The Spirit of the Beehive [El espíritu de la colmena] **** (1973, Fernando Fernán Gómez, Teresa Gimpera, Ana Torrent, Isabel Tellería) – Classic Movie Review 9179

Director Victor Erice’s sweet and sensitive 1973 Spanish film The Spirit of the Beehive [El espíritu de la colmena] was an international success, with its compelling original screenplay kindling art house movie-goers’ fascination for its fantasy drama about Ana (Ana Torrent), a seven year-old little girl who lives in a Spanish village in Castille in the 1940s and is intrigued by the monster she sees at a travelling show of the movie Frankenstein (1931).

After her sister Isabel (Isabel Tellería) says the monster still exists, Ana befriends a fugitive and thinks he is the monster.

Erice’s arresting début is a work of the imagination which succeeds by getting inside a child’s mind and showing the world as she perceives it. The girl is wonderful and the cast of non-professionals also greatly impress.

Also in the cast are Fernando Fernán Gómez, Teresa Gimpera, Jose Villasante, Lally Soldavilla, Juan Margallo and Miguel Picazo.

The Spirit of the Beehive [El espíritu de la colmena] is directed by Victor Erice, runs 98 minutes, is made by Elías Querejeta Producciones Cinematográficas and Jacel Desposito, is distributed by Bocaccio Distribución (1973) (Spain), Contemporary Films (1974) (UK) and Janus Films (1976) (US), is written by Ángel Fernández Santos (original screenplay) and Víctor Erice (original screenplay) and Francisco J Querejeta (script supervisor), is shot in Eastmancolor by Luis Cuadrado, is produced by Eilas Querejeta and is scored by Luis de Pablo, with Art Direction by Jaime Chávarri.

Apparently there are 1,000 shots in the film, 500 interiors and 500 exteriors.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 9179

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