- For the thirteenth century saint, see Verdiana
| Viridiana | |
|---|---|
 Viridiana poster | |
| Directed by | Luis Buñuel |
| Produced by | Gustavo Alatriste |
| Written by | Julio Alejandro Luis Buñuel |
| Starring | Silvia Pinal Francisco Rabal Fernando Rey Margarita Lozano |
| Distributed by | Films Sans Frontières |
| Release date(s) |  May, 1961 (premiere at Cannes) 19 March 1962 10 October 1963 23 May 1977 |
| Running time | 90 min. Saint Verdiana (Veridiana Viridiana (1182 &ndash February 10, 1242) is an Italian saint Luis Buñuel Portolés (22 February 1900 &ndash 29 July 1983 was a Spanish -born Filmmaker and naturalized Mexican who worked mainly in Mexico Gustavo Alatriste (1922-2006 was a Mexican actor director and producer of films Luis Buñuel Portolés (22 February 1900 &ndash 29 July 1983 was a Spanish -born Filmmaker and naturalized Mexican who worked mainly in Mexico Silvia Pinal (born Silvia Pinal Hidalgo on September 12 1931 in Guaymas, Sonora) is a Mexican actress who had roles in Francisco Rabal ( March 8 1926 - August 29 2001) perhaps better known as Paco Rabal, was a Spanish actor born in Águilas Fernando Casado D'Arambillet, better known as Fernando Rey ( September 20, 1917 &ndash March 9, 1994) was a Spanish Margarita Lozano ( Tetuan, 14 February, 1931) is a Spanish born actress specially known by her career in Italian films The Cannes Film Festival (le Festival de Cannes founded in 1946 is one of the world's oldest most influential and prestigious Film festivals alongside Venice, Events 1279 - A Mongolian victory in the Battle of Yamen ends the Song Dynasty in China. Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 680 - Battle of Karbala: Shia Imam Husayn bin Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, is decapitated Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays |
| Language | Spanish |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Viridiana is a 1961 Spanish-Mexican coproduction, directed by Luis Buñuel and produced in Spain by Mexican Gustavo Alatriste. The year 1961 in film involved some significant events Events Last Year at Marienbad ( L'année dernière Luis Buñuel Portolés (22 February 1900 &ndash 29 July 1983 was a Spanish -born Filmmaker and naturalized Mexican who worked mainly in Mexico Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Gustavo Alatriste (1922-2006 was a Mexican actor director and producer of films It is loosely based in Halma, a novel by Benito Pérez Galdós. Benito Pérez Galdós ( May 10, 1843 &ndash January 4, 1920) was a Spanish realist Novelist.
Along with The Long Absence, Viridiana was the winner of the Palme d'Or at the 1961 Cannes Film Festival, but it was banned in Spain for sixteen years, due to the condemnation (as "blasphemous") emited by the Vatican. The Long Absence ( Une aussi longue absence) is a 1961 film directed by Henri Colpi. The Palme d'Or ( English: Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded to competing films at the Cannes Film Festival. The Cannes Film Festival (le Festival de Cannes founded in 1946 is one of the world's oldest most influential and prestigious Film festivals alongside Venice, Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
Contents |
Synopsis
The film focuses on a young novitiate about to take her vows named Viridiana (Silvia Pinal), who is told by her Mother Superior that she should visit her uncle, Don Jaime (Fernando Rey), her only living relative. Silvia Pinal (born Silvia Pinal Hidalgo on September 12 1931 in Guaymas, Sonora) is a Mexican actress who had roles in Fernando Casado D'Arambillet, better known as Fernando Rey ( September 20, 1917 &ndash March 9, 1994) was a Spanish After some time on his large country estate, he tries to seduce her, believing that she resembles his deceased wife. Hearing of his desire to marry her, Viridiana attempts to flee the house immediately, but is subdued by Jaime and drugged with the help of his servant Ramona. He takes her to her room and considers raping her in her sleep, but decides otherwise. Rape, also referred to as Sexual assault, is an Assault by a person involving Sexual intercourse with or Sexual penetration of another person
The next morning he tells her that he took her virginity, and says that therefore she cannot return to her convent. By this means he intends to make her wish to stay, but instead she is disgusted and starts to pack. He tries to rectify the situation by telling her that he lied, hoping it would convince her to stay, but this does little to appease her. He asks for her forgiveness, but she ignores him and leaves the house. She is on the way back to the convent when the authorities stop her, telling her something terrible has happened. Back at the house, her uncle has hanged himself.
Viridiana collects the village paupers, returns to the estate, and installs them in an outbuilding. Shunning the convent, she instead devotes herself to the moral education and feeding of this exceedingly motley group. Meanwhile, Don Jaime's son, Jorge (Francisco Rabal), moves into the house with his girlfriend, Lucia. Francisco Rabal ( March 8 1926 - August 29 2001) perhaps better known as Paco Rabal, was a Spanish actor born in Águilas He, like his father, lusts after Viridiana, who scorns him.
A model of moral rectitude, Viridiana will soon suffer for her good deeds. When they all leave to visit a lawyer in the town, the paupers break into the house, initially just planning to look around. But, faced with such bounty, things degenerate into a drunken, riotous orgy --all to the strains of Handel's Messiah. Messiah ( HWV 56 is an Oratorio by George Frideric Handel based on a Libretto by Charles Jennens. Posing for a photo (sans camera) around the table, the beggars resemble Da Vinci's Last Supper. Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci ( April 15 1452 – May 2 1519 was an Italian Polymath, having been a scientist Mathematician, Engineer The Last Supper (Il Cenacolo or L'Ultima Cena) is a 15th century Mural painting in Milan created by Leonardo da Vinci for his patron This scene, in particular, earned the film the Vatican's opprobrium.
The members of the household return earlier than expected to find the house in shambles. As Jorge and Viridiana walk around the house in shock, the beggars excuse themselves and leave without explaining their behaviour. Jorge continues to inspect the house upstairs and encounters a beggar who pulls a knife on Jorge. Another beggar comes from behind and breaks a bottle over Jorge's head, knocking him out. When Viridiana arrives, she sees Jorge on the floor and runs to his side, but is then overpowered by the two beggars. Viridiana would surely have been raped except that Jorge, who is tied up, bribes one beggar to kill the other.
Viridiana is a changed woman as the film concludes: her crown of thorns is symbolically burnt. Wearing her hair loosely, she knocks on Jorge's door, but finds Ramona, with Jorge in his bedroom. With "Shake Your Cares Away" on the record player, Jorge tells Viridiana that they were only playing cards, and urges her to join them, a conclusion that is often seen as implying a ménage à trois. Ménage à trois is the French term describing a relationship or domestic arrangement in which three people share a sexual relationship
Cast
- Silvia Pinal as Viridiana
- Fernando Rey as Don Jaime
- Francisco Rabal as Jorge
- Margarita Lozano as Ramona
- Victoria Zinny as Lucía
- Teresa Rabal as Rita
- Lola Gaos as Mendiga
Reception
Censored and banned by the Francoist authorities, this anticlerical film was acclaimed at Cannes, winning a Palme D'Or. Silvia Pinal (born Silvia Pinal Hidalgo on September 12 1931 in Guaymas, Sonora) is a Mexican actress who had roles in Fernando Casado D'Arambillet, better known as Fernando Rey ( September 20, 1917 &ndash March 9, 1994) was a Spanish Francisco Rabal ( March 8 1926 - August 29 2001) perhaps better known as Paco Rabal, was a Spanish actor born in Águilas Margarita Lozano ( Tetuan, 14 February, 1931) is a Spanish born actress specially known by her career in Italian films Lola Gaos', (real name Dolores Gaos González-Pola), ( Valencia, December 2, 1921 - † Madrid, July 4, 1993 Buñuel himself said that "I didn’t deliberately set out to be blasphemous, but then Pope John XXIII is a better judge of such things than I am. Pope John (numberingBlessed "[1]
Viridiana was the first feature film Buñuel ever made in his native Spain. After the film was completed and sent by the Spanish cinematographic authority to the Cannes Film Festival, and awarded, the government of Francisco Franco tried unsuccessfully to have the film withdrawn, due to the harsh condemnation that the film received, as "blasphemous", from the Vatican official newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, and banned its release in Spain. Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco y Bahamonde (born December 4, 1892 in Ferrol, died November 20, 1975 in Madrid L'Osservatore Romano ( English: The Roman Observer) is the "semi-official" Newspaper of the Holy See. The film was only released there in 1977, when Bunuel was seventy-seven years old. [2]
DVD
The film was released by the Criterion Collection in USA, and on the Directors Suite label in Australia and New Zealand by Madman Entertainment. The Criterion Collection is a Privately held company that distributes "authoritative" consumer versions of "important classic and contemporary films"
External links
- Viridiana at the Internet Movie Database
- Criterion Collection essay by Michael Wood
- DVD review of Viridiana
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by La dolce vita | Palme d'Or 1961 tied with The Long Absence | Succeeded by O Pagador de Promessas |
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