm. It backs up a bit (about 70 years ago, into the Spanish civil war) and takes us over uncultivated, uncharted territory filled with atrocities as beastly as fire-breathing, untamed dragons.
A few tips I’m pretty sure this one was never on your “movie radar,” so don’t expect too much – this is not your usual boom and “bling” movie. Keep away from the “critics” and refrain from asking people how they liked the movie. Stop being a skeptic because you don’t need the opinion of others to make it a good film – give it a chance, what’ve you got to lose? Don’t watch it alone. Who will listen to you and comfort you as you rant about how you hate the movie or wake you up during the good parts when you doze off unintentionally? But seriously, movies are simply meant to be enjoyed with a friend.
As you watch, stop nitpicking – noticing things like “mysterious prop disappearances” or “fashion dysfunctions” would just ruin the experience. You can watch the film a countless number of times, but the first sit-down will always be the last, so make it count! Try to appreciate it – films, good or bad, require a whole lot of effort and hardwork. Before you begin putting it down, ask yourself, “Can I do better?” Finally, reflect – spend some time to take it in, and digest what you have just witnessed. Some moral values may be rehashed and implied over and again, but it is always a pleasant reminder.
An eventual meeting Losing three younger sisters at a very young age isn’t just heavy – it’s HEA-VY.
After supper, the boy stood up, threw his dinner plate against the wall, and bolted at his mother saying, “Do you hate God now, mom?!” “No, son. I love him, more than ever,” his mom replied. One wouldn’t have expected that child to have been Josemaria Escriva, a recently canonized saint recognized by Pope John Paul II as the “saint of ordinary life.” As childhood friends, Josemaria Escriva and Manolo Torres, after having attended the same seminary, eventually came to a crossroads during the Spanish civil war. Escriva embarks on a path to sanctity, and Manolo is swept up in a life filled with confusion, betrayal, hate, jealousy and revenge.
Inspired by Oscar Wilde’s famous quote, “Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future,” Roland Joffe, the writer, director and self-proclaimed agnostic, comes up with a talented mix, taking real sequences from the life of Josemaria Escriva and adding a fictional yet rewarding interpretation of the troubled life of Manolo Torres. As they go their own ways, they will never meet again, and are only barely connected by Escriva’s annual letters to Manolo, as they both endure and struggle in times of suffering where chaos and destruction was everywhere.
Living parallel lives, they will eventually meet at another moment, a brief one, where the aged Manolo, full of self-pity, reminisces about what he has done in his life. Inspired by the apparition of the young Josemaria at his death bed, he liberates himself from the bondage of guilt and resentment by forgiving himself, because “when you forgive, you set someone free: yourself!” Consequences of War Rubble. Guilt. Confusion. Regret.
Death. Heroes – rising from the slums, and invigorated by their willingness to die for others, where “there be dragons.” There may not be any actual dragons in this movie, but it triumphs in its conquest of the inner and outer differences in man, the taming of “dragons.” Remember the dragons from Braveheart, Shrek, and How to Train your Dragon? They were only misunderstood! When man finally opens up his heart, he learns a value more important than being fearful of them, or being consumed by revenge: he learns to live with them.
Awe-inspiring and thought-provoking, the movie provides a whole new perspective on daily and ordinary life.
Escriva’s example emphasizes the importance of making life, rather than “making a living.” He describes the importance of the inner battle over the little things of every day, because love makes something great out of little things, and for “there to be dragons,” one must be always vigilant.
Teen director Charles (from Super 8) shouts: “Production value!” while they’re filming a scene, as an unexpected train passes by, improving, even slightly, the technical quality of his amateur movie. As consumers of mainstream audio-visual entertainment like myself, people are often swayed by the sheer grandeur of movies today, neglecting real production value – values that we can take home from those movies which inspire and re-inspire lives.
There be Dragons, regardless of failing to attract more viewers than it should have and to break-even, has succeeded in delivering its message and in leaving a mark on the hearts of its audiences. I invite you all to watch this movie!
Jose Arvin Miranda
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