I haven't seen a Buñuel film yet that hasn't at the least been good. I want to suggest that he might be the best filmmaker of all time, with as many or more masterpieces than Hitchcock, Bergman, etc. Not my favorite filmmaker, but certainly one of if not the best ever.
Viridiana is certainly in the masterpiece category, with staples of Buñuel anti-religion sentiment running through it. Showing what happens when two completely different sets of ideals/morals clash, and suggesting that although the titular Viridiana has good intentions, that there is just no helping those who do not want to be helped. One of the more shocking scenes I've seen - a reenactment of Da Vinci's The Last Supper by the poor beggars that Viridiana is attempting to assist, is something that makes me wish I was alive when this was released, just to see the reaction by The Catholic Church - they ordered the burning of every print of this film. Thankfully a copy made it to Cannes, where it won Palm d'or.
Obviously highly recommended, especially for those who are just getting introduced to Buñuel, as it has just about every staple of the Buñuel style in it, minus the outright surrealism.
Viridiana is certainly in the masterpiece category, with staples of Buñuel anti-religion sentiment running through it. Showing what happens when two completely different sets of ideals/morals clash, and suggesting that although the titular Viridiana has good intentions, that there is just no helping those who do not want to be helped. One of the more shocking scenes I've seen - a reenactment of Da Vinci's The Last Supper by the poor beggars that Viridiana is attempting to assist, is something that makes me wish I was alive when this was released, just to see the reaction by The Catholic Church - they ordered the burning of every print of this film. Thankfully a copy made it to Cannes, where it won Palm d'or.
Obviously highly recommended, especially for those who are just getting introduced to Buñuel, as it has just about every staple of the Buñuel style in it, minus the outright surrealism.
