Tristana ***** (1970, Catherine Deneuve, Fernando Rey, Franco Nero, Lola Gaos) – Classic Movie Review 5838

‘Somewhere between the innocent girl and the not so innocent mistress is the bizarre, sensuous story of Tristana’

Co-writer/ director Luis Buñuel’s 1970 masterwork stars a cucumber-cool Catherine Deneuve, who shines in one of best performances as Tristana, who is the obscure object of desire to ageing gentleman Don Lope (Fernando Rey), troubled by his conscience because the young woman is his ward. He was trusted with Tristana’s guardianship her mother died, but Don Lope has a weakness for women.

This subtle, stirring Buñuel classic is based on the novel Tristana by Benito Pérez Galdós.

A fired-up Rey, too, is magnificent in his haunted role, and it also stars Franco Nero as Horacio and Lola Gaos as Saturna.

Buñuel directs like a man inspired, relocating the piece atmospherically to the 1920s Toledo of his own young days.

Also in the cast are Antonio Casas, Jesus Fernandez, Vicente Soler, José Calvo, Fernando Cebrian, Vicente Roca and Jesus Combarro.

It is co-written by Julio Alejandro, shot by José F Aguayo and designed by Enrique Alarcon.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5838

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