moonbus69
I just happened onto this film, playing on a local broadcast digital TV channel (The Works), and am glad that I did. I had never seen this film before or heard of it, but have always loved the art of Goya. This movie made me want to go look up his complete life story, and of the Duchess (the part played by Ava Gardner). Just saw a scene where Goya (Anthony Franciosa) is painting in a field, and Maria (Ava) is with him, and some soldiers on horseback are riding by. The captain comes to greet Maria, and when they leave Goya voices his displeasure about 'war-making', etc. This scene reminded me of the one in 'Immortal Beloved' (movie about Beethoven with Gary Oldman) where Napoleon's army is attacking nearby... and how, through history, some of the greatest works of music, art, etc., are created during times of great unrest and horrific wars. Maybe this is the 'balance' that helps maintain the human world, and all our collective sanity? Anyways, the scenes, costumes, music, and especially Ava, are all so very, very beautiful!
dbdumonteil
In her very pleasant memoirs ,Ava Gardner recalls Anthony Franciosa's very "actor's studio method " acting ,which she did not take seriously :his performance when he is delirious and when he proudly tells the Holy Office that the beauty of a woman was given to man by God is revealing;Gardner tells us how much time he spent wondering how he would play "THAT " scene ,how he would deliver "THIS" line.Koster's direction is mediocre at best ,static and academic ,not even using Goya's art -what Vincente Minnelli did with Van Gogh in "lust for life" -;anyway as an user has already pointed out the Maja does not resemble Gardner and for a good reason: the picture was made for Manuel ,the villain of the movie ,and it represents his hot lover Pepita!The screenplay is confused ,it's a stodgy mixture of art,religion,intrigues ,irresolute king,wicked minister and Napoleon's army around the corner.For all that,Mrs Gardner's extraordinary beauty survives and even if the movie does not satisfy,the simple fact of watching her will make your day.She would prove ,in her following movie ("on the beach") and even more in "the night of the iguana" that she could act ,and superbly act when she was given decent scripts to work with.
jojo-acapulco
"The Naked Maja" has beautiful sets and costumes, but only a passing acquaintance with reality. About the best that can be said is that it features some impressive views of Miss Gardner's lovely bosom.Diego Velázques (1599-1660) painted one of the earliest known Spanish nudes, the Rokeby Venus, featured as the "loot" in the film "The Happy Thieves."About two centuries after Velázques, Francisco Goya 1746-1828) painted a short, plump nude maja (street girl) reclining on a bed. When this picture was criticized as obscene, he painted the same girl again, in the same position but dressed, which makes her more, rather than less suggestive. The chunky girl in the "maja" paintings does not resemble Goya's portraits of the Duchess of Alba in any way.When I was last in the Prado the two majas were hanging on either side of the door to the room housing the portrait of King Carlos IV and family and the queen was definitely not the lovely young woman who played the part in "The Naked Maja." Goya also painted two portraits of his very close friend, the tall, angular Duchess of Alba, in one she is dressed in white and in the other, in black. The 'black portrait' shows the duchess pointing imperiously at the ground where the words "solo Goya" ("only Goya") can be seen written in the sand at her feet.Milos Forman's "Goya's Ghosts" (2006) is a far better film and much closer to historical fact. Goya's passing affair with the Duchess of Alba, who was certainly not the girl in the Maja paintings, does not figure in the latter film.
wdbivens
I'm an avid Ava Gardner fan, but this film ranks near the bottom of her career efforts, with 'The Bible', 'The Blue Bird', etc. 'The Naked Maja' is beautiful enough to look at, but is poorly directed, narrated, and edited. The story of the Duchess of Alba, could have been the basis for a much more interesting film, but this film is a lesson in missed cinematic opportunities. Ava, more commonly called 'the most beautiful animal in the world', possessed a raw, exciting sexuality, that provided the few sparks, in an otherwise lifeless film. I definitely did not consider her the most beautiful women in films, but certainly one of the most sensuous. This was not a major film, and Anthony Franciosa was not a major star; even though I loved his work in 'A Hatful Of Rain'. I wanted to love this film, when it was released, and I was hopelessly smitten with Miss Gardner. Ultimately, I had to admit that it was not as good as some of her other disappointing films, like 'The Sun Also Rises', 'The Little Hut', 'Bhowani Junction', just to name a few. 'Mogambo', 'The Barefoot Contessa', 'Showboat', and 'The Night of the Iguana', were my personal favorite Ava Gardner films. Ava Gardner would rank right behind Hedy Lamarr and Elizabeth Taylor, as the most beautiful women in the world. Costumes for Ava, in 'The Naked Maja', were quite good.
AD
