351 The Spirit of the Beehive

[Jem]

Very, Very excited about this release.

[John Cope]

Me too, certainly. Have to admit I would have been more excited about a release of El Sur, simply because of its comparative unavailability, but maybe this will inspire someone to finally right that unconscionable wrong. Meanwhile, I don't get why somebody like superhappyfun doesn't offer it with added subs. Shouldn't be too terribly difficult for them. Clearly not a high priority.

Also, does anybody know where the region 2 Rosebud edition of Dream of Light can be found? Looks like every outlet that used to carry it no longer does, including fnac. Naturally, I put off buying it till now...

[Ashirg]

Just a reminder - The Spirit of the Beehive is on TCM this Saturday at 2 am (based on their scheduled, it says Friday, but it's actually overnight from Friday to Saturday).

[Jean-Luc Garbo]

What great timing since I've been dying to see this film! And on vacation no less! Thanks for posting this here.

[chaddoli]

I caught this last night (after seeing it at the Film Forum at few months ago) and wow, it looks fantastic! A gorgeous transfer of one of the most beautiful films ever made.

[atcolomb]

I did record it on my dvd recorder last night so when i get home from work today i will look at it and compare it to the Region 2 dvd. I can't wait for the Criterion release!!

[scalesojustice]

i checked this one out last night. it was quite good, but it lacked a "je ne sais quoi" quality to make me flip out about it.

shot for shot, an amazing looking film, with a very tight story. perhaps the most interesting aspect of the film is the question it poses. a girl in the film states that movies are just lies.

it's odd because in a sense she is right. we clamour to films to see a reflection of our own reality. yet, this reflection is skewed. generally, these characters and events aren't real, but we make them so. the characters live on in our minds and our inferences give a film life - a living organism that consumes viewers years, decades, after it's initial release. hollywood light shows people fill the theaters to see every weekend are the true lies, there is hardly any depth or meaning to infer. instead, millions of people pay for 2 hours of over-blown, over-stuffed escapism that does not improve their quality of life by providing a true sounding board for experiences that one cannot readily explain.

while i don't think that "spirit of the beehive" is a film that is waving the high art flag (although, maybe i want it too), i think, today, it refracts our own obsessions with films and what we get out of them.

[pauling]

I really hope that Criterion puts this film into perspective with respect to the Franco regime and the working conditions imposed on artists in Spain at the time. With that said, I think Erice isn't attempting to wave the flag of high art with Beehive more than I think he's trying to show the magic of movies and their ability to take us out of our every-day lives, if only for a couple hours. Living under fascism requires people to perform a sort of "group-forget", a sort of ability to live in fantasy. For some people, film allows this ability. For others, imaginary lovers. Whatever the case may be, I think Erice understands that people need their escapes in order to make the difficulty of living more worthwhile. I really need to watch it again because I'm having a hard time putting my thoughts coherently.
Regardless of the intellectual intent of the film, the visuals are hypnotizing and, frankly, quite haunting. I think the film is beautiful, sad and amazing. I can't wait to revisit it again.

[scalesojustice]

oddly enough, after letting it roll around in my mind for the past two weeks, i'm actually ecstatic about the criterion release and can't wait to pick it back up.

but i think you're right, pauling, it would help very much if this film was put into its historical context. i know very little about that time in spain. granted, Erice isn't crusading for art cinema, though Beehive definitely is that, but there is still something elusive about spirit of the beehive's statement about film that i haven't completely wrapped my mits around yet.

for whatever reason, this is a film that after i watched it and a day or so went by, i had the urge to watch it again and again.

[colinr0380]

I've being looking back through the Filmbrain's blog and found this comment from August 2004:

The Q&A session was interesting, and at one point somebody asked Monte Hellman about his three favorite films, which he was happy to provide. A most interesting list:

The Spirit of the Beehive (Victor Erice, 1973)
Slave of Love (Nikita Mikhalkov, 1976)
Outcast of the Islands (Carol Reed, 1952)

Filmbrain has only seen the Erice film, and it is indeed wonderful. Outcast of the Islands is totally unavailable, and Hellman has been pressuring Criterion to restore and release it on DVD. It sounds like an incredible film, judging by this review. Both Spirit of the Beehive and Slave of Love are on DVD, but only in Europe.

Thought I'd just throw this into the discussion!

[tavernier]

It's a digipak.

[Narshty]

Does that mean it's two discs?

[tavernier]

Does that mean it's two discs?

Yessir.

[Gigi M.]

Beaver

[zedz]

Looks lovely. Regarding the colour discrepancy, my previous, less-than-ideal encounters with the film (in worn 16mm) were closer to the autumnal shades of the Criterion than the greeny-blues of the Optimum (most striking in the Frankenstein grab). Arid brown seems much more accurate for the landscape in the fourth shot than sandy green.

[daniel p]

Criterion's transfer improves on Optimum's, which I thought was already a decent transfer. It looks incredibly good from those screencaps - although the first cap shows a bit of edge enhancement. And I like the packaging on these new 2 discers. Can't wait to get this one, Gary is right, it is a film that stays with you for a long time.

[javelin]

Looks lovely. Regarding the colour discrepancy, my previous, less-than-ideal encounters with the film (in worn 16mm) were closer to the autumnal shades of the Criterion than the greeny-blues of the Optimum (most striking in the Frankenstein grab). Arid brown seems much more accurate for the landscape in the fourth shot than sandy green.

I couldn't agree more. Especially concerning the fourth shot - the bush and ground are nearly identical in color. That is, the Optimum - even though it is a quality dvd - seems to lend a sort of wash over all the colors, whereas the Criterion offers differentiation.

[nick]

I saw this projected from a 35mm print last month and I have to say the criterion colors are far more representative of what the print looked like, especially in the wall of the second capture with the poster.

[Gregor Samsa]

Reviewed on DVD Verdict

[Gigi M.]

Back cover and spine

[TheGodfather]

The set looks lovely. Haven`t actually seen the film before but the story sounds great so I`ve just ordered it @ dvdpacifc, together with The Double life Of Veronique

[Ashirg]

Spirit of the Beehive is DVD of the week at Digitally Obsessed and DVD Journal. Now, what should I do with my Optimum disc if I get this one?

[godardslave]

Now, what should I do with my Optimum disc if I get this one?

use it as a drinks coaster.

[Gordon]

Now, what should I do with my Optimum disc if I get this one?

In all seriousness, I think that the best thing to do with the DVD of such a film would be - to donate it to your local library for all to enjoy.

[Ashirg]

It's region 2 and PAL - not many people in here will enjoy it.