Begin the Beguine film, an old Oscar-winning name, is a depiction of a pivotal moment in a man’s final year of life, but the premise and central performance are strong enough to weather its relatively short run and the film must be commended for refusing to use flashbacks. The article below will partially show you more about this.
Overview of Begin the Beguine film
Directed by: José Luis Garci
Written by: José Luis Garci, Ángel Llorente
Starring: Antonio Ferrandis, Encarna Paso, José Bódalo, Agustín González.
Written by: Peter Berry
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Summary of the Begin the Beguine film
The film revolves around the life of Antonio Albajara. He is a famous writer and a lover of letters. He was a Spaniard, but he was an opponent of the Franco Regime so he fled Spain in 1938, and spent about forty years writing and teaching in the United States. It was not until Generalissimo Francisco Franco died in 1975 and in 1981, after receiving the Nobel Prize for literature in Switzerland, that Antonio returned to Spain. He goes to his old hometown, the seaport of Gijón, and searches for an old friend from his youth, as well as his ex-girlfriend Elena. Antonio has a secret he shared with his schoolmates but not with Elena: he was dying of cancer.
Begin the Beguine movie review
Like most of Garcí’s work, Begin the Beguine film is deeply emotional. Pachelbel’s Canon in D major opens the film, when Albajara sees Gijón for the first time in more than 40 years, and summarizing this and Cole Porter’s famous classic is thickly placed throughout the length of the film. . Interestingly, Garci made the same argument about another of his first films, El crack dos, in a recent podcast.
But how does this movie have a different plot from other movies? The key to the film’s success is its unyielding sentimentality. This is thanks to Garci’s balancing act that he has achieved, allowing his characters to remember the past gently while living fully in the present. Nostalgia is added by Albajara’s illness, which ensures that his and Elena’s new love has no long-term future, and this tragic note echoes throughout the film. This comes especially during a moving scene featuring Albajara and his friend Roxy (played by José Bódalo), in which the two characters discuss critically the diagnosis of Antonio’s grave.
Apparently, the reason for the detour was not so much to see the city of his youth but to see the girl of his youth, Elena. However, what happens between them is nothing more than scene after scene of flashback, and the emotional connection is at best superficial. Perhaps more than that because of a well-kept secret.
This secret is the real reason Albajara returns to Gijón, and it involves him knowing that this will be his last chance to see the city and the streets that he wrote about in the novel. himself, and above all to relive his youthful romance with Elena. To protect Elena from the devastating news, he keeps his impending release from the bondage of existence to himself a secret and instead chooses to make the reunion a happy one. , as well as for Elena’s sake. This decision, conceivably, though it may be, has not been explored in any detail and is ultimately well-founded. This is perfectly acceptable if the foreground is interesting on its own, but it’s not.
Our attention usually goes to Losada, the funny but kind manager of the hotel where Albajara is staying. It feels like every scene with him is in another movie because acting too much is sometimes unbearable and compromises the sincerity and realism we like to ascribe to our interactions. Albajar.
We know that Albajara not only dumped his girlfriend but also had a promising career as one of the best quarterbacks the town has ever seen, let’s not forget his best friend, “Redhead.” (Roxy), with whom he shares a beautiful, tender scene in the middle of the movie. Unfortunately, none of these events have been taken seriously or received the elaboration they deserve.
Begin the Beguine is warm and utterly likable. The main reason for this is Antonio Ferrandis’ quiet, quiet performance in the lead role, the character is a wise old man who made peace with the world and is now making peace with the past before he had to face an uncertain future. Another reason is a great scene in which the writer talks to King Juan Carlos I on the phone.
There is also an almost reverent tone applied to the democratic transition that was said to be still underway when the Begin the Beguine film was made (1981). This is evidenced in the conversation Albajara conducted with the-King Juan Carlos, who called the writer to congratulate him on receiving the Nobel Prize.
Albajara’s tribute to the King, in which he praised Juan Carlos during a phone call, was a sign of the high respect the king held at the time. This makes a big impression on modern viewers, knowing about the former King’s abdication and recent exile. Sadly this scene is never believable, as Pedro Ruiz’s portrayal of the King is not entirely true. However, it allows viewers to see more of Agustín Gonzalez’s comic-acting talent.
Overall, through Begin the Beguine film review, we can see the movie has a different plot from other movies. The film is about a person who has made peace with the world and is now making peace with the past before facing an uncertain future. It’s really great and has a human meaning. If you want to watch similar genres, please join us in Spanish Language Movies.
