We went last night to see Juana la Loca, a movie about the daughter of Queen Isabel of Castilla, which is married by political reasons to the Archduke Phillip of Flanders.
She fears to be trapped in a marriage without love, but indeed, she falls for him with such a passion and jealousy that earns her the title of “Juana la Loca” (Joan the Mad). The Court intrigues and the unfolding of events, made her the Queen of Castille, and his husband the King Consort until her younger brother comes of age. However, the Archduke conspires against her, convincing the Court to help him in declaring the Queen to be Mad and thus making him the future ruler of the most important empire of their time (early XVI century). Indeed, his son Carlos would one day be the ruler of such a Empire. In spite of all of this, she keeps loving her husband with a love both so strong and undeserved that her people can’t help but to rally for her.
The acting in the movie –specially that of Pilar López de Ayala, who plays Juana– is truly exceptional, and while I expected it to be a boring historical movie, it was really entertaining and hectic.
I give this movie an 8 star rating.