RE: The Captive | Film Review

Did someone call for a historian?

I’m here. I am only a student, admittedly, but I can help you do a bit of your own research.

You need to start with the book Gazavat. This was written by pirates themselves for the grand sultan. It is written in a highly laudatory tone, effectively functioning as a report for the boss. Do have a read. They openly boast about sexually assaulting their enemies to the point of anal bleeding, literally, presenting it as a genuine achievement.

Next, take a look at The Topography and History of Algiers by "Haedo". There, you will find corsairs openly parading through the streets with their garzones, and owning collections of handsome male youths. It also explains the rise of the man 'whose name you’ve forgotten'. In fact, this film is largely based on that very book.

After that, read historical works based on the dispatches of the Venetian baili from Istanbul (sifting through the actual archives yourself would be quite a chore). Check out the articles by Emrah Safa Gürkan, as well as his book The Sultan's Corsairs. He is the leading Turkish expert on 16th-century history. Along with Antonio Fabris, they are the two foremost experts on the man 'whose name you’ve forgotten'.

As for his personal relationship with Cervantes, I have read Cervantes’ own literary works, and I get the distinct impression that after they parted ways, the writer was left carrying a massive sense of resentment and unfulfilment. Later on, he began incorporating him into his texts, shaping him into various different characters. In the grand and unconquerable form, he manifests as the windmill. In the castrated and dependent, he becomes Zoraida. Anything that is white or glows with white light serves as a marker for Hasan throughout his texts.

(if you are interested in further explanation, let me know)

And Amenábar masterfully demonstrates this. Notice how Zoraida speaks in the film: using short commands, like a military commanding officer.

That's not bad acting, that's intentional.

Also, when Cervantes sees a moving shadow in Hasan's window, he then thinks of a windmill's moving foils at night.

As for my own take on the film, I’d say this: the themes you find unbelievable are depicted truthfully, but deliberately exaggerated. This is a conscious artistic choice. The film is shot somewhat from Cervantes’ POV, capturing how a 30-year-old would have perceived the life surrounding him in Algiers.

If the film had been shot from Hasan’s POV—delving into what was going on inside his head—the whole vibe would be closer to... let's say Run Lola Run. Remember that 90s film? The one where a girl runs through various alternative timelines (very Hasan'esque way of thinking) of the same events in an intense search for money.

Posted by Waivio guest: @waivio_kurjips