The Spirit of the Beehive ( El Espíritu de la colmena ) Review

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(More customer reviews)This film is based on some interesting phenomenon that occurred during a specific historical time in Spain, just prior to World War II. The beginning scene is idyllic and peaceful, where Fernando is tending beehives. The fact that there is no musical accompaniment, just the sounds of nature and life makes the film more unique, a tad eerie and very remarkable, creating emotional expectations and a depth that is subtle but very intense. The best acting is by Ana, a young girl about 6 years of age. She is perfectly cast in her role. Her innocence and charm are real and natural. Everyone who views her will return to aspects of their own childhood on certain levels. The innocent times when, no matter what happened, life was good, the world was new, exciting and filled with first discoveries. In this film ... one comes to expect ... a certain awakening or shocking event ... something surprising with a huge emotional impact ... coming out of the clear blue.
The family lives in a two story stone villa that looks almost like a mansion except for the stones which look hewn from the local soil, despite the large iron gate, there is an earthiness to the building. It has an overly large foyer ... The second level is where the family lives. Ana and her sister, Isabel who is about 10 or 11 years old share a bedroom which has single twin beds in a lovely room furnished with antiques. Fernando has a study, there is no electricity, he uses oil lamps and candles. He has marvelous big wooden bookcases and a huge desk where he writes poetic lyrical verse about his beehives which he lovingly tends. The beehive may be the metaphor for their lives in a subtle sort of way.
The camera slowly rolls over stone buildings and dirt roads in the nearby village where one building is used as a movie theater. There is excitement in the air when an old truck pulls up which delivers this weeks film. Inside, adults set up wooden chairs, outside the children excitedly ask the driver whether the film is good. He reassures them, it is the best. The camera is used effectively to film the faces of many villagers of different ages ... people who work hard, they are simple but dignified, ready to view the film of the week, one of the few sources of entertainment in the town. As the film starts, there is an introduction by an announcer who advocates the miraculous discoveries of science and compares that with the creation of life by God. Yet in this film, a scientist did just that, brought to life a man-like creature he had made. Ana is fascinated by the monster, who is given a flower by a littl girl in the film but we learn later, the monster named Frankenstein killed the girl. Ana puzzles over why he did this as clearly the little girl liked him as she handed him the freshly picked flowers in her hand.
At bed time Ana can not get the film out of her mind and discusses Frankenstein and his behavior with Isabel. Isabel fabricates a story that satisfies Ana by stating Frankenstein is a spirit who can take on a body if human beings pray and sincerely believe in him, somehow twisting their religious beliefs to make this seem plausbible. Only those who truly have faith can do this. From this point forward, Ana wants to conjure up a spirit with a body and Isabel takes her to an abandoned old stone building far out in the fields, telling her a spirit lives there who might appear in bodily form if Ana believes strongly enough in him. Ana is shown to visit this farmhouse often ... alone ... looking down the well and walking around the building ... Until one day, she does find a man inside the building - fulfilling Isabel's story ... What happens afterwards,for good or bad needs to be viewed to be appreciated. The artistry and beauty of the film are beyond word descriptions at this point.
On some levels the family seems disconnected, the children do not often interact with the parents, surprisingly not even with the mother which seems unnatural. There are scenes where the family is eating and amazingly everyone at the table is silent, except for the sounds of eating. The sisters giggle and communicate with smiles and body language as children often do. Isabel pulls a trick on Ana pertaining to Frankenstein. It is heart-stopping and gut-wrenching but just what children often do. Amazing but the parents are nowhere nearby when this occurs.
Sadly, at times the creative subtle artistic approach obscures the intentions of the director; they are totally lost on the viewer ... Fernando, the father takes the girls on an outing to pick mushroom, he points out which are edible and which ones are poisonous. Toward the end, the whole town gets involved in the actions related to something that happens to Ana ... I will leave the reader to ponder what that might be hopefully there is enough information in this review to entice the reader to want to view this film. This is a highly recommended film, somewhat more complicated than it should be however appreciation for its beauty grows on the viewer long after it is viewed.
Erika Borsos (erikab93)

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