A great film. Not only for acting, for stories, for portraits of characters or atmosphere but for the feeling to see a warning. And for a form of naked honesty reflecting not only the vulnerability of the main character, but ours. A film about illusions against reality. About courage, friendship and about Spain as result of ambiguous energies. And, sure, a film about Miguel de Unamuno proposed, in admirable manner, by Karra Elejade. A film about sides of power and about vulnerabilities. About fear, wars, doubts and power from roots and cynismus and murders and deep loneliness as refuge and cage. No doubts, it is not the best Amenabar. But, for many, many reasons, it is one of the most useful.

The Spanish Civil War was one of the first intensely publicized armed conflicts, and it inspired numerous fictional and fictional stories, some of them written and published even during the events, between 1936 and 1939. 'While at War' (the title in Spanish is 'Mientras dure la guerra'),the film by director Alejandro Amenábar, made eight decades later, brings to screen the figure of writer, linguist and philosopher Miguel de Unamuno, perhaps the most famous Spanish intellectual of that period, and his attitude towards the events related to the outbreak of civil war. It is a biographical and historical film with many qualities. It is also a movie of actuality. Perhaps the most surprising aspect for the spectators is the fact that even today the controversies and ideas raised by the film seem to be contemporary, despite its historical theme. When is the activism that favors 'order' slipping in dictatorship? What is the role of the intellectuals and when does political engagement become inevitable? Does silence mean complicity?

The events described in the film happened in reality, which does not mean that they are not controversial to date. Their facts and interpretations also have a political resonance in contemporary Spain. Two lines of action take place in parallel. The first describes the beginning of the military rebellion led by the junta of generals and the taking of its leadership by Franco on the way to the absolute power that he would hold in Spain until 1975. A redefinition of the aims of the rebellion takes place - from 'restoring order' to an absolutist ideology that combines a return to monarchy, the supremacy of Catholicism and a nationalism with fanatical tendencies, including the cult of death. The second parallel theme relates to the ideological path of Unamuno, from a moderate support of the junta combined with the escapist avoidance of the political engagement at the beginning, to the clarification of his own conscience and the courageous taking of a position in defense of the diversity of ideas and religious freedom, against fanaticism and extremism.

The rendition of historical facts and the atmosphere of the time are performed in a professional and clear manner. The script fails to avoid a few common places, such as a few melodramatic flash-backs and the family scenes related to Unamuno, but most of the time expressively refer to the historical characters of the time. Karra Elejalde creates a human and complex Miguel de Unamuno, dignified but subject to pressures, who, having reached the old age and struggling with his own tendency for balance and compromise and with his born-in intellectual ambivalence, finally manages to gather the physical and intellectual forces to take attitude on the just side of history. Santi Prego not only physically looks exactly like we know Franco from the history books and filmed journals of the time, but also creates a psychological profile of this historical figure in which intellectual mediocrity meets the political talent sustained by opportunism and unscrupulousness. Eduard Fernández plays the role of the other general, Millan Astray, a kind of Spanish Goebbels or Beria, the ideologue of the ascending dictatorship, a far more sinister character because of his fanaticism and inciting of the violence of the fascinated masses. Temporarily the generals will defeat and silence the philosopher. In the perspective of history, however, the philosopher is the one who wins.

Semi-biograhic story about writer Miguel de Unamuno takes off himself and his ideals after the 1936's military coup d'etat . It is set July 18 , 1936 , Salamanca, Castilla and León (center to Spain) , as the Spanish army declares in the city the state of wa r, hoping to extend it to the rest of Spain and improve the unstable situation in the country after the proclamation of the Second Republic five years ago . Here Unamuno (Karra Elejalde) supports the new revolt in the hope to clean the country of the undesirable elements for desperation of his close friends teacher Salvador and priest Atilano, creating too problems in his house where Miguel lives with his daughters María (Patricia López Arnaiz) and Felisa (Inma Cuevas) , his servant Aurelia and his grandson Miguelín (Arnau) . At the same time that Salamanca's mayor Casto Prieto (Mariano Llorente) is detained without cause apparent and his spouse Ana Carrasco (Nathalie Poza) asks help Miguel de Unamuno . While Joint Chiefs of Staff meet deciding the strategy to take the power , where General Astray-Millán (Eduard Fernandez) , General Franco's right-hand, proposes to elect the own Franco as leader despite the opposition of General Cabanellas (Tito Valverde) , who fears Franco eliminates the Republic he loves to change it for a dictatorship . When Atilano (Luis Zahera) disappears suddenly , his wife Enriqueta reports Miguel de Unamuno about his arrest while Salvador (Carlos Serrano) attempts to alert him about the real intentions of the military revolution : turn Spain into a rigid dictatorship. As Francisco Franco (Santi Prego) is named Chief of Staff of the Spanish Army and Unamuno decides to make him a special request . Later on , Unamuno had a public quarrel with the Nationalist general Millán Astray at the university in which he denounced both Astray-with whom he had had verbal battles in the 1920s-and elements of the rebel movement. He called the battle cry of the elite Spanish Legion-"Long live death!"-repellent and suggested Astray wanted to see Spain crippled. One historian notes that his address was a "remarkable act of moral courage" and that he risked being lynched on the spot but was saved by Franco's wife, who took him out of the place . Shortly afterwards, Unamuno was effectively removed for a second time from the rectorship of the University of Salamanca .

A good drama based on historical events , though the film has several errors and false remarks . It narrates itself Unamuno's life in Salamanca , being first-hand witness of the deeds that will change Spain forever. Here Unamuno is a contradictory , reluctant , complex person who finally becomes an ashamed and sad man , questioning himself and his previous posture . Karra Elejalde delivers a terrific acting as an aging Miguel de Unamuno, not only writer and academic teacher but one of the most recognized intellectuals in Spain, disappointed with the Republic that publicly he helped to create . While Eduard Fernandez gives a fine performance as the relentless one-eyed, one-armed and one-legged General Millan Astray , though overacting , at times ; as Eduard deservedly won a Goya Award : the best support cast . In the picture appears various historical characters represented by fine secondary actors , such as : Tito Valverde as General Miguel Cabanellas , Luis Callejo as General Mola , Luis Bermejo as Nicolás Franco , Enrique Ajenjo as José Maria Pemán , Santi Prego as General Francisco Franco who gets complete political and military powers after the Alcázar de Toledo's battle and Mireia Rey as his wife Carmen Polo .

It contains an evocative and adequate cinematography by Alex Catalán . As well as a sensitive and exciting musical score by Amenabar himself . The motion picture was well directed by Alejandro Amenábar . At his beginning Amenábar made some Short-Films , he progressed and reached his first commercial success in 1996 with "Thesis" produced by José Luis Cuerda , a film which undoubtedly showed that a major new director had arrived on the scene. Later "Abre Los Ojos" or ¨Open your eyes¨(1997) was remade in Hollywood by Cameron Crowe as Vanilla Sky (2001),starring Tom Cruise and "Los Otros" or ¨The Others¨ confirmed his arrival in the cinematographic world , in which Tom Cruise was executive producer along with Paula Wagner and this marked the last collaboration between Cruise and Nicole Kidman prior to their divorce . ¨Los Otros" enhanced his prestige in the cinematographic world and is Amenábar's first English language film and was the highest grossing Spanish film in the all-time worldwide box office history . In all his films he also writes the script and the music, as well as composing the music for other films, most notably "La Lengua de las Mariposas" (1999) or Butterflies tongue" (1999). He also directed ¨Mar Adentro¨ with the Oscarized Javier Bardem and the epic/historical ¨Agora¨ with Rachel Weisz , among others .

This film ¨Mientras dure la guerra¨ is based on facts , the actual happenings are as follows : On 12 October 1936 the celebration of Columbus Day had brought together a politically diverse crowd at the University of Salamanca, including Enrique Pla y Deniel, the Archbishop of Salamanca, and Carmen Polo Martínez-Valdés, the wife of Franco, Falangist General José Millán Astray and Unamuno himself. The evening began with an impassioned speech by the Falangist writer José María Pemán. After this, Professor Francisco Maldonado decried Catalonia and the Basque Country as "cancers on the body of the nation," adding that "Fascism, the healer of Spain, will know how to exterminate them, cutting into the live flesh, like a determined surgeon free from false sentimentalism" .From somewhere in the auditorium, someone cried out the motto "¡Viva la Muerte!" . As was his habit, Millán Astray responded with "¡España!"; the crowd replied with "¡Una!" . He repeated "¡España!"; the crowd then replied "¡Grande!" . A third time, Millán Astray shouted "¡España!"; the crowd responded "Libre!"This - Spain, one, great and free - was a common Falangist cheer and would become a francoist motto thereafter. Later, a group of uniformed Falangists entered, saluting the portrait of Franco that hung on the wall. Then Unamuno adressed the crowd : I have heard this insensitive and necrophilous oath, "¡Viva la Muerte!", and I, having spent my life writing paradoxes that have provoked the ire of those who do not understand what I have written, and being an expert in this matter, find this ridiculous paradox repellent. General Millán Astray is a cripple. There is no need for us to say this with whispered tones. He is a war cripple. So was Cervantes. But unfortunately, Spain today has too many cripples. And, if God does not help us, soon it will have very many more. It torments me to think that General Millán Astray could dictate the norms of the psychology of the masses. A cripple, who lacks the spiritual greatness of Cervantes, hopes to find relief by adding to the number of cripples around him. Millán Astray responded: "Death to intelligence! Long live death!" provoking applause from the Falangists. Pemán, in an effort to calm the crowd, exclaimed "No! Long live intelligence! Death to the bad intellectuals!" Unamuno continued: "This is the temple of intelligence, and I am its high priest. You are profaning its sacred domain. You will win , because you have enough brute force. But you will not convince . In order to convince it is necessary to persuade, and to persuade you will need something that you lack: reason and right in the struggle. I see it is useless to ask you to think of Spain. I have spoken." Millán Astray, controlling himself, shouted "Take the lady's arm!" Unamuno took Carmen Polo by the arm and left under her protection.