Follows the lives of a wealthy family in right wing Chile. Irons is the rich landowner who marries his great love, Streep and they have a daughter, Ryder who falls in love with rebel, Banderas.
The focus here is on Irons, who is excellent in his portrayal over a lifetime of a desperately proud, arrogant and ultimate stupid man who risks losing everything. His extraordinary love for his wife amidst all his callous and pointless acts of hatred and revenge are oddly quite moving. Streep as the ethereal, clairvoyant wife is less convincing in a strange role, but Ryder seems spot on as the strong willed but caring daughter.
Not without it faults - the spirit stuff does jar on occasions and Irons' almost nazi like approach to life just seems near to taking everything over the top. It is though a moving, albeit at times unbalanced epic and well worth catching.
The focus here is on Irons, who is excellent in his portrayal over a lifetime of a desperately proud, arrogant and ultimate stupid man who risks losing everything. His extraordinary love for his wife amidst all his callous and pointless acts of hatred and revenge are oddly quite moving. Streep as the ethereal, clairvoyant wife is less convincing in a strange role, but Ryder seems spot on as the strong willed but caring daughter.
Not without it faults - the spirit stuff does jar on occasions and Irons' almost nazi like approach to life just seems near to taking everything over the top. It is though a moving, albeit at times unbalanced epic and well worth catching.