Film General : El Sur (1983)

El Sur (1983)

Absolutely floored by the beauty of this film. I didn't think it was possible, but I think this is better than The Spirit of the Beehive, which is also a complete masterwork. This movie completely engulfs you in this magical aura, slowly guiding you through the childhood memories of a young girl living in the North of Spain, deeply fascinated by the South. And it flows so beautifully, so unbelievably poetic and idyllic in its passage of time, but all of it with a strong undercurrent of sadness and melancholia. The whole mood of it is impossible to put into words, but it's something like The Mirror's first 15 minutes stretched to a 90 minutes feature. And it's just... marvelous. Spellbinding. Enchanting. The greatest use of lighting I've seen in a film, bar none.
Its only flaw is that it's too short, and feels a bit incomplete. I honestly wanted this movie to go on forever.

A gorgeous film. Victor Erice is undeniably one of the unsung greats.

Re: El Sur (1983)

One of the best films ever made, quite possibly.

Re: El Sur (1983)

Oh, I should watch these films already. Yes, I have seen a lot of people who prefer this one, in Filmaffinity. (it is also rated a bit higher there).
Apparently it was indeed unfinished, sadly :/

His last film (el sol del membrillo) is also very loved, not as much as the other ones, but many people consider it one of the best documentaries ever made.

Re: El Sur (1983)

Never even heard of it but I just added it to my watchlist. Thanks for the post!
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