Tristana (1970)

Tristana
Directed by Luis Buñuel
Written by Luis Bunuel and Julio Alejandro from a novel by Benito Perez Galdos
1970/Spain/France/Italy
IMDb page
First viewing/Amazon Prime
One of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die

Don Zenón: And the Ten Commandments?
Don Lope: I respect all of them, except those to do with sex, because I’m sure they were added to the truly divine ones by Moses for political reasons that don’t affect me.

Yes, Buñuel can tell a straight-forward story and tell it very well.

Tristana (Catherine Deneuve) is an innocent and religious teenager.  Her mother has just died and Don Lope (Fernando Rey) becomes her guardian.  Don Lope is a well-known libertine, atheist, and socialist.  Eventually, he has his way with Tristana.  He tells her both of them are free to end the relationship when they wish.  This is far from true. Don Lope claims rights as both Tristana’s father and her husband, despite being neither.  He essentially confines her to the house

Tristana grows to hate Don Lope more with each passing year.  Don Lope inherits some money and, worried about Tristana’s increasing rebellion, marries her.  But that does not prevent his wife from exacting protracted revenge, especially as Don Lope becomes more and more frail.  With Franco Nero as Tristana’s lover.

Tristana wears black to her wedding

I had no particular expectations going in but this wound up being one of my favorites of all the Buñuel I have seen.  All Buñuel’s tics are in evidence but this works perfectly as an engrossing tale of oppression and revenge.  There is little to no surrealism.  Rey and Deneuve are fabulous as always.  Deneuve is so pretty I keep forgetting what a really fine actress she was.  Recommended.

Tristana was nominated for the Acaemy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Clip from near beginning of film