Viridiana
2026-01-30
Toronto, ON

Being my first Luis Buñuel film, I was prepared to be lost and confused, as has been the case when first exploring the works of a number of avant-garde filmmakers. While there is a lot to unpack here, what stands out to me is its accessibility, meaning it possesses a baseline level of enjoyment, through its humour and vibrant set of characters, that doesn't necessarily sign you up for a deep analysis. It certainly does give you that option though, being pretty shrewd in its condemnation of the Church, challenging the notions of wrongs and rights, suggesting that there really isn't much to gain from always doing the right thing. Couple notes here... first, I have heard that Buñuel has been renowned for the surrealism in his works, but I didn't pick up on that much here. Second, the whole dinner act had to have been an influence on Parasite.

Watched at the TIFF Lightbox. Toronto premiere of the new 4K restoration, and opening night of their month long Luis Buñuel retrospective. This will be a fun month!