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Sep 09, 2013wiltonsugiyama rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
i'd be the first to say that i am not a sophisticated filmgoer. I'm capable of passing the time watching garbage like 'we're the millers'. but i might watch a 'pallate cleanser ' now and then though. gather around, as i expound on my travels on the internet! one of my stops was the criterion site, through which i located a 'top ten' subsection. on it, many film directors, actors and others connected with the industry laid out their top ten films of all time. this film (beehive) was listed many times. because i had never heard of it, i was immmediately interested in tracking it down. it might yield some rewards, some of which i had experienced in the past with some classics i was not familiar with, the works of max ophuls, bunuel etc. i watched the film. i felt frustration. much of it was directed at myself and my inability to understand it. i needed to see jason sudeikas in funny situations at once haha. what i was aware of was a powerful experience - a glowing and naturalist performance by the 6-year old lead, beautiful imagery and composition. i immediately went online to glean further information on the film itself, as well as the context of its release. (1970s, the latter period of the dictatorship of franco in spain.) too often i have dismissed films out of hand by not knowing of the context of its release. after a day of absorbing this, i watched the film again, and had a profoundly different experience. i think that part of the resistance i was having with the film was its pacing. having become used to the fast editing of today's films/tv/commercials, i found the 'glacial' pacing of 'beehive' interminable. a mood is set, (melancholic) but to call it a mood piece is too easy. there are other things going on beneath, given the fascist regime context. the director had said (in an accompanying documentary with the dvd) that the authorities did not censor, and the film was left intact - they were unable to see any criticism towards the regime, much less understand the film they were viewing! it is a testament to the genius of the filmmaker that this was even possible. there is one handheld camera shot in the entire movie. the director says it was the most important shot in the film, possibly his film career. i won't spoil it by mentioning it here - you'll have to watch the film. but you'll know it when you see it. it struck me too, on first viewing. images of the film have haunted me, days and weeks after. i will be seeking this one again to rewatch in a few months. amazing peformances by all, esp. the children a la 'what maisie saw' - unaffected, seemingly unaware of the camera. filmmaking of the highest order.