The Spirit of the Beehive

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Cast

Ana Torrent
as Ana

Isabel Telleria
as Isabel

Fernando Fernán Gómez
as Fernando

Teresa Gimpera
as Teresa

Jose Villasante
as The Monster

Lally Soldavilla
as Milagros

Jose Villasante
as The Monster

Juan Margallo
as The Fugitive

Miguel Picazo
as The Doctor

Linda C. Ehrlich

Hideyuki Miyaoka

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News & Interviews for The Spirit of the Beehive (El Espíritu de la colmena)

Critic Reviews for The Spirit of the Beehive (El Espíritu de la colmena)

Audience Reviews for The Spirit of the Beehive (El Espíritu de la colmena)

• Dec 09, 2018

  So what is meant by the spirit of the beehive, the title of this movie, and the impressionist painting we get from it? Itâ(TM)s a world where bees viewed in their hive through glass move in angry, chaotic directions. Itâ(TM)s an absolutely desolate landscape. A joyless marriage. A forest where if youâ(TM)re not careful, you might pick a deadly mushroom. A sister with a sadistic side, who enjoys playing little tricks on you, and chokes the cat. A world where, like the 1931 movie Frankenstein, a girl may put herself in danger through her innocence, and trust in someone who may turn out to be a monster. How does life carry on under a dictator, in the period following a bitter civil war? Life that is spiritually barren, without joy, and dangerous; one where we see the worst side of humanity and its monsters. There is such an aridity about this film, a sterility akin to those parched fields or the drones in the hive. And yet life continues on in the wide-eyed wonder, imagination, and curiosity of children. Ana Torrent and Isabel Telleria are wonderful as the girls, and the scene that director Victor Erice captures of the young and old watching the movie during its tense moments is fantastic. The cinematography is good but I didnâ(TM)t find it quite as legendary as others. My main criticism, though, is in pacing; the film is simply too slow for events which are mostly mundane. A part of that is in keeping with the creation of an overall feeling though, and I love the spirit of this film.
  Antonius B Super Reviewer
• Apr 13, 2016

  A brilliant and spellbinding sociopolitical commentary told in a most symbolic way (and with a gorgeous cinematography) as a fabulous tale of loss of innocence centered on a sweet 7-year-old girl who discovers evil at the heart of her beehive-like world in Francoist Spain.
  Carlos M Super Reviewer
• Jul 22, 2013

  After seeing a touring print of FRANKENSTEIN in 1940s Spain, a young girl is convinced the monster is real and lives in an abandoned farmhouse on the edge of town. This movie is too slow for its own good---it takes an hour for the first major plot development, and for the young actress to discover a second expression---but the seriousness and artistry can't be overlooked.
  Greg S Super Reviewer
• Apr 15, 2013

  Victor Erice's slow-paced, dream-like "The Spirit of the Beehive" has a simple narrative that includes mainly long shots with minimal dialogue, but it's such an entrancing work. The score, the performances, the cinematography and the central story involving Frank Whale's "Frankenstein" are excellent, and even if it's not the most interesting thing out there, it's worth a watch simply because of how dream-like it is.
  Stephen E Super Reviewer

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