"Today, Las Hurdes is remembered less for its politicized images than it is for Buñuel parodic manipulation of documentary style." - Ed Gonzalez

604

#627

Gradually dispelling the realism it preaches against hypocrisy: the hypocrisy of documentaries, of Christianity and also, with its declaration against fascism (on purpose or not), against the hypocrisy of socialism.

The whole thing was staged, making the endevour preety pointless, it was just anti-Franco propaganda, not really worth much as a film.

# 549

A most puzzling film by Bunuel. It appears at first to be a straight-forward look at an impoverished region of Spain. Gradually Bunuel inserts small absurdities, sometimes for comic effect and sometimes for shock. How much of this is documentary and how much is fiction? If it's not sincere, then what to make of the anti-fascist coda? Overall an interesting experiment, but one that doesn't quite work. I'm also not crazy about the animal cruelty.

A strange but captivating short documentary about an impovrished and isolated region of Spain. The narration and images sometimes go too far into the absurd, diminishing the realities in the film, but for the most part it's pretty effective.

How come this reminded me of the dreadful Gymkata pommel horse scene?

A bit on the dull side, although this is the first film I've ever seen that shows a real dead infant. Man, does life for Los Hurdanos suck. By extension, it must have sucked for pretty much all primitive Man for centuries. All the granola fuckheads here in California who treat normal food and tap water like it was plutonium and who only eat "100% organic" ridiculously strict vegan diets should be forced to watch this Ludovico-treatment-style

Just remember that it's fucking with you.

"Buñuel Geographic"

586

The best way to describe this unique documentary would be Flaherty-gone-surrealist. Las Hurdes has to be seen to be believed, although you probably shouldn't believe much of it as Buñuel took creative liberties here that would be inexcusible in straight-ahead documentaries. The result, however, is as easily convincing as it is fascinating. So, in a way, the film says a lot about our mentality as audience.