The movie Goya’s Ghosts follows a part of the life of Francisco Goya. The movie shows the struggle in Spain during the Spanish Inquisition and the invasion of Napoleon, but it also follows Goya through his artistic journey and his depiction of the beauty and reality of the world. 

Goya’s Ghosts would be considered a historical epic. A historical epic is a movie that is based on a very important historical event, but adds a story to make it more intriguing to audiences. But the story is one that definitely makes clear references to history while making you laugh. They focus on both individual episodes in Goya’s life but also on those that lived poor, and rich. Goya painted what he saw and never let his vision be squandered by someone because they do not like the real them. 

The movie focuses primarily on the Spanish Inquisition and the invasion of Napoleon. Goya’s art is not the primary focus it seems, and he actually disappears halfway through and his paintings are shown less and less. But his disappearance allows you to get an accurate picture of the war, and the time frame by mentioning the idea of matter and atoms. The movie pays homage to the Protestant faiths, as well as the cruel and demeaning punishment known as “The Question” a form of torture used to interrogate subjects, and the mistreatment of the poor during the Inquisition. 

The movie follows Goya as he paints for the Queen, Lorenzo, and even Ines. He captures the true beauty and innocence of the world as well as the pure ugly and evil. He portrays these dramatics by portraying the evils in an innocent manner. He creates prints that show sacrifices and battles. He also creates prints that show beauty and grace. Francisco is said to be the greatest painter in Spain. He is even remarked for his work after his unfortunate accident of becoming deaf.

Francisco painted true beauty and I believe that there was not enough shown of his work. The focus was mainly on the events around him. However, what bits we did see of his paintings did show the beauty and the pain he painted. He was a great painter and great man. After becoming deaf he was still revered even after he stopped painting. If Francisco would have been more of a fighter he could have made so much change in the world he was surrounded in. He did influence the world with his art, but I believe his words would have influenced more as well. 

The setting in the movie though was well depicted. The scenery stayed in character and era with the movie’s set time. The wigs were represented as they were back in that time period. As well as their dresses and clothes. The walls and background were decorated in a minimal and farm/rustic theme, as per the era. The people even talked as though they were of the time period. The movie had a constant tagline, “Tell me what the truth is.” A movie’s tagline that references telling the truth shows that it keeps close to it. It also points to the kind of man Goya was and how he wanted the truth to be revealed and that’s what he did through his work.

Many times throughout the film you can see how the events happening around Goya might have influenced his works. During one scene early in the movie, one of Goya’s models, Ines, played by Natalie Portman, is being tortured by the Spanish Inquisition. In this scene Ines is seen hanging upside down naked. She is screaming and her facial expressions and body show pure agony. This scene looks extremely familiar to the scenes taking place in some of Goya’s black paintings. Many of the facial expressions portrayed in his black paintings mirrored the facial expressions of Ines during this scene. This scene really helps to push the idea that Goya drew what he saw going on around him. Another scene at the end of the film shows Goya sketching out an execution he witnessed. At this point he has lost his hearing entirely and only has his sight left. Since he cannot hear, his art is based on the things he sees going on around him, such as the political and wartime issues. In this way he is relying on his sight for his art and the movie shows this very well. As he watches the execution, he sketches everything he sees, including the facial expression of the victim. The characters of both Ines and Lorenzo are fictional but their stories reflect real events that occurred during this time that affected Goya. Including these characters helps the viewer to get a better sense of what was going on politically so that they may better understand Goya’s works.

While this film does do a good job of showing how Goya’s emotions and experiences were represented in his paintings, it also includes some inaccuracies. One of these inaccuracies is right at the beginning of the film. The opening scenes show members of the Spanish Inquisition discussing and examining Goya’s “Los Caprichos” etchings. According to the film, this scene takes place in 1792. However, according to art historians, these etchings were not done until 1797 and 1798. They were published as an album in 1799 and were withdrawn from public sale shortly after, only selling 27 copies. They would not have existed at the time that this scene takes place. This is a small mistake that the average person would not notice and it doesn’t really affect the overall plot. However, mistakes like these could affect the overall appeal of a historical film such as this one. 

The film also focuses more on the dramatic storyline of Ines and Brother Lorenzo and ignores or only lightly touches on the life of Francisco Goya. Both Ines and Brother Lorenzo are fictional characters, as is their story. Goya, on the other hand, is very much real and his story and the events of his life are known very well. While this film does choose to show his hearing loss and how that affected him and his art for the rest of his life, there were many other important events that the film could have shown. The film does not show his marriage to Josefa Bayeu or the struggles they went through trying to have a child. The movie doesn’t even choose to show or mention Goya having a wife. It seems to be too busy focusing on the dramatic and made up storyline to touch on this at all. Goya’s character lacks development and he is more of a supporting role in this film. His character gets dragged into the drama that is unfolding in the lives of Brother Lorenzo and Ines. Given that the title of the film is Goya’s Ghosts, you would expect it to focus a bit more on the artist himself and his personal life. However, to make a film that is entertaining for a wider audience, it makes sense to focus more on the dramatic elements of the other characters, and not just on Goya.

While many of the events in the film were fictional, Milos Forman nailed the overall bigger picture. His brutal and violent depiction of the events of the time period are spot on and contribute to the idea that Goya himself, as well as his art, were both very complex. It shows how Goya’s art is a direct reflection of the events happening both in his personal life and in the world around him. Goya’s character aids in the development of the plot of the movie and helps give the viewer a better understanding of his life and his artwork. 

Goya’s Ghosts opening scene is the Holy Office of the church discussing Goya’s work as an artist.  It is described as “disturbing and hideous”.  This scene sets the tone for the remainder of the movie because there are countless scenes that portray these characteristics.  Also, the movie accurately displays the corruption of the church and the frightening events that occurred during the Spanish Acquisition.  Torture and corruption were common themes, although the men did not see it that way, since they referred to torturing people as “The Question.”  The viewers could hear Lorenzo’s shoulders breaking, which caused an uneasy feeling.  Also, prisoners of the Holy Office were bloody and wounded very badly.  However, is it true that that period was very horrific.  The actors’ costumes correctly portrayed that time period, as well as the architecture.  For example, the royal court was shown wearing fancy clothing, while lower class citizens were shown in unpleasant clothing, which would be accurate for that time period.  The background of scenes had Spanish art and small sculptures.  There were paintings displayed in Lorenzo’s office and also throughout the royal’s buildings to set the scene.  

The movie was able to capture some accurate things about the work of Francisco Goya.  Goya painted almost demonic paintings, but also portraits of the royal court.  His more gruesome drawings and paintings make him seem like an artist who wasn’t afraid to step out of the comfort zone.  He was merely observing the true nature of the atrocious events that people endured.  He was also famous for his printmaking.  The director decided to dedicate a scene to the steps of printmaking to demonstrate the careful consideration that factors into each print.  Goya’s portraits of the royal court were also shown throughout the movie, but mainly focuses on his muse, Ines.  Also, Goya drew events that he observed during the French Revolution and even executions.  I found it interesting that the director created a point of view that involved the audience for a short period of time.  For example, when Goya first went completely deaf, two dogs were shown barking, but there was no sound.  It was a peculiar, yet intriguing take on it.  It felt as though the director wanted the audience to experience the same thing Goya was undergoing.  

Although the director names the movie after Goya, he is not the only main character.  The movie depicts several different storylines, which can be hard to follow.  The movie takes on several points of view of the characters such as; Ines, Lorenzo, and Inquisitor General. Each character basically has their own story, which some may find overwhelming.  However, the actors create raw emotion that draws in the audience in.  Natalie Portman did an excellent job portraying Ines after she was released from prison.  Ines was clearly disturbed after all those years in prison, and the movie showed that through the scene when she thought she found her daughter in the tavern.  

Overall, I thought the movie was entertaining to watch.  The actors gave depth to the characters that created an emotional and dramatic film.  I do wish the movie focused a little more on Goya as an artist, since it is titled after him.  In the movie, he acts as more of an observer.  It doesn’t focus much on his life, but the war and people around him.  However, the director purposely focused on that because much of Goya’s work was centered around the people in his life and the events that occurred in history.  The director clearly put thought into this film and created a movie worth watching.  

As conveyed throughout most of the film, Francisco Goya communicated through his artwork in a rather expressive and emotional way. His artistic production seemed to be closely linked to traumas surrounding him, such as the violence stemming from military conflicts of the French and British invasions, the way in which wealth, religion, and power shaped the world around him, and his own struggles with his loss of hearing. Close-ups of some of his most famous prints are featured throughout the film’s opening sequence and end credits, giving the audience a glimpse of his work before the story unfolds and just as it has come to an end. Goya’s artwork then comes to life through the scenes masterfully directed by Milos Forman. Some audience members may be reminded of the artist’s disturbingly beautiful prints when, for example, Goya’s muse, Ines, – played by actress Natalie Portman – is being tortured by the men of the Holy Office, who are more commonly referred to as the Spanish Inquisition. The pain on Ines’s face and her screams of agony and desperate pleas to be released reflect the very way the subjects are portrayed in the dark images produced by Goya – with sheer terror and agony written across their faces. More often than not, the subject matter of Goya’s artwork was rather bleak and the color palette he chose to use was dominated by the color black.

Audience members may also be reminded of Goya’s famous “black paintings” when watching Brother Lorenzo’s trial and death scene. Brother Lorenzo, one of the Inquisition’s priests – played by actor Javier Bardem – is put on trial after the British invasion. This scene is a recreation of one of Goya’s most famous paintings titled The Inquisition Tribunal, produced between 1812 and 1819. The film comes to a dramatic close with the recreation of this piece. Lorenzo is then publicly killed after being begged by members of the church to confess to his many sins. Public forms of torture, such as the one that Brother Lorenzo had to endure, were often the subject matter of Goya’s prints. During this particular scene, Goya is even spotted standing in the crowd with a sketchbook in hand, drawing a disturbing image of the events playing out before his very eyes. And, for Goya, his eyes are all that he has left. The film shows how, over the years, he has gone completely deaf in both ears. Therefore, while his work is being inspired by the horrors he is witnessing around him, it is also being inspired by his own personal health and struggles. Essentially, through imagery, scene production, and character development, director Milos Forman successfully manages to translate an accurate depiction of Goya’s life, art, and the overall effect that the Spanish Inquisition had on his work.

Dialogue plays an important role in a film as remarkable as Goya’s Ghosts. Descriptive dialogue is an art form in itself. The film’s first scene includes many important lines and words that emphasize just how certain people – specifically religious people – responded to Goya’s work. One religious member calls Goya’s prints, “disturbing, demonic filth”. The character of Brother Lorenzo, however, is quick to respond with, “Yes, but these prints show us the true face of our world”, to which the first man then asks, “How can you call these hideous images the true face of our world?” It is rather expected that religious members would be left speechless when examining Goya’s work because of the dark themes featured throughout. One thing that the film may have portrayed incorrectly in this scene, however, was that Goya’s “black paintings” were for sale to the public. History says that the prints were not commissioned and, therefore, not meant for any kind of public exhibition. Therefore, this aspect of the film is slightly fictitious if not completely. When overlooking this historical error, however, dialogue still helps the film to convey an important quality of Goya’s work and life.

Throughout the entirety of Goya’s Ghosts, Milos Forman depicts Francisco Goya as a complex character, which history most definitely proved him to be. Although Forman depicted some aspects of Goya’s life as fictional, the film clearly reflects the life of Goya and provides audiences with a rather accurate depiction of historical events, such as the Spanish Inquisition and French and British invasions. Overall, Goya’s Ghosts is a film that should be seen by all.

Francisco Goya’s artwork consisted of observations portraying his perception of humanity as well as the many atrocities that he witnessed during his life time. The film began by showing various clips of Goya’s sketches that were, according to Lorenzo, an interpretation of humanity. These sketches were viewed by the rest of the church as being demonic, but in reality, they showed how disgusting humanity is. Aside from Goya’s interpretations of humanity were his interpretations of the actions of the church. In the film the church was guilty of torture and unjust actions against those who were not Christian, all of which Goya portrayed in his sketches. When Napoleon took over Spain, they committed many atrocities against the Spanish people such as rape, torture, and unnecessary killings. At this time, Goya was deaf and used his sight as a primary means of taking in information, in which he artistically recorded everything he saw. What was so interesting about how the film portrayed Goya’s work in relation to the film’s storyline, either before or after certain scenes in which brutalities were shown, clips of Goya’s art work were displayed. Records and clips of his art were not limited to his interpretations but other art was shown, such as portraits and wall art, representing the interests of the time period.

As with many artists in 19^th century Spain, Goya relied on commissions from wealthy merchants and religious leaders to paint their portraits. Throughout much of the beginning of the film, Goya was shown painting portraits of royals, merchants, and even Lorenzo who was a religious leader. These portraits were very realistic and naturalistic, as they were representative of who was being painted. Unfortunately for Goya, his commissions were not consistent due to the fact that not everyone paid him for his hard work, because they did not like the painting or for other reasonings. This inconsistent form of income shows how much of a struggle it was for these painters that put their hard work in but did not always receive compensation for such work. Aside from Goya’s work was the work of other unnamed artists throughout the film, particularly in wealthier residences. In the wealthier residences there appeared to be many murals on the walls of their homes, showing idealistic landscapes and natural settings. What also stood out to me was that some of the architecture appeared to emulate ancient Greek and Roman architecture. One particular building had several columns and almost the entire exterior was filled with religious friezes. Both the wall murals and Roman-style architecture reflect what influenced Spanish interest and lifestyle at that time. All of the artwork in this film gives the viewer insight into what that era was like and how art impacted history.

Art works are significant because they not only serve as an interpretation of what the artist is feeling, but also as strong evidence for what the past was like. In Goya’s Ghosts, the portraits created give insight into the dress as well as lifestyle of the wealthy, royals, and religious leaders in Spain. Aside from these portraits, Goya also created sketches of the church and wartime raids which served as visual records for what happened during this time. This film, even though it was based off of a fictional story, was educational in the sense that Francisco Goya’s artwork related to what was going on during his lifetime in Spain prior to and during Napoleon’s reign. I was really shocked to see the actions of the church through his art, and also by his portrayals of Napoleon’s conquest. Overall, I found the film, Goya’s Ghosts to be very captivating and informative on who Francisco Goya was and how his art works represented 19^th century Spain, a period of history that I was previously unaware of.