Nazarin - A 1959 Film Directed by Luis Buñuel- 94 Minutes

 Available on YouTube with English Subtitles 

Earlier this month I watched my first film directed Luis Buñuel, 

Los Olvidados - The Young and The Dammed.  Similar to this movie, Nazarin is powerful vision of life among Mexico's poorest citizens, especially the women, focusing on a priest.

Nazarín is a 1959 Mexican  drama film directed by Luis Buñuel and co-written between Buñuel and Julio Alejandro, adapted from the eponymous novel of Benito Pérez Galdós. It tells the story of Padre Nazario, a Catholic priest who lives in a poor hostel in the Mexican countryside. He is a kind and compassionate man, but his beliefs and practices are often met with hostility and ridicule.

The film is a powerful indictment of the hypocrisy of organized religion and the ways in which it is often used to oppress the poor and vulnerable. Nazario is a Christ-like figure who is persecuted for his beliefs. He is eventually driven out of town and forced to live a life of poverty and exile.

The film is also a meditation on the nature of faith and the challenges of living a truly Christian life. Nazario is a man of deep faith, but he is also a flawed human being. He makes mistakes and is often tempted by the world around him. However, he never gives up on his beliefs, even when they lead him to suffering.

Nazarín was a critical and commercial success. It was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 1959 Cannes Film Festival, and it won the International Prize. The film has been praised for its social commentary, its exploration of faith, and its visual style.

The film was controversial in Mexico at the time of its release. The Catholic Church was critical of the film's portrayal of religion, and the government was concerned about its political implications. However, the film was also a commercial success, and it helped to establish Buñuel as a major director in Mexico.

Nazarín is considered to be one of Buñuel's greatest films

Mel Ulm

Los Olvidados - The Young and The Dammed- A Film Directed by Luis Buñuel-1950 - 76 Minutes

 

Los Olvidados (1950), also known as The Young and the Damned, is a Mexican crime drama film directed by Luis Buñuel. It is considered to be one of the greatest Mexican films ever made, and is widely praised for its unflinching portrayal of poverty, violence, and juvenile delinquency.

The film tells the story of a group of impoverished children living in the slums of Mexico City. The leader of the group, El Jaibo, is a violent and vindictive young man who is determined to rise above his circumstances. He is eventually killed in a fight, but his death is only the beginning of the film's tragic climax.

Los Olvidados is a deeply pessimistic film that offers no easy solutions to the problems it depicts. However, it is also a powerful and moving work of art that gives a voice to the voiceless and shines a light on the darkest corners of society.

Buñuel was a master of using cinema to explore the dark side of human nature, and Los Olvidados is one of his most powerful and disturbing films.

"Luis Buñuel Portolés (22 February 1900 – 29 July 1983) was a Spanish filmmaker who worked in France, Mexico, and Spain. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time. Buñuel's works were known for their avant-garde surrealism, often infused with political commentary.

Buñuel was born in Calanda, Spain, into a wealthy family. He received a strict Jesuit education, which sowed the seeds of his lifelong obsession with religion and subversive behavior. After moving to Madrid to study philosophy and literature, Buñuel became involved in the Spanish Surrealist movement. In 1929, he collaborated with Salvador Dalí on the short film Un Chien Andalou, which is considered to be one of the most important Surrealist films ever made.

After the Spanish Civil War, Buñuel fled to Mexico, where he made a number of films, including Los olvidados (1950) and El (1952). These films are considered to be masterpieces of Mexican cinema, and they helped to establish Buñuel's reputation as one of the world's leading filmmakers.

In the 1960s, Buñuel returned to Europe, where he made a number of his most acclaimed films, including Viridiana (1961), Belle de Jour (1967), and The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972). These films are known for their subversive humor, their exploration of taboo subjects, and their challenging and innovative filmmaking techniques.

Buñuel died in Mexico City in 1983 at the age of 83. He left behind a body of work that is considered to be among the most important and influential in the history of cinema.

Some of Buñuel's most notable films include:

Un Chien Andalou (1929)

L'Âge d'or (1930)

Los olvidados (1950)

Viridiana (1961)

Belle de Jour (1967)

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)

Tristana (1970)

The Phantom of Liberty (1974)

This Obscure Object of Desire (1977)

Buñuel's films continue to be studied and admired by filmmakers and film scholars alike. His work has had a profound influence on generations of filmmakers, including Jean-Luc Godard, David Lynch, " From Bard 

In time I hope to view all of films above.