Goya's Ghosts

The master made an error. A mushy and calculated screenplay, which tries to play at intellectual construction, completely soulless characters (only faint reflections of Forman’s former brilliance in a small character drawing), and a protruding to almost stale directing concept (especially the crowd scenes evoke cheap television productions). Goya is something like product placement – his name stands out nicely, but we can only dream that this is any sort of speculative psychology of genius, albeit simple but lively (Amadeus!). Milking emotions with Natalie Portman's grandma mask and Javier Bardem's satanic frown is not worthy of one of the greatest directors of recent decades. It truly isn’t. This is Forman’s first great mistake. (03/03/2010)

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. (02/22/2007)

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. (02/25/2016)

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. (05/08/2011)

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. (02/15/2007)