The Spirit of the Beehive

( 2 )

Overview

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. ...
See more details below
Available through our Marketplace sellers.
See All Options
Other sellers (VHS)
  • All (1) from $10.95   
  • Used (1) from $10.95   
Close
Sort by
Page 1 of 1
Showing All
Note: Marketplace items are not eligible for any BN.com coupons and promotions
$10.95
Bargain Treasures
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(5)

Condition:

New — never opened or used in original packaging.

Like New — packaging may have been opened. A "Like New" item is suitable to give as a gift.

Very Good — may have minor signs of wear on packaging but item works perfectly and has no damage.

Good — item is in good condition but packaging may have signs of shelf wear/aging or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Acceptable — item is in working order but may show signs of wear such as scratches or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Used — An item that has been opened and may show signs of wear. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Refurbished — A used item that has been renewed or updated and verified to be in proper working condition. Not necessarily completed by the original manufacturer.

Good
Customer service is our goal!

Ships from: Iona, ID

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
Page 1 of 1
Showing All
Close
Sort by

More About This Product

Overview

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.
Read More Show Less

Editorial Reviews

All Movie Guide
Director Victor Erice's films, with his painterly images, languid pace, and patient working methods three films in the past 30 years, are reminiscent of the lyricism of Terrence Malick. The Spirit of the Beehive is about a little girl who, in the child's dreamy desire to make sense of her world, constructs a Frankenstein monster of both benevolence and violence. Its depiction of childhood is tender, the story simple and clear. Yet what makes the film so gorgeously affecting is its summoning of a difficult to grasp intensity beneath its placid surface, where emotional extremes take on a supernatural aura and hover in the chest like a thick tremulous cloud. Realizing one's "spirit" involves a melancholy understanding of life's random potential for joy and sorrow and that the switch can be sudden, as when the Frankenstein monster switches from playing with to killing a child. This amalgam of conflicting emotions comes from humanity and yet seems to operate from without, and is a wonderful metaphor for the swirl surrounding war. The Spanish Civil War has ended but the stink still hangs in the air like an uneasy mist. Ana's spirit is her own, but the title refers to the universality of this essence. With her wide and brown-as-a-chestnut eyes and shyly bold demeanor, Ana Torrent is exceptional as Ana. In her search for the spirit she registers the complicated layers of a child realizing death. Erice elicits another fantastic young performance from Isabel Telleria, who plays Ana's older sister Isabel with a mischievous, vaguely menacing air. Achieving a beauty of ache-inducing intensity, cinematographer Luis Cuadrado shoots the Castilian village and countryside using astounding gradations of wheat and amber colors.
Read More Show Less

Product Details

  • Release Date: 6/16/2000
  • UPC: 037429065839
  • Original Release: 1973
  • Source: Homevision
  • Format: VHS

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Fernando Fernán Gómez Fernando
Teresa Gimpera Teresa
Ana Torrent Ana
Isabel Telleria Isabel
Miguel Picazo Doctor
Linda C. Ehrlich Interviewee
Juan Margallo The Fugitive
Hideyuki Miyaoka Interviewee
Lally Soldavilla Milagro
Jose Villasante The Monster
Technical Credits
Victor Erice Director, Screenwriter
Pablo Gonzalez del Amo Editor
Adolfo Cofino Art Director
Luis Cuadrado Cinematographer
Luis de Pablo Score Composer
Juan Margallo Camera Operator
Elias Querejeta Producer
Francisco J. Querejeta Screenwriter
Angel Fernandez Santos Screenwriter
Jose Villasante Camera Operator
Read More Show Less

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 2 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(1)

4 Star

(1)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identity on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

 
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously
Sort by: Showing all of 2 Customer Reviews

  • Posted October 1, 2010

    The Spirit of the Beehive is a charming and vital Spanish masterpiece

    Víctor Erice's masterpiece of Spanish cinema, El espíritu de la colmena (The Spirit of the Beehive), tells a simple and beautiful tale, but is also wholly allegorical in regards to the political and social conditions of Spain. Made in 1973 toward the end of Franco's run, it takes place in a small village in 1940, immediately following the Spanish Civil War and Franco's victory. The film presumably uses many plot devices as code for its secret political symbolism, and one of them is the fascinating use of cinema within the film. Through this meta-commentary, the film brings new attention to the referential nature of film and what this means for the larger, political picture. Not only was The Spirit of the Beehive politically subversive, but it was also aesthetically innovative in many influential ways.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted September 11, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 2 Customer Reviews