But he didnt have the budget, so he made an arthouse masterpiece, the spirit of the beehive, instead. On the surface, the spirit of the beehive is about a family which attempts to cope with the aftermath of the spanish civil war. The spirit of the beehive 1973 the spirit of the beehive. Spain, 1977, 1h 37min, 35mm, in spanish with english subtitles. Included in this group are two sisters, six year old ana and the elder isabel, and ana is fascinated by the film, in particular a specific scene in which. Spirit of the beehive is the sort of slumbrously sensitive item that tends to give art films a poisonous. Thirty years ago, victor erice was asked to make a frankenstein film. Like many repressive regimes, francoism attempted to use cinema to change its negative image abroad and to create the impression that freedom of expression was permitted. But when ana goes looking for it, she instead discovers a fugitive soldier and decides that he, like the monster, needs help. In a small castilian village in 1940, in the wake of the countrys devastating civil war, sixyearold ana attends a traveling movie show of frankenstein and becomes possessed by the memory of it. The spirit of the beehive december 8 chestertown riverarts. Nov 20, 2012 her misunderstanding of the scene will shape the events to follow in victor erice s the spirit of the beehive 1973, believed by many to be the greatest of all spanish films. In the aftermath of the spanish civil war, ana, a sensitive sevenyearold girl in a rural spanish hamlet is traumatized after a traveling projectionist screens a.
Made during the last few years of francisco francos dictatorship, and set in 1940, the film subtly criticises postcivil war spain. The spirit of the beehive 1973 spanish class one of the joys of dvds comes when we discover a previously unknown gem. The spirit of the beehivea childs point of view duration. Jul 09, 2018 spirit of the beehive is one of the perfect examples that cinema can go beyond simple entertainment and become a powerful tool, either good or bad in nature, but powerful regardless. The criterion collection is proud to present victor erice. Nov 18, 2008 so says the man in the tuxedo who introduces frankenstein, the movie within a movie at the beginning of victor erices the spirit of the beehive, a spanish movie from 1973. This film is now considered a masterpiece of spanish cinema.
In a small castilian village in 1940, in the wake of the countrys devastating civil war, sixyearold ana attends a traveling movie show of frankenstein and becomes possessed by the. The beehive is the films totem of a troubled spanish society, in marvin dlugos words, a symbol of a social order which, while superficially unified, is nevertheless marked by a radical isolation of each of its members from one another. The film told through anas perspective and takes place in 1940, right after the civil war when francisco franco declares victory. The film the spirit of the beehive is about ana a girl who lives with her parents and older sister in a manor house in an isolated spanish village. Widely considered among the best spanish films of the 1970s, the spirit of the beehive is one of the most carefully constructed and patiently paced movies of the cinema, achieving a trancelike quality in its slow moving observations of its characters and the very light in which they move. Its thoroughly interesting to regard the film through that lens, as youll notice countless metaphorical elements. After seeing a touring print of frankenstein in 1940s spain, a young girl is. In a small castilian village in 1940, directly following the countrys devastating civil war, sixyearold ana attends a traveling movie show of frankenstein and becomes.
The spirit of the beehive the spirit of the beehive spanish. The spirit of the beehive is generally thought by critics to epitomise the stagnation of life. The criterion collection is proud to present victor erice s spellbinding the spirit of the beehive, widely regarded as the greatest spanish film of the 1970s. With fernando fernan gomez, teresa gimpera, ana torrent, isabel telleria. In 1940, after watching and being traumatized by the movie frankenstein 1931, a sensitive seven yearold girl living in a small spanish village drifts into her own fantasy world. Although declared in an opening credit as set once upon a time, victor erices remarkable the spirit of the beehive takes place in rural spain in the early 1940s, just after the death of the second republic and the start of francos long dictatorship. The spirit of the beehive summary, analysis jotted lines.
The film was erices debut and is considered a masterpiece of spanish cinema the film focuses on the young girl ana and her fascination with the 1931 american horror film frankenstein, as well as exploring her family life and schooling. The spirit of the beehive was controversial from the start. It has an important impact critical the spirit of the beehive 1973, told with great simplicity the relationship of two young girls with his father and the fear and fascination that holds both. Haunted by a scene from frankenstein 1931, a young girl drifts between the dream world of her imagination and the adult world of her surroundings in this lyrical, gorgeously shot masterpiece. The film was erices debut and is considered a masterpiece of spanish cinema. Yet the spirit of the beehive is a classic example of one strand of spanish filmmaking at. Monica film center santa monica monica film center santa monica. But another spanish film with ana torrent, carlos sauras cria cuervos, expresses the same concerns with much greater lyricism and specificity. Released in 1973, the dying days of general francos fortyyear dictatorship, the film is set in the castilian countryside in the year 1940.
The spirit of the beehive is a 1973 spanish drama film directed by victor erice. At the very least, a film should be appealing on a purely entertainment level. Most topics are about directors, movies and books about film. Criterion is proud to present victor erices spellbinding the spirit of the beehive, widely regarded as the greatest spanish film of the 1970s. The film can be construed in many ways but is, above all, an almost perfect summation of child hood imaginings. Like such films as charles laughton s the night of the hunter 1955, it is a masterpiece that can only cause us to wonder what we lost because he didnt work more. In a small castilian village in 1940, in the wake of the countrys devastating civil war, sixyearold ana attends a traveling movie show of frankenstein and becomes. In 1973, the year of the spirit of the beehive, the francoist regime in spain was rotting from the inside.
Some of the audience, restless at the films slow pace, even booed. Perhaps its a film we know, if at all, only as a title overheard or through secondhand reports of limited screenings at distant film forums. Jul 08, 2019 a haunting visual achievement, the spirit of the beehive could easily be categorised as a film about film that is, about how film not only creates multiple planes of time but also seduces the viewing subject into the powerful world of fantasy that it projects. May 06, 2010 the spirit of the beehive 1973 spanish class one of the joys of dvds comes when we discover a previously unknown gem. In a small castilian village in 1940, directly following the country s devastating civil war, sixyearold ana attends a traveling movie show of frankenstein and becomes haunted by her. The spirit of the beehive is a wonderfully evocative portrait of childhood innocence and obsession. Newhall under construction newhall under construction. The spirit of the beehive 1973 letterboxd social film. Although it won the main prize at san sebastian on its release, the jurys enthusiasm was not shared by all the public.
The spirit of the beehive criterion collection on tcm shop. Our mission is to enhance the cultural environment of the omahacouncil bluffs metropolitan area through the presentation and discussion of film as an art form. In 1940, after watching and being traumatized by the movie frankenstein 1931, a sensitive seven yearold girl living in a small spanish village drifts into her. Made during the last few years of francisco francos dictatorship, and set in 1940, the. This bewitching gem of spanish cinema also happens to be quite influential. Her misunderstanding of the scene will shape the events to follow in victor erice s the spirit of the beehive 1973, believed by many to be the greatest of all spanish films. The spirit of the beehive learn spanish watching movies. A friend of mine asked me the other day if i was going to talk about some of the aspects of the films on the list that i dont really like. Her big sister tells her scary stories about the monster, and a spirit that lives in an abandoned farm nearby. Some distance away there is a squat building like a barn, apparently not used.
The joy of cinema is discovering treasure like victor erices the spirit of the beehive, a film that enchants and delights on many levels, with its subtle symbolism, its honey glazed photography and its mysterious narrative. Long before guillermo del toro made pans labyrinth, victor erice was exploring the emotional consequences of spains plummet to. The first image is generated from the actual film frankenstein, while the second one is the hallucination that the young girl ana sees in the lake. The saura film is a weighty bookend for beehive, and they belong together as works of art made under the shadow of and stimulated by governmental strain. So says the man in the tuxedo who introduces frankenstein, the movie within a movie at the beginning of victor erices the spirit of the beehive, a spanish movie from 1973. Entering a childs world of fascination and horror in the aftermath of the spanish civil war, ana, a sensitive sevenyearold girl in a rural spanish hamlet is traumatized after a traveling projectionist screens a print of james whales 1931 frankenstein for the village. Marvin dlugo, landscape in spanish cinema, in graeme harper and jonathan rayner eds, cinema and landscape, bristol, intellect, 2010, pp. Produced as francos long regime was nearing its end and widely regarded as the greatest spanish film of the 1970s, the spirit of the beehive is a bewitching portrait of a childs haunted inner life.
Apr 29, 20 for the purposes of this article, im just going to look at the spirit of the beehive from a purely cinematic perspective because thats all i really know how to do. In a vast spanish plain, harvested of its crops, a farm home rests. More than 45 years after it was made, victor erices the spirit of the beehive is still considered one of the best and most influential films that spanish cinema has ever produced its certainly one of the most beautiful and at the same political ones. The film focuses on the young girl ana and her fascination with. The spirit of the beehive is one of only three features and a short subject directed by erice born 1940.
In the spirit of the beehive, a traveling cinema brings frankenstein to a small spanish village and people of all ages line their chairs up in excitement to catch a glimpse of the picture. For a movie that only has a runtime of 97 minutes, i found the spirit of the beehive incredibly. Film critic for various publications but especially in the magazine nuestro cine. It bears mentioning that the fact that this film even dares to address the conflict in such a direct manner suggests that, two years before francos death, the tight censorship regime in spain was slowly but surely. Although the time is not specified, it would have been clear to spanish audiences that the film is set soon after the end of the spanish civil war, which began. The film focuses on the young girl ana and her fascination with the 1931 american horror film frankenstein, as well as exploring her family life and. Oct 21, 2015 the spirit of the beehive in castilla around 1940, a traveling movie theatre brings james whales black and white film classic frankenstein 1931 to a small village. Makes his directorial debut in an episode of the challenges 1969.
Yet the spirit of the beehive is a classic example of one strand of spanish filmmaking at that time. Two young girls, isabel and ana, are subsequently determined to find the monster themselves. The spirit of the beehive in castilla around 1940, a traveling movie theatre brings james whales black and white film classic frankenstein 1931 to a small village. Film notes spirit of the beehive university at albany. The fairytale time frame declared by erice makes clear the powerful role played in his nowclassic film by poetic allegory and the. The film itself are episodes that analyse all things related to films. In a small castilian village in 1940, in the wake of spains devastating civil war, sixyearold ana attends a traveling movie show of frankenstein and becomes possessed by the memory of it. Produced as francos long regime was nearing its end and widely regarded as the greatest spanish film of the 1970s, the spirit of the beehive is a bewitching portrait of a childs haunted inner life and one of the most visually arresting movies ever made. It is also about the pall francos long shadow left over spain. Film streams is a 501c3 nonprofit organization in omaha, nebraska.
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