El Greco follows the life of the passionate and talented Greek artist Domenikos Theotokopoulos, more commonly known as El Greco. Although renowned for his painting, Greco spent much of his life fighting for his ideals, using the power of his creative expression to overcome injustice.
In the sixteenth century, when Crete is occupied by the Venetians, Greco is living a frivolous life as an artist while rebels around him are fighting for independence. But when his rebel father is killed by Venetian troops, Greco is stricken with grief and leaves Crete, hoping to find consolation and purpose elsewhere. In Venice, he begins working as an artist's apprentice and befriends a Spanish priest, Nino de Guevara, who admires Greco's art but remains distrustful of his progressive thoughts on religion, art, life and love.
Years later, Greco is settled with his lover, Jeronyma, and their child in Toledo, where the artist paints grand commissions for the Church and aristocracy. One day, Guevara reacquaints himself with Greco – no longer as an idealistic priest or Greco's friend, but as the Grand Inquisitor. Guevara, jealous of Greco's unyielding faith, commissions him to paint his portrait. When Greco paints an honest picture of what he sees in Guevara, he is sent to face the Inquisition, whose prosecutors mercilessly attack his ideals, art, love and faith. But guided by true faith, Greco remains undefeated, and centuries later, his great works are still admired for their furious blend of passion and restraint, darkness and light.
El Greco is an epic achievement from director Iannis Smaragdis. Evoking the polarizing extremes of religiosity and stately barbarism that coloured the world at that time, El Greco is a rousing work about one of the most influential painters in the evolution of the art form.
Dimitri Eipides
Iannis Smaragdis was born in Crete and studied film in both Greece and France. His films, which he often both directs and writes, include The Cell Zero (75), Alaloum (82), Homecoming Song (83), Cavafy (96) and El Greco (07).