From evening isles fantastical rings faint the Spanish gun
From Lepanto (1915), GK Chesterton
From the top of an undulation in the Cordoba road, Don Francisco de Vargas, mounted on his saddle mule, gazed westward at the small band of travelers receding in the distance. Long rays from the early sun, which had just lifted a crimson shoulder above the summit of the Sierra Magina, brought them into brilliant focus. He could still make out his son’s pennon on the lance carried by Cipriano Davila and an occasional glinting from the steel caps of the servants who had arrived yesterday from Linares. But his eyes were fixed on the three riders in front: Garcia, broad-shouldered and top-heavy on his mule; Pedro, centaur-like, a part of his horse; and between them, Gatana, riding sidesaddle on another mule. The old gentleman could no longer see the fluttering white plume on the hat which Dona Maria had given her, but it still fluttered in his mind’s eye. Vivid too were the sunburned face, expressive mouth, and the parting kiss he had had of her. A right cavalier’s girl, his thought commented.
He leaned forward, his eyes following them with keen tenderness. Youth, he thought. The New Age, an age turned westward across the Ocean Sea. How different from his own! How unimaginable! And yet from the rear guard of the past he bade the future God-speed. The stage might change; the actors might wear other costumes; but the essence of life remained. Courage, honor, love, would blossom in the New World as in the Old. That was what counted after all.
On the edge of a slope, beyond which the road disappeared, the little party drew rein and turned; he could see them waving back at him. Drawing himself up in the saddle, he raised his gauntlet in salute and blessing and farewell.
Ending Captain From Castile (1945), Samuel Shellabarger
I wonder if Hollywood can ever recover from the woke virus. It’s similar in some ways to the Roman Curia, having been populated for generations now with people who reject the norms and values that their institutions arose to advance, albeit for different motivations. It will take a cleansing on the order of the Augean stables to rectify this, I fear.
Entertainment in this country existed for 300 years before Hollywood appeared and will exist after Hollywood is gone.
Totally agree, Art. It would be nice, IMO, if a Hollywood restoration occurred, but certainly we can do without it. Perhaps its time has passed, regardless of other issues.
[…] Catholic Culture8. Demographics & the Steubenville Test Case – Ed. Condon at the Pillar9. Another One Would Be Good – Donald R. McClarey, J.D., at the American Catholic10. Make it 200 Percent & You Keep […]
Hmmm. Ask Hollywood to present something about Catholic faith without woke bias. Certainly it would be interesting to see.
After a fashion, we have seen this. I watched…Jesus Christ, Superstar… due to being curious a few years past. Well, that and Godspell. …Seems a movie aimed to make Passion Week relatable to hippies, …but not actually believing the Word.
I would be concerned by having actors–and directors and producers–who are dedicated to “woke” principles seeking to depict Conquistadores or others. Those efforts would be liable to have lamentable results.
We would either need a number of Damascus Road moments …or different actors, directors, and producers.
Wonder if Shellabarger’s book is available now. As a teenager I read Captain From Castle. When the movie version was shown on the 4 O’clock Afternoon Matinee I was enthralled by the music and had a crush on Tyrone Power. My money is on the independent producers for good films not the big studios.
Yep:
https://www.amazon.com/Captain-Castile-Best-Selling-Historical-Epic-ebook/dp/B07H51YNJ3/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0
The 1961 film El Cid with Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren was a decent attempt at picturing pre-reconquista Spain in a favorable light. Since records of the time are sketchy, deviations in accuracy can be forgiven as the message of promoting noble behavior was clear.
That film was made in Spain with the support of Franco. He was trying to help the Spanish film industry take off, EL Cid is the national hero of Spain, and he liked the theme of Muslims and Christians joining forces against an alien force. Franco used Moorish troops, the Regulares, during the Spanish Civil War and he viewed Communism and Anarchism as alien forces seeking to destroy Spain.
Several years ago, Spanish television produced a series about the life of Queen Isabel the Catholic. It was done very well…not everything was historically accurate but it was good TV…all in Castellano, of course. There was a second series about Charles V.
There was a Polish TV production about the Polish Soviet War, obviously condensed. It did feature the American pilots dropping bombs on the invading Red Army.
Mel Gibson had the ability to make and distribute movies outside of Hollywood. Given his age and personal troubles I doubt he wants to anymore, but he could have made an outstanding movie about the Battle of Vienna
Thank you for the link on Captain From Castile. I’ll buy it.
El Cid was also a favorite movie of my teen years. Another good epic film with an excellent score. My 8th grade pal and I saw the movie twice on the big screen of a Lowes theater. We each bought the souvenir hard bound picture book. Reading the Post that Charlton Heston was staying at the Mayflower Hotel we asked. Kathy’s mom to drivee us to the hotel. With books in hand we approached the registration desk and politely asked the clerk if there was any chance to meet Mr. Heston and have our books autographed.
Fifteen minutes later Heston walks through lobby with an entourage and the clerk point us out. Heston walks over to us and after a short conversation kindly signs
our books. We were in 7th heaven! Now that I’ve remembered this episode I’ve got to find the book in my parents’ basement.
Mel Gibson supposedly has plans for Jesus Christ: the Resurrection. Not sure how far the film has progressed. He recently has produced an action film, Flight Risk featuring Mark Walberg.
In a survey of potential Republican runners for California governor Gibson the leading. Probably because he has been extremely vocal about a Newcome recall.
Alejandro Monteverde. With Eduardo Verástegui produced Bella 2006 which is about a Puerto Rican/ Mexican family and is pro-life. Both of these men plan to make more films about faith.