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Nov 12, 2017Nursebob rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Stalled for years by the ultra-right alliance of Franco and the Catholic church, Luis Buñuel’s sociopolitical satire ironically went on to become Spain’s contender for the 1971 Foreign Language Oscar. Bourgeois hypocrisy and the empty promises of faith have always shaped Buñuel’s work and "Tristana" is no exception. Rey is perfectly cast as the arrogant socialist who drones on about the exploitation of the weak and the evils of money yet is not above bedding his foster daughter or trying to solicit funds from his wealthier sister—and all that rhetoric about liberty and free love goes out the window when Tristana begins exploring the world outside his four walls. Deneuve, twenty-seven years old at the time, also puts in a marvelous performance (despite the Spanish dubbing) playing the cloistered naif who becomes an agent of not-quite-divine retribution. And of course Buñuel never misses an opportunity to mock the upper crust or cast a withering glance at the trappings of religion—Tristana’s garden chat with the local padre is poker-faced satire at its most understated. This is certainly one of Buñuel’s more accessible films, but even though the usual barbs are downplayed somewhat his wit remains as sharp as ever.