Viridiana (1962)

Redundant and unnecessary.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

If you don't know a thing about the time this flick was made then you will think what is all the fuss about because it's 90 minutes of blah blah. That's correct but if you place it in it's era then I can understand that the church tried to ban this flick.Not that it is shocking or so but it was made by Luis Buñuel, a director living in exile and in 1962 Le Peuple (newspaper) made an effort to say he should bee seen by a psychiatrist. It was his first flick made in Spain and controversial it became even seen for a long time as a lost flick. But here it is.The flick was the Spanish entry for the Golden Palm but the Vatican tried to stop that. They succeeded in some way because it was lost in Spain for 16 years. Due a novice playing the main lead it's there where the catholics found their blasphemy. Somehow I can understand that the people aren't impressed by God after all in this flick that what makes it hard to take back then. I won't recommand it for those who think it's all about Satanism or whatsoever, it isn't. But the novice being drugged by her uncle and being undressed (just some cleavage) was shocking and controversial. Overall, a bit of a demonstration against religion to show that not everybody is impressed by religion. Only for those seeking out some Mexican-Spanish history. Gore 0/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 0/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5

Wow, people writing too serious reviews for a film that is pretty much ordinary. Bunuel's Nazarin or Simon del Desierto are much better movies than this one. You people take the message of the movie and write reviews regarding only the message. Religion sucks. That's pretty much it. Bunuel isn't a genius, he is even quite predictive in his work which makes him boring. I liked Nazarin really much, but all his films are only communist and nihilistic propaganda. World sucks, Church sucks the most, there is no morality etc. I'ts simply boring. We all know the world and how it works, and then he makes bunch of movies where he shows us what we already know from our own experience...come on man. Sure he was big time director in Spain in the time communism was hype, but communism died..and his movies now represent just that - something that died. Viridiana had an interesting opening 15 min....after the death of her uncle the movie just got boring and predictive. This could have been a really nice thriller/drama, but it just looks like Bunuel changed his mind in the middle of the movie, and simply changed course.. Sucks.. I gave a 6 only because it's Bunuel, and interesting first 15-20 min...

And, I ask you - How serious would you honestly think a woman (living at a convent) was about being a nun (and humbling herself before her god) who daily made sure that she was always totally dolled-up in full make-up? Well - I'd say that unless her god fully approved of his female devotees looking like high-fashion Jezebels, then this woman was not in the least bit sincere about following her religious vocation.And, this was, indeed, the very type of woman who I found in the dubious title-character named Viridiana.If you ask me - I think that (considering this movie was made in 1961) hack-director Luis Bunuel knew full-well that his "sneering-at-Catholicism" movie would, indeed, create religious controversy and inevitably be banned in Spain (his homeland).I believe Bunuel knew that regardless of how badly-conceived his movie was, this sort of negative publicity would be great advertising for his pathetic, little movie and, of course, entice all sorts of people to want to see it even more (even though it was/is nothing but a total bore, for the most part).

I love Buñuel. In fact I consider his other two movies of his "Silvia Pinal" trilogy masterpieces ("The Exterminating Angel" is among my favorite movies of all times) not to mention the fantastic "Un Chien Andalou". Now I don't mind a movie with a anti-religious message despite of being a very religious person myself (heck, I enjoy things like "South Park", "Life of Brian" or as mentioned other of Buñuel movies), however I find some points Buñuel tries to make to shown how flaw Christianity in "Viridiana" delivered in a pretty poor manner."Ow, look she tries to help out some people because the bible tell her to do so but they get drunk and try to rape here so this must mean's Christianity is wrong" Seriously, what kind of argument is this? It has a much sense as making a movie about an atheist who at the end gets hit by a truck and having creator at the end jump out and yell "See? See? This is why atheism is wrong" Im sorry Mr. Buñuel, I love you but that's barley a reasonable argument (if not childish) and I find the scene of burning Jesus crown (depsite of very strong symbolism) in a pretty poor taste. It's still a very interesting and well put together movie to watch, even if not good as some other of Buñuel's work. In fact I think Christians need movies like that since thy argue for Satan but overall I just don't find it among Buñuel's best!