The Saragossa Manuscript

The subplot within a subplot within a subplot isa little confusing at times but added a wonderful texture to the film and also embalmes the hilarity of the whole thing. Despite the subject matter the film is very lighthearted and the wit is as sharp as their swords and far more subtle. There are some killer lines in here, very funny indeed. Loved the whole retinue of larger than life characters, there were some right ragamuffins among that lot and easy to love them all! Alfonso's father apologising for having taken the other's time after being stabbed through the heart in a duel and the inquisition complaining about the 'noisy sinner' before clobbering him with a image of the Virgin Mary. Quite cleverly written too. Still not really sure what the film was about, at least what the end meant, and do wonder if it was deliberately ambiguous because the 'it was all a dream' thread would be a little cliche yet the film does hint at that slightly. I didn't really have any idea what to expect but hard to categorise the film, I'd put it as a comedy-adventure-fantasy. Perhaps the whole thing was a satire about the farcical nature of religion in a subdued nod to Voltaire's Candide, or perhaps highlighting the mystical edge that Islam sometimes has compared to the rigid collar (or iron mask!) of Christianity. It was long at nearly three hours but liked the two parts - funny all the way through but certainly things did get denser in the second part. I will give it nice eight out of ten, in a way I feel it's a little over generous but am happy to confess it is because of a subjective soft spot for that sort of subtle intelligent farcical wit.

"I'm confused. I don't know where reality ends and fantasy begins." "You mean poetry?" Stories create more stories. Everything tied together in one massive, twisted knot of drama, humor, love, loss, possibility, and surrealism. Conventional plot is tossed out the window in pursuit of this playful, maddening interconnectedness. Just when you believe that we have arrived at some form of progression, the narrative totally veers in Part 2, diving into a seemingly unrelated heap of stories within stories loaded with symbolism, imaginative imagery, crossed wires, and multi-role performances that each provide context to one another, but only with a sense of delayed gratification. All I want is more surreal, supernatural period pieces that focus on character development to drive the plot and require multiple viewings to fully comprehend. Is that very particular request too much to ask? (5/5)

This truly fits the "lost masterpiece" category - an enchanting, engrossing riddle of a film, weaving stories within stories until you have no idea what is "real" and what just a fantasy or magic spell. Its 3-hour running time flew by and at the end I wished there was more. A brilliant and unique film.

The Saragossa Manuscript is a very interesting film displaying a tour de force of complex narratives, story within the story and time warp. Definitely a black & white classic from the 60's , this wonderfully shot, acted and directed film is hard to classify. Mixing slapstick, grotesque, surrealism, esoteric, dreaming and swashbuckling sequences, this "head trip" experience should prove to be quite a journey for the audience. I highly recommend multiple viewings to fully understand the complexity of the plots and narratives but also to fully absorb the many baroque elements spread across the screen. A must see for any film buff out there.

Filled with beautiful symbolism. As poetic as Wojciech Has seems to always be.

Watch out for those evil women yo

A baroque labyrinth of embedded tales that eventually tie together. (I think. I lost track of some of them.) Witty, funny, and beautifully shot. It goes on a bit too long, perhaps, and we've grown tired of tracking the story layering exercise well before it comes to a close. Sadly, the 2K digital restoration making the rounds in the program "Martin Scorsese Presents: Masterpieces of Polish Cinema" is a mediocre digital file with image quality better than a DVD, but not as good as a Blu-ray. Which is really too bad, this movie was probably stunning when shown on film.

A masterpiece of misdirection, hugely influential on Bunuel. Must-see. (This film, BTW, is from 1965, not 1999.)

The metaphysics of Don Quixote and Escher meet in the Twilight Zone... A sophisticated film brimming with mystical and occult elements--Every visually literate person should experience this... A genre piece in a genre of its own!!

Friday, April 12, 2013 (1965) The Saragossa Manuscript (In Spanish with English subtitles) More than 2 hours long full of many analogies, which takes place during the Spanish revolution. One of the military men stumble onto a book and immediately he's glued to it, and the resistance fighters then break in with one of it's leaders finding himself being captivated by the book as well called the "Saragossa Manuscript" who alongside with the enemy both of them being involved with the book. the movie then fgoes into deep retelling of many mythical folk stories, some of them are in relation to the resistence leader who's doing the fighting. It is just a set-up for one of many somewhat morbid adventures of a particular person who happns to visit witches and ghosts. 3 out of 4 stars