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First, a Little History. A Handy Guide
September 16, 2011
THERE BE DRAGONS: A Brief Historical Guide for Viewers
There Be Dragons focuses on the interwoven lives of three men: one historical figure and two fictional characters. The historical figure is Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975), the priest who founded the Catholic prelature Opus Dei. The two fictional characters are Manolo Torres, a childhood friend of Josemaria, and Manolo’s estranged son, Robert, a journalist who, in 1982, decides to write about Escrivá, who is being beatified by Pope John Paul II.
The memories provoked by Robert’s journalistic investigation of Josemaría Escrivá end up bringing the dead saint back into the life of Manolo in a way that will change both him and his son forever. Most of the movie deals, in flashbacks, with the distant past of Josemaria and Manolo, frequently through the tape-recorded memories of Manolo. These flashbacks tell of the early days of Josemaría and Manolo and their experiences during the Spanish Civil War (1936-39).
The Spanish Civil War erupted in July of 1936 when a group of right-wing generals and their allies (called “Nationalists”) staged a rebellion against the left-wing “Republican” government, which was a coalition formed by liberals, socialists, communists and anarchists.
The Nationalist rebellion failed to topple the Republican government immediately. Instead, a prolonged civil war ensued. Thus, in the context of the Spanish civil war, the “rebels” are in fact the right-wing generals and their allies, while the dashing “revolutionary” leader, Oriol, is fighting to defend the established leftist government in Madrid.
The Republican government was anti-clerical, and certain groups –mainly unofficial militia units allied with the government – violently persecuted the Catholic Church. During the war, 13 bishops and thousands of priests, monks and nuns were killed. In the movie, we witness the hunting of Josemaría and the cold-blooded assassination of another priest by these groups. At the same time, brutal reprisals and assassinations were also carried out by nationalist sympathizers.
By way of example, in the movie, we see Manolo, encouraged by a military officer, kill a socialist union leader whose strikes had driven his father to an early death. In short, without attempting to offer a complete account of this extremely complex period of history, the film offers examples of both right-wing and left-wing violence.
In the movie, Manolo sympathizes with the Nationalists and works as a spy within the Republican ranks. Both Republicans and Nationalists received assistance and volunteers from foreign countries. In the film, some Nationalist military advisers speak in German, and a Republican tank commander speaks in Russian. One of the main secondary characters, Ildiko, is a Hungarian volunteer in the Republican army.
Josemaria eventually makes the difficult decision to leave Madrid (and his own family) where he is in danger and his apostolic activity is virtually impossible. He escapes from the Republican zone by crossing the frontier into France in order to re-enter Spain in the Nationalist zone, where the Church is not being persecuted and he will be able to carry on his priestly work.
A related article by Father John Wauk: HOW TO SEE “DRAGONS”
Where to watch the film in Nigeria
The memories provoked by Robert’s journalistic investigation of Josemaría Escrivá end up bringing the dead saint back into the life of Manolo in a way that will change both him and his son forever. Most of the movie deals, in flashbacks, with the distant past of Josemaria and Manolo, frequently through the tape-recorded memories of Manolo. These flashbacks tell of the early days of Josemaría and Manolo and their experiences during the Spanish Civil War (1936-39).
The Spanish Civil War erupted in July of 1936 when a group of right-wing generals and their allies (called “Nationalists”) staged a rebellion against the left-wing “Republican” government, which was a coalition formed by liberals, socialists, communists and anarchists.
The Nationalist rebellion failed to topple the Republican government immediately. Instead, a prolonged civil war ensued. Thus, in the context of the Spanish civil war, the “rebels” are in fact the right-wing generals and their allies, while the dashing “revolutionary” leader, Oriol, is fighting to defend the established leftist government in Madrid.
The Republican government was anti-clerical, and certain groups –mainly unofficial militia units allied with the government – violently persecuted the Catholic Church. During the war, 13 bishops and thousands of priests, monks and nuns were killed. In the movie, we witness the hunting of Josemaría and the cold-blooded assassination of another priest by these groups. At the same time, brutal reprisals and assassinations were also carried out by nationalist sympathizers.
By way of example, in the movie, we see Manolo, encouraged by a military officer, kill a socialist union leader whose strikes had driven his father to an early death. In short, without attempting to offer a complete account of this extremely complex period of history, the film offers examples of both right-wing and left-wing violence.
In the movie, Manolo sympathizes with the Nationalists and works as a spy within the Republican ranks. Both Republicans and Nationalists received assistance and volunteers from foreign countries. In the film, some Nationalist military advisers speak in German, and a Republican tank commander speaks in Russian. One of the main secondary characters, Ildiko, is a Hungarian volunteer in the Republican army.
A related article by Father John Wauk: HOW TO SEE “DRAGONS”
Where to watch the film in Nigeria
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