In a world full of desperation and where the truth above all is endlessly sought by a vast majority that at the same time refuses to embrace a certain load of authenticity in people's acts, it comes as a shock that some refuse to see the what lies deep down behind "Las Hurdes". Naive or easily manipulated audiences of different periods might have seen in this short film something valuable, powerful, absurd in its reality while giving us the portrayal of a small town in Spain where people in the worst conditions of all, where technology and progress are just words in a dictionary they might not even had read or worst, they don't even know what is this. Those audiences get somewhat relieved that at its conclusion there's a disclaimer calling out for help, let's unite all the people and change this terrible reality where kids and people die of malaria, let's give work and food to this people and more, let's pressure the government, they must do their part. A more experienced audience, some of us in the present time, can and will see something far more terrible happening while everything is presented and realize that everything is happening under false pretensions.
The intended impact director Luis Buñuel wanted he got it since the film was banned by the Spanisy government for three years. Yes, those administrations (Franco dictatorship included) couldn't allow their people to see how behind some of their cities were and how poverty and misery was taking place. I mean, they could deny such thing happening or do something about it but let's not reveal the truth and ban the movie instead, they must have thought. There was the shock in putting in front of a camera a kid dying of a sickness, and bees attacking a poor donkey to death. Seeing the picture now isn't that fascinating. Instead, we get plenty of shocking value, very few knowledge and information, we realize that those poor people are nothing but actors (professional or not but actors), and everything seems to be manipulated for the sake of the humble people of Spain. It's quite obvious that the bees attack the donkey not because of some unfortunate accidents but because a human hand spread honey on the animal so that they could have such image to capture. Same thing goes to the most frightening part of this, a goat being pushed downhill. It doesn't fell on its own, it's clearly pushed over. Sure, it tries to paint this is as a positive thing, now the people will have something decent to eat. But no one's suffering really. It's just a propaganda.
However, since it's very contrary to the sense of film propaganda we've seen in "Triumph of the Will", the one seen in "Las Hurdes" ("Land without Bread") is one a little bit favorable. It's a false, desperate idea with a helpful purpose, destined to change a reality, to make it better. It's light years from the mockumentaries and documentaries that aren't so truth to life, quite a prank put on us. It's sad to see that Buñuel had to recur to such a hypocritical act to unfold its message, or at least he should have show less. Definitely he would get more. Gotta admire much of the way everything's filmed, how impressive everything is (except the sometimes overused narration). Those are first rate! He uses the cinema as an instrument of urgency, of something that can save lives, change the world, open minds, forget the surreal for a moment and back to the reality (even if it's not 100% but it's a little close). Too bad it backfired. Might have been the source of inspiration to other filmmakers. And you know what? It really was. The greatest Brazilian short film ever made "Ilha das Flores" released in 1989, shows us with humor and with a far more impressive taste a sad reality that is far more haunting than any shocking value developed here. In it, there's an island that is so poor but so poor that even the people there have to wait for the food the pigs refused to eat so they can eat. That's right. People back there were third class citizens, surpassed by some of the animals. The short caused some sensation, won awards and the situation has changed in the place. There's some rumors about this being also an hoax but if it is at least no one and nothing died on the making.
"Las Hurdes" is not a bad film. It's just filled with some bad taste aspects trying to reach the best possible intentions. I liked it but not that much. So far my least favorite picture of Buñuel and that's a lot considering how genial he could be. 6/10
The intended impact director Luis Buñuel wanted he got it since the film was banned by the Spanisy government for three years. Yes, those administrations (Franco dictatorship included) couldn't allow their people to see how behind some of their cities were and how poverty and misery was taking place. I mean, they could deny such thing happening or do something about it but let's not reveal the truth and ban the movie instead, they must have thought. There was the shock in putting in front of a camera a kid dying of a sickness, and bees attacking a poor donkey to death. Seeing the picture now isn't that fascinating. Instead, we get plenty of shocking value, very few knowledge and information, we realize that those poor people are nothing but actors (professional or not but actors), and everything seems to be manipulated for the sake of the humble people of Spain. It's quite obvious that the bees attack the donkey not because of some unfortunate accidents but because a human hand spread honey on the animal so that they could have such image to capture. Same thing goes to the most frightening part of this, a goat being pushed downhill. It doesn't fell on its own, it's clearly pushed over. Sure, it tries to paint this is as a positive thing, now the people will have something decent to eat. But no one's suffering really. It's just a propaganda.
However, since it's very contrary to the sense of film propaganda we've seen in "Triumph of the Will", the one seen in "Las Hurdes" ("Land without Bread") is one a little bit favorable. It's a false, desperate idea with a helpful purpose, destined to change a reality, to make it better. It's light years from the mockumentaries and documentaries that aren't so truth to life, quite a prank put on us. It's sad to see that Buñuel had to recur to such a hypocritical act to unfold its message, or at least he should have show less. Definitely he would get more. Gotta admire much of the way everything's filmed, how impressive everything is (except the sometimes overused narration). Those are first rate! He uses the cinema as an instrument of urgency, of something that can save lives, change the world, open minds, forget the surreal for a moment and back to the reality (even if it's not 100% but it's a little close). Too bad it backfired. Might have been the source of inspiration to other filmmakers. And you know what? It really was. The greatest Brazilian short film ever made "Ilha das Flores" released in 1989, shows us with humor and with a far more impressive taste a sad reality that is far more haunting than any shocking value developed here. In it, there's an island that is so poor but so poor that even the people there have to wait for the food the pigs refused to eat so they can eat. That's right. People back there were third class citizens, surpassed by some of the animals. The short caused some sensation, won awards and the situation has changed in the place. There's some rumors about this being also an hoax but if it is at least no one and nothing died on the making.
"Las Hurdes" is not a bad film. It's just filled with some bad taste aspects trying to reach the best possible intentions. I liked it but not that much. So far my least favorite picture of Buñuel and that's a lot considering how genial he could be. 6/10