8 thoughts on “SNARK WEEK: Not Mad About Mad Love – Juana la Loca (2001)

  1. Poor Juana! I haven’t seen this movie, but it sounds like they got the story all wrong. Juana was manipulated by just about everyone in her life, especially her Dad, husband and son (Charles V)… All of whom were after the power she inherited from her mother. She probably had some leanings (maybe postpartum depression), but it’s likely much of her “story” is a series of lies to keep the aforementioned men in control of her power. I’m on team Juana… The perfect example of why being born with money and power certainly isn’t always a blessing.

    1. Juana’s actual story is so sad and tragic, and this movie was one of those times where I was practically yelling at the screen “HER ACTUAL LIFE STORY IS WAY MORE INTERESTING”.

      SIGH.

      I’ll never understand why screenwriters feel that sticking to history makes for a boring/unsexy film. But that’s why they make a shit-ton of money and I just sit here writing irate blog entries about historical accuracy. :P

  2. If you read the biography about Juana and Katharine of Aragon as siblings (Sister Queens? That might be the title) you will be forever pissed off at the raw deal Juana got. She was basically manipulated by all the men in her life to keep them in power, and her out of it. So sad.

    I saw this film ages ago. I don’t remember most of it, though the costumes were pretty.

  3. The only thing I fondly remember of this were the costumes tbqh. (The director also got some spiffy costume designs for Tirant Lo Blanc, which I only recommend for that)

    If you can, check “La Conjura de El Escorial” aka “The Conspiracy”, one of the finest works by Javier Artiñano (and the best portrayal of Philip II of Spain) or “El rey pasmado” which IMHO suffers from a bit of aging but most of the costumes are splendid (and the story is really funny tbqh)

    1. Thanks for the recommendations! I’ll have to check those two films out.

      On the whole, the costumes were not bad. Not great, but not bad. All over the map historically speaking, but at least they stuck to the first half of the 16th century, which is better than most historical films of this period.

  4. Somewhere, somehow, I actually obtained a DVD copy of this film……really…..can’t remember where, but it’s upstairs on the shelf……..

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