Viridiana (1961)

Directed by Luis Buñuel. Starring Silvia Pinal, Francisco Rabal, Fernando Rey, José Calvo, José Manuel Martín, Margarita Lozano, Luis Heredia, Victoria Zinny, Joaquín Roa, Lola Gaos, Teresa Rabal.

Devout novice Viridiana (Pinal) is ready to take her final vows, but is first encouraged to visit her uncle/benefactor (Rey); however, he has aberrant plans for her, and she never returns to the convent. Provocative blend of surrealism and blasphemy was greeted with hostility in many circles at the time of its release; it won the Cannes Palme d’Or, but was banned by the director’s home country (Spain, still under the thumb of the Franco regime) and the Vatican, among others. Pretty tame by today’s standards, but its unpredictable story turns make for a fascinating watch, and its flaws (overuse of stereotypes and heavy-handed symbolism chief among them) are mere bumps on the subversive road—or does it count as subversion when the attacks are so vicious and unmistakable? Crudely acted by most participants, though Rey brings a surprising amount of charisma and compassion to such an unctuous, obsessive creature. Most Buñuel fanatics rank this among his greatest works.

75/100