Luis Bunuel, a Spanish director who made films in his home country, France, United States and Mexico, where the most of his films are made in. He is the master of surrealism and did several fictional films, but only one documentary, Las Hurdes (1933, Land Without Bread). It shows the life of a poor village in Spain. The cruelty we see feels so real and distressing that the film was banned in Spain and in many other countries. That is the reason why it (still in 2010) hasn't got a Spanish commentary. The original audio commentary is in French.
In the citizens of Las Hurdes there are many cripples, midgets and simple-minded people, in result of lack of hygiene, misery and incest. The survival of these people is very uncertain, only one thing is certain: death that waits all of them. The most pathetic form of documentary is tourist film (documentaries where people travel to exotic places and describe the culture). Las Hurdes follows the presentation of the tourist film, it gives us information of the place's history, a summary of geography, education, nutrition and sicknesses. Of course each of us who knows Luis Bunuel, is aware that Las Hurdes isn't even close to a shallow tourist film.
Luis Bunuel simply and ruthlessly notes the facts. He films what goes on the country, by letting nothing out. He has announced that he is an atheist, and it can be seen in the film (and generally in his all films). The film shows the incredibly cruelty the people have to deal in their lives, but then it shows us how the morality and religion are pretty much same as in our lives. They have faith, even how miserable their life seems. And there is something holy in this film. Not from religion or a set-up, but from humanity - the holiness of humanity. There is something very humane in Las Hurdes. The thing that makes it is probably the fact that all unnecessary things are cut out from the film. Only the things that matter are shown to us, and that is what makes the film so powerful.
We see the people farm grain, eat, study and play games, which are incredibly cruel actually. We see how their life resembles our life. It also makes us think of our responsibility in this misery. Why do we have the right to live a more wealthy life? A very evocative film. Las Hurdes - Land Without Bread shows men, women, children and animals dying. It shows us so realistic images that they start to turn into surrealistic nightmares. The film was banned because of this, because of the horrors it shows. And that is something so two faced. The same thing is with the animal industry - we aren't allowed to see what happens because it might horrify some of us. In Las Hurdes we aren't allowed to see the cruelty happening to the people - it would certainly show the country in a negative light.
An amazing documentary by the master of surrealism, Luis Bunuel. Perhaps one of the greatest documentaries ever made, and still it is the only documentary Bunuel ever made. Leaves you speechless.
In the citizens of Las Hurdes there are many cripples, midgets and simple-minded people, in result of lack of hygiene, misery and incest. The survival of these people is very uncertain, only one thing is certain: death that waits all of them. The most pathetic form of documentary is tourist film (documentaries where people travel to exotic places and describe the culture). Las Hurdes follows the presentation of the tourist film, it gives us information of the place's history, a summary of geography, education, nutrition and sicknesses. Of course each of us who knows Luis Bunuel, is aware that Las Hurdes isn't even close to a shallow tourist film.
Luis Bunuel simply and ruthlessly notes the facts. He films what goes on the country, by letting nothing out. He has announced that he is an atheist, and it can be seen in the film (and generally in his all films). The film shows the incredibly cruelty the people have to deal in their lives, but then it shows us how the morality and religion are pretty much same as in our lives. They have faith, even how miserable their life seems. And there is something holy in this film. Not from religion or a set-up, but from humanity - the holiness of humanity. There is something very humane in Las Hurdes. The thing that makes it is probably the fact that all unnecessary things are cut out from the film. Only the things that matter are shown to us, and that is what makes the film so powerful.
We see the people farm grain, eat, study and play games, which are incredibly cruel actually. We see how their life resembles our life. It also makes us think of our responsibility in this misery. Why do we have the right to live a more wealthy life? A very evocative film. Las Hurdes - Land Without Bread shows men, women, children and animals dying. It shows us so realistic images that they start to turn into surrealistic nightmares. The film was banned because of this, because of the horrors it shows. And that is something so two faced. The same thing is with the animal industry - we aren't allowed to see what happens because it might horrify some of us. In Las Hurdes we aren't allowed to see the cruelty happening to the people - it would certainly show the country in a negative light.
An amazing documentary by the master of surrealism, Luis Bunuel. Perhaps one of the greatest documentaries ever made, and still it is the only documentary Bunuel ever made. Leaves you speechless.