The Spanish Prisoner (1997)

-Written by Kyle Bain. 

When Joe Ross (Campbell Scott) develops something known only as “the process,” a tool for corporations to become rich, he quickly realizes that the world is not as trustworthy as he believed it to be. The Spanish Prisoner follows the aforementioned Joe as he navigates an increasingly insidious world. 

Slow and steady wins the race, and that's certainly the case with The Spanish Prisoner. A mystery through and through, Writer-Director David Mamet delivers a slow-burn production that is unrelenting in its meticulous delivery. No one is who they appear to be, and there’s always another mystery to be unraveled. Mamet is completely aware of what he wants his film to be, and never does a moment pass in which his film doesn’t live up to his own expectations. As pieces build on one another, the film becomes more intense and the narrative grows more compelling with every step. 

Scott is an actor that I’m relatively unfamiliar with. Until now I knew him only to be the long-lost father of Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man film series. Scott’s simplistic performance may have been one that was troubled by my preconceived understanding of him as an actor, effectively causing Joe to fall flat and fail to enthrall viewers the way that he does throughout The Spanish Prisoner. My lack of experience with him, however, allowed me to better appreciate him. 

Scott, for all intents and purposes, is the protagonist of the film—and he’s tasked not only with helping to drive the film forward, but for being the eyes and ears through which viewers receive the film. Much of this stems from the direction of Mamet, but Scott’s ability to play things safe throughout the film lends itself to the mystery of the film as a whole—and I felt, often, that I was in the shoes of Joe as the film drove forward. As previously mentioned, slow and steady is the key to this film’s success, but so is subtlety. Scott is subtle in his delivery, and Joe’s naivety is necessary as viewers attempt to play along. All in all, the blend of Mamet’s direction, and Scott’s subtlety reels in viewers and provides them a clear line of access to The Spanish Prisoner. 

I’ve always found that the absence of sound can play just as pivotal a role as a strong score. The Spanish Prisoner utilizes a frequent silence to drive the theme of mystery and the intense tone strewn throughout the film. Other than Scott’s Joe Ross, the majority of the characters possess an aloofness that creates something of a separation between them and the viewer. Don’t misunderstand my meaning—the characters are certainly compelling, but there’s an intentional disconnect between them and the audience. Furthermore, the lack of score present in seemingly the majority of The Spanish Prisoner works to combat that barrier, presenting viewers with an opportunity to access each of the characters and better participate in the ongoing mystery. 

Have you ever watched a film and immediately knew that the film was good, but couldn’t quite put into words why? That’s exactly my experience with The Spanish Prisoner. The first nearly two acts of the film had me floored, but I couldn’t put into words why it worked so well for me. However, once the true nature of the film, that you never know who you can trust, revealed itself, it was clear why the film works so well. The Spanish Prisoner is so perfectly paced, keeping viewers in the dark for just the right amount of time, then effectively smacking them in the face with the unthinkable. This happens again and again, and never does a reveal fall flat, never does it fail to live up to the expectations set in place by the slow burn narrative. 

The Spanish Prisoner is a film that may face backlash from viewers. It’s too slow, there are too many characters, nothing happens, etc. However, Mamet is brilliant in his development of this script, and even moreso, he is nearly perfect in his direction. He ensures that the plethora of characters never crowd the film, that the pacing is completely necessary, and that the many pieces of this puzzle fall into place with precision. The Spanish Prisoner is a spectacular film. 

Written & Directed by David Mamet. 

Starring Campbell Scott, Ricky Jay, Rebecca Pigeon, Richard L. Friedman, Ben Gazzara, Steve Martin, etc. 

9/10 = DROP EVERYTHING AND WATCH IT NOW