TRISTANA (Spain-France-Italy/1970)

Officially a co-production, this Luis Bunuel film is basically a Spanish film that includes the Italian actor Franco Nero and the French superstar Catherine Deneuve, both dubbed, in principal roles. Tristana is an adaptation of a novel by Benito Perez Galdos set in 1930s Toledo (as beautiful a Spanish town as any). A fairly faithful adaptation only during the first half hour of the film. Fernando Rey is an atheist intellectual and libertarian who adopts Tristana as a girl after her mother dies. He seduces her when she turns 19 and begins to restrict her freedom. Tristana's protest gradually become stronger; then she meets a handsome painter (Nero) and leaves with him. Two years later, both return to Toledo with the sad news that Tristana has a cancerous tumor in her leg. The film takes unusual turns that shift the balance of power in the relationships between the characters.

Perhaps the most neglected of Bunuel's late films, Tristana is a relentless attack against bourgeoise hypocrisy, left-leaning intellectuals, patriarchal power structures, and the Catholic church. Fernando Rey was born to play this type of role and it's surprising how effective Deneuve can be even when speaking with a borrowed voice.This film is ripe for reappraisal. One of the most interesting aspects of the film is the way in which Tristana assimilates some of the dubious traits of her own benefactor/tormentor. The picture and sound of the dvd of Tristana released in the UK a couple of years ago is not a significant improvement on the American vhs. One hopes a definitive dvd of Tristana will become available in the future.