As I arrived in Spain, two days ago, and I will be staying here for a bit, I thought of recommending some Spanish movies for a change. I believe I've only done so once, since I started steeming last June. Today I will talk about the same title that I wrote about 5 months ago, as I'm sure few of you have read that write up and even fewer have actually seen this movie.
As I don't want cheetah (bot) showing its feline teeth, telling me that it has found similar content (my earlier post), I will rewrite what I typed 5 months ago.
The Spirit of the Beehive is one of my very favorite Spanish films. I must have seen at least a 100 and this one would definitely make my top 10. It's a film that is even prettier than its title.
It could easily be studied and watched for its visuals - or even the use of the color yellow - alone. It gives you the feeling that you're looking at moving paintings. I love how the whole beehive/ honey theme is interwoven through the film.
Then there's the amazing performance from its two lead characters, two very young girls. The youngest of them, Ana Torrent, later became quite a successful actrice. I'm honestly not sure if she was already showcasing that talent here, if that's even possible for a (nearly) 7 year old. Or, that it is the fact that she wasn't really acting, that makes this so wonderful to look at.
The film tells the story of a girl being spooked or traumatized after watching the 1931 movie Frankenstein during a screening in her village. It takes place in the year 1940 and shows the effect that a (horror) movie can have on a sensitive, young kid. She slowly seems to be dragged into a fantasy/ nightmare world that she herself creates: believing that Frankenstein's monster is still alive and walking around in their village.
Trailer
Earlier movie recommendations:
Le Samourai (1967) Three Billboard outside of Ebbing, Missouri (2017)
Castlevania - series (2017 - )
House by the Cemetery (1981) The Beyond (1981) City of the Living Dead (1980)
Sorcerer (1977)
The Birds (1963)
Suspiria (1977)
Battle Beyond the Stars (1980)
Nightcrawler (2014)
Ghost Story (1953)
Alice in the Cities (1974)
Altered States (1980)
Wake in Fright (1973)
Image sources: Ana Torrent in The Spirit of the Beehive,SotB movie poster