Goyas Geister

An ambitious subject rendered in the form of a disjointed and confused television farce. The only positive aspect here is the high-quality actors. (23.01.2007)

I don't question the message and the strong idea Forman was trying to get across. I will make an odd analogy: while a film such an Amadeus is like a roasted turkey with delicate stuffing, crispy fried potatoes and a hearty vegetable garnish, accompanied a Sauvignon Blanc vintage 2004, Goya's Ghosts evokes a toast with garlic and a glass of sparkling mineral water. Nothing wrong with that, it will fill you up, but with a different end result for your taste buds :) (09.03.2008)

Against the backdrop of the shadowy side of modern Spanish history, Forman once again delivers his spectacular play. It is stunning with its sets, costumes, and, last but not least, an amazing atmosphere that breathes life into Goya's cruelly pessimistic paintings, worth experiencing for 120 minutes. The acting trio works perfectly with the director in their brilliantly acted parts. Stellan Skarsgård IS a Goya, Natalie is great like never before (and it's not just about getting naked here, as subliminal marketing everywhere proclaims), and Javier Bardem's mesmerizing demon literally destroys the screen with his performance. Forman is back in full force after seven years, once again mixing his genres properly, resulting in a stylish spectacle that may not grab you immediately, but resonates all the more when the credits roll. (15.02.2007)

Großer Fehltritt des Meisters. Ein breiiges sowie durchkalkuliertes Szenario, dem eine edlen intellektuelle Konstruktion aus den Schuhen wie der Stroh beim hinterletzten Hillbilly durchschimmert, vollends seelenlose Charaktere (lediglich schwache Reflexionen von Formans früherer Brillanz in einer kleinen Charakterzeichnung), die Regiekonzeption ist quasi verwittert bis hin zu miefig (insbesondere die Massenszenen, welche an eine billige Fernsehproduktion erinnern). Goyas Geister ist hier ein Streifen in etwa im Sinne eines Product Placement - der Name sieht gut aus, jedoch von einer spekulativen Psychologie des Genies können wir nur träumen. Dies mag zwar einfach sein, dafür ist sie jedoch lebhaft (Amadeus!). Das Ausschlachten von Emotionen mit Natalie Portmans weiberartigen Maske und Javier Bardems satanischem Stirnrunzeln ist eines größten Regisseure der letzten Jahrzehnte nicht würdig. Wirklich nicht, Formans erster großer Fehler. (03.03.2010)

As a TV production - okay, but as a full-blooded work by one of the best directors in the world? The sad, mediocre result stems from the miserable visuals, actors with almost nothing to act and primarily the dumb screenplay. This is made up of two absolutely disconnected parts, neither of which holds any water. The topic itself isn’t bad and the painter Goya, the Spanish Inquisition and the Napoleonic era certainly all have potential, but are absolutely unexploited. In the end, the movie contained something of all of the above, but together the result is nothing. Maybe Forman found himself forced to do a lot of cutting, but in that case the better half of the movie ended up on the cutting room floor. Let’s hope that they’ll release a director’s cut sometime. Overall it lacks energy (apart from two or three scenes) and staying power. The character of Goya is absolutely superfluous for the movie and so the only over-average element here is the soundtrack by Varhan Bauer. So the most powerful part of Goya’s Ghosts are the ending credits, when the camera gives us close-ups of details of Goya’s canvases and the orchestra starts to play full on. (02.02.2007)

Forget about the nobility of Valmont or the grandeur of Amadeo, this time the viewer is not enough to stare at how harsh it actually looked back then. Even to me, Goya as a whole appears so depressingly that I dare to say that I never want to see it again, because I probably wouldn't endure watching Natalie Portman on the torture rack a second time. And I say this despite the fact that for me, this film is undeniably high-quality, with excellent actors, a great script, and impressive music, and those two hours flew by without me even blinking. The only criticism, in the end, still belongs to Forman and is directed towards the final scene. This "song of death" is everything but impressive and chilling, which is a terrible shame compared to the previous plot. (22.02.2007)

Goya's Ghosts was preceded by the reputation of a somewhat unfinished film, which, fortunately, in my opinion, was not the case. Only Forman's style, which focuses on human individuality, changed this time when Forman, for a change, directed not the role of a personality in human history, but the influence of history on the fate of an individual. Each character had their own clearly defined life and career when history and a stroke of luck intervened, and the conservative ecclesiastical dignitary Lorenzo became an enthusiastic supporter of the French Revolution and a prosecutor of the French Republic. Forman was probably inspired by the fate of Napoleon's prominent collaborator, the head of the secret service, Fouché, who rose from the position of a priest to become one of the most powerful government officials, despite his position as a Jacobin radical, only to betray his benefactor at the end of his career. A young noblewoman, on the other hand, awaits an arranged marriage and a carefree life in luxury, but one chance encounter with inquisition agents and a small misunderstanding leads to a brutal twist and suffering. The titular character represents a mere connecting element and does not play a significant role in the film. This confusion may be the cause of why some film fans have a little trouble accepting Goya's Ghosts. Otherwise, it is a perfectly acted and decently directed film that ranks among Forman's better films. Overall impression: 80%. (11.03.2012)

In his typical masterful way, the best Czech director portrays the hard reality of the French Revolution and the hardships of ordinary people and, with the support of excellent actors, especially in the first act, he manages to draw the viewer into a promising story without any problems. But gradually, Forman runs out of breath, the plot becomes terribly weak and unfinished for such an ambitious film, and the end comes out of the blue and without much emotion. Yes, I learned about the uncompromising methods of the Inquisition of the time, but that doesn't make Goya's Ghosts an above-average drama. (08.05.2011)

This movie didn't affect me as much in the cinema, before those already ten years ago, as I thought it would, but over the years I see that the criticism, not only of the church but primarily of humanity, is simply functional and shows the monstrosity that lies hidden within us and that surfaces if we are given the opportunity and if we allow evil to prevail. (25.02.2016)