The surreal agony of Salvador Dalí

On Monday night, on TV3, the two episodes ofThe coroner and Dalí We were held captivated with unexpected force. We were drawn in by the curiosity that the murky world of Salvador Dalí often evokes, and by the narrative suspense of Dr. Narcís Bardalet. The combination worked. The forensic expert, the protagonist, unfolds the stories as if telling ghost stories by the fire, with the inevitable suspicion that there's more to his tale than substance. He speaks with a conviction and authority that transform his perception into a kind of singular and definitive truth. But above all, he plays on the morbid fascination that often surrounds the handling of corpses. The journalist Manel Alías acts as an interlocutor, allowing the events to unfold gradually. The dialogue between these two professionals constructs an interesting and spontaneous script, making the viewer feel included in the conversation.

The death of Salvador Dalí sparks a political battle, especially between Catalonia and Spain, to appropriate the artist's legacy. The chronology of King Juan Carlos's and Jordi Pujol's visits, with their respective archival images, takes on a less reverential and more self-serving meaning. The rivalry between Figueres and Púbol to guard the artist's tomb becomes a subplot worthy of a... thrillerSliding doors, cars with wrapped corpses, police-flanked gates, and lawyers keeping vigil at the hospital all contribute to a delirious story, worthy of surrealism and the sordid inertia that surrounded Salvador Dalí. The reenactments are understandable, as they were necessary to complete part of the story, although at times they jar with an affectation and theatricality that distance you from the narrative. Poetics doesn't always work. But the use of actor Enric Arquimbau's body visually represents the character's vulnerability and also his morbid dimension, in the most anatomical sense.

The documentary miniseries provides a revealing context to the archival footage. It's as if the production brings journalism, order, and coherence to a highly outlandish personal and administrative chaos. The witnesses who are incorporated into the story are excellent because, beyond what they say, they have value for what they project onto the viewer. The attitude and rhetoric of the lawyer Miguel Doménech help us understand what kind of power and what insidious strategies surrounded Dalí. Robert Descharnes' son, the malicious personal secretary, also symbolizes the environment that aspired to exploit the artist. Returning to the Hotel Le Meurice in Paris to reconnect with some of those friends and underscore the tempting, coveted opulence is also a success.

But the best ofThe coroner and Dalí The myth of glamour and refinement associated with one of the most influential artists of the 20th century is shattered to confirm the sad and lonely agony of a poor old man manipulated and exploited for profit.