The Naked Maja

The slow pacing of this fanciful tale about the life and one reputed love of the Spanish artist Francisco Goya makes for an uneven drama. Anthony Franciosa is the artist, and Ava Gardner plays his paramour, the Duchess of Alba. While the Prime Minister of Spain schemes to betray his country to ...more

There's an abundance of visual beauty in The Naked Maja, and that's a very good thing, but it's far from enough to compensate for the myriad flaws in this turtle-paced, dull "historical" romance. As might be expected from Hollywood, the history is mostly made-up. Yes, there was a famous artist named Francisco Goya, and yes, he may have had a lover in the Duchess of Alba. Beyond that, there's precious little in this film that jibes with history the way it really was. Most people don't watch a ...more