Widely regarded as a masterpiece of Spanish cinema, this allegorical
tale is set in a remote village in the 1940s. The life in the village is
calm and uneventful -- an allegory of Spanish life after General
Franco's victory in the Spanish Civil War. While their father (
Fernando Fernán Gómez) studies bees in his beehive and their mother (
Teresa Gimpera) writes letters to a non-existent correspondent, two young girls, Ana (
Ana Torrent) and Isabel (
Isabel Telleria), go to see
James Whale's
Frankenstein
at a local cinema. Though they can hardly understand the concept, both
girls are deeply impressed with the moment when a little girl gives a
flower to the monster. Isabel, the older sister, tells Ana that the
monster actually exists as a spirit that you can't see unless you know
how to approach him. Ana starts wandering around the countryside in
search of the kind creature. The film received critical accolades for
its subtle and masterful use of cinematic language and the expressive
performance of the young
Ana Torrent.
