The Spirit of the Beehive (The Criterion Collection) [DVD]

Many first time viewers of The Spirit of the Beehive will watch it and go "huh?" As a result, they may decide that art film (or international film) is beyond them OR that it is a bad film. Neither is true if some basic preparations are made. Not everyone comes ready made to understand a great work of art -- nor should we feel guilty because we aren't. Some simple backgrounding can make all the difference.Several specific simple preparations can help. (1)Read up a little on the Spanish Civil War. This can help set the time and place of the film. Even a skimming of Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls could help adjust one's mind. (2) Watch Whale's film "Frankenstein." This can set a psychological context. Ana, as a little girl, is growing into an awareness of her Self and her world -- so too is Frankenstein's monster. It also helps set a literal context -- how else can one understand the relationship between the monster and Ana in Beehive if one doesn't understand the incident in "Frankenstein" between the monster and the little girl he accidentally kills. (3) Re-read a traditional fairy tale or two (not Disney, try Hans Christian Andersen or the Brothers Grimm). This will help establish the "once upon a time-ish" way of thinking of Beehive. Remember how often the children in fairy tales are abandoned -- one or both of their parents are dead, the remaining parent is often separated from their own children either because s/he is preoccupied with putting food on the table or is lost in memories of the past. Think too of the relationship between siblings in fairy tales -- while the older sister in Beehive is not quite the ugly stepsister of narrative fame, she is not above the (fairly normal) petty torture of her little sister. (4) Look at a few of Vermeer's paintings and read a bit about his use of light. This can help one "get" the visual aesthetic that Beehive captures. (5) Read a few reviews. Don't assume they are right (or wrong) -- read them to get a sense of what to look for in the film and what others have appreciated (or not) about Beehive.Finally, there is one other very important strategy to appreciate Beehive -- watch it more than once. Even a popcorn flick takes more than one viewing to catch the subtle details. So why feel we must "get" a more demanding film in one sitting. Watch it the first time for a general sense of what is going on (or, in the case of Beehive, a general sense of bafflement). Try to figure out who is who (printing out a cast list from IMDB helps!) Then watch it again. The storyline starts to make more sense and the dreaminess seems to have more purpose. Like the honey hidden away in the comb of a real beehive, the sweetness of the film emerges and one realizes that this poetic journey into awareness really does offer us something for understanding ourselves and our world more fully. What more could one want?

I am Spanish and I do beleive this is one of the geatest films in the history of Spanish cinema. I won't repeat the reasons given by reviewers here and elsewhere. So I'll come to the point. I eagerly awaited the Criterion edition to give away my old DVD copy released in Spain by Manga films. After all Criterion has gained an oustanding reputation for the great care they take in their editions. Well, their transfer looks certainly better than the one in the Spanish release, everything bathed in a warm honey colour. A bit grainy at times, the grain may be present in the negative. But the aspect ratio looked wrong to me and when I compared it with my Spanish edition I realized the picture has been zoomed to fill as much as possible the widesreen, with unnecesary loss of picture information at the top and the bottom. I wonder why even Criterion is so afraid of having black bars at the left and right of the screen. It may seem a small point, but in a film like this one the whole frame should be respected. I can't imagine Erice approving this compromise. But even if he did, it was wrong. The framing looks much better in my old copy. Now I cannot give it away. And in my rating I must drop a star just for that. Shame.

There is so much to recommend in "Spirit of the Beehive" that it is hard for a reviewer to know where to begin. As other reviewers have pointed out, the cinematography and the performance delivered by the lead actress are among the best ever filmed. I also enjoyed the musical score, which was largely delivered with a single woodwind, but its simplicity only enhanced its impact. Some viewers may find it difficult to watch in part because of its almost oppressive atmosphere and in part because little is overtly explained about the characters or their situation. The latter is because it is a portrayal of life under the rule of Franco, filmed in 1973 while Franco was still alive. The vaugeness helped keep the censors from blacklisting the film, but it looses none of its power despite its caution. In watching this film, one is drawn into the lonely plight of the main character, and its only through great effort that a viewer can keep from reaching out to hold her. Descriptions cannot do it justice, however. I can only recommned that you see it, and then only when you are in a mood where your mind can be open and your heart needs touching.

A very slow moving film , it is easy to get discouraged, but it pays off in the end, due to the beautiful visual images.This is simply a few days in the lives of two little girls. Just like life itself it sometimes surprises but mostly it just passes.The photography is excellent and the girls are charming. The interview with the director makes one realize the reason for thestory. Watching it again after that makes it much more enjoyable. Being a Criterion product the quality is superb.

I chanced across Spirit of the Beehive in a 100 best foreign language film list and made it a mind to watch it just after seeing one screenshot.This highly under-rated and lesser known film is a masterpiece of Victor Erice that chronicles a few days in the lives of two girls in a small town in Spain. They see Frankenstein in a traveling road show and the younger sister is unable to come to terms with the confusing ideals of good and evil she has seen on screen. We see the girls through each others' eyes and then contrast it with their parents who seem to have lives that are clearly tainted by something from their histories.Shot beautifully, each frame is mesmerizing. The child actors are so natural, occasionally through the movie one has flashbacks of scenes from their own childhood.A metaphor for General Franco's unending regime, the film works even as a beautiful story of childhood.If I had to write that list, I would include this in the top 10.