NZIFF Film Review: "While at War" ("Mientras dure la guerra") (2019).

"Sometimes silence is the worst lie" in While at War (Mientras dure la guerra). This Spanish historical drama film directed by Alejandro Amenábar and co-written by Amenábar and

Alejandro Hernández. Set in the first months of the Spanish Civil War, this riveting and timely chamber drama tracks the country’s slide into nearly four decades of fascism under dictator Francisco Franco.

By late May 2018, Karra Elejalde, Eduard Fernández, Santi Prego, Nathalie Poza, Luis Bermejo, Mireia Rey, Tito Valverde, Luis Callejo, Pep Tosar, and Miquel García Borda were cast. At the same, principal photography commenced and took place in Castilla y León, Biscay and Madrid, Spain. An important part of the movie is set in the town of Salamanca, being the Main or Major Square (Plaza Mayor) widely relevant. It was actually shot in that very square, although the vegetation shown had to be added as in the moment of shooting the square had none. On September 6, 2019, the film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The Plataforma Patriótica Millán-Astray, an organization of veterans of the Spanish Legion, accused the script writers of plagiarism of the 1941 work Unamuno's Last Lecture by Luis Portillo, a text the organization claims is defamatory towards José Millán-Astray, founder of the Spanish Legion. The accusation was based on the content of the official trailers. The organization demanded the public funds received for the making of the film be returned.

The film stars Elejalde, Fernández, Prego, Poza, Bermejo, Rey, Valverde, Callejo, Tosar, and Borda. The acting in the film is superb, especially by Elejalde, who richly deserved the notoriety that he has received.

A humourless historical political drama that fascinates with its intelligence and its abhorrence of the birth of Spanish nationalist culture. The film is intelligent, stirring and, as the cultural devastation wrought by political zealots plays out on screen, heartbreaking. Ambitious, sprawling and melodramatic, this historical political drama lacks subtlety and struggles to provide much charm - ultimately dissolving into a rather obvious morality tale about the rise of Spanish nationalism. The film could have been a powerfully subversive political film, but while it does have its moments it never truly lives up to its ambitious potential. Amenábar creates a palpable sense of place and never strays too far from his duty to stage big, sense-filling set pieces. Well researched, and anchored by Elejalde's impressive lead performance, this is a fascinating film that avoids the Hollywood route. A contentious piece of history in which we see how the most primitive aspects of fundamental religious beliefs drove public life and generated hatreds. Although the film's history is spotty, its dialogue is sometimes clunky, and time frames are telescoped, its overall impact packs a powerful punch. An interesting but often frustrating effort by the director of The Sea Inside, who proves that ambition and talent aren't enough to ensure a compelling drama. It's still more than watchable thanks to the ministrations of talented Spanish director Amenábar, but the politics seem to have brought out the stiff, declamatory earnestness in everyone.

Simon says While at War (Mientras dure la guerra) receives:

Also, see my NZIFF review for Kubrick by Kubrick.