Sorcerer

Based on the novel Le Salaire de la pleur (The Wages of Fear) by Georges Arnaud, Sorcerer is the story of four different men in a South American village who take a job to carry a transport cart full of nitroglycerine through the jungles. Directed by William Friedkin and screenplay by Walon Green, the film is a remake of the 1953 film The Wages of Fear by Henri-Georges Clouzot, the film is an exploration into the world of fear and what drives men into taking a dangerous job where they risk their lives for money. Starring Roy Scheider, Bruno Cremer, Francisco Rabal, Ramon Bieri, and Amidou. Sorcerer is a mesmerizing and very dark film from William Friedkin.

The film is about four different men from four different countries who take a job to carry two trucks full of nitroglycerine through the South American jungle in order to defuse an oil well explosion just 200 km from a small town. It’s a film where these four men from very different worlds are forced to work together as they’re putting their lives on the line as well as be well-paid once the job is done. Yet, carrying a truck full of nitroglycerine through 200 km of treacherous South American jungle as well as bad weather and narrow roads through its mountains. Walon Green’s screenplay definitely has an unusual structure where it’s first act takes place in four different locations to establish who these four men are and why they would go to this very poor town in South America. The second act is about these four men where three of them take on different identities as they work through odd jobs against the comfort of the previous lives where they find out about this job where money is the motivation.

For the American Jack Scanlon (Roy Scheider) who is a fugitive for the mob, it’s a chance to remain in hiding while French banker Victor Manzon (Bruno Cremer) is also a fugitive for different reasons as he was forced to leave his wife and quaint life to avoid going to jail. The other two is an Arab terrorist named Kaseem (Amidou) who has fled Jerusalem following a bombing that he took part in while the wild card is an assassin named Nilo (Francisco Rabal) who was supposed to stay in this small town temporarily but ends up staying because he wants the money. Much of the film’s second half is about the journey through the jungle as the stakes become more treacherous where it’s not just about these four men using their skills but also having to work together despite their differences.

William Friedkin’s direction is truly intense from the way he opens the film to introduce the four principle characters all in the span of 24 minutes. All of it takes place in four different locations as well as in shooting styles where Nilo’s line of work in Vera Cruz displays his personality as everything he does is simple and to the point. The activities of Jack and Kaseem are very violent where the former was just a driver for a mob heist that went wrong while Kaseem is forced to watch his friends be killed and captured. For Victor, he is forced to flee France because of a bribery and fraud scandal that he had been accused of as all of his chances for alibis fall by wayside. Much of the direction for these scenes are simple and quaint where there’s a sense of comfort. All of that goes away once the film moves to this very desolate village in South America where much of it is shot in the Dominican Republic as well as some locations in Mexico and New Mexico.

There are moments in the film where Friedkin goes for these entrancing wide shots of these jungles where it’s a world that has a sense of beauty but it’s also unforgiving. There’s also some tense moments in the film where Friedkin makes the journey to be on where men have to trust each other as it includes this very gripping sequence in the rain where the trucks each carrying three boxes of nitroglycerine has to cross this already fragile suspension bridge through heavy rain. It’s a moment in the film where it’s about the sense of unknown and whether anyone will survive or will the bridge break and the truck will fall into the river and blow up. It’s among these moments that Friedkin creates that plays into the suspense as he also adds moments of surrealism in a very famous sequence involving this very strange landscape. Overall, Friedkin creates a very intense yet harrowing film about four men who play with their lives for money.

Cinematographers John M. Stephens and Dick Bush do amazing work with the film‘s cinematography from the use of lighting schemes for the scenes set in the jungles along with some unique lights for some of the stranger moments as well as some darker moments for the scenes set in the rain. Editors Bud Smith and Robert K. Lambert do brilliant work in the editing to create some very unconventional rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense as well as some stylish dissolves for the surrealistic moments. Production designer John Box, with set decorator Robert W. Laing and art director Roy Walker, does fantastic work with the set design from the different places the men live in their previous lives to the suspension bridge as well as the small South American town they live in.

Costume designer Anthony Powell does nice work with the ragged look of the men with the exception of Nilo who often wears some designer suit. Sound editor Charles L. Campbell, with additional sound design from Aaron Levy for the remastered version of the film, does excellent work with the sound to play into the sense of terror such as the suspension bridge scene as well as the scenes set in the jungle. The film’s music by Tangerine Dream is just incredible as its electronic-driven score plays into the sense of tension and suspense that occurs in the film as it features additional pieces by Keith Javert, Charlie Parker, and Miles Davis.

The casting by Louis DiGiamo is superb as it features some notable small roles from Anne-Marie Deschott as Victor’s wife, Friedrich von Ledebur as a bartender at a bar the men often frequent at, Joe Spinell as a friend of Scanlon in South America, Rosario Almontes as a barmaid who would give Victor a cross as a sign of good luck, Karl John as a German friend of Kaseem who was supposed to be the fourth man, and Ramon Bieri as the oil company representative who would pick the men for the job as well as the one who would pay them. Amidou is excellent as an Arabic terrorist who flees Jerusalem to hide from the Israelis as he is efficient in engineering in creating some things as well as having an intense dislike for Nilo. Francisco Rabal is amazing as the assassin Nilo who is a man that can do anything to get what he wants as he has this mix of being a cunning killer who tends to rub everyone the wrong way.

Bruno Cremer is fantastic as Victor as this French banker who becomes disgraced due to accusations of fraud as he is forced to leave his posh life to work in order to survive as he takes the job in hopes to find redemption as he would befriend Kaseem and Scanlon. Finally, there’s Roy Scheider in a marvelous performance as Jackie Scanlon as this former criminal who is hiding from the mob as he is this everyman that just wants the money and the chance to not be in danger from the mob as it’s a very gritty and engaging performance from Scheider.

Sorcerer is a phenomenal film from William Friedkin that features a great leading performance from Roy Scheider as well as strong supporting work from Bruno Cremer, Francisco Rabal, and Amidou. The film is definitely one of the rare remakes that manages to be as good or as equal as to the original as it isn’t just a worthy homage to The Wages of Fear but also manages to be something of its own. In the end, Sorcerer is a tremendously sprawling and exhilarating film from William Friedkin.

William Friedkin Films: (Good Times) - (The Birthday Party) - (The Night They Raided Minsky’s) - (The Boys in the Band) - The French Connection - The Exorcist - (Brink’s Job) - Cruising - ((Deal of the Century) - To Live and Die in L.A. - (Rampage (1987 film)) - (The Guardian (1990 film)) - (Blue Chips) - (Jailbreakers) - (Jade) - (12 Angry Men (1997 TV film)) - (Rules of Engagement) - (The Hunted (2003 film)) - Bug - Killer Joe

Related: The Wages of Fear

© thevoid99 2014

Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!

Written and directed by Pedro Almodovar, !Atame! (Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!) is the story of a troubled man released from a psychiatric hospital who kidnaps an actress in the hopes that he would fall in love with her. The film is an exploration into the world of obsession as it plays into the world of Stockholm Syndrome with some dark humor and revelations about these events. Starring Antonio Banderas, Victoria Abril, Francisco Rabal, Loles Leon, Julietta Serrano, Maria Barranco, Rossy de Palma, Lola Cardona, Francisco Rabal, and Francisca Caballero. !Atame! is a strange but thrilling film from Pedro Almodovar.

The film explores the strange relationship between a troubled man who kidnaps a B-movie actress in the hopes that he would fall in love with her. It’s a film that explores the concept of Stockholm Syndrome where the victim would fall for its kidnapper as Pedro Almodovar infuses the story with some dark humor as well as revelations about humanity. Especially as this young man in Ricky (Antonio Banderas) has just been released from a psychiatrist hospital where he hopes to meet the actress Marina (Victoria Abril) as the two had met a year before at a nightclub where a one-night stand happen. Unfortunately, Marina doesn’t remember as she is a recovering drug addict who used to do porn films as she had become the obsession of her aging director Maximo Espejo (Francisco Rabal) who is helming his final film.

The film’s screenplay doesn’t have much of a plot as Almodovar focuses more on motivations and what is happening in this kidnapping scenario where there’s some obvious schematics that will happen. Yet, Almodovar makes it so much more as Ricky is a man driven by loneliness and abandon as he thinks Marina can give him some hope. Marina is a woman still recovering from her own addiction as a toothache becomes part of her problems as well as the advances of her director who is confined in a wheelchair because of a stroke. Once Ricky gets into Marina’s apartment and takes her as his hostage, he takes his time to win her over though it becomes a struggle at first. Adding to the complications is the fact that Marina has been asked by a neighbor to water his plants as her sister Lola (Loles Leon) would end up doing as she becomes frustrated working as an assistant director to Espejo.

Almodovar’s direction is truly mesmerizing in the way he doesn’t just create this unique mix of suspense, black comedy, and romance but also a film where it plays into the possibility into whether this woman will fall for her kidnapper. Some of the humor is very offbeat where it can be very quirky at times but also there’s some darker moments where it adds to this mix of discomfort yet it is also oddly funny. Almodovar’s direction is truly wondrous in the way he creates compositions from his approach to close-ups and using wide lenses to capture the beauty of a film set or an apartment. There’s also an element of artistry in the way Almodovar would put his actors into a frame or how he would create sexual images that play into the desires of Ricky and Marina. The sense of shock value is also prevalent in how far Ricky will go where he would also encounter seedy people to get what he wants. There is also an element of desire since Marina is this object of desire for men as she is trying to figure out what she wants and what Ricky will offer her. Overall, Almodovar creates a very sensational yet provocative film about a strange relationship between a woman and her kidnapper.

Cinematographer Jose Luis Alcine does brilliant work with the film‘s ravishing cinematography from not just the nighttime exteriors and interiors of the locations and sets but also in the way some of the rooms are lit to capture the gorgeous colors of the apartments and sets. Editor Jose Salcedo does fantastic work with the editing with its stylistic approach to jump-cuts and rhythmic cuts as it plays to the air of suspense and drama that occurs in the film. Production designer Esther Garcia, with set decorator Pepon Sigler and art director Ferran Sanchez, does amazing work with the set design from the gorgeous apartment of Marina‘s neighbor to the some of the sets in the film that she is making.

Costume designer Jose Maria de Cossio does excellent work with costumes where it adds to the film‘s colorful look from the dresses some of the women wear to the shirts and jeans that Ricky wears. The sound work of Ricardo Steinberg is terrific for the way it adds to the suspense and drama in how sparse it is at times while going for more ominous effects in some of the exterior scenes. The film’s music by Ennio Morricone is just phenomenal where Morricone does take some cues from Bernard Herrmann in terms of its eerie orchestral arrangements for the suspense while adding his own operatic touches to some of the music to play into the romance and drama as it’s one of his finest works. The film’s soundtrack features a mixture of boleros and pop songs that are played in the film to showcase the two worlds coming together for Ricky.

The film’s cast includes some noteworthy small performances from Francisca Caballero as Marina’s mother, Lola Cardona as the psychiatric hospital director who had a close relationship with Ricky, Maria Barranco as a doctor friend of Marina whom Ricky would meet to get some prescriptions, and Rossy de Palma in a fantastic role as a drug dealer who rides a Vespa who doesn’t like to be fucked with. Julietta Serrano is excellent in a small yet crucial role as Espejo’s wife who would watch her husband seeking to regain his sex drive while being the one person who is willing to listen to Lola as she is aware of her husband’s obsessions. Francisco Rabal is amazing as Maximo Espejo as this director trying to make his final film as he desires Marina while also flirting with Lola despite the fact that he’s in a wheelchair. Loles Leon is great as Marina’s sister Lola as she tries to deal with Espejo’s obsession and antics while wondering where Marina is as it’s a role that adds a lot of humor to the film.

Victoria Abril is brilliant as Marina as this B-movie actress who becomes a kidnapping victim as she deals with her own situation while is also someone who is troubled by her own recovery from drugs and sexual satisfaction. Antonio Banderas is remarkable as Ricky as this troubled 23-year old who had just been released from a psychiatric hospital as he hopes to get Marina to fall in love with. Banderas and Abril have this very unique chemistry in the way they deal with each other as Banderas brings some humor to the role with Abril being a bit more aggressive as they are major highlights of the film.

!Atame! is a spectacular and exhilarating film from Pedro Almodovar. Armed with a great cast led by Antonio Banderas and Victoria Abril along with beautiful cinematography and art direction as well as Ennio Morricone’s sublime score. The film is definitely one of Almodovar’s finest films as well as his most provocative in the way it explores kidnapping and the concept of Stockholm Syndrome. In the end, !Atame! is a tremendously wild and vivacious film from Pedro Almodovar.

Pedro Almodovar Films: Pepi, Luci, Bom - Labyrinth of Passion - Dark Habits - What Have I Done to Deserve This? - Matador - Law of Desire - Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown - High Heels - Kika - The Flower of My Secret - Live Flesh - All About My Mother - Talk to Her - Bad Education - Volver - Broken Embraces - The Skin I Live In - I'm So Excited! - Julieta - Pain & Glory - (The Human Voice (2020 short film)) - (Parallel Mothers)

The Auteurs #37: Pedro Almodovar Pt. 1 - Pt. 2

© thevoid99 2014

L'Eclisse

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 9/1/08 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni with a script he co-wrote with Tonino Guerra, Elio Bartolini, and Ottiero Ottieri. L'Eclisse tells the story of a literary translator who meets a young, energetic stockbroker where for the summer, they engage in a passionate romance. Afterwards, the two try to go for a steady relationship that comes into conflict with their individual lifestyles. Starring Antonioni regular Monica Vitti along with Alain Delon, Francisco Rabal, and Louis Seigner. L'Eclisse is an eerie yet engaging film from the late Michelangelo Antonioni.

After breaking up with Riccardo (Francisco Rabal) after a tumultuous relationship, Vittoria (Monica Vitti) decides to leave him pondering what she does next. After trying to tell her mother (Lilla Brignone) about the break-up, she meets a young stockbroker named Piero (Alain Delon) who is trying to get some stock for Vittoria's mother. Despondent over the break-up, she gets the attention of neighbor Anita (Rosanna Rory) where they decide to hang out with Marta (Mirella Riccardi), who shows her things and objects from Africa. After a wild night where Vittoria dressed up and darkened her skin to look African, dogs go loose where Vittoria ponders her newfound loneliness. She decides to go with Anita on a trip.

Back in Rome, the stock market takes a dive as Piero tries to help Vittoria's mother with her losses as he's overwhelmed with all that he has to deal with. Vittoria watches in how the people are losing their stock as she has a brief chat with Piero that leads to an attraction. After a night of dealing with stock losses, Piero decides to go to Vittoria's apartment to chat with her as he waits outside where a drunk (Cyrus Elias) steals his car as it's later plunged into a nearby lake. The next day, Piero and Vittoria check out the scene as they walk and chat as an attraction ensues. Yet, Vittoria is resistant of Piero's advances but when she tried to call him, she's unsure. The next day, they meet again as they go to Piero's apartment as she sees his rooms filled with rich things and a quiet town as their affair begins. Yet, the affair is doomed due to Piero's devotion to his work and Vittoria's mood swings as changing times also affects them and the people around them.

The theme of alienation, that is prominent with several of Michelangelo Antonioni's films, is key to what the film is about. Yet, it's also about loss. For Vittoria, a relationship comes to an end for her prompting her to engage in various mood swings where at times, she's happy but most of the time is feeling depressed. For Piero, a young man driven by gambles and making money for himself and everyone else loses control when the stock market takes a dive as his world of materialism becomes unhinged. The two protagonists engage in an affair yet their own different environments and personalities is what keeps them in having a relationship. What the film is really about is two people, lost in their own worlds, getting together only to realize how different they are. Antonioni and co-screenwriter create a film that's essentially a study on isolation. Not just emotionally but also physically.

The physicality of the theme of isolation is largely due to the eerie, mesmerizing direction of Antonioni. With very little dialogue, lots of sound work, and atmospheric compositions, Antonioni also sets the stage of what might happen as the world changes. There's scenes where the physical locations and objects like a water barrel or Rome itself sets up the sense of loneliness as the two protagonists are desperate for some kind of connection. The film's final sequence that involves a series of images of the physical locations to emphasize the film's theme while adding to the fate of Vittoria and Piero's relationship.

Antonioni's direction is something not everyone will enjoy as the film starts off slow (like a lot of his films) yet often come out very rewarding in its second and third act. There's a scene in the film where Vittoria is doing an African pantomime but with darkened skin that might conjure up the idea of black face. Now, it's a scene that will make audiences uncomfortable. It again reveals the troubled mood swings of Vittoria as she tries to make herself happy until one of her friends at the party tells her to stop. Antonioni isn't trying to imply anything racist but is more interested in what this woman is trying to do in order to keep her mood upbeat. Yet, it's followed by a scene of dogs running around a road where her mood goes down once again. What those scenes and many other confirms is the genius of Antonioni and how he's willing to study the themes of loss and isolation.

Cinematographer Gianni Di Venanzo does spectacular work with the film's black-and-white look with wonderful interior, nighttime shading and the exterior look of the film where at night. The night lights in those scenes are very exquisite and adds a moodiness to emphasize the film's title. Even the final sequence with shots of grey colors are wonderful for its mood as Di Venanzo's work is wonderful to watch. Editor Eraldo Da Roma does excellent with the film's slow yet methodical pacing to allow the audience to interpret in what's going on as it's rhythm works to convey the moodiness Antonioni wanted.

Art director Piero Poletto does excellent work with the set design in the look of Marta's home filled with African artifacts while the home of Piero is more posh and materialistic to convey his unique personality. Costume designers Bice Brichetto and Gitt Magrini do great work with the costumes from the slim yet gorgeous skirts that Monica Vitti to the suits that Alain Delon wears. The sound work of Renato Cadueri and Claudio Maielli is amazing for its haunting approach to the capturing of the winds, the frenzy of the stock market, and the ghost-like feel to the locations the protagonists are in. The music of Giovanni Fusco is mostly filled with dark yet subtle arrangements as it plays to the film's eerie mood of the film.

The small yet amazing cast is wonderfully assembled with small performances from Cyrus Elias as a drunk who steals Piero's car and Louis Seigner as an old yet wise advisor of Piero. Rosanna Rory and Mirella Riccardi are good as two of Vittoria's friends who try to help raise Vittoria's mood with Rory as Anita is a character dealing with her marriage with Riccardi as the more adventurous Marta. Lilla Brignone is excellent as Vittoria's mother, a woman driven by gambles and the stock market until the crash as her money and livelihood becomes threatened. Francisco Rabal is very good as Vittoria's bland yet good-natured boyfriend who is desperate to want to remain together despite their problems.

The film's leading performances from Monica Vitti and Alain Delon are a major highlight of the film. Vitti displays an intoxicating beauty mixed in with troubled emotions as her character is intriguing to watch as a woman dealing with mood swings and trying to fit into a world that she doesn't really know much about. French actor Alain Delon is great as the energetic Piero, a man driven by gambles and success until the crash as he ponders if there's more to a world of gambling and materialism. The chemistry between Vitti and Delon is wonderful to watch with their banter and attraction to each other as it's filled with sex appeal and restrained emotions.

L'Eclisse is an incredible film from the late Michelangelo Antonioni thanks to the superb performances of Monica Vitti and Alain Delon. While fans of Antonioni and Italian cinema might see this as essential, it's a film that is also essential to the world of art-house, international cinema. Though mainstream audiences might be turned off by its slow pacing and lack of a traditional plot. It's a film that is more in tune with emotions and atmosphere as it conveys Antonioni's themes of loss and isolation. In the end, L'Eclisse is an engrossing yet harrowing film from the late, great Michelangelo Antonioni.

Michelangelo Antonioni Films: (Story of a Love Affair) - (I Vinti) - (The Lady Without Camelias) - Le Amiche - (Il Grido) - L'Avventura - La Notte - Red Desert - Blow-Up - Zabriskie Point - (Chung Kuo, Cina) - The Passenger - (The Mystery of Oberwald) - Identification of a Woman - (Beyond the Clouds) - Eros-The Dangerous Thread of Things

© thevoid99 2013

Belle de Jour

Based on the novel by Joseph Kessel, Belle de Jour is the story of a housewife who spends her afternoons as a prostitute while her husband is at work as she deals with her sexual desires. Directed by Luis Bunuel and screenplay by Bunuel and Jean-Claude Carriere, the film is an exploration into a woman trying to find sexual fulfillment as she’s not finding that in her marriage prompting her to take drastic actions. Starring Catherine Deneuve, Jean Sorel, Francisco Rabal, and Michel Piccoli. Belle de Jour is a provocative yet entrancing film from Luis Bunuel.

The film explores the world of a bored housewife of a surgeon who decides to become a prostitute in the afternoons to fulfill her sexual desires. There, she encounters men who give her the sexual fulfillment she craves which would have an ironic effect in her relationship with her husband until she meets a troubled criminal who wants her. It’s a film that is largely told from the perspective of the protagonist Severine (Catherine Deneuve) who has these fantasies of being beaten and insulted yet has a hard time living that out in the real world as she is bored and aloof which confuses her husband Pierre (Jean Sorel) who often works. Yet, she is also quite cold to his friend Henri Husson (Michel Piccoli) who would mention about the brothel that one of Severine’s old friends used to work at which prompts the curious Severine to see what is there where she would find this strange balance of fantasy and reality.

The film’s screenplay by Luis Bunuel and Jean-Claude Carriere creates a unique story that is largely told from a woman’s perspective where it’s opening scene is where Severine and Pierre are riding in a carriage where Pierre demands the carriage drivers to beat her. It’s a very strange moment to open the film but the fact that it’s Severine’s fantasy makes it even stranger into why would this woman want to feel pleasure from being whipped by men and such? Pierre has no clue about Severine’s fantasies as he is also baffled by her reluctance to have sex with him but he respects her too much to not do anything against her will. Still, there is that question of maybe Severine wants Pierre to take action but it doesn’t happen where she also is also attracted to Husson in some respects though she also despises him greatly because of how flirtatious he can be.

The script is also intriguing in how Severine manages to be part of this world of sex where she works for this very stern brothel madam known as Madame Anais (Genevieve Page) who shows her the ropes of what to do. Under the name Belle de Jour, Severine would become one of class and intrigue to the clients she meets. Yet, it becomes more troubling in its third act with the arrival of a criminal named Hyppolite (Francisco Rabal) who is an old friend of Madame Anais as he is joined by his young protégé Marcel (Pierre Clementi) whose attraction to Severine is very unstable. Notably as it clashes with everything she wanted but also the stability that she craves for at home.

The direction of Luis Bunuel is very entrancing in the way he blurs the idea of fantasy and reality. Most notably with its opening sequence that seems real but it has an air of surrealism that is common with a lot of Bunuel’s work as there would be these scenes that are presented in some of the beautiful ways. Even as it has this degradation that makes it so strange where Husson throws mud at Severine in one scene while she’s tied up on a tree in another scene to showcase how extreme these fantasies of sadomasochism can be. Even where Severine finally gets to act in these fantasies where there is a sense of happiness that occurs where even the fantasies become more playful in some respects.

The compositions that Bunuel creates are mesmerizing in the way he puts his actors into a frame or how he maintains the idea of reality and fantasy colliding. Notably as some of the moments of reality where Severine interacts with the other prostitutes showcase an intimacy in some of these scenes as well as scenes between Severine and Pierre where it’s quite calm. Still, Bunuel does create some great scenes in these moments where he would also include moments of symbolism to suggest the fate that Severine might face. Most notably a sequence where Severine is hired to play the dead wife of a man in this elaborate yet strange funeral scene. Things get darker in the third act where her encounter with Marcel is one that is just chaotic as it also begins to blur the idea of reality and fantasy where Severine must make a choice. Overall, Bunuel creates a very fascinating and captivating film about a woman trying to find fulfillment in her sexual desires.

Cinematographer Sascha Vierny does amazing work with the film‘s very colorful cinematography from the way the scenes in the forests look with its vibrant colors to some of the lighting schemes that is created in some of the film‘s interiors. Editor Louisette Hautecoeur does brilliant work with the editing where it is stylized with its jump-cuts and dissolves as it plays to some of the film‘s humor and strange moments. Production designer Robert Clavel does fantastic work with the look of the brothel that Severine works at as well as her lavish home that she and Pierre live in. The costumes of Helene Nourry is superb for its sense of style in the clothes that Severine wears that ranges from quaint and innocent to some of the sensual clothing she has to wear for work. The sound work of Rene Longuet is excellent for some of the effects that is created to play up that blur of fantasy and reality as well as in creating an atmosphere in some big scenes in the film.

The film’s incredible cast includes some notable small roles from Marguerite Muni as Madame Anais’ maid, Georges Marchal as a duke who hires Severine to come to his home, Macha Merill as Severine’s friend Renee, Francoise Fabian and Maria Latour as a couple of women who work for Madame Anais, and Francisco Rabal as the notorious yet cautious criminal Hyppolite. Pierre Clementi is excellent as the unpredictable and fierce Marcel who falls for Severine as she has everything he wants yet has a hard time not being with her. Genevieve Page is superb as Madame Anais as a woman who is stern but also very kind as she helps Severine figure out how to play her part while dealing with the fact that Severine is only working in afternoons. Michel Piccoli is great as Henri Husson as a man who is attracted to Severine no matter how much she despises him as he’s one full of charm and wit while he would be the one that would play a key role into ending Severine’s time as a prostitute.

Jean Sorel is terrific as Severine’s husband Pierre as he’s sort of this aloof yet kind surgeon who loves his wife but doesn’t know what she wants as he’s quite oblivious to her activities while being a much more brutal person in her fantasies. Finally, there’s Catherine Deneuve in a remarkable performance as Severine as this woman who sort of has this cold yet lost personality early in the film to someone who seems to enjoy being beaten and humiliated in her fantasies as it’s definitely one of Deneuve’s finest performances in her career where she shows a bit of skin but also shows something much more in this film.

Belle de Jour is a phenomenal film from Luis Bunuel that features a radiant performance from Catherine Deneuve. The film is certainly one of the most interesting takes on the world of sexual fantasies and sadomasochism as well as what a woman wants in her life as she is just simply trying to find herself. Most notably as it would also play into the idea of reality and fantasy in what a woman wants. In the end, Belle de Jour is a sensational film from Luis Bunuel.

Luis Bunuel Films: Un Chien Andalou - L’Age d’Or - Land Without Bread - (Gran Casino) - (The Great Madcap) - Los Olvidados - (Susana) - (La hija de engano) - (Mexican Bus Ride) - (A Woman Without Love) - (El Bruto) - (El) - (Illusion Travels by Streetcar) - (Wuthering Heights (1954 film)) - Robinson Crusoe (1954 film) - (The Criminal Lives of Archibaldo de la Cruz) - (El rio y la muerte) - (Cela S’apelle l’Aurore) - (Death in the Garden) - (Nazarin) - (La Fievre a El Pasao) - (The Young One) - Viridiana - The Exterminating Angel - Diary of a Chambermaid - Simon of the Desert - (The Milky Way) - Tristana - Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie - (The Phantom of Liberty) - (That Obscure Object of Desire)

© thevoid99 2013

Viridiana

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 5/29/07.

One of Spain's greatest and controversial artists, Luis Bunuel was a film director whose films of surrealism, religion, and imagery has captured the imagination of many. Yet, during the Spanish Civil War in 1936, Bunuel left Spain to sought artistry only to find freedom 10 years later in Mexico. During that period, he would make acclaimed films like Los Olvidados (The Forgotten Ones), El (This Strange Passion), Ensayo de un Crimen (The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz), and Nazarin in 1958. In 1961, Bunuel finally makes a return to Spain during the time of the Franco where he made one of his most controversial films about a nun trying unsuccessfully to help the poor entitled Viridiana.

Written by Bunuel and Julio Alejandro, Viridiana tells the story of a nun who is sent by her convent to visit her uncle. The image of the nun reminds the uncle of his deceased wife. The visit shakes the nun's idealism as she hopes to do good in helping the poor. Directed by Bunuel, the film explores religion and its strictness as well as dark behaviors in some of its characters towards an innocent young woman. Starring Silvia Pinal, Fernando Rey, and Francisco Rabal. Viridiana is a superb yet controversial masterpiece from the legendary Bunuel.

Viridiana (Silvia Pinal) is expected to take her vows in the next few days until her Mother Superior suggests she should visit her uncle whom she hasn't seen in a long time. Her uncle Jaime (Fernando Rey) is living alone with a maid, her daughter, and a farmer as Viridiana decides to make the visit for a few days. Upon arriving, she meets the maid Ramona (Margarita Lozano) and her daughter Rita (Teresa Rabal) as Viridiana looks eerily like her late aunt. Jaime's newfound obsession of his wife and how his niece looks like her brought some troubling behaviors as Ramona watches. Noticing her often strict behavior and dedication to her faith, Jaime makes a plan to have her stay a bit longer. On Viridiana's final night, he attempts to seduce her but only receive an insult from his niece. Ramona drugs her later on as Jaime's attempt to seduce while asleep fails again.

With Viridiana finally leaving and learning about the truth of what happened last night, Jaime's guilt takes over as he feels he's sinned and does a final sinful act. Viridiana is then forced to come home to learn about what her uncle has done. With Viridiana now running the house with Ramona, Rita, and their farmer. Viridiana hopes to redeem herself by not returning to the convent and make her uncle's home into something that would help the poor. Taking on a group of beggars, she decide to help them while Jaime's estranged son Jorge (Francisco Rabal) arrives to become the new Don. With girlfriend Lucia (Victoria Zinny), Jorge hopes to bring the farm back to shape. Unfortunately, Jorge feels irritated by the beggars Viridiana has taken in while feeling tense with her. Lucia departs as Jorge finds himself attracted to Ramona.

When Jorge decides to leave town with Viridiana, Ramona, and Rita to conclude some business matters, the beggars decide to get into the house and enjoy a moment of debauchery until Jorge and his company return. The moment causes shockwave's as Viridiana's faith is now shaken to the core.

While the film reveals troubling themes such as incest, faith, and debauchery, the film is really about an innocent young woman whose good intentions are shaken to the core as she ends up questioning her own idealism. Even in a world that is cruel and indifferent to her faith. The film also explores moments of debauchery where although the beggars aren't necessarily bad people, they have a desire to live the rich, carefree life that Jorge and his late father had. There, it destroys everything that Viridiana had intended which is followed by a very horrific, sinful act that destroys her spiritually and emotionally. Then there's some of the film's sexual content which is done in a suggested way. Even in the film's final scene suggested something that was indeed Bunuel's intentions.

The direction that Bunuel made is not just observant but also filled with cynicism on faith, especially Catholicism at the time of Franco-era Spain. Largely because of how the repression of the government at that time caused the sense of alienation among the beggars. Even when the spiritual ideals of Viridiana is clashed in one wonderfully edited sequences with the newfound, industrious attitude that Jorge had. Then there's the infamous dinner sequence which includes a spoof of the Last Supper sequence that is followed by debauchery at its most unbridled. There, Bunuel captures anarchy in its purest form. It was there where the film, at that time, caused a lot of controversy followed by what would happen towards the end. The result is a powerful picture by Bunuel.

Helping Bunuel in his unique yet surreal vision is cinematographer Jose F. Aguayo whose black-and-white photography is exquisite in some of the film's exterior sequences and interior scenes. Yet, some of the camera work in showing the shadows is amazing as well as the close-ups to reveal the emotions and shock. Editor Pedro del Rey does amazing work in the film's editing, notably the scene of Viridiana's prayer cut back-and-forth into the moments of industry to convey her lack of realism. Production designer Francisco Canet does some wonderful work in creating the film's rich look in the home of Don Jaime's. Sound engineer Aurelio Garcia Tijeras does excellent in work in capturing the sound to contrast what's going on and where the scene's at. Composer Gustavo Pittaluga brings in an operatic score that is played on record throughout the film to convey the film's sense of emotion and debauchery in the third act.

The film's cast is wonderfully assembled with great performances by Jose Calvo, Jose Manuel Martin, Luis Heredia, Joaquin Roa, Maria Isbert, and many others playing the beggars whose moments in the film are a highlight. Victoria Zinny is fine in a small role as Jorge's frustrated girlfriend while Teresa Rabal is great as Ramona's young daughter Rita. Margarita Lozano is in excellent form as the loyal Ramona whose shift of servitude changes as she finds herself attracted to Jorge in which, she is allowed to be herself. Francisco Rabal is great as the charming yet cynical Jorge who is willing to find some kind of power, even as he tries to seduce both Ramona and Viridiana. The late yet legendary Fernando Rey is great as Jaime. A man whose surreal state of mind over his wife's death and guilt causes him to question his own morality and persona. Though it's a small, supporting role, Rey is in fantastic form.

Finally, there's the legendary Silvia Pinal in one of her great performances. Pinal brings a lot of restraint to her role as this innocent young woman unaware about the real world. Pinal's also exudes sexuality with her amazingly gorgeous looks though she only shows a bit of skin throughout the entire film. Her character goes through the biggest amount of development and through this restrained, very non-dramatic performance, it feels natural and just right. It is clear that while she is playing the title character, it's Pinal's performance that is the heart of the film.

When Bunuel was asked to return to Spain by Francisco Franco to make a film suitable for his country, Bunuel said yes but when he presented the resulting film Viridiana with plans to premiere at the 1961 Cannes Film Festival. Franco was extremely angry and had the film banned for many years in Spain while was denounced by the Vatican. The then-Fascist government of Spain tried to have the film banned in its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival but failed. Viridiana ended up sharing the prestigious Palme D'or along with Henri Colpi's The Long Absence. The controversy over Viridiana helped give the film international attention as a film that had to be seen. In 1977, the film finally premiered in Spain at the time when Bunuel had made his final film Cet Obscur Objet du Desir (That Obscure Object in Desire) in France. Bunuel retired until his death in 1983.

Viridiana overall, is an amazing film from Luis Bunuel. Featuring great performances from Silvia Pinal and Fernando Rey, it's a film that might not be as shocking in today's times. Yet, when audiences have to consider what's going on and what Bunuel suggested at the time, the shock value is still there. What is really surprising that when it won the Palme D'or that year, another film that won the year before that featured similar was Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita that also reveled in debauchery and denounced by the Vatican. That film was also banned in Spain for several years until it was shown in 1981. In the end, for a film to reveal innocence lost in the real yet surreal world, Luis Bunuel's Viridiana is the film to check out.

Luis Bunuel Films: Un Chien Andalou - L'Age d'Or - Land Without Bread - (Gran Casino) - (The Great Madcap) - Los Olvidados - (Susana) - (La hija de engano) - (Mexican Bus Ride) - (A Woman Without Love) - (El Bruto) - (El) - (Illusion Travels by Streetcar) - (Wuthering Heights (1954)) - Robinson Crusoe (1954) - (The Criminal Live of Archibaldo de la Cruz) - (El rio y la muerte) - (Cela S'apelle l'Aurore) - (Death in the Garden) - (Nazarin) - (La Fievre a El Pasao) - (The Young One) - The Exterminating Angel - Diary of a Chambermaid - Simon of the Desert - Belle de Jour - (The Milky Way) - Tristana - The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie - (The Phantom of Liberty) - (That Obscure Object of Desire)

© thevoid99 2011