Little Ashes
Little Ashes | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Paul Morrison |
Produced by |
Carlo Dusi Jonny Persey Jaume Vilalta |
Written by | Philippa Goslett |
Starring |
Robert Pattinson Javier Beltrán Matthew McNulty Marina Gatell |
Music by | Miguel Mera |
Cinematography | Adam Suschitzky |
Edited by |
Rachel Tunnard Samantha Patterine |
Production company | |
Distributed by |
SOROlla Films (Spain) Kaleidoscope Entertainment (UK) |
Release dates |
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Running time | 107 minutes |
Country |
United Kingdom Spain |
Language | English |
Budget | $2.9 million |
Box office | $452,558[1] |
Little Ashes is a 2008 Spanish-British drama film set against the backdrop of Spain during the 1920s and 1930s, as three of the era's most creative young talents meet at university and set off on a course to change their world. Luis Buñuel watches helplessly as the friendship between surrealist painter Salvador Dalà and the poet Federico GarcÃa Lorca develops into a love affair.
Plot
In 1922, 18-year-old Salvador Dalà (Robert Pattinson) arrives at university in Madrid. The Residencia de Estudiantes, or Students' Residence, is a modern environment which encourages Spain's brightest young minds. Salvador, who is determined to become a great artist, soon catches the attention of the Resi's social elite — poet Federico GarcÃa Lorca (Javier Beltrán) and aspiring filmmaker Luis Buñuel (Matthew McNulty). Together, they form the nucleus of the most modern artist group in Madrid.
Their private lives become increasingly complex, as Federico ignores the advances of devoted friend and writer Magdalena (Marina Gatell), and Salvador himself feels the pull of Federico's magnetism. Luis, becoming increasingly isolated by the duo's closeness, decides to move to Paris to fulfill his own artistic ambitions. Meanwhile, Salvador and Federico leave Madrid to spend the summer at the seaside village of Cadaques, at the home of DalÃ's family.
Federico finds himself accepted[2] into the Dalà family as he and Salvador grow closer until, one night, their friendship becomes romantic.[3] Even as they draw closer, their relationship appears doomed. Luis visits them at university and becomes more suspicious and appalled by their apparent intimacy.
Salvador finds Federico's obsession more than he is prepared to handle, and eventually leaves for Paris. Enveloped by the high society and decadence there, Salvador is soon entangled with Gala (Arly Jover), a married woman with a penchant for celebrities. When Federico visits, he finds his friend is a changed man, both in his life and his politics.
Background
The details of the relationship between artist Salvador Dalà and poet Federico GarcÃa Lorca have long been the subject of speculation and debate among historians and biographers. In Little Ashes, DalÃ's and Lorca's feelings are shown deepening into a love affair that the sexually-repressed painter tries but fails to consummate.
Between 1925 and 1936, during the course of their friendship, Dalà and Lorca exchanged numerous letters. The original manuscripts of DalÃ's letters to Lorca are held by the Fundación Federico GarcÃa Lorca in Madrid, and those of Lorca to Dalà are held by Fundacion Gala-Salvador Dalà in Pubol, as well as in private collections.
While it is widely acknowledged that Lorca was infatuated with DalÃ, for years the painter denied entering into a relationship with Lorca.
Dalà stated:
He was homosexual, as everyone knows, and madly in love with me. He tried to screw me twice .... I was extremely annoyed, because I wasn't homosexual, and I wasn't interested in giving in. Besides, it hurts. So nothing came of it. But I felt awfully flattered vis-à -vis the prestige. Deep down I felt that he was a great poet and that I owe him a tiny bit of the Divine DalÃ's asshole. He eventually bagged a young girl, and she replaced me in the sacrifice. Failing to get me to put my ass at his disposal, he swore that the girl’s sacrifice was matched by his own: it was the first time he had ever slept with a woman.[4][5]
The film's writer Philippa Goslett supposes:
It's clear something happened, no question… When you look at the letters it's clear something more was going on there... It began as a friendship, became more intimate and moved to a physical level but Dalà found it difficult and couldn't carry on. He said they tried to have sex but it hurt, so they couldn't consummate the relationship.[4]
Biographer of both Dalà and Lorca, Ian Gibson, stated:
It depends how you define an affair, he [DalÃ] was terrified of being touched by anyone, so I don't think Lorca got far.[4]
In the repressed Spain of the mid 1930s, Lorca's homosexuality seems to have provided an additional thrill to those who assassinated him in 1936. Lorca's biographer Leslie Stainton has suggested that the killers made remarks about his sexual orientation, and that it played a significant role in his death.
Cast
- Robert Pattinson as Salvador DalÃ
- Javier Beltrán as Federico GarcÃa Lorca
- Matthew McNulty as Luis Buñuel
- Marina Gatell as Magdalena
- Bruno Oro as Paco
- Esther Nubiola as Adela
- Marc Pujol as Carlos
- Arly Jover as Gala DalÃ
- Simón Andreu as Fernando del Valle
- Vicky Peña as Magdalena’s aunt
- Rubén Arroyo as Rafael
- Diana Gómez as Ana MarÃa
- Pep Sais as Art Teacher
- Joan Picó as Young Officer
- Ferran Audà as Guard 1
- AdrÃa Allué as Guard 2
- Ferran Lahoz as Señor Milagro
- Cristian Rodrigo as Young Journalist
- Sue Flack as Madam
- Adrian Devant as Puppeteer
- Ramón Enrich as Professor
- Xavi Siles as Man 1
- Philippa Goslett and Hannah RÅ©tzou as Federico's Sisters
- Paco Alonso as Gypsy Singer
Production
The title is taken from Salvador DalÃ's 1927–28 painting Cenicitas (Little Ashes).[6][7] It was originally called The Birth of Venus, before being changed to Sterile Efforts and then finally Cenicitas.[8] It was first displayed on 20 March 1929 in a Madrid exhibition.[9] It was again displayed in his first solo exhibition in Paris in June 1931.[10] The painting is currently in the Dalà collection of the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina SofÃa in Madrid.[8]
Release
Little Ashes premiered at the 16th annual Raindance Film Festival in London. The sold-out screening was scheduled on 7 October 2008 at 19:00, and a second screening was also added for the 8th of October at 14:30.[11] Little Ashes premiered in the US at the Miami Gay & Lesbian film festival. On May 8, 2009 it premiered in only 11 US locations.
The UK DVD was released on 13 July 2009 and is rated 15.[12] The US DVD was released on January 26, 2010.
Critical reception
The film holds a "Rotten" rating of 24% based on 68 reviews on the film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. The site's consensus states, "It has a beautiful cast, but Little Ashes suffers from an uneven tone and a surplus of unintentionally silly moments."[13]
Ty Burr of the Boston Globe panned the film and wrote: "What's intended to be a daring look at repressed sexuality, three-ways and all, has the dramatic heft of a true-love comic book".[14]
Greg Quill of the Toronto Star wrote: "Even cinematographer Adam Suschitzky's richly textured and resonantly toned cityscapes and rural scenes can't make up for a flawed script and weak performances in what might have been a powerful historical drama".[15]
Chris Hewitt of the St. Paul Pioneer Press commented that: "The movie, with its badly painted backdrops, its stiff acting and its complete lack of dramatic momentum, is embarrassing to watch".[16]
However, Steven Rea of the Philadelphia Inquirer gave the film a positive review by calling it: "A bravely earnest and gauzy bit of biography".[17]
Awards
Little Ashes won the GLAAD Media Award for "Outstanding Film - Limited Release" during the 21st GLAAD Media Awards.[18]
References
- ↑ Little Ashes (2009) - Box Office Mojo
- ↑ According to Ian Gibson, Lorca was "utterly at home with his hosts and by now hopelessly involved with Salvador"
- ↑ Archived April 1, 2010 at the Wayback Machine
- 1 2 3 Smith, David (October 28, 2007). "Were Spain's two artistic legends secret gay lovers?". The Guardian (London). Retrieved May 11, 2010.
- ↑ Bosquet, Alain, Conversations with DalÃ, 1969. p. 19–20. (PDF format)
- ↑ Colour reproduction of painting Cenicitas
- ↑ http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2007/11/02/2003385955/print
- 1 2 The Shameful life of Salvador Dalà p 162
- ↑ Salvador Dalà An Illustrated Life, Tate Publishing
- ↑ Salvador Dalà An Illustrated Life, Tate Publishing
- ↑ Little Ashes | Raindance Film Festival 2008
- ↑ HMV | Music, Films, & Games | HMV.com
- ↑ "Little Ashes (2009)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2014-06-25.
- ↑ Little Ashes movie review - Little Ashes Showtimes - The Boston Globe - The Boston Globe
- ↑ Little Ashes: Historical kiss off | Toronto Star
- ↑ 'Little Ashes': What's left whenyour little movie can't get stoked - TwinCities.com
- ↑ 'Little Ashes': Dalà and Lorca in love - philly-archives
- ↑ "21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards - English Language Nominees". Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. 2010. Retrieved February 21, 2010.
Further reading
- "Were Spain's Two Artistic Legends Secret Gay Lovers?", The Guardian (28 October 2007)
- Aria film synopsis
- George E. Haggerty, Gay Histories and Cultures ISBN 0-8153-1880-4
- Ian Gibson, The Shameful Life of Salvador Dalà ISBN 0-393-04624-9
- Salvador DalÃ: An Illustrated Life, Tate Publishing ISBN 978-1-85437-759-3
External links
- Little Ashes at the Internet Movie Database
- Little Ashes at Box Office Mojo
- Little Ashes at Rotten Tomatoes
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