It was on our recent trip to Colombia that we got the inspiration to watch this show, more particularly at the place where the great Liberator found his death. Not that we had planned it in any way, it was just that we happened to be right there. Up until then I hadn't known the first thing about Simon Bolívar, but after learning about his death, I became curious about his life.
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Fortunately there is a pretty all right TV-series titled Bolívar, dedicated to the life and times of the most important personage of South American history. It came out only a few years ago, right on time for the 200th anniversary of Colombia's independence. It spans over an incredible 60 episodes (each one between 45 to 60 minutes), going into elaborate details of the various stages of his life, starting with his childhood.
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A Historical Soap?
This combination of factors may already scream Telenovela, the stereotypical Latin American soap opera, which might be a total turn-off for some. Indeed, the exaggerated emphasis on stories of romance, betrayal, and intrigues of all sorts, as well as the generally low production value, particularly towards the end of the show, were also things I was cautious of. Still, I wanted to give this series a chance. After all, the life of a historical character as famous as Bolívar would not get mixed up with poorly written 'jump the shark' type viewer-baits. And indeed, it was definitely worth it. The main character has been given as much respect as the audience in this regard. After two months of binging I can still recommend it to those who like history... and sure, even those who enjoy a bit of juicy gossip! It's all kept in a healthy balance.
How Accurate Is It?
What I'm usually interested in historical fiction, is whether the events are portrayed accurately, and more importantly still, if they're at least somewhat realistic, even if they are not 100% correct. In this aspect Bolívar is not exactly flawless. My wife and I got a kick out of reading along with the show, verifying whether one event or another actually happened or not. And no, there were numerous examples where the fiction deviated from historical account, often by so much that we were offered completely different narratives. This was particularly the case in Bolívar's early life, which I was a bit surprised by. After all, his historical childhood and youth seemed to be eventful enough to make a good soap story itself! On the upside, however, the presentation of life in the 19th century seemed to be close enough, at least to my own preconceived notion of what it must have been like.
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Sappy, Sticky, Love-stuff?
Fortunately the series was very careful not to go overboard with the romance bit. Though I could literally feel the Latin American audience yearning for it, which the writers and directors wanted to provide so much. But no, the honor of the Liberator had to be respected, so he was portrayed in the cleanest possible manner: In his only marriage to María Teresa del Toro y Alayza he was always deeply devoted to her, even though it was clearly intended to be a political marriage. After her death he never remarried, however he developed a close relationship to Manuelita Sáenz, who became his lover and life partner until his death. Clearly, this relationship was emphasized to the highest degree in this show, introducing Manuelita as a child and following her life parallel to Simon's, several episodes before the two even met. So yes, there is a lot of love and romance, but it's all kept within reasonable limits.
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Dialogue or Action?
Another aspect that makes the show Bolívar appear like a soap opera, are the relatively poor action scenes. Clearly, they are unavoidable in a show about the war of independence. And for sure, they could have been much, much worse! Still, I had this weird cringy feeling when I saw the fighting scenes. I'm not an expert, so I could not point out any definite flaws. But again, I could not shake this feeling that they could have put more effort (money?) into it. At least, when comparing it to a series such as The Vikings, which pretty much lives off its battle scenes.
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On the other hand, I must say the dialogues were excellent! Not only was everything clear and understandable (unfortunately for those who don't speak Spanish, there is no English dub, only subtitles), but it was kept interesting, funny, captivating, - overall highly enjoyable. What's even more, the costumes and scenery, where these dialogues took place, all looked fabulous. Even the few mistakes - my wife pointed out the 20th century whiskey glasses in one scene - did not take away from the general feel of the series.
Is It Any Good?
If you have not been put off by the concept of mixing a historical drama with a Latin soap opera, you may actually enjoy this show. Just know what you're getting into. The nice thing is, that it's clearly evident that a lot of work and effort has gone into it, and the creators have obviously tried to keep a strong balance between accuracy, entertainment, and keeping the main character in a good light. If it helps, even Venezuela's president Maduro could not keep from voicing his critical opinions on the show, before it even was first aired! But eventually he has gotten around to seeing it, and guessing from his apology, he ended up liking it too. If you have gotten interested, take a look at the trailer here:
