The spirit of the beehive was written by angel fernandez santos and directed by erice during the regime of francisco francothe instigator of a lot of the history referenced in the movieand some have called beehive a complex metaphor for the death of individualism under fascism. The spirit of the beehive was controversial from the start. Though all violence has ended, the aftereffects of war can still be felt throughout the countryside. Hailed as the greatest spanish film of the 1970s, erices visually elegant poem of awakening takes place in a small castilian village in the early 1940s, as echoes of the spanish civil wart can still be heard throughout the countryside. The following film notes were prepared for the new york state writers institute by kevin jack hagopian, senior lecturer in media studies at pennsylvania state university. Her big sister tells her scary stories about the monster, and a spirit that lives in an abandoned farm nearby. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events.
Ana, 8 years old, may not believe those words, from a book she read in her. 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. 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. 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. Undeniably intoxicating in its visuals the spirit of the beehive is a remarkable and poetic film directed by spanish filmmaker victor erice. Isabel tells ana that the spirit of the monster lives in an empty outhouse near the village. 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. Using the great spanish film the spirit of the beehive, by victor erice, professor kristin thompson shows how restricting us to a childs point of view can make the familiar seem strange and emphasize the horrors of war. The spirit of the beehive is screening as part of metrograph a to z, a collection of. 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 francos long dictatorship so soon after that the same day, a wounded opponent of the regime takes refuge in the barnlike outbuilding. Visually stunning, the story takes place after spains civil war. Subtlety, however, often jams the radar of even the most suspicious despot, which may explain how the ghostly parable the spirit of the beehive made it into theaters in 1973, at the tail end of francos.
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. A mobile cinema screening of frankenstein has a big impact on them though the film is crucially missing the scene when the creature throws the girl in the water. Jun 01, 2010 the spirit of the beehive erice, spain, 1973 24. As ana becomes more and more intrigued with this possibility, a sort of hesitating menace seems to ooze out of every corner of the film. Subtlety, however, often jams the radar of even the most suspicious despot, which may explain how the ghostly parable the spirit of the beehive made it into theaters in 1973, at the tail end of francos regime. Days of heaven malick, usa, 1978 reclusive, secretive director terrence malicks second and best movie is this bucolic 1978 study of the lives of migrant farm workers. Film critic for various publications but especially in the magazine nuestro cine. Nonton movie the spirit of the beehive 1973 sub indo. 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 spirit of the beehive has been widely hailed as the greatest spanish film of the 1970s, and the performance of child actress ana torrent is deemed legendary. 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.
The spirit of the beehive provides its own kind of form, that of an inner exploration which is both slightly fantastical and quite realistic in its depiction of how children find their way through life. The print shows some debris at times, but that is minimal at worst and the level of grain present is almost nill. The spanish civil war has ended with general francisco franco, a ruthless dictator, claiming victory over the republic of spain. 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. Figueira da foz film festival italy september 1974 pesaro film festival uk 10 october 1974 london usa 18 october 1974 san francisco film festival sweden 14 march 1975. The propaganda picture raza, from 1942, is even based on a novel written by franco. The spirit of the beehive is told from a childs point of view. With fernando fernan gomez, teresa gimpera, ana torrent, isabel telleria. The film takes place in 1940, right after the civil war when francisco franco declares victory. The spirit of the beehivea childs point of view duration. This is more of an excerpt from the film than an actual trailer.
I last saw spanish director victor erices debut feature, the spirit of the beehive, about ten years ago, around the release of pans labyrinth, of which it is a clear influence. Setting his film after the devastation of the countrys 1930s civil war, erice brilliantly enters a girls mysterious inner world, creating a transfixing portrait of childhood informed by movies and imagination. To my surprise, despite the fact that the list included the work of such worldrenowned directors as luis bunuel, satyajit ray and kenji mizoguchi, the film they fell in love with was victor erices the spirit of the beehive. As a child, seeing a film was the spark that lit my imagination on fire, from my first journey through a galaxy far, far away to the nights i couldnt sleep because a xenomorph might be lurking in the darkness.
Frankensteins monster makes an unlikely cameo in the spirit. Her misunderstanding of the scene will shape the events to follow in victor erices the spirit of the beehive 1973, believed by many to be the greatest of all spanish films. 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. Erice has completed only three features to date one more than his poetic counterpart jean vigo, one less than fellow reclusegenius terrence malick, yet had this. 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. The score of the spirit of the beehive also contains strings, and possibly even an organ, but the introductory sequence is enveloped in a fairytaleesque tone mostly due to the recurring flute motif. The beehive orderly but alien and spiritless seems to symbolise for the father, who. The spirit of the beehive is a wonderfully evocative portrait of childhood innocence and obsession.
The spirit of the beehive is a one of a kind masterwork, lighting in a bottle. Set in 1940, the film is a condemnation and an elegy, a lament for spain after the civil war that brought franco to power. My love for the spirit of the beehive has been constant since my first year of university in johannesburg, when it was shown to me on vhs by my filmobsessed spanish teacher. The girls parents fernando fernan gomez and teresa gimpera are fairly impenetrable figures, though its clear that their marriage is in trouble. No 25 best arthouse film of all time victor erice, 1973 stuart jeffries.
Not only does it rival any filmic work that touches upon the subject of childhood, the film also makes way for an unexpectedly powerful political message about not just the era it depicts but society as a whole. Cinema seance a little girl fears that the spirit of frankenstein is loose in her village in this magical parable about childhood, set in spain during the oppressive franco regime. West germany 14 january 1977 tv premiere denmark 2 september 1977. Some of the audience, restless at the films slow pace, even booed.
The spirit of the beehive is generally thought by critics to epitomise the stagnation of life. One of the key spanish films of the seventies and a masterpiece of european cinema in general, the spirit of the beehive 1973 was the feature film debut for director victor erice. Spain, 1977, 1h 37min, 35mm, in spanish with english subtitles. Dramamu the spirit of the beehive 1973 banyak film sub indo yang bisa muncul di bioskop terkenal dan masuk ke dalam film box office dan menjadi film yang bisa menyedot animo masyarakat untuk menonton film ini, sehingga bisa membuat film ini menjadi film terlaris dan bisa membuat anda selalu ingin menonton film ini secara terus menerus. The spirit of the beehive is a 1973 spanish drama film directed by victor erice. Usa 23 september 1976 new york city, new york france 5 january 1977. I once showed a dozen or so classic nonamerican films to students at the royal college of art. In 1940, after watching and being traumatized by the movie frankenstein 1931, a sensitive seven yearold girl living in a small. Yet the spirit of the beehive is a classic example of one strand of spanish filmmaking at.
The year is 1940, a time when civil war rages in spain. In 1940, in the aftermath of the spanish civil war, two small sisters, ana and isabel, live in a remote village in castille. But when ana goes looking for it, she instead discovers a fugitive soldier and decides that he, like the monster, needs help. An acclaimed and haunting film about a young spanish girl enthralled by the 1931 frankenstein, embarking on a journey to find the creature in the spanish countryside. Film the spirit of the beehive 1973 streaming subtitle. Nevertheless, its from victor erices the spirit of the beehive for the florida. It is simple, solemn, and in the casting of young ana. 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. Like such films as charles laughtons 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.
The spirit of the beehive 1973 the spirit of the beehive. Days of heaven malick, usa, 1978 reclusive, secretive director terrence malicks second and best movie is this bucolic 1978 study of. The films sense of scale is distorted because a small village on the side of. Erice has completed only three features to date one more than his poetic counterpart jean vigo, one less than fellow reclusegenius terrence malick, yet. In 1973, the year of the spirit of the beehive, the francoist regime in spain was rotting from the inside. The spirit of the beehive, a 1973 spanish movie now at the outer circle 2, seems to provoke extreme responses. The symbolladen work is often considered a coded commentary on life in the authoritarian franco regime, which was marked by isolationism and the persecution of. Completed at a time when franco still had its iron fist placed over the country the story of young ana and her quest for the elusive monster is as beautiful to behold as it. 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. Indeed, most of the dialogue and sound, for that matter in the film is synchronized.
Its a film that gets more beautiful with each viewing, the dulcet tones brought to life by a cinematographer slowly going blind who would end up committing suicide. Nov 20, 2012 the spirit of the beehive is one of only three features and a short subject directed by erice born 1940. This film was made in 1973, but it looks brand new in this transfer, which should thrill fans of the film. 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. Victor erices hauntingly beautiful the spirit of the beehive features one of the most unforgettable child performances in the history of cinema. After watching the 1931 james whaleboris karloff version of frankenstein, ana begins to worry about the monster, and returns daily to the old house where her 10yearold. Although it won the main prize at san sebastian on its release, the jurys enthusiasm was not shared by all the public. Makes his directorial debut in an episode of the challenges 1969. It concentrates on a young girl ana portrayed by ana torrent who comes to be mesmerised by a screening of james whales frankenstein within her remote village. Film notes spirit of the beehive university at albany. We look at the world as children do in victor erices cinematic masterpiece, the spirit of the beehive, the greatest spanish film of the 1970s.
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. Spirit of the beehive is one of those seminal movies that seeped into my very soul. The spirit of the beehive letterboxd your life in film. The film was erices debut and is considered a masterpiece of spanish cinema. The spirit of the beehive is one of only three features and a short subject directed by erice born 1940. The spirit of the beehive is a thematically driven film that explores what happens to a childhood when subjected to extreme isolation. The spirit of the beehive 1973 the criterion collection. In a small castilian village in the early 40s, in the wake of the devastating civil war, ana and her sister, having seen a mobile projection of frankenstein, becomes obsessed with. A description of tropes appearing in spirit of the beehive.