From Cervantes to the Cid: Amenábar and Pérez-Reverte, called to meet

The premiere of The Captive has brought Alejandro Amenábar back into the spotlight after a six-year absence from the big screen , confirming his position as one of the great storytellers of Spanish cinema . His latest film, which recreates Miguel de Cervantes 's imprisonment in Algiers, is set to be one of the cinematic events of the season. Among the first reactions circulating on social media, that of Arturo Pérez-Reverte has taken on special relevance, who did not hesitate to emphatically state that he found the film to be "splendid, entertaining and well-made" .

The affinity is neither coincidental nor superficial. Both Amenábar and Pérez-Reverte share an obsession with Spanish history , its chiaroscuros and contradictions, and its characters with numerous facets. The filmmaker has already explored such emblematic figures as Unamuno in While the War Lasts ; the writer, for his part, has explored scenarios ranging from the Reconquista to the Golden Age, including the Civil War, in his novels.

At this crossroads, a title inevitably emerges: Sidi. Published in 2019 , the novel recreates with a fast-paced pace and the hallmark historical rigor the life of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, El Cid Campeador, a key figure in Spanish medieval tradition and, at the same time, a myth subject to reinterpretation over the centuries. In Amenábar's hands, this ambivalent hero, warrior, mercenary, leader, and legend, could be the perfect target for the director's concerns.

The bet wouldn't be at all unreasonable. Amenábar has repeatedly demonstrated his ability to combine spectacle and reflection , creating historical cinema that's accessible to the general public without renouncing a more complex discourse. Sidi , with its border settings, moral dilemmas, and battles, would fit naturally with the sensibilities of the director of Agora and The Sea Inside .

The context, moreover, is favorable. If there's a candidate to lead a large-format epic production, it's Amenábar, capable of competing in the international market with a story that has all the ingredients for a huge success . A hypothetical alliance between Amenábar and Pérez-Reverte could place Spanish cinema in the same league as historical blockbusters like Gladiator or The Last Kingdom , bringing its own voice and distinct imagery.

The background further reinforces the expectation. In 2006, Pérez-Reverte saw his saga about Captain Alatriste made it to the big screen with similar ambitions, although the result failed to meet the high expectations of critics and audiences. With Amenábar, the opportunity arose to redeem that experience and do justice to the narrative power of his novels.