Don't expect very profound films of Fernando Trueba. His trademark are films that are very sensual but contain little explicit sex. "Belle epoque" is an excellent example of this trademark.
A deserter from the army finds a refuge in a house with four daughters. He has a romance with each one of them. Each episode contains a different aspect of female sexuality, but in each episode (except one!) there also arise a complication preventing the romance to evolve into a marriage.
To be honest, the attractions of the movie are the beautiful and seductive daughters, one even more beautiful than the other. Luz is probably played by the most famous actress (Penélope Cruz). Rocio is played by the best actress (Maribel Verdu) and Violeta (played by Ariadna Gil) has the most interesting part.
The story of "Belle epoque" resembles very much the story of "The beguiled" (1971, Don Siegel), in which a deserter finds refuge in a girls boarding school. The ambiance of the two films is however totally different. "Belle epoque" is permeated with a Roman Catholic belief system. The doctrine is strict, but one has an open eye for the fact that the flesh is weak. In "The beguiled" the ambiance is much less frivolous. Guilt and penitence are the key words of this film.
A deserter from the army finds a refuge in a house with four daughters. He has a romance with each one of them. Each episode contains a different aspect of female sexuality, but in each episode (except one!) there also arise a complication preventing the romance to evolve into a marriage.
To be honest, the attractions of the movie are the beautiful and seductive daughters, one even more beautiful than the other. Luz is probably played by the most famous actress (Penélope Cruz). Rocio is played by the best actress (Maribel Verdu) and Violeta (played by Ariadna Gil) has the most interesting part.
The story of "Belle epoque" resembles very much the story of "The beguiled" (1971, Don Siegel), in which a deserter finds refuge in a girls boarding school. The ambiance of the two films is however totally different. "Belle epoque" is permeated with a Roman Catholic belief system. The doctrine is strict, but one has an open eye for the fact that the flesh is weak. In "The beguiled" the ambiance is much less frivolous. Guilt and penitence are the key words of this film.