The Spirit of the Beehive

As you can see on IMDb there is a lot of praise for this film. It is my understanding that it was voted within the third greatest Spanish films ever made. It's good but I wouldn't go that far..

Many people here have mentioned the historical metaphors within the film but I won't delve into that, I thought the story was completely about the main character Ana.

First off, the actress who played Ana was very authentic, with a striking face full of emotion. She genuinely believed a lot of what was happening in the film including the Frankenstein monster being real! Such authenticity means it's worth seeing it for that alone and that is where the films true beauty lies...

For all this though, for what is essentially a beautifully shot film with great cinematography and performances, the film was a bit dull! It was only after the first 45 minutes or so that I started to wake up. There was a whole sub-plot between the parents marriage which I felt added little weight to the rest of the story.. There just wasn't a whole lot I felt I hadn't seen before.

So for me, I can see the film for what it was worth and why it received such accolades. But it was a little too dull for me to consider it "Great"

I recall one of my absolute favourite films ever The Fall, which also included a little girl who believed so much of the movie around her, that film was gripping from start to finish and never dull for a moment. Strange it hasn't gotten the praise it so deserved..

Has a child performer given as pure and brilliant a performance as Ana Torrent did in Victor Erice's allegorical masterpiece? This film has everything going for it; great performances, a honey hued atmosphere courtesy of Luis Cuadrado's genius as a cinematographer, and subtle, dreamy direction by Mr. Erice. I had often heard many works described as "dreams" in particular Bergman's works ("The Silence," "Hour of the Wolf"). As far as I'm concerned, this film ranks right beside the works of the master. It is an intense and involving work of art, which beckons us to look at a violent world, through the eyes of the children populating the screen. Many images stand out; among them the girls jumping over a fire and Ana sitting next to the "monster." This film should be seen by anyone who appreciates brilliant cinema. It will not dissapoint you, I guarantee.

There is beauty in the simplicity of this film. It's quiet, but it is also extremely passionate about trying to find understanding in the life we've been given. It's a love letter to those that make up stories to better understand reality and innocence lost and childhood in general. I would absolutely recommend this film, but be prepared for minimalist dialogue, long takes, and subtle hints that move the characters forward. This is a film that deserves to be seen, but only if you've got the patience to wade through it.

Erice's film about a young girl who sits through a screening of the l931 classic Frankenstein with her older sister moves slowly along but has some startling moments that unexpectedly bubble up. The girl (Ana Torrent) has a face that would melt anyone's heart and gives a terrific performance for a child (or anyone). The older sister (Isabel Telleria) also terrific, likes to lead her little sister along, and convinces her that Frankenstein exists in the here and now and can be easily found in an abandoned farm or by simply closing your eyes. The farm is a much more compelling setting and seeing the little girl alone there gives you the chills because you know one day someone might actually show up and while it probably won't be Frankenstein, it could be someone dangerous. Her inevitable disillusionment is dramatically presented when she runs away from her home. Her adventure takes the viewer along on a emotional ride especially when we see our little friend sitting down beside the toxic mushrooms that her father told her and her sister never to eat. Set in the seemingly endless Spanish countryside in 1940 and nicely filmed in color, it is a quiet little film with a big dramatic impact.

It's a visually dramatic story set about 1940 in a rural area on the Castilian plain in Spain. A six-year-old girl's perspective shapes the direction of the story.

Ana (Ana Torrent) and her slightly older sister, Isabel (Isabel Tellería), live with their parents, Fernando (Fernando Fernán Gómez) and Teresa (Teresa Gimpera), in an old house. Fernando, a beekeeper, is considerably older than Teresa. Teresa appears to still yearn for an earlier lover.

The children of the small village are excited when the 1931 movie "Frankenstein" is shown in the town hall. Ana is mesmerized by the film and has many questions afterward, which she directs to Isabel. We also watch Ana learn some life lessons along with questions about the mystery of the spiritual world in the first 2/3 of the movie, which is gorgeously filmed but has minimal dialogue.

Ana and Isabel explore an abandoned building with a well in the countryside. Once, when Ana is exploring alone, she discovers an injured fugitive soldier, who she instinctively helps with food and other items from help. One day he is no longer there. When confronted by her father about her assistance to the man, she runs away, still searching for the spirit that has fascinated her since seeing the "Frankenstein" film. By the end, her search continues.

This film is considered a Spanish classic. It was a little obscure for me, though the cinematography and Ana Torrent's performance are marvelous. I found the first 2/3 of the film tedious and wished for a few more clues when the dramatic parts unfold. The critics note the movie's importance near the end of the Franco dictatorship, but the passage of time reduces that factor in my mind. Its strength is the perspective from within a six-year-old girl's mind. Ana Torrent was seven when she made the film.