The mystic figure of Saint Teresa of Avila, a woman from wealth, who renounced all that life had given her in exchange for one of prayer and writing some of the best works of the so called Golden Age of the Spanish literature, remains an elusive figure after seeing this film.
Teresa Sanchez de Cepeda y Ahumada, born in the province of Avila, in 1515. Her paternal grandfather was a Jew, who converted to Catholicism and later was condemned by the Inquisition for going back to the faith in which he was born. Her whole family was connected, in one way, or another, to the Catholic Church. Her time was one of turmoil as the Holy Inquisition was a force to be reckoned with in the Iberian peninsula.
When Teresa decided to join a convent, she was seen as one of the different women because of her coming from privilege. Her life went to change dramatically as she started getting visions that involved her close connection with Christ, something that drove her to become deathly sick. In her ecstasies, Teresa imagined Jesus in ways no other nun saw him, something that did not sit well with the mentality of the Spain of the 16th century. With the help of her good friend, Giomar De Ulloa, Teresa went to fund her own convent, a stricter form of the Carmelites. She also wrote extensively and her "Song of Songs" is one of the most treasured pieces in Spanish literature.
Ray Loriga, a writer that has worked extensively in Spanish cinema, wrote the basis of this film, as well as directed it. Mr. Loriga is no doubt a man of refined talent. The basic problem with the film seems to lay in the casting of the main role. Paz Vega, a sensual actress, feels as though she is out of place as Teresa. Leonor Watling is seen as her friend Guiomar, who could have been a lesbian, as played by this actress. Geraldine Chaplin, Eusebio Poncela, and the rest of the supporting cast do their best for the director.
Rafael Palmero's artistic direction must be mentioned. He is blessed with working in the same places where Teresa lived and worked. Same could be said about the cinematographer, Jose Luis Alcaine, who gives us great views of Avila and interiors that are suffused with the kind of light associated with famous painters like Vermeer, or Georges De La Tour. The music score is credited to Angel Illarramendi and Michael Nyman. What the film lacks in its narrative it makes up in the beautiful images the director incorporated, which does not compensate for the overall feeling of a static movie.
In spite of Mr. Loriga's good intentions, Saint Teresa remains an enigma for most of the audience.
Teresa Sanchez de Cepeda y Ahumada, born in the province of Avila, in 1515. Her paternal grandfather was a Jew, who converted to Catholicism and later was condemned by the Inquisition for going back to the faith in which he was born. Her whole family was connected, in one way, or another, to the Catholic Church. Her time was one of turmoil as the Holy Inquisition was a force to be reckoned with in the Iberian peninsula.
When Teresa decided to join a convent, she was seen as one of the different women because of her coming from privilege. Her life went to change dramatically as she started getting visions that involved her close connection with Christ, something that drove her to become deathly sick. In her ecstasies, Teresa imagined Jesus in ways no other nun saw him, something that did not sit well with the mentality of the Spain of the 16th century. With the help of her good friend, Giomar De Ulloa, Teresa went to fund her own convent, a stricter form of the Carmelites. She also wrote extensively and her "Song of Songs" is one of the most treasured pieces in Spanish literature.
Ray Loriga, a writer that has worked extensively in Spanish cinema, wrote the basis of this film, as well as directed it. Mr. Loriga is no doubt a man of refined talent. The basic problem with the film seems to lay in the casting of the main role. Paz Vega, a sensual actress, feels as though she is out of place as Teresa. Leonor Watling is seen as her friend Guiomar, who could have been a lesbian, as played by this actress. Geraldine Chaplin, Eusebio Poncela, and the rest of the supporting cast do their best for the director.
Rafael Palmero's artistic direction must be mentioned. He is blessed with working in the same places where Teresa lived and worked. Same could be said about the cinematographer, Jose Luis Alcaine, who gives us great views of Avila and interiors that are suffused with the kind of light associated with famous painters like Vermeer, or Georges De La Tour. The music score is credited to Angel Illarramendi and Michael Nyman. What the film lacks in its narrative it makes up in the beautiful images the director incorporated, which does not compensate for the overall feeling of a static movie.
In spite of Mr. Loriga's good intentions, Saint Teresa remains an enigma for most of the audience.