The Spirit of the Beehive

Set in 1940, Victor Erice's remarkable debut is a controlled assault on the indolence into which Spain slipped under Franco, and a biting allegory on the evil of which the seemingly benevolent state could be capable. A vision of trust and gentleness, Ana Torrent is enchanting as the small girl who watches Frankenstein and becomes fascinated by the monster, mistakenly believing that its spirit is embodied in the fugitive soldier she has befriended. It is her way of trying to alleviate the misery of life in her post-Civil War village. Told with a disarming realism and simplicity, this charming film is one of the gems of Spanish cinema.