To accomplish this, he treats his children as political chess pieces:
The ambitious and intense eldest son, seen as a model for Machiavelli's The Prince , struggling to transition from a reluctant cardinal to a military leader.
"No," Rodrigo raised a hand, stopping Cesare’s hand from drifting to the hilt of his sword. "Murder in the open is for butchers, Cesare. We are Borgias. We are architects. We do not destroy; we repurpose."
Portrays the patriarch as a cunning, strategic, and often ruthless schemer.
The film follows Rodrigo's efforts to consolidate power through his four illegitimate children. His eldest son, Cesare (Sergio Peris-Mencheta), finds himself trapped in a cardinal's robes when his true nature longs for military glory and ruthless action. Meanwhile, his beautiful daughter Lucrezia (María Valverde) is treated as a political bargaining chip, forced into strategic marriages designed to forge alliances with rival families. Another son, Juan (Sergio Múñiz), serves as captain of the Vatican army until a violent confrontation with Cesare alters the family's trajectory permanently. The youngest, Jofré (Eloy Azorín), drifts passively through the family's machinations, more a spectator than participant. The Borgia -2006-2006
The Borgia family was a powerful and influential Italian family during the Renaissance. They produced two popes, Innocent X and Alexander VII, and were known for their cunning, corruption, and ruthlessness. However, it was Pope Alexander VI, born Rodrigo Borgia, who brought the family to the pinnacle of power and notoriety. He was a master politician and strategist who used his intelligence, charm, and manipulation to secure his position and protect his family's interests.
The chemistry between the leads fuels the film's most intense scenes. The sibling rivalry between Cesare and Juan is played with an underlying physical tension that makes their eventual, fatal clash feel inevitable. Meanwhile, the film handles the historical rumors of incestuous undertones with deliberate ambiguity, focusing instead on a toxic, claustrophobic emotional codependency. Production Design and Visual Aesthetic
: Unlike later TV adaptations that focus on sensationalism, this film emphasizes Rodrigo Borgia’s (Pope Alexander VI) obsession with establishing a lasting Spanish dynasty in Italy. Family as a Weapon
"Father," she said softly. "The ambassador from France has arrived. He claims he knows nothing of the Orsini plot." To accomplish this, he treats his children as
The film is available on several platforms depending on your region: The Borgia (2006) - IMDb
★★★½ (3.5/5) – A hidden gem for serious historical drama fans.
Lucrezia Borgia, perhaps the most maligned member of the family, has historically been depicted as a pawn in her father and brother’s political schemes. Her three marriages—to Giovanni Sforza, Alfonso of Aragon, and finally Alfonso d'Este—were all carefully orchestrated to forge or dissolve alliances. However, more recent historical scholarship has sought to reclaim Lucrezia’s agency, highlighting her role as a capable administrator and a patron of the arts during her time as the Duchess of Ferrara. While she could not escape the shadow of her family’s reputation, she managed to carve out a legacy of her own.
The film begins in 1492 Rome with Rodrigo Borgia ( Lluís Homar ) using immense wealth, bribery, and political cunning to secure his election as Pope Alexander VI. Rather than being guided by religious devotion, Rodrigo views the papacy as a corporate engine to establish a permanent Borgia empire across a fractured Italy. We are Borgias
Upon its release in 2006, Los Borgia received critical acclaim in its native Spain, earning several Goya Award nominations, particularly for its technical achievements in production design, editing, and cinematography. While international audiences sometimes overlook it in favor of the flashier, higher-budget American and British television series that followed, the film stands the test of time as a more grounded, cinematic, and psychologically coherent exploration of the family.
Antonio Hernández succeeded in creating a historical epic that avoids the traps of sensationalism. By grounding the myth of the Borgias in real human frailties—jealousy, fear, pride, and misplaced love—the film offers an enduring, haunting portrait of the high cost of absolute power.
The film begins in 1492 with the election of as Pope Alexander VI. Rodrigo uses his new position to consolidate power for the Vatican and his family, treating his children as pawns in a series of strategic political alliances: The Borgia (2006) - IMDb