El Dorado *** (1988, Omero Antonutti, Eusebio Poncela, Lambert Wilson) – Classic Movie Review 9841

Director Carlos Saura’s 1988 Spanish historical film El Dorado is a costly, stately and handsome Spanish epic about the Conquistadores’s misfortunes as they go up the Amazon in 1560 to discover El Dorado. Pedro de Ursúa heads the expedition but Lope de Aguirre rebels and takes over command.

El Dorado tries to succeed as a violent action adventure, extended history lesson and intelligent thought piece, and succeeds intermittently, though inevitable comparisons with the similar 1972 Aguirre, Wrath of God are damaging. It is impressively filmed in Costa Rica.

It runs 151 minutes, but around half an hour was cut for the international export version (122 minutes).

It stars Omero Antonutti as Aguirre, Eusebio Poncela as Guzmán, and Lambert Wilson as Pedro de Ursúa, with Gabriela Roel, José Sancho, Féodor Atkine, Patxi Bisquert, Francisco Algora, and Francisco Merino.

The story and screenplay are by Carlos Saura.

El Dorado is directed by Carlos Saura, runs 151 minutes, is made by Canal+, Chrysalide Film, Compañía Iberoamericana de TV, UGC, Top 1 and FR3, is released by Palace (UK), is written by Carlos Saura, is shot by Teo Escamilla, is produced by Victor Albarran, is scored by Alejandro Masso and is designed by Terry Pritchard.

The renowned Spanish film director Carlos Saura died of respiratory failure at home on 10 February 2023, at the age of 91. Saura won many awards including: Silver Bear in the Berlin Festival for The Hunt in 1965, and for Peppermint Frappé in 1967. Special Jury Awards in Cannes for Cousin Angelica  in 1973, and for Cría Cuervos in 1975. Also, the film Mama Turns 100 was Oscar nominated in 1979 as the best foreign film.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9841

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