by Allan Fish
(Spain 1973 98m) DVD1/2
Aka. El Espiritu de la Colmena
Why did he kill her?
p Elias Querejeta d Victor Erice w Francisco J.Querejeta story Victor Erice, Angel Fernandez Santos ph Luis Cuadrado ed Pablo del Amo m Luis de Pablo art Adolfo Cofino
Fernando Fernan Gomez (Fernando), Teresa Gimpera (Teresa), Ana Torrent (Ana), Isabel Telleria (Isabel), Jose Villasante (the monster), Lally Soldavilla (Milagros), Juan Margallo (the fugitive), Miguel Picazo (doctor),
When one looks back over the great films concerning the innocence of childhood, one can recall a host of memorable portraits that remain lodged in the memory; Au Revoir les Enfants, Le Grand Chemin, The Curse of the Cat People, Whistle Down the Wind, Jeux Interdits, heck, even the first half of Cinema Paradiso. Yet if asked to pick the greatest cinematic study of childhood, it would have to be Victor Erice’s supreme one-off masterpiece which, in spite of the efforts of Almodóvar, Saura, Medem and others (Buñuel’s best efforts being Mexican and French), is the best film to come out of its nation’s cinema. Whereas Cinema Paradiso showed a small boy loving cinema throughout his life, Beehive shows how the cinema enters the subconscious of impressionable, imaginative children, entering the fabric of both their dreams and their nightmares.
Ana and Isabel (all the characters shared their actors’ first names) are two small girls living in a tiny Spanish farming village in 1940. One day the local travelling cinema advertises what they call their most fantastic film yet, James Whale’s Frankenstein, and the two girls are amongst the audience that first night. Returning home with the mystery and horror of the film still intoxicating their minds, Ana asks Isabel why the monster killed the little girl and then was killed in turn. Rather than tell her, Isabel scares Ana by telling her that the monster is alive and well and living in a deserted farmhouse not far from where they lived. Believing the monster to be alive in spirit, especially after finding a huge footprint outside, Ana makes return visits to the farmhouse after her first trip with Isabel, and it turns out that she’s been feeding and helping a fugitive on the run.
One doesn’t like to go any further with the plot as it would spoil the magic of the last act. Suffice to say Ana goes missing and the villagers send a search party out to look for her just as the villagers did when hunting the monster in Whale’s classic. Homages to other films are plain to see, not just some of the childhood movies listed above and Whale’s original monster movie, but even the likes of Great Expectations. In spite of all of these influences, however, it remains a unique film, bathed in a honeyed glow reminiscent of the golden nectar of the eponymous hives. Even the windows of the house are patterned like honeycomb cells and are tinted yellow. Much credit must go to cinematographer Luis Cuadrado (who sadly later went blind and died before his time), whose images perfectly capture the wasteland of the surrounding fields and the dark interiors of the large houses. However, most credit must go to the young children, both of whom are superb. In spite of the work of the likes of Brigitte Fossey, Ann Carter, Hayley Mills, Vanessa Guedj and so many others, have there ever been a more adorable and mischievous pair of moppets as Torrent and Telleria? The latter feigning innocence behind a slightly toothy smile and Torrent all intense stares and innocent frumpiness as Ana. She is so good that, with this and her later work in Cria Cuervos and The Nest, she may have claims to be the best child actress in history.
The only downside to the movie’s prestige, and one which has fuelled claims of its being a fluke, is the director’s singular lack of success (or even work) ever since. The few films he has made have not had remotely the same impact, but should we allow that to detract from the merits of this lovely paean to childhood wonder? “It’s the most marvellous film I’ve ever brought here” the showman tells the kids when he brings Frankenstein. Maybe, but Beehive is every bit its equal.
YES YES YES… Y E S! A resounding round of applause for capturing in type the essence of this truly magical film (on my list as well). Ence captures the wonderment and innocence of children almost like no other and the tie in to FRANKENSTEIN only enhances the magic. However, I will take you to task and say there are at least a small handful of directors and films that do equal justice to the innocence of children. As you mentioned AU REVOIR LE INFANTES, CINEMA PARADISO, let us not forget John Ford handling little Roddy McDowell in HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY, Chaplin with 6 year old Jackie Coogan in THE KID. But, in my mind, after Ence and SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE, I’d have to go with Francois Truffaut with either THE 400 BLOWS, THE WILD CHILD and, most particularly, SMALL CHANGE. And think what you want about my next choice but something MUST be said for Steven Spielberg and his way with kids in CLOSE ENCOUNTERS, AI, EMPIRE OF THE SUN and certainly ET THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL.
And to go one further.. I’ll say that while one could quipp about which film of the many dealing with the innocence of kids, one thing is for certain, Spielberg absolutely coaxed the greatest “little boy” performance of all time out of 8 year old Henry Thomas in his spectacular ode to childhood and divorce; E.T. Yes, SPIRIT and others my be better films on the subject, but for performance, there is no peer. Spielberg has that one all sewn up. Great review Allan! Thanx, Dennis
After wanting to see this movie for more than thirty years, I finally got to see it a couple of years ago and found it a major disappointment–one of the most overrated “classics” I’ve ever encountered. The movie has some lovely individual moments, the landscapes and house where the children live look great, and the young Torrent gives one of the great childhood performances of all time, as Allan rightly observes. But beyond that it just didn’t hold together for me. It struck me as a disjointed movie and its point obscure. I consider nearly any of the other movies that have been covered so far that I’ve seen (including those on the 51-100 list) better than this one.
Allan has nicely captured the spirit of this sublime film.
RD, the movie was made when Franco still had Spain in his iron grip, and the allegory and pathos are profound. As Jesus said in Matthew’s Gospel “I assure you that unless you change and become like little children, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Dennis, I would nominate off-the-cuff some other worthy films: The Tree of Wooden Clogs, My Life As a Dog, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Night of the Hunter, The Night of the Shooting Stars, Padre Padrone, Lord of the Flies, Amarcord, Pan’s Labrynth, Centro de Brazil, Monsieur Ibrahim, Madame Rosa, and others I can’t at the moment recall – I am sure I have missed many others.
Again, Allan, YES! I agree with all the other films you mention above; however I have limited typing space here as I’m blogging from my Blackberry. Several of the filns you mwention in the above comment would make my short-list as well. I would also add Bogdonavitch’s PAPER MOON and how hysterical is Walter Matthau reacting to what kids instinctively do in THE BAD NEWS BEARS. I could go on forever about this subject. Films about children, and capturing there innocent spirit on film, is one of the great joys of cinema. As a person who has no children and little tolerance for noise I find it ironic that these films are so dear to me. Unless, of course, we bring up Sam’s kids who, all five of em, have extremely different personalities, appreciation for the arts and are just some of the most fascinating kids I’ve ever met (Jeremy is my “Lil Buddy”). I think a film like this brings back memories of my own innocence.
Sorry.. There was a typo.. I meant that last comment for Tony D’Ambra.
And there’s WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND, Truffaut’s SMALL CHANGE, Bergman’s FANNY AND ALEXANDER, and of course one that may be the most famous of all, Clement’s war drama FORBIDDEN GAMES.
I consider SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE to be a masterpiece, incidentally, and concur with Allan’s excellent review and high numerical estimation. That’s some list there Tony!
Now HERE is a truly great work of cinema. I’d say it’s the greatest childhood film of all-time. I always think of this film when I am reminded of the Frankenstein monster. The film has a hypnotizing effect. Great review by Allan Fish.
weird all this talk of children in films, i watched the obscure 70’s horror gem ‘who can kill a child?’ last night. it’s almost like a spanish ‘children of the corn’ but tries to be political. there is a region 1 dvd, i recommend others watch it.
all this ties into a great novel i enjoy, ‘the film explainer’ by gert hofmann. it’s about a boy and his aging grandfather whose life was talking (and playing piano) to accompany silent films (evidently this was a standard practice in the early days). it’s late 20’s desolate germany and as talkies come and continually push the grandfather from his true ‘art’ he looks for something to channel is sudden feeling of marginalization. soon national socialism (nazi party) gives him that, and the novel goes from there. it’s told from the boys prospective and the passages about movie going are extraordinary. cheap copies can be found on amazon.
oh btw, Allen great review. and I agree with others this is a great film… I connect with it so much thinking about my childhood– substitute ‘Frankenstein’ with ‘Scanners’ and that’s me. and i’ve been a cinephile ever since.
god bless the VCR.
sorry for the multiple posts, but ‘Son of Rambow’ is also worth mentioning here too. It’s also a bittersweet film about the allure of films in the minds of children.
One of the great Spanish films. The greatest ever? That’s debatable. Death of a Cyclist, the Hunt, a few Almodovars are I think competition enough.
Greatest cinematic study of childhood? That too is very debatable. To add to some of those great examples there is a masterful study of childhood in almost all the great Iranian films of Kiorastami and his acolytes. Ray’s Pather Panchali is another important example. Empire of the Sun also comes to mind. I would myself take Zazie dans le metro over Au Revoir or even Murmur of the Heart. I’m sure I’m forgetting others.
I saw this many years ago, probably in about 1980, and have always remembered it as a great film – your phrase “bathed in a honeyed glow” seems just right. Your review makes me want to see it again, Allan.
Ever since seeing this film, and how the little girl reacts to ‘Frankenstein’ I’ve also been interested in films where people watch other movies – in recent years ‘The Cider House Rules’ did this well with the scenes of the children in the home watching ‘King Kong’.
Yes, very true, Judy. But the best scene of watching a movie within a movie was in Sullivan’s Travels (a cartoon not a movie, but the same thing).
In addition to Judy’s excellent contribution I also say the same to Kaleem and Jamie, who have added much here to this discussion of movies about chidhood. Thanks very much guys!