Don Juan (1950)

Great Film overall

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Freely based on José Zorrilla play, the film tells the story of Don Juan, a braggart, lover, seducer and swashbuckling ladies man who spends his life conquering women in Venice. When he receives a royal forgiveness due to his dying father appeals, he returns to Spain only to claim for his heritage and continue with his dissipated way of life. *Spoiler* But things change when he meets Doña Inés, the daughter of the local commander and falls for her, leading to his final redemption. *End of Spoiler* Unusually well done Spanish production that benefits itself from nice acting performances and a witty dialogue script by Carlos Blanco and the director himself. Antonio Vilar stars as Don Juan Tenorio. This Portuguese actor began working as a newspaperman and had a long career in Spanish post-war cinema although probably never could hear his own voice, as due to his strong Portuguese accent, he have always had his voice dubbed to Spanish. His most remembered part was in Spanish film "El Judas". Enric Guitart, famous Catalan theatre actor, does an excellent job as Don Juan's rival Don Luis Mejía. María Rosa Salgado plays the role of Doña Inés in a proper sweet and candid way and French actress Annabella *Spoiler* plays a not-so-cynical as she pretends English lady who finally falls for Don Juan. *End of spoiler* Overall a nice and entertaining adventure film that runs faster than its 124 minutes long and that deserves a better consideration. Well worth a view.

Film inspired on the character from "Don Juan Tenorio" , as Don Juan (Antonio Vilar) devotes his life to seduce girls , taking great pride in his ability to conquer women of all ages and stations in life . "What a long term you are giving me!" (Que Largo Me Lo Fiaís) is the aphorism that Don Juan lives by . His seductive lifestyle brings with it all the faces in the world , and its tremor comes from the fact that it knows itself to be mortal . Don Juan , chased by the Justice , is finally pardoned and goes back to his natal city , Seville , leaving Venice . While he sails aboard a galleon , Don Juan meets a beautiful woman Lady Ontiveras (Annabella) who falls for him . Shortly after , he arrives in Sevilla and learns his father has died and has left two conditions to inherit his valuable inheritance : to lead an honorable existence and marry the virtuous Doña Inés (Maria Rosa Salgado) . The womanizer Don Juan helped by his servant (Jose Ramón Giner) will not hesitate to figure out a scheme to get the money , while he goes on seducing women (Maria Asquerino , Mary Lamar) , Don Juan even disguised himself , as an executioner , and used other identities in order to seduce females as he pleased . Along the way encountering : confrontation , duels and rivals . He will not hesitate either to make love and lie to the beauty Inés , who attempts to remain chaste until marriage . He fights various contenders (Mario Berriatua , Manolo Morán) and kills Don Gonzalo (Santiago Rivero) , the father of the woman he has seduced . However , he finally repents of all his wrongdoings .|Freely based on Tirso De Molina and José Zorrilla plays : ¨El Burlador De Sevilla¨ and ¨Don Juan Tenorio¨ and screenplay by the prestigious Carlos Blanco and the same director , here Don Juan is portrayed as a rogue libertine , a shapeshifter who has to eventually pay for his sins . He is a very interesting character , compound of Cruelty and Lust . Writer Tirso reminds us that we must pay for our actions , and that in the end, death makes us all equal . Tirso's original play was meant as religious parable against Don Juan's sinful ways , and similarly to this film , he ends tragically . At the end Don Juan regrets himself , because he believed that in the final , as long as he repented before he died , he would receive the grace to enter heaven . The film is full of love stories , seduction , duels , spectacular sword-play and undoubtedly has his sensuous moments . Antonio Vilar gives a passable acting , and the support cast is frankly excellent , such as : Enrique Guitart , Fernando Fernández De Córdoba , Mary Lamar , Manolo Moran , Maria Asquerino , Nicolás Perchicot , Santiago Rivero , Rafael Bardem , Beni Deus , Joaquin Roa , and several others . It displays an evocative musical score by Manuel Parada . And an atmospheric cinematography in black and white by Alfredo Fraile . The motion picture was professionally directed by José Luis Sáenz De Heredia , it had big success as critics as public ; but , nowadays , it results to be dated , boring , tiring and overlong . Controversial figure in Spain because of his strong and unabashed support of dictator Francisco Franco , Heredia made a lot of films : dramas and comedies , especially . He was a writer and director, known for : ¡¡Se Armó El Belén!! (1970) , Historias De La radio (1955) , La Verbena De La Paloma , Todo Es Possible En Granada , Faustina , Mariona Rebull , El Escandalo , Las Aguas Bajan Negras , Franco Ese Hombre and Raza (1942) whose screenwriter was Francisco Franco . This famous myth about Don Juan has several cinematic renditions such as : Silent version ¨The private life of Don Juan¨ by Douglas Fairbanks , ¨Adventures of Don Juan¨ with Errol Flynn , Viveca Lindfords , ¨Nights and Loves of Don Juan¨ by Alfonso Brescia with Robert Hoffman , Edwige Fenech , ¨Don Juan of Moliere¨ starred and directed by Jacques Wever with Penélope Cruz , ¨Don Giovanni¨ composed by Mozart with Ruggero Raimondi , ¨Don Juan De Marco¨ with Johnny Depp , Marlon Brando , ¨Don Juan De Los Infiernos¨ by Gonzalo Suarez with Fernando Guillen , ¨Don Juan Mi Querido Fantasma¨ by Antonio Mercero with Juan Luis Galiardo and ¨Don Jon¨ (2013) written and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt , among others .