Viridiana

Buñuel emphasizes again that the rich take their perspective for granted and the poor initially literally don't know how to handle the opportunities thrown at their feet, and who can blame them? The rich in this film know how to control their subversive tendencies, because they are taught how to handle their position, their money and simply their manners. The poor and disabled are naively given opportunities and gradually make an unbelievable mess of it, without ever considering the (moral) implications of their actions. Viridiana is the kind soul who makes the naive mistakes, like helping the beggars in the wrong way.

Although this is the great Fernando Rey's (French Connection, Cet obscur objet du désir, and here speaking Spanish) first and shortest collaboration with Buñuel, it must be his most convincing performance. His character Don Jaime morally blackmails Viridiana accompanied by psalms. This delicately illustrates Buñuel's loathing of churches and convents (where Viridiana lived) that cannot prevent people from their sexual desires. A contrast is made with the beggars later in the film, who listen to Händel, Beethoven and Mozart without properly hearing what it is, but have fun and unfortunately take advantage of their newly acquired personal wealth.

The surrealism and magic realism will be presented again by Buñuel in later years (after 1966, and also in Ángel exterminador, 1962), but this film is one of Buñuel's subtlest and best acted and has a clear message without being superficial or pedantic. To what extent it is a parody on The Last Supper I don't know and also I can't figure out what this somnambulism (also in Tristana '70) should mean in religious terms. But Buñuel and cinematographer Jose F. Aguayo (also Tristana) delivered a worthy film that may be Buñuel's least outrageous but most realistic and aesthetically perfected film. 'Journal d'une femme de chambre' (Buñuel, 1964) is one film that comes close to that. Also, 'Charme discret de la bourgeoisie' and 'Ángel exterminador' seem to deal with a Last Supper in their own brilliant way.

9/10

"Viridiana" and "Tierra Sin Pan" (a documentary) are two of the most cutting portraits of Spanish misery and poverty in the 20 that passed after 1936's Civil War. Buñuel had no mercy and put everybody in their place.

The pious Viridiana (Silvia Pinal, wonderful!) who leaves the convent to come to live with his uncle in the country. His uncle (Fernando Rey, magnificent!), a man defeated by life who lives in the past and, finally, suicides. His cousin (Paco Rabal, the man!), which come to the country house looking for his inheritance. The tramps that Viridiana takes in... Some of the best characters in the history of cinema, and some of the best sequences ever filmed (that one with the tramps celebrating such a crazy party).

A fierce look against Spanish society, against religion and against the human condition itself. I'd pay for watching the face of dictator Franco's censors when they watched "Viridiana". They could have Buñuel shot for that. Luckily, he went to Mexico.

Well, this is a movie to talk about for hours and hours... Anyway, you just watch it and prepare to feel what cinema's about.

*My rate: 10/10

Viridiana may be one of the least surreal films in Luis Bunuel's career, more than likely, but it has perhaps the most acidic satire in any of his 1960s work. It's a film that, actually, might be a good portal into the director's work for those who haven't seen much or any of his work (though one could always vouch for Discreet Charm or Un Chien Andalou first). It's actually got a very straightforward narrative without too many punches pulled in delving into the characters' psyches. We're given the compassionate, caring, but also very mixed-up Viridiana, played by Silvia Pinal, beautiful and kind, but in her ultra-Catholic character is someone who cannot be tempted in the least. She is, one would suppose, the most conventional character, and we're just supposed to take for granted, in Bunuelian style, that she's just like this way. No bother- this is a masterpiece of ensemble anyway, and an ensemble practically all non-professionals (it almost seems like Bunuel picked some of them from the same village that provided Las Hurdes). It's bitter and depressing in its view of humanity, but it's expertly crafted all the way, and it builds towards a tremendous climax.

For a while it seems like something very peculiar is going on with Viridiana and her uncle (Fernando Rey, in only a supporting role but one of his very best performances), when he invites her to stay at his home but won't let here leave due to his infatuation with her. Indeed, we see- in one of the funniest bits early on- that he even tries her shoes on, and attempts to have his way with her when drugged. But Bunuel's film, for the most part, isn't necessarily as hilarious in its satire as in his other classics. Actually, it's really more of a dramatic effort here, which is all the more fascinating to me: Bunuel can pull off making what seems, at least for 2/3 of the film, to be a sincere look at how a woman makes an attempt to overcome a tragedy in her family (Rey's character's end) by taking in vagrants and homeless folk and cripples, while her 'cousin' takes over the bourgeois duties. On this level, Bunuel, and his screenwriters, have a fantastic control over the mood of scenes, and then spiking with little visual details things that just strike his fancy (i.e. in the attic with the cat and the rat, or the teats on the cow, or the crown of thorns).

...BUT, then there's a day when Viridiana has to go into town, and those she took in take over the joint, so to speak, and it makes the nighttime party scene in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest look tame by comparison. This is where finally, as if in a rush of clarity, Bunuel unleashes the fury of his satire, as one sees what the kindness and support that Viridiana tried to do- if not out of the genuine goodness of her heart then as just a way to clear her religiously guilty mind-set over Rey's Uncle- completely, reprehensibly backfires. At this point one sees Bunuel at his naughtiest, most crude, and still as is a given with him, playful (one of the greatest moments in the filmmaker's career comes when he deliberately sets up the Last Supper for the bums). Then, finally, one sees a very cruel and almost dehumanizing catharsis, but maybe it's not really at the same time. There is a powerful message working through much of the picture, where religion, class, attitudes are all tested in the sense of restrictions: how far is too far with temptation and free will? For Bunuel, it can be anything, which is why the outcome of Viridiana taking in the homeless and destitute becomes her psychological downfall (see her hair let down towards the end, and her blank, drained face at the card table).

And yet, all through the symbolism that seems ambiguous (girl jumping rope) and very direct (burning of crown of thorns), and with the scathing mix of sordid drama and black-as-a-bull comedy, Bunuel never loses sight of his vision, and Viridiana is a constantly watchable effort with his gracious, intuitive camera, and his sharp ear for the truth in every character's dialog. Frustrating at times, you bet, and its sensibilities on human nature, and the decisions made, make one re-think what it is to be either rich, poor, or in the middle. But it's also one of the director's best films, and a very deserved Golden Palm winner.

Few film directors have worked with the sheer power and subversiveness that Spanish-born Luis Buñuel have. "Viridiana" is one of the best examples of the exiled Spaniard's feelings towards religious faith and its virtues- or his strong denial of religion as a virtue.

Buñuel started out as a Surrealist, and although he left the Surrealist Circle of Paris lead by André Breton, he always kept elements of Surrealism in his work, to the bitter end. So too in "Viridiana", where dreams play a small, but important part of the narrative, dreams being the Surrealists' main theme as a way of discovering repressed sexuality and aggression. Viridiana is a young nun who is, on the grounds of showing human compassion, talked into visiting her uncle Don Jaime, who is ill. Don Jaime, played by Buñuel regular Fernando Rey, is caring, but perverse. He falls in love with his niece, and does everything with the help of his maid, to keep Viridiana from parting to the convent, including lying to her and seducing her while she is trainquilized.

I am not going to give away all the events of the film, but the corruption of humanity and Christianity are soon evident, as Viridiana tries to help poor beggars and give them a worthy life. Her attempts at Christian charity are only met with self-pity and egocentricity, as the beggars go on a rampage reminiscient of the last supper of Jesus christ and his disciples. Violence, murder, gluttony and rape are all included to make a clear picture of the way the beggars have lost their human virtues to the hardship of poverty. We see the events through Viridiana's eyes, and everything she goes through suggests a broken belief in the goodness of both human beings and the faith she kept for so long.

A masterpiece in revolutionary cinema, this film won the Palm d' Or at Cannes in 1961, and the Spanish Board of Film were all fired afterwards, as Franco's regime could not quite swallow that "Viridiana" was the official Spanish contribution to the Festival.

This is a thoughtful and thought-provoking film initially banned in Spain and completely denounced by the Vatican . Although it was voted best Spanish film by professionals and critics in 1996 Spanish cinema centenary . It deals with the novice Angelic Viridiana (Silvia Pinal) who visits his uncle Jaime (Fernando Rey) in the mansion prior to taking her religious vows . Jaime is stunned by her remarkable resemblance to deceased spouse who passes away on their wedding night . Later on , there appears his nephew (Francisco Rabal). Meanwhile Viridiana attempts to help some local beggars .

This prohibited movie is widely considered a Luis Buñuel's masterpiece . It's a parable based on a Benito Perez Galdos' novel titled Halma concerning about a young nun full of illusions and kindness along with some tattered beggars . It is packed with some humor , hilarious situations , brooding drama , corruption and criticism to Catholic Church and useless altruism . The original ending of the film showed Viridiana knocking on her cousin's door, entering, and the door closing slowly behind her , this version was rejected by Spanish censors . After years of living in Mexico, Luis Buñuel was persuaded to make his first film in his native Spain since 1936 by the vanguard of young contemporary Spanish film-makers who admired his work . Buñuel returning his native country , Spain , by making 'Viridiana' but this film was prohibited on the grounds of blasphemy , then Buñuel with his screenwriter Julio Alejandro go back Mexico where realizes in low budget 'Simon of the desert' and also produced by Gustavo Alatriste . The script was initially approved by the Spanish authorities with a few minor changes. They had no opportunity to view the finished film until it played at the Cannes Film Festival where it won the Palme d'Or . Nevertheless they were sufficiently horrified by what they saw to ban the film. Splendid main cast gives superb acting as Fernando Rey , Francisco Rabal and Silvia Pinal as idealist ascetic ex-nun . Large secondary cast formed by ragged beggars as Lola Gaos , Jose Calvo , Jose Luis Martin , Joaquin Roa, and Maria Isbert ,daughter of the great Jose Isbert . It appears uncredited as a little girl Teresa Rabal , Francisco Rabal's daughter . Good and atmospheric cinematography by excellent cameraman Jose F. Aguayo . Religious and classic music score including ¨Haendel's Messiah¨ and the ethereal strains of Alelluya . The picture was originally realized by 'the maestro of Calanda' , Luis Buñuel's location of birth , and was immediately banned . Despite the government's massive efforts to confiscate all copies , some of them were exhibited and the movie won deservedly the Palme dÓr at the Cannes Film Festival . Nice strange story for Luis Buñuel aficionados , being hauled by some reviewers as one of his best films ever made . Rating : Above average, worthwhile watching.