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Vincente Aranda's 21st movie purports to tell the story of Queen Joan of Castile, who is known to history as Juana La Loca -- mad Joan. If you look into royal geneologies, and you should, Juana's entry notes her birth in 1479, her death in 1555, her marriage to Philip I the Handsome in 1496 and this brief note: "Became insane after the death of Isabella."
Isabella, Queen of Castile, was her mother.
Mad Love suggests that Joan was mad for love, not gaga in general. The film opens with the aged Joan thinking of her past and of her great love, her husband Philip, then zooms back to 1496 and her voyage across the sea to marry a man she has never met. Luckily, it's love, or at least lust, at first sight. Prince Philip of Hapsburg, looking mighty like a Fabio clone, is her new spouse. Alas, she loves him more than he loves her. Philip the Handsome (that name's for real) is a major womanizer. Philip the Codpiece, more like.
Joan's high spirits, obvious passion for her husband and jealous rages soon earn her a reputation.
As well, her ease with child-bearing and breastfeeding -- the latter highly scandalous, as any princess would have had a wet nurse -- are looked upon as odd. When her mother and her siblings die and she simultaneously discovers that Philip is a philandering fink, Joan wigs out.
But now she is Queen of Castile, and Philip would like to be King. He can only do that by having Joan declared insane, and there are plenty of local noblemen to back up the idea.
Power? Politics? Or passion? Mad Love is very beautiful and painterly to look at, all costumes and kingdoms and like that. The cinematography is really and truly magnificent.
As for the performances, Pilar Lopez de Ayala -- as Joan -- owns the screen, tearing around with her nostrils flared like a Spanish Scarlett O'Hara. She won a Goya (the Spanish Oscar) for her efforts. Daniele Liotti is properly brooding and smouldering as the ambitious Philip, though he doesn't get to do much except leer.
Mad Love, much as we hate to say it, is probably a chick flick of the first order, disguised by just enough historical detail to elevate the proceedings somewhat.
The film is in Spanish, with English subtitles.
(This film is rated AA)