Recent interview with Perez-Reverte

From DIARIO DE LEON recent interview with Aurturo Perez-Reverte,

Translated by folks on viggo-works, a Viggo Mortensen fan board

"...One of your most popular characters, Diego Alatriste, is as attached to “…León as the actor Viggo Mortensen is to this land, because on the occasion of the movie being made, he was granted his place of birth in the León village of Valdeteja by you. How did you reach that conclusion if you had initially made him from Castilla la Vieja?

Yes, the story is very curious. One day, during the shooting, Viggo called me and said: “Look, Arturo, I have travelled a lot through Spain looking for a place to identify with my character, and I think I have found it at last in the mountains of Leon. (He was, of course, referring to the Curueño valley.) And immediately after, he asked me the decisive question. “Can Alatriste be from León?” Obviously I didn´t refuse and answered “Of course,” besides he is a rough, plain guy like those from your mountains, so I said “Go ahead.” And without hesitation he made it his own and, as you know so well, he covered that Curueño area until he exhausted it.

And in gratitude, León named him an adopted son, and he brought the premiere of the film to this city...

That brought problems with the producers who wanted the world premiere of Alatriste to be in a big city, but Viggo Mortensen imposed his word and his law and, as he said in Uclés, “It will premiere in León.”

Were you satisfied with the film version of Alatriste?

Absolutely not. I made my suggestions and what was to be a four hour project was later left as two. The film has good things with two fabulous actors like Viggo Mortensen and Juan Echanove, and some supporting actors you have to take your hat off to. But others are deplorable. The best adaptation from a novel of mine has been The Fencing Master. The others, from The Flanders Panel, whose director should have had his legs broken, up til now, all those versions have not been good, except the one I mentioned to you. I think that Viggo did a great job adapting himself to what I wrote and creating a character in whom I can recognise Alatriste. Something that hasn´t happened in other roles.”