Freire (Film)
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| Freire | |
|---|---|
 Official theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Natalia Ramirez |
| Written by | Juan Manuel Ocampo |
| Based on | Freire: Cesylle’s First Revolutionary by Juan Manuel Ocampo |
| Produced by | Juan Manuel Ocampo Natalia Ramirez |
| Starring | Franco Piñón Teresa Martí Juan Manuel Ocampo Tomás Seco |
| Cinematography | Caitlin Szymanski |
| Edited by | Valeria Secada |
| Music by | Juan Manuel Ocampo |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Sentido Motion Pictures |
Release date | November 7, 2021 |
Running time | 159 minutes |
| Countries | Nastanovo Elaklania |
| Language | Isabellan |
| Budget | €17.76 million |
Freire is a 2021 Nastnovian and Elaklanian sung-and-rapped-through musical film, adapted from the 2014 musical of the same name, using a live recording from a largely attended performance of the musical in the Elaklanian Capital of Puerto Bontia in 2016. Natalia Ramirez directed the film, and co-produced it alongside Juan Manuel Ocampo, who also wrote and composed the film, while also portraying the eponymous lead character.
The film follows the same plot as the musical in the life of Bernardo Freire during the Century of Revolutions. The film's beginning describes Freire's family's immigration from the Cosavian colonial-island holdings to Nastanovo and finding work as a child and as a teenager under the Viceroyalty in the capital city of Santo Dominco. Then leading into the major events of the musical which include the War of Ferdinandian Independence, his selection to becoming General of the Citizen's Army of Ferdinandia, the events following the separation of Elaklania, his coronation as Sovereign of Nastanovo, the Coalition Wars of 1790 and his personal life. The film ends with the assassination of Freire and a final scene with the ascension of his son to become Sovereign of Nastanovo and a recounting of his legacy as Cesylle’s First Revolutionary
The film adaption was released on the November 7, 2021, premiering in a number of theatres, while being released on streaming services two weeks later on November 30. Critics praised the film for its use of unique camera positioning to convey new emotion towards lines within the musical numbers throughout the film.
Plot
Freire focuses on the life and times of Bernardo Freire thereby organising his life into two acts; the first of the acts focusing on his life leading up to his participation in the War of Ferdinandian Independence, and the second act focusing on his reign as Sovereign of Nastanovo and ending with his assassination. Other important characters which poised significance to Freire or the period of the Century of Revolutions are included, such as his wife Fátima Velázquez, his close friend and Vice President of Ferdiandia, Carlos Romero and the would be Emperor of Elaklania Manuel Andre Osceola.
Act I
The film opens with Josué Freire, performing as narrator, describing the immigration of the Freire family to the Viceroyalty of Nastanovo from colonial Cosavia following a merchant led riot in the colonial-capital and showcasing the sheer stature of wealth that the Freire family brought into colonial Nastanovo which allowed them to be established as a Aristocratic family within the Viceroyalty ("Cesyllian Tides"). Then cutting to a young Bernardo working as a carriage-counter on his family's plantation and witnessing the Isabellan promoted exploitation of native slaves and the poorer Nastnovians in the cultivation of tabacco upon the family's plantation in the outskirts of Santo Dominco, fermenting the initial questionings of colonial authority in the young Bernardo ("Her Tyranny"). Reaching the age of 15 Bernardo's mother takes it upon herself to sign Bernardo to private tutoring under a family friend, much to his father's discontent. At 16 Bernardo finds himself sailing to Isabella and meeting Daniella Barrios who introduces the young Freire to Maris in a tour of Isabella and Lancia, developing a further questionings of the Viceroyalties system in colonial Cesylle as Barrios introduces him to the man who discovered Ceyslle, Emil Jacob Fernández, and ideals of republicanism, abolitionist thought, and inalienable rights In his final months of tutoring, Bernardo makes a swear upon himself that he will liberate his homeland, by force of arms if he must've ("Something's Gotta Give"). Upon bidding his goodbyes to Barrios and Maris, Freire returns home to Nastanovo in 1768 at the age of 18. Freire pauses in the downtown district of Santo Dominco to recount of his life thus far, passing through the streets feeling that so far he's been on the right path but missing an incredibly missing piece to his philosophical puzzle but then he overhears a group of revolutionaries, of whom include Carlos Romero, discussing their plans to raid an Imperial cache of weapons ("No King but God"). Which he then interjects into by buying them all a drink to invite himself into the conversation, though at first suspicious the small group allow him to enter into the conversation which Freire then begins to dominate as he explains what he had recently learned from his tutoring, his ideals of a Cesyllian republic and a government of the new generation overtaking the conversation and sparking a following of revolutionaries to Freire's conversation, during the commotion that Freire caused, he proudly proclaims that he has found the missing puzzle piece, a movement. ("No man's stood to her!"). Unfortunately Freire's father heard of his son's exploits in the inner city which then forced him to close Bernardo into the family estate, which Bernardo escapes from and bribes and rides his way to San Sebastián and reconnect with his friend Carlos Romero who then brings Freire to the First Ferdinándian National Congress as his plus one to the Congress in 1769 where the 19 year old Freire then begins to find himself surrounded by likeminded individuals who allow him to grow his ideals of republicanism and discuss a future without the oversight of the Viceroy and Isabellan's increasingly enlarging colonial military. For months Freire debated with the other members of the congress on the necessity of a revolution and though some have reservations, he convinces a majority to vote in favor for the delivering of an ultimatum to Isabella, demanding the creation of a colonial congress to allow themselves to determine policy and the freeing of all slaves across the Viceroyalties of Cesylle, upon the Isabellan King refuting the demand, the Congress voted in favor of independence ("Libertad o Muerte"). Within weeks the Isabellan garrisons are mobilized and professional battalions are arriving from island holdings of Isabella, forcing street combat as revolutionaries take up arms in the streets of major cities across the Viceroyalties of Elaklania and Nastanovo. Freire takes command as the only person willing to do so and is forced to engage with General Christopher Botín, the General Isabella dispatched to put down the Revolution, the age disparity showing its clearness as the 20 year old Freire, inexperienced and new to combat, against the 62 year old general, well fashioned and firm in combat. Freire suffers defeat after defeat in the downtown city and is forced to abandoned the city though with minimal casualties and a concern for maintaining cohesion and quality of the battalions under his command. Those in his command though proclaim him the victor regardless as he was able to stand to the most experienced Isabellan General and continue to live to tell the tale ("and so, revolution"). Following the Battle of San Sebastián and reorganizing in the inner regions of southern Elaklania and Northern Nastanovo, Freire organizes the first regiments of the Ferdinándian Citizen's Army and recieves word from other disperate organs of revolutionaries proclaiming their support for his sector of the revolution, he sends riders out with the message that he is assuming command of the Revolution as El General of the Citizen's Army. in 1770 at age 20 Bernardo becomes the young face of the revolution against the Isabellan colonial response and battlelines begin to form across the Viceroyalties of Elaklania and Nastanovo from Revolutionaries attempting to link up with Freire from across colonies ("El General").
Deeper inland and in the Viceroyalty of Elaklania as the leader of the Army of Puerto Bontia, Manuel Andre Osceola, is chased from the city he was meant to defend from the Isabellan garrison, defeated and without allies in Elaklania as the aristocrats threw their weight behind the Isabellan Viceroy. In his declaration of support for the republican cause, he laments over the lose of Puerto Bonita and swears that he will see Elaklania brought "into the loving embrace of liberty" ("So may it be"). Though both Freire and Osceola learn through the harsh realities of war that their cause is not an easy one, facing defeat after defeat in the north and in Elaklania as revolutionary forces attempt to coordinate under Freire's command and through it all he attempts to maintain the minimal casualties and viability of his soldiers as Osceola garnered support among the Elaklanian peasantry in their forceful freeing and conscription into the Citizen's Army ("Outgunned and Outplanned"). In a follow-up battle outside of San Sebastián as Freire attempts to dislodge Botín from the city, the heats of the summer beats down both sides as many die to heatstroke and the Army is forced to flee further south into Nastanovo. ("Summer of '72"). During the battle some officers among the Citizen's Army question the 22 year old Freire's ability and in an attempt to firmly organize the Citizen's Army, Freire overrides all forms of autonomous command and forces every officer in the regiments to adhere to his operational initiative during the Battle of Santo Dominco, slowly and meticulously moving through the city until they were able to take the garrison by surprise and liberate the city and as a result fully designate a capital for the Ferdinándian National Congress to convene in during the revolution, though during the battle Freire is injured in an artillery accident and is forced to take refuge in the city ("Bark your orders!"). During his extended leave from the military and the officers once more taking leadership positions in the army, the revolutionaries exploit the weakness in the battlelines of the Isabellan-Ferdinándian war as more colonial outposts are liberated from Isabella and swear loyalty to the revolutionaries, all the while Freire meets once more with his father, held in captivity since the liberation of Santo Dominco. As a final regard Freire's father asks him to marry a upper class woman who was in high contact with Isabellan society and more importantly, spies. Honoring his father's wish, Freire marries Fátima Velázquez who reveals her sympathies for the revolutionaries and tells Freire she will happily lie to the Isabellans about would be revolutionary strategy, the pair then agree to confer with one another before Freire gives the command to begin an operation ("Reverence"). While Freire continues to rest, Osceola returns to Elalklania with newfound revolutionary zeal as he continues to garner support among the peasantry for the revolution beginning to win battles and arriving in Puerto Bonita once more for a second attempt at liberating the city which he succeeds in ("Northern Expedition"). Following his extended absence Freire returned to command he oversees the progress of the revolutionaries across the continent and one thing becomes abundantly clear to him, though death is a necessity he aims to be as efficient and minimal casualty ridden in his method of war as he and Osceola share a duet on the horrors that they witness during combat, both agreeing in their sentiments that war, though necessary is something which should be controlled ("The Seven Rules of War"). Following his campaign to liberate Elaklania and reforming his regiments to include the large influx of peasantry within his ranks, Osceola returns to Nastanovo to aid Freire and the other revolutionaries in the next battles of the war as they begin to close the knot around San Sebastián and close in on the final pockets of Isabellan forces on the continent ("Osceola on the Horizon"). Before the battle, Osceola and Freire meet to discuss the next steps for the battle as they begin to clash over their visions of the battle, while Osceola sees the next step as flooding the streets with men to overtake the garrison, Freire prefers his usual methodical method of moving through sectors of a region until they can methodically close out the garrison. Though both cannot come to an agreement, officers of the Citizen's Army declare their favor to Freire's plan and they begin the battle by engaging with Isabellan forces through small sectors of carefully selected regiments moving through and exploiting the old fashioned placements of the Isabellan Imperial Army. Following a thorough defeat of General Christopher Botín by Freire, both sides agree to a ceasefire and negotiations, for the first time Freire and Botín meet following the battle and seeing to the burial of the dead, Botín comments that Freire that he doesn't believe Freire is a republican, which Freire refutes. Following a week of negotiations in mid 1773, Freire agrees to compensate for lost trade volumes and open up the would be Republic to Marisian trade, thus ending the War of Ferdinandian Independence and kickstarting the Century of Revolutions ("¡Adiós Isabel!").
Following the liberation of San Sebastián and the relocation of the National Congress to the city, the Third Ferdinándian National Congress began with the proclaimation of the Republic, now reborn as the Grand Republic of Ferdinándia, and celebrations of their victory over the Imperial powers of Isabella, and announcements of elections to be held in positions of government and the executive branch responsible for the creation of a constitution, which Osceola and Freire both announce their candidacy for President of the Republic beginning a bitter rivalry between the two as they jostle for the position during the election, as the congress was dominated of individuals who had known Freire and the good word of his friend Carlos Romero, who was running with Freire as the Vice Presidential candidate, or were Nastnovian nationals who elected to hold a vote within days and majority elected Freire as the First President of the Grand Republic of Ferdinándia leaving a taste of defeat which Osceola would never forget ("El Presidente"). With a President elected and an executive branch entrusted to begin drafting a constitution, a new debate began as the congress questioned the very nature of their leadership, Osceola once more did not give up and proclaimed his ambition to see the Republic seen over by a monarch as it was what had worked for other major republics in history and he stated the necessity of a constitutional monarchy to remain in good graces with Marisian powers, Freire once more found himself at the head of the Republican faction as he announced his ambition to see the Republic ruled by a Congress elected by the citizenry and a President with the power to maintain the Republic ("Third Time's The Congress (TTTC)"). Following the debate and Freire's republican faction once more dominating the political scene in San Sebastián, Freire's republicans were able to overwhelming outvote the bid for a constitutional monarchy and proclaim the consitution to be following an explicitly republican nature. As a result of his percieved treachery against the republican values of Ferdinándia, Freire in a fit of anger demanded the arrest and exile of Osceola which Osceola narrowly avoids and begins using his clout in Elaklania to denounce the results of the Third Congress and begin arming his countrymen to revolt against the Republic ("Bring him in!"). With no negotiation between the two, Osceola declares himself Emperor of the Empire of Elaklania and declares independence from the Grand Republic in late 1773, beginning the Sister's War between the states of Elaklania and Nastanovo. Freire laments at the loss of Elaklania though once more reaffirms to himself that he will see the Republic to the end and sends the word to the Citizen's Army to mobilize once more to put down the madman Osceola's petty rebellion, though he does not know that he's overconfidently marching into unknown and hostile lands ("The Sister's War").
With the ending of "The Sister's War" the show then takes a moment to allow for an intermission which was 15 minutes long during the 2016 Puerto Bonita performance.
Act II
Following the ending of the intermission, which in the film is a scene of introductory dialogue between Fátima Velázquez and Freire's doctor Rolando Berganza that leads into the rest of the scene Berganza asking for the medical history of Freire which Fátima begins describing as a case of intense and stressful situations ever since his injury in the Battle of Santo Dominco ("Can someone catch me up?"). Following this dialogue Freire returns to the mainstay as he is in a deep debate between himself and Dr. Abraham López with regard to what to do with Elaklania during and following the Sister's War, where though Freire believes that they can still reform the Grand Republic to encompass Elaklania, López believes that they have to establish a republic in Elaklania and leave it at that, seeing as following the war he knows his countrymen would chafe at being ruled by a Nastnovian President. Freire laments at the loss of Elaklania as he begins to lose hope in the dream of a grander revolutionary cesyllian republic ("She Burns"). Within months Freire's officers lose battle after battle due to their overconfidence in the superiorly trained Citizen's Army, eventually forcing the Government to evacuate from San Sebastián back to Santo Dominco. Freire elects to settle the rebellion himself and engages Osceola in the Battle of Mt. Elba believing that if he could decisively beat Osceola from the mountain ranges he could force him to go on the run. Freire loses the battle and, in a moment of humiliation with all witnessing his announcement, is forced to recognize Elaklanian independence and Osceola's claim to the Emperorship of Elaklania ("Tricolor Torn Asunder"). Following his announcement and public humiliation, Freire goes on a tirade against the lacking "back-bone" his officers and officials exhibited during the civil war and begins to destroy his temporary office in Santo Dominco in a fit of rage. Following a small monologue he writes and signs a declaration stating that any perceived treason against the Republic would be reported to the Citizen's Army under his authority as prosiding President, though Vice-President Romero attempts to stop him, eventually he relents and allows the decree to pass ("Something's Gotta Give (Reprise)"). Freire's decree allows his First Revolutionary Army and other regiments of the Citizen's Army to begin rounding up suspected traitors and those who escape the extrajudicial killings center around another Nastnovian General, Joaquin Siva, who allies with the natives in the southeastern regions of Nastanovo and declares himself Joaquin I of the Kingdom of Percivia, Freire uses the fear of another rebellion in the central government to pass more decrees giving the President near dictatorial powers and control of internal security as Commander in Chief of the Citizen's Army. While Joaquin expects Freire to immediately respond with invasion, he is surprised when there is no reponse from the central government aside from a message in the rumors between states that the government was once more moving, this time to Esperanza. Though Freire hasn't forgotten his dream of a united Republic and swears to bring the breakaway states back into the fold ("The Republic Slumbers").
Cast
- Juan Manuel Ocampo as Bernardo Freire, the eponymous character
- Franco Piñón as Manuel Andre Osceola, the rival of Freire and a prominent Elaklanian general
- Teresa Martí as Fátima Velázquez, the wife of Freire
- Jaime Aguayoo as Josué Freire, Bernardo Freire's father, an Isabellan loyalist and plantation owner who also acts as Narrator
- Tomás Seco as Carlos Romero, the close friend of Freire and Vice President of Ferdinandia
- Arturo Xirau as Christopher Botín, The Isabellan General assigned to the Brellian and Joaquin I, King of Percivia.
- Martin Manzanedo as Dr. Abraham López, an Elaklanian Republican and vocal opponent of Osceola
- David González as Jonatán Montes, An wealthy Elaklanian financicing the Revolution
- Gabriel Palau as Ramon Pliego, another wealthy Nastnovian who finances the Revolution and aids Freire in his bid to become Sovereign/Ensemble
- Jose Manzanares as Román Diego Molina and Jorge Freire, Sovereigntist Nastnovian General/Son of Bernardo Freire
- Dante Saavedra as Rolando Berganza, Bernardo Freire's doctor and Isabellan Spy
- Julia Gisbert as Freire's unnamed mother and Daniella Barrios, Freire's tutor/Ensemble
Production
Musical numbers
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Act I
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Act II
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