The Bridge of San Luis Rey (2005)

I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

Really Surprised!

Good concept, poorly executed.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

RELEASED IN 2004 and directed by Mary McGuckian based on the novel by Thornton Wilder, "The Bridge of San Luis Rey" is a costume drama taking place in 1714 Peru, with a few scenes in Spain. Five people fall to their deaths in the Andes when an "indestructible" rope-bridge breaks and Franciscan monk Brother Juniper (Gabriel Byrne) becomes obsessed with the tragedy, collecting personal notes on all the victims and writing a book on his conclusions: Five people, all dying of the same cause at the same instant, cannot be mere coincidence in an understandable human universe. He's put on trial by the Inquisition (which was running Spain and Peru at the time) for humanly trying to second-guess an Act of God. Robert De Niro plays the prosecuting Archbishop.The movie flashes back and forth between Juniper's trial and the lives of the five before their deaths. The victims are played by Kathy Bates, Harvey Keitel, Adriana Domínguez and Michael Polish. Émilie Dequenne appears as the daughter of Bates' character while Pilar López de Ayala is on hand as a theater actress. Geraldine Chaplin plays the mother nun and F. Murray Abraham appears as the Viceroy of Peru. Dominique Pinon in on hand as a fop while Mark Polish plays the twin brother of one of the victims.Despite the stellar cast, this film is the furthest thing from a blockbuster. Anyone who wants a blockbuster should turn around and get the phukk out of here (as Ted Nugent would put it, lol). "The Bridge of San Luis Rey" demands intellectual investment and the willingness to entertain things not often discussed, like those in the book of Job. The movie is a call to endure the pilgrimage of this world even when it doesn't seem possible or desirable to do so. It is a call to persevere in faith even when the systems of belief turn against us and we don't understand.The secondary theme is just as significant: How do we accept Providence when those in positions of spiritual authority act in a manner incompatible with divine Love? In Brother Juniper's attempt to affirm the Love of God in the face of the fatal accident at the bridge, he runs afoul of staunchly legalistic officials. They do not appreciate his attempt to "Think the thoughts of God after Him." In attempting to show Love in the midst of evil, Juniper unexpectedly sees more evil, enacted in the name of God, no less! Since this is a dialogue-driven movie I encourage you to use the subtitles to keep up with the archaic verbiage and keep track of who's who and what's happening. Beyond the heavy themes, the strength of the movie is its great cast, costumes, sets and acting. The film successfully transports you into another space and time with different social, religious and economic pressures than what we know today. The picture is top-of-the-line on these fronts.Unfortunately, it was shot entirely in Spain and so the mountains are smaller than the Andes and the buildings more magnificent. The storytelling also seems to bog down in places, but that's because this is not a movie based on plot & pace but rather a genuine look at the characters and their loving relationships. It's a revelation about love in its myriad forms: From Kathy Bates' character seeking the love of her daughter to Harvey Keitel's parental love for the actress to the sibling love of the silent twins to the love of God portrayed by the nuns & Juniper to God's love for humanity. CONCLUSION: "The Bridge at San Luis Rey" is certainly worthwhile for those who appreciate layered, dialogue-driven dramas with weighty themes. Lastly, if you've ever wanted to suck the fingers of a bodacious babe, this movie's for you! THE FILM RUNS 120 minutes.GRADE: B/B- (6.5/10) (I might raise my grade with future viewings; we'll see)

This is a fascinating film which you'll have to watch very carefully, since every detail, especially in the conversations, is important and vital to the very complex sieve of intrigue and amazing diversions into constantly deeper waters of metaphysics, relationships and complications. Formally it is an ordinary inquisition piece with a scoundrel of an inquisitor trying to come to terms with an impossible reality without succeeding, of course, while Gabriel Byrne is the scapegoat for investigating the truth and ending up with amazing findings, intolerable for their humanity and revelations of love. But the film is much more than just this meaningless investigation into an endless labyrinth of unfathomable heart secrets of humanity. The famous novel of the 20s by Thornton Wilder (sadly unknown and forgotten today) has been filmed three times, but Mary McGuckian from Nothern Ireland has chosen to take a very personal view and simply concentrated on making a masterpiece of beauty. Many can't follow the intricate turns and windings of this web of complications, but it isn't necessary to grasp it all. The point is the love and the beauty, overwhelmingly enhanced and embellished by Lalo Schifrin from Buenos Aires in his finest score of subtle sensitivity. This is a masterpiece of beauty of Mary McGuckian's and Lalo Schifrin's, and there can be no doubt about it, no matter how many get lost on the way in trying vainly to follow the details in this inextricable enigma of interwoven human destinies. This is definitely a film to see over and over again to discover new aspects and hidden clues to the mystery of love, life and death.It gives interesting associations, though, in its labyrinthine architecture to Powell/Pressburger's "A Canterbury Tale", another winding system of improvised labyrinths, and in character to Jane Campion's "The Piano" from New Zealand, another marvel of beauty and mystery made the more fascinating and effective by its amazing music.It was all filmed in southern Spain, but its South American character is genuine. The actors are all excellent, perhaps most of all Kathy Bates as the Marquesa, seconded especially by Pilar Lopez De Ayala and Gabriel Byrne as the honest doubter. Another clue to its understanding is its pictorial beauty throughout. In the beginning of the film there is a key scene, when the Marquesa visits a painting by Velazquez, from which she miraculously retrieves a beautiful golden necklace in the intention to offer it to her daughter. It's the one detail in the film which is surrealistic, but it opens the film to its marvel of pictorial beauty - the whole film is like paintings by Velazquez. In America the film was massacred since no one could understand it, especially not American critics, since this is a very European and most of all Spanish film in character. If you know anything about Spanish painting, you'll understand and relish the film. Another aspect is its metaphysical character, which you can't understand if you don't read the book. It's short of only 200 pages but extremely concentrated. You must wonder why brother Juniper is prosecuted by the inquisition for having just so carefully documented the fates of the five casualties, and the obvious reason is this: what united these people was only love, they were penitents for nothing but undeserved feelings of guilt, one of them being even a small child, and they were all looking forward to a bright future of a better and nobler life, especially the Marquesa, who had only loved and that too well; while the about 150 survivors, who had to follow the caravan crossing the river down in the gorge and therefore did not cross the footbridge, were in overwhelming magnitude less deserving of life. The inquisition found the insinuation that this could be a case of divine injustice unacceptably blasphemous , and therefore burned the book and its author. Well, the book and the author lives the more for that. Unhesitatingly 10 score.

One would have thought that it would be impossible to produce a poor film with such a star-studded cast, yet inexperienced Irish director Mary McGuckian manages to pull it off. And "poor" does not quite hit th mark, this film is almost criminal in the way these (brilliant) actors are squandered on a dull script with turgid pacing. I watched for the first half an hour trying to work out if it was a "Spinal Tap" type joke which I wasn't getting. There is beautiful scenery, there are beautiful costumes, there is some of the finest talent ever assembled on screen and yet...if you aren't weeping with boredom within twenty minutes you must have zen-like stamina. Avoid like a medieval plague.

BORING BORING BORINGIf you plan on watching the entire movie I suggest some sort of chemical assistance. Choose your poison... amphetamines, cocaine, trucker speed, red bull or espresso... whatever, you will need helping staying awake through this one. I mean, I can sit through golf and bowling on TV and not fall asleep. But this movie was like trying to overdose on Valium. DISAPPONTMENT DISAPPONTMENT DISAPPONTMENTWhat a amazing cast. What an astounding let down. Deniro's performance is laughable. Actually, if you don't burst out laughing the first time Deniro comes on screen you should seek medical attention... you may be dead. Other performance are better, hell, even good. But a great performance by a great actor means nothing when the movie is crap.The cinematography is also excellent. Still, all the beautiful scenery in the world cannot distract one from the fact that the movie is completely pointless.I was surprised to find so many good reviews of this movie. I found that many people who enjoyed this movie had read the book. So, I read the book. The book is in fact very good. But nothing about it screams "Make me a movie." Some books should stay books and not be made into movies. This is a perfect example. This movie should have never been made. It is a discredit to the book on which it is based and the cast that did the acting.