Movie #64: Released in 1973, directed by Victor Erice, 98 minutes. New to me!

LetterBoxd Score: 3.5 stars

At the outset, this felt like one of those slice of life movies where, nothing really happens. But on reflection, this is a pretty extraordinary time for Ana. To start, she sees a movie that’s a bit too mature for her and her sister plays a pretty upsetting trick on her – both of these are the kinds of things that a kind might remember for life. But she also encounters a wounded soldier, who she sneaks food to; and then there is an unexpected connection to her father, who suddenly has the timepiece she gave the soldier, and who gives her a knowing look. And then he’s gone, nothing but a blood stain remaining. And then – lost. And finally, visited by Frankenstein. This is not actually a simple slice of life.

Instead, I think it just kind of feels that way because the way it is directed doesn’t follow the conventions of a plot-driven story, and the acting is so natural. This just is what kids are like, playing amongst themselves. But on reflection, the events of the film are seismic to Ana (and not only Ana; Teresa seems to abandon a paramour outside her husband as a consequence of the experience).

I’m always a bit leery of movies that make this list that are themselves about the movies; I worry this is a place where the people who make these lists are telling on themselves a bit. But I think it works here; I was charmed when Frankenstein showed up. There is an element of “the movies are formative experiences”, but it’s also doing a lot more. It’s “the movies work well as dream logic” and “the Monster is an avatar of the world beyond your childish understanding.”

There’s so much to chew on here that I wonder if I would like it more, if I gave it a rewatch. But as it is, I was interested, but not deeply moved.

Why would someone think it’s one of the ten greatest movies ever made?

In the above, I focus on the film as a portrait of childhood, but there’s a lot more here as well. It was helpful to know the movie was made in Franco’s Spain, where criticism of the regime was not tolerated, and so criticism is subtle enough not to attract the ire of the censors. There is, of course, the overt scenes where Ana cares for a soldier who is in opposition to the powers that be, but I also took the extended metaphor of the glass beehive as saying something about the constricted possibilities that exist under dictatorship. (I think the beehive soliloquy is just as much about the household, since we’re so often shown the yellow glass with hexagonal lattice).

But here too, like the best works of art, there are multiple interpretations. This is also a more universal portrait of a family that is living in the same place but not together. Indeed, for much of the first half of the movie, I was confused about the relationship between Fernando and Teresa – how can they be man and wife, look at how they interact!

One last thing – the movie is filled with beautiful frames, mostly of wide open spaces and children’s faces. I thought many scenes would make good still frame photographs.

Next: Ali: Fear Eats the Soul