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In 1917, Puerto Ricans built the Antiguo Casino de Puerto Rico in Old San Juan. A place of mingling for the local high society, it had to be transferred to the U.S. military in the wake of World War II. Perhaps an example of common property seizures during wartime, or a representation of the foreign control that the U.S. government has on its colonies, that is the backdrop of this 1985 drama directed by Marcos Zurinaga.
Based in a story from local writer Ana Lydia Vega, La Gran Fiesta follows the last party held by the Puerto Rican high society at the aforementioned casino in 1942. But besides the dance, the music, and the glamour of the night, there is gossip, forbidden romances, backstabbings, conspiracies, and political machinations.
The main focus of the story is in José Manuel (Daniel Lugo), who is set to announce his wedding to a young socialite during the night, while being secretly in love with Raquel (Cordelia González), an activist with leftist leanings. Meanwhile, José Manuel's father, Manuel (Luis Prendes), a migrant from Spain and renowned businessman, is being unknowingly set up as a political fall guy by an ambitious prosecutor that claims he's a Franco sympathizer.
This film was submitted by the island for the Foreign Film Academy Award back in the day, and even though it wasn't nominated, one can see it had the merits. The film is gorgeously shot, with Zurinaga taking great advantage of the structure and floor layout of the casino. The use of music, appropriately set as part of the party, is also very effective. There are a couple of instances where pieces of score feel clunkily integrated, though.
The pace at which the story unfolds is good. The film is a slow moving drama, so there really aren't any big spurts of action, but there is effective build-up of tension through the conversations and the interactions of the guests. Most of the performances are quite solid too, which include even Raúl Juliá, who has a brief, but colorful cameo as a razor-tongued poet. There are some performances and dialogues that are a bit cringy, and I do wish that the motivations of some characters were better established, but I found this to be a pleasant surprise. In this country we've seen much worse, and you know it.
Grade:
LA GRAN FIESTA
(1985, Zurinaga)
Freebie
(1985, Zurinaga)
Freebie
"It doesn't work like that. In a democracy you can't accuse someone without evidence and get away with it."
"Democracy, my ass! José Manuel, in this country we've seen much worse and you know it."
"Democracy, my ass! José Manuel, in this country we've seen much worse and you know it."
In 1917, Puerto Ricans built the Antiguo Casino de Puerto Rico in Old San Juan. A place of mingling for the local high society, it had to be transferred to the U.S. military in the wake of World War II. Perhaps an example of common property seizures during wartime, or a representation of the foreign control that the U.S. government has on its colonies, that is the backdrop of this 1985 drama directed by Marcos Zurinaga.
Based in a story from local writer Ana Lydia Vega, La Gran Fiesta follows the last party held by the Puerto Rican high society at the aforementioned casino in 1942. But besides the dance, the music, and the glamour of the night, there is gossip, forbidden romances, backstabbings, conspiracies, and political machinations.
The main focus of the story is in José Manuel (Daniel Lugo), who is set to announce his wedding to a young socialite during the night, while being secretly in love with Raquel (Cordelia González), an activist with leftist leanings. Meanwhile, José Manuel's father, Manuel (Luis Prendes), a migrant from Spain and renowned businessman, is being unknowingly set up as a political fall guy by an ambitious prosecutor that claims he's a Franco sympathizer.
This film was submitted by the island for the Foreign Film Academy Award back in the day, and even though it wasn't nominated, one can see it had the merits. The film is gorgeously shot, with Zurinaga taking great advantage of the structure and floor layout of the casino. The use of music, appropriately set as part of the party, is also very effective. There are a couple of instances where pieces of score feel clunkily integrated, though.
The pace at which the story unfolds is good. The film is a slow moving drama, so there really aren't any big spurts of action, but there is effective build-up of tension through the conversations and the interactions of the guests. Most of the performances are quite solid too, which include even Raúl Juliá, who has a brief, but colorful cameo as a razor-tongued poet. There are some performances and dialogues that are a bit cringy, and I do wish that the motivations of some characters were better established, but I found this to be a pleasant surprise. In this country we've seen much worse, and you know it.
Grade: