The Liberator
Simon Bolivar fought over 100 battles against the Spanish Empire in South America. He rode over 70,000 miles on horseback. His military campaigns covered twice the territory of Alexander the Great. His army never conquered -- it liberated.
Director:
Alberto Arvelo
Cast:
Edgar Ramirez, Erich Wildpret, and Maria Valverde
Screenplay:
Timothy J. Sexton
Screening Date:
Sep 27, 2014
Studio:
Cohen Media Group
Running Time:
119 minutes
| Excellent | Very Good | Good | Fair | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41.3% | 20.6% | 23.8% | 12.7% | 1.6% |
“Gripping movie. Informative and well done, appropriate music.”
“Loved this film. As bio-pics go it did glorify but not deify Bolivar, and presented a remarkable man in remarkable times – and those times were re-created amazingly for this film with superb production values.”
“Tremendous retelling of history and the struggle for freedom.”
“Amazing accomplishment and well-acted. The scenes were extraordinary and Gustavo Dudamel
continues to astound – he is a musical hero!”
“So much effort for so little substance.”
“Spectacular cinematography. Viva!”
“Too bloated for me, and too much hero warship of Bolivar. Over the sweep of decades of struggles and war he does not age. An important man, and important history, but not well served by this pretty but simplistic film.”
“Incredible cinematography. Good costumes. English subtitles not always accurate.”
“Beautiful to look at.”
“I would not recommend this film, too much violence. Liked the cinematography.”
“Beautiful to see. Epic and inspired but trite and predictable in parts. The music was pretty cheesy.”
“Too much like a soap opera.”
“Could have been a little shorter.”
“I would recommend it, but it was long and the storyline seemed to move from place to place.”
“Had to race because so much went by so quickly. A history expert would understand it. A topic worth exploring. The philosophical statements were thought provoking. Deserves a second viewing.”
“The best thing about this bloody, loud mess was the musical composer!”
“A terrific throwback to epic filmmaking of the past. Mr. Bolivar was not perfect but he was a hero.”
“Grand filmmaking, CG used for effectiveness as opposed to shock effect. Great acting.”
“I would follow Edgar Ramirez into any battle.”
If you'd like to know more about the film...
The Carta de Jamaica, or "The Jamaica Letter" was written by Simón Bolívar in response to a letter from Henry Cullen, in which he put forward the reasons that caused the fall of the Second Republic of Venezuela within the context of the independence of the nation. This is the very letter letter translated.
http://faculty.smu.edu/bakewell/bakewell/texts/jamaica-letter.html
With such praise for the soundtrack, here is the main theme of the theme conducted by famed composer, Gustavo Dudamel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xegOz_pAZcw
Here is a brief but detailed biography of the famed hero, Giving a list of his actions, accomplishments and lasting legacy even after his death.
http://www.biography.com/people/simon-bolivar-241196#synopsis
