Monday, July 22, 2013

So old so nice: Viridiana 1961


Sure i will show soon a video clip on this wonderful movie on my youtube channel but let describe first the plot of the movie:A young novice named Viridiana (Silvia Pinal) is about to take her vows when her uncle, Don Jaime (Fernando Rey), invites her to visit him. He is her only living relative, but she has only met him once and is reluctant to comply. Her Mother Superior pressures her into accepting.Don Jaime is a recluse, living on a neglected farm with only a couple of servants, Ramona (Margarita Lozano) and Moncho, and Ramona's daughter Rita. When Don Jaime sees his niece, he is struck by her strong resemblance to his deceased wife.The night before she is to leave, Viridiana, grateful for her uncle's longtime financial support, reluctantly complies with his odd request and puts on his wife's wedding dress. When Ramona informs Viridiana that Don Jaime wants to marry her, she is aghast, and Don Jaime seems to drop the idea. However, Ramona secretly drugs her drink. He carries the unconscious woman to her room with the intention of raping her, but at the last moment decides otherwise.The next morning, he lies and tells her that he took her virginity, and therefore she cannot go back to her convent. When she is undeterred, he then confesses he lied, leaving her uncertain what happened that night. At the bus stop, the authorities prevent her from leaving.

 Her uncle has hanged himself, leaving his property to Viridiana and his illegitimate son, Jorge (Francisco Rabal).Deeply disturbed, Viridiana decides not to return to the convent. Instead, she collects some beggars and installs them in an outbuilding. She devotes herself to the moral education and feeding of this exceedingly motley group. Disgusted, Moncho departs.Jorge moves into the house with his girlfriend, Lucia, and starts renovating the rundown place. Lucia senses that he, like his father, lusts after Viridiana, and leaves after a while. Jorge then makes a pass at Ramona, who is not unwilling.When Viridiana and Jorge leave for a couple of days to take care of some business, the paupers break into the house, initially just planning to look around. But, faced with such bounty, things degenerate into a drunken, riotous party, to the strains of Handel's Messiah. Posing for a photo around the table, the beggars resemble the figures in Da Vinci's Last Supper.The rightful owners return earlier than expected to find the house a shambles. The miscreants excuse themselves one by one and leave. Jorge confronts a beggar, who pulls a knife on him. When the man starts assaulting Viridiana, Jorge tries to rescue her, but another beggar strikes him in the head with a bottle, knocking him out. Viridiana resists being violated long enough for Jorge to regain consciousness. He has been tied up, but manages to bribe one beggar into killing the would-be rapist. The police then arrive to restore order.Viridiana is a changed woman. The child Rita burns her crown of thorns. Wearing her hair loosely, Viridiana knocks on Jorge's door, but finds Ramona with Jorge in his bedroom. With Ashley Beaumont singing Shimmy Doll on the record player, Jorge tells Viridiana that they were only playing cards, and urges her to join them, stating "Cousin, I knew you would someday shuffle the cards".

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