The Outlaw (Lope) [DVD] (2010)

I have read a few reviews of this film that draw strong comparisons with John Madden's "Shakespeare in Love", which is not surprising given the films very similar content. In this film the bard with the silver tongue is Felix Arturo Lope de Vega y Carpio, or Lope for short, who seems to be almost as revered in Spain as our own bard is in this country. A contemporary of Cervantes who wrote one of my very favourite books "Don Quixote", he was a prolific writer over a 56 year period during the late 1500s and early 1600s. Lope, like many of the gifted poets, lead an extremely colourful life which transfers nicely to film, thank you very much guvnor! In the film Lope, played by the handsome Argentinian actor Alberto Ammann, returns home penniless from war in the Azores. He soon discovers a love of the theatre and finds he has a natural gift for poetry. This talent has a very pleasing 'Lynx effect', and Lope does not need to engage in anything so vulgar as bodice ripping, as the ladies are quite happy to throw them off willingly. This leads to a few little problems with fathers and rivals for the hands of fair maidens. Oh dear, what would Don Quixote have done in such a pickle?

As the previous reviewer has pointed out, the all action DVD cover holds the promise of lots of decent action. Not for the first time this proves to be a false dawn. This film is a very decent period love story, and aside from a couple of sword duels the action comes a very poor second. No matter though, it is a good enough film! The costumes and attention to period detail are top notch, and it is clear the production values were not heavily rationed. The acting is of a high standard, with the attractive Spanish actresses Leonor Watling and Pilar Lopex de Ayala giving Ammann good support. Lope is a character that both men and women can relate to. He can charm the birds off the trees with honeyed words, and wield a sword with equal dexterity. He can also be a bit impetuous but wears his heart on his sleeve. Although he has roguish tendencies, it is hard not to like him. As a result the film itself is easy to watch, and proves to be a highly entertaining affair up to its very satisfying conclusion.

This is the first feature film by Brazilian director Andrucha Waddington, since "House of Sand" in 2005, and he proves to be a deft hand with period drama. This is the third Spanish historical film I have reviewed in recent weeks, and the Spanish seem to be rekindling a love affair with their dramatic past. Both "Alatriste; The Spanish Musketeer" and "Legend of the Soldier" were damn good films, and so this one also proves to be. Let's hope they continue the good work and churn out a few more where this one came from. If viewers from this country put aside their dislike of sub titles they will find this to be an even better film than "Shakespeare in Love". Was Lope a greater poet than Shakespeare? No way Jose!

This is once again a film that is being misrepresented by the cover. It shows our hero Lope de Vega firing a crossbow as in the background a city burns and an army besieges it. Thus indicating that this is an historical battle a thon, well it aint. He does fire one shot from said crossbow, but misses the water melon and later there is some sword play but no battles here at all, so shame on the marketers. It was called `Lope' in Spain and to call it `The Outlaw is also misleading as he only gets exiled, so not really Robin Hood or a Jesse James type character either.

What it is though is a film `based' on a chapter in the life of Spain's most prolific playwright, Lope de Vega. He was in the Spanish navy and fought for the recapture of the Azores. The film picks up just after that when he returns to Madrid to take up his playwriting career. He is taken on by a play promoter and being the silver tongued devil that he is, he immediately falls for his daughter. This is Elena Osorio. They start a passionate but secretive affair as she is already wed, but hubby has been off some place for years and she will not refute the marriage. In a bid to get her to change her mind, he publicly exposes her and is sued for slander. Which was taken a tad more seriously in those days than it is now.

This results in him being forced into exile, but he takes a young sixteen year old with him - Isabel de Urbina. That is the basic synopsis and actually quite accurately follows that part of Lopes life. His real story would have made a much better film, for instance he was in the Spanish Armada that attacked England and was one of the few ships that made it back, he wrote over 1,800 plays and oodles more besides.

Where the film does score high is in the attention to period detail and high production values, but this is really a story of passion, love and writing plays, not a war type film at all, even the back cover is misleading in this respect. Still I really quite enjoyed it. It is in Spanish with good sub titles and has a run time of 105 minutes. It is both stylish and passionate but will not be to everybody's tastes, but I love European cinema, so was not disappointed, despite the lack of serious action.