'Alatriste' is a film based in a series of novels written by Arturo Pérez-Reverte. This is the most expensive Spanish-language film ever made in Spain (about €24 million – US$30 million). It portrays the fall of Spanish Empire of the 17th century, from the wars in Flanders in 1623 to those against France till 1643, using both fictional and real characters. Spain, at that time under control by king Philip IV, accelerated its decline from its world’s dominating superpower position. This is shown through the eyes of a soldier and part-time sword-for-hire, Diego Alatriste.
The film showed us Alatriste’s life through 20 years, starts with Alatriste in full bloom, and goes on to describe his progressive dissilusion and despair, the loss of everything that means anything to him until he died.
This parallels the downfall of the Spanish Empire, Spain is rich theoretically, but the gap between rich and poor is huge. Alatriste stands for the citizens of the Empire, whereas Olivares represents his corrupt ruling class. Our main character seems to be the perfect candidate to demonstrate us the real view of Spain at that time. Since Alatriste, when not on a battlefield, is a hired assassin, he gets to meet the rich and powerful, but when he comes out of war, he lives in the back store of a tavern in a poor area of Madrid, so the spectator gets a fascinating tour of 17th century Madrid.
The early 17th century was the heyday of the Spanish Empire. The Empire did not only virtually the whole of South America capsule, but also expanded large numbers of colonies in North America. In Europe, the Spanish royal family also controlled the Habsburg Holy Roman Emperor, Duke of Austria, King of Bohemia, Milan Santo, Naples lords, King of Sardinia, many other territories and feudal lords. The kingdom was still extending around the world, but the grasp is growing weaker as time passes by. The most pressing concern is the highly competitiveness region of Flanders, who continues to resist the Spanish Crown. So what Spain did was to continuously enlarge the scale of the Flanders campaign by putting in more and more manpower, and those soldiers who survived as veterans of these battles are recognized as some of the finest warriors in the kingdom.
Among these most renowned warriors, there is Diego Alatriste, who is famous for his bravery and cunning in battle. Even though he has never been praised as an officer, all of the men referred to him as “Captain”, simply to show their respect.
Warriors, by definition, are those who were only able to live by selling their lives to others. No money, no status, no dignity, they own nothing other than breath. Alatriste, with his determination, was able to win the reputation among the Warriors. Even if so, he still has to get on his knees before kings and nobles, just because he was born a low class. He only won an opportunity by saving the count’s life, but this cannot change his destiny. His love becomes worthless when it comes to money and power. When he was bestowed with the king chains for necklaces, rushed forward to Maria's house to please her, he found no beautiful but the King. How ironic was this!
During one particularly violent fight, one comrade in arms of Alatristes’ was wounded in battle. Right before he dies, the man tells Alatriste of his son Iñigo. Honor-bound to his companion, Alatriste takes Iñigo as his squire, attempting to resist the young man's wishes to become a soldier.
It makes all the sense in the world that the relationship between the tired warrior and the young, naive squire should be emotional and dramatic. This is even more real when his adopt son also faced the same fate as his. The matured Alatriste tried his best to prevent the history repeat itself but failed. Childhood Anqelika, who already intended to elope with little Iñigo, eventually abandon their promises for her own future and the nobility of her future generations of nobility.
Two beautiful, Maria and Angelika, form the heart of the film from the perspective of personal relationships. In none of their hearts love for each other is the only ingredient by any means. At last their fate has punished them and they get eventually paid the price.
The whole movie is really like a painting. With the splendors and shine of the pictured film, the actual spirit was black and brown, which exactly matches Diego Velázquez’s style, as clearly who has been the visual inspiration for the film. Spain was wealthy on the outside but poor and rotten on the inside, and his paintings show this, as does the film.
After all, the 17th century Spanish history is too rich to be told in just 150mins, and that's what “Alatriste” has tried. This movie is still a perfect way of seeing what could have happened 400 years ago in the streets one can still walk today. In just few hundred of years, Spain has changed dozens of kings. It seems to me that the country has been in chaos forever and ever. Indeed Spain had set up the kingdom on ocean, but the scene behind flourish is more glamour. Wars, heroes, religion, conspiracy, betrayal, beauty, morality, conscience… For typical and traditional Spanish, it’s all about loads of a real man doing what a real man's got to do. Though this movie is not strictly an epic, but it is so real and alludes to reflect that history.
