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Here is a review of the screenplay for Borgia! This 128-page revised third draft dated June 2001 is by writer-director Neil Jordan (Interview With The Vampire), although Laeta Kalogridis has also reportedly worked on the screenplay. This $55 million dollar project features a sterling cast: Ewan McGregor (replacing Viggo Mortensen), Christina Ricci, John Malkovich, Jean Reno, and possibly Antonio Banderas. Years ago rumors suggested that Sir Ian McKellen was up for a role but he denied.(via his official website) he replied simply, "I am not contracted to work on Borgia."
The British paper ScreenDaily reports that Borgia, which is being refinanced by the Initial Entertainment Group, is "a mammoth co-production between the UK, Germany, Italy, Ireland and possibly France." Filming was planned to begin in October, 2001 in Umbria, Italy and Babelsberg Studios in Germany.

Borgia recalls the nefarious reign of the titular "crime family," from patriarch Pope Alexander VI's election in 1492 to his (curious) death in 1503. The Renaissance was an era of amazing human accomplishments, a time when some of the most beautiful works of art ever were created. Yet it was also a time when the Catholic Church endured what was arguably its most corrupt papacy. The protagonist of Jordan's script is young Cesare Borgia (McGregor) who is, like his father Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, a politically ambitious and greedy priest.

When Cardinal Borgia becomes Pope Alexander VI, an accomplishment gained through simony, he makes Cesare a cardinal. Cesare will serve as the pope's "consigliere" while his whore-mongering brother Juan is designated "Gonfaliere," or leader of the Papal armies. The pope's precious young daughter, Lucrezia (Ricci), will serve her father's ambitions in a much different manner.

The political climate of Renaissance-era Italy was volatile to say the least. Politically arranged marriages between rival kingdoms and families were often employed to build alliances or to create peace. These arranged marriages failed more often than not when involving the decadent and power-hungry Borgias. Lucrezia would marry three times during her life and, by most accounts, did indeed love her doomed second husband Alfonso, Duke of Naples. While historians often portray Lucrezia as a femme fatale, Jordan makes her a symbol of innocence lost.

The plot dramatizes Cesare's increasingly evil agenda to expand his family's power and territorial control at the expense of his political enemies. Numerous historical figures appear in this draft, including Piero de Medici, Cardinal Guilo delle Rovere (later Pope Julius II), French king Charles (Reno?), and infamous philosopher Nicola Machiavelli (Malkovich?) who reportedly used Cesare as his model for The Prince. Surprisingly, there's no appearance made by Leonardo da Vinci despite his relationship with Cesare Borgia but he is mentioned at one point.

Cesare's almost maniacal devotion to his beloved "sis" Lucrezia was evident (there weren't really any hints of incest) and he ends up losing the love of the woman he holds most dear for his sins. One wonders, though, if Cesare really did love Lucrezia as much as he claimed to since he used her as much as their father did. Cesare says near the end that he sees much of himself in Lucrezia so perhaps he really loved himself more than her.

Top (left to right) : Borgia (from Bartolomeo Venezian), Christina Ricci
Down (left to right) : Neil Jordan, Ewan McGregor, John Malkovich, Jean Reno

The pope becomes a more sympathetic character as Borgia progresses. He realizes too late the monster he's turned Cesare into and he grows to fear him more than love him. Alexander/Rodrigo is undoubtedly vile and corrupt, ambitious and greedy, yet there are things that even he won't do. The capricious and cold-blooded Cesare, on the other hand, stoops to any level to further the family's agenda. Ironically, the Borgias utilize the cleansing power of the confessional; Jordan's script contains several memorable scenes where the children confess their sins (as well as formulate their future plans) to their equally sinful father.

There's no mention of the pope's other children, legitimate or otherwise (save Juan whom may have actually been named Giovanni) or his mistresses. Ditto Cesare's wife and kids, as well as Lucrezia's infamous love child. Jordan's portrayal of Lucrezia as a victim/lost innocent who only resorts to evil in order to combat greater evil may also not sit well with some historians. Nevertheless, it made for compelling drama. Such is the filmmaker's burden.

Borgia was a gripping and ultimately poignant account of one of history's most notoriously dysfunctional families. The ties that bound them and the actions that led to their demise are the stuff of legend; this script transforms their legend into an epic tragedy enlightened with moments of dark comedy. Borgia succeeded in accomplishing what any good historical film should, which is to make the spectator interested in knowing more about the events and figures depicted.