La Celestina (1996)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Gerardo Vera

Writers:

Fernando de Rojas (novel)
Rafael Azcona (adaptation) ...
(more)

Release Date:

8 November 1996 (Spain)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The young nobleman Calisto falls in love with Melibea, the daughter of a rich merchant. Calisto's servant...

Plot Keywords:

Female Frontal Nudity | Male Nudity | Witchcraft | Breasts | Lust

Awards:

4 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Penélope Cruz	...	Melibea
Terele Pávez	...	Celestina
Juan Diego Botto	...	Calisto
Maribel Verdú	...	Areusa
Jordi Mollà	...	Pármeno
Nancho Novo	...	Sempronio
Nathalie Seseña	...	Lucrecia
Carlos Fuentes	...	Sosia
Candela Peña	...	Elicia
Anna Lizaran	...	Alisa (as Ana Lizarán)
Sergio Villanueva	...	Tristán
Ángel de Andrés López	...	Centurio
Lluís Homar	...	Pleberio
Ana Risueño	...	Poncia
Rodrigo García	...	Crito
Amparo Gómez Ramos	...	Ana
Joaquín Notario	...	Verdugo
José Coromina	...	Traso
Aquilino Gamazo	...	Patibulario
Igor Otaegui	...	Patibulario

Directed by
Gerardo Vera

Writing credits
Fernando de Rojas		(novel)
Rafael Azcona		(adaptation) and
Gerardo Vera		(adaptation)
Francisco Rico		(additional dialogue)
Rafael Azcona		(screenplay)

Produced by
Fernando de Garcillán	....	associate producer
Andrés Vicente Gómez	....	producer
Antonio Saura	....	associate producer

Cinematography by
José Luis López-Linares

Film Editing by
Pedro del Rey

Art Direction by
Ana Alvargonzález

Costume Design by
Sonia Grande
Gerardo Vera

Makeup Department
Marta Adánez	....	assistant makeup artist
Paca Almenara	....	makeup artist
Dolores Damas	....	assistant hair stylist
Montse Damas	....	assistant hair stylist
María Jesús Echevarría	....	hair stylist
Alicia López Medina	....	hair stylist
Paula Moheda	....	assistant hair stylist
Teresa Rabal	....	assistant makeup artist
Rosana Rodríguez	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Angélica Huete	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Arantxa Aguirre	....	assistant director
Daniel Cebrián	....	second assistant director
Vicente Vieitez	....	trainee assistant director

Art Department
José Miguel Bombín	....	assistant set decorator
Carlos Fominaya	....	lead set dresser
Ángel García	....	property master
Jesús Gómez	....	set dresser
Nano Montero	....	set dresser
Betty Pérez	....	set dresser

Sound Department
José Antonio Bermúdez	....	sound mixer
Marco Bermúdez	....	sound effects recordist
Luis Castro	....	sound effects
Jaime Fernández-Cid Buscató	....	boom operator (as Jaime Fernández Cid)
Alberto García	....	dialogue recordist
Antonio García	....	dialogue recordist
Diego Garrido	....	sound mixer
Jaime Puig	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Miguel Rejas	....	direct sound

Special Effects by
Reyes Abades	....	special effects
Juan Carlos Urbán	....	special effects assistant
Tomás Urbán	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Pablo Núñez	....	opticals

Stunts
Ignacio Carreño	....	stunt double: Lluís Homar
Juan Maján	....	stunts
Luis Rodríguez	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Arturo Aldegune	....	Steadicam operator
Luis Miguel Daza	....	electrician
Teo Delgado	....	camera operator
Alfredo Díaz	....	key grip
Eva Díaz Iglesias	....	second assistant camera
Emma Fernández	....	second assistant camera
Mónica Lleó	....	video assistant
Emiliano Merino	....	gaffer
Félix Pascual	....	electrician
Pilar Redal Montané	....	assistant camera
Jorge Samper	....	electrician
Antonio Sanz	....	still photographer
José Sedano	....	lighting technician
Macu Tejera	....	assistant still photographer
Manuel Zambrana	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Alejandra Carrasco	....	costumer
Francisco Delgado	....	wardrobe assistant
María Luisa Durán	....	costumer
Joaquín Montul	....	wardrobe assistant
Manuel Ortega	....	costumer
Isabel Perales	....	second wardrobe mistress
Marina Rodríguez	....	wardrobe mistress
María de los Ángeles del Saz	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Ascen Marchena	....	second assistant editor
Blanca Rodríguez	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Gerardo Vera	....	music selection

Transportation Department
Ángel Frutos	....	driver
Andrés García Moreno	....	driver
José Carlos Lariz Alonso	....	driver (as José Carlos Lariz)
Ángel Megino	....	transportation
Matías Pilas	....	driver
Agustín Ruiz	....	driver

Other crew
Yuyi Beringola	....	script supervisor
Félix Durán	....	animal trainer
Fernando Durán	....	trainee production assistant
Ana Figueroa	....	third production assistant
Francisco Javier García	....	trainee production assistant
Raimundo García	....	script supervisor
Wenceslao García	....	fencing
José María González Sinde	....	second production assistant (as José Mª González Sinde Reig)
Margarita Kramer	....	press attache
Margarita Kramer	....	unit publicist
Carlos Morais	....	trainee production assistant (as Carlos Morais de Araújo)
Alfonso Ortegón	....	trainee production assistant
Igor Otaegui	....	fencing
Rafael Pedregosa	....	animal trainer
Jesús Riazán	....	animal trainer
María Rodríguez	....	second production assistant
Marta Sabell	....	trainee production assistant (as Marta Sabell Stewart-Howie)
Ana Serret	....	assistant to director
Eva Sklar	....	press attache
Eva Sklar	....	unit publicist
Santiago Vargas	....	trainee production assistant (as Santiago Vargas Tejerina)

Thanks
Chus Pérez Castro	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Lolafilms
• Sociedad General de Televisión (Sogetel)

Distributors

• Sogepaq Distribución (Spain) (world sales)

Other Companies

• Canal+ España  participation
• Sogepaq  collaboration
• Cinearte  synchronization and sound mixing
• Club de Esgrima de Madrid  fencing
• Cornejo  wardrobe
• Cámara Rent Internacional S.A.  camera equipment provided by
• Gecisa  electrical equipment
• Hijos de Emilio Ardura  tapestry
• Honorio Cruz  grip and lighting equipment
• Mateos  props
• Mengíbar  props
• Rafael Hosteleria Internacional S.A.  catering
• S. Film Pablo Núñez  titles and opticals
• Servicine  grip and lighting equipment
• Tragacanto  set construction
• Vázquez Hermanos  props (as Vázquez)
• Ángel Megino S.L.  transportation

Runtime:

92 min | Spain:109 min

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Spain:18

Filming Locations:

Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain

Company:

Lolafilms

Trivia:

Carmen Maura was the first choice for the title role of Celestina

Movie Connections:

Remake of La Celestina (1969)

Soundtrack:

Fantasies pavanes & gallardes: Gallarda 6 y Fantasía 1

An Attempt to Recreate the Magic of LA CELESTINA

LA CELESTINA was written in 1499 by Fernando de Rojas and is considered to be second only to Cervantes' DON QUIXOTE as the greatest work of Spanish literature. Here the novel is adapted for the screen by Rafael Azcona, Francisco Rico, and Gerardo Vera, the last contributor serving as director of this sadly uneven film. Despite boasting a cast of some of the finest actors in Spain, the dialogue is such a mishmash of old rhythms and contemporary expressions that much of the magic is lost.

But then the story is a bit on the 15th century wild side: a handsome young knight Calisto (Juan Diego Botto) is obsessively in love with the beautiful Melibea (Penélope Cruz) yet it takes the love potions of the bruja Celestina (Terele Pávez), enlisted by Calisto's conniving servant Sempronio (Nancho Novo), to effect the magic. Calisto's faithful and humble servant Pármeno (Jordi Mollà) fails in his attempts to block the spells delivered by Celestina but to no avail. Once the magic is in effect the worlds of each person fall apart. The human passions of love, greed, lust, revenge, and desire interplay in a manner that brings destruction in the path.

Made in 1996 before many of the actors involved became famous, the film 'looks' magical with radiant costumes and sets and spot on music. But the dialogue is clumsy, the English translations even clumsier, and the whole story fails to work its spell on the audience. Instead of a fiery climax the film just sort of fizzles. But it is interesting to see Penélope Cruz, Juan Diego Botto, Maribel Verdú, Jordi Mollà and Nancho Novo in their early stage of development. This is an escapist period piece that could have been so much better, but even in this state it is entertaining. Grady Harp