Spirit of the Beehive - Blu-ray Forum

benroig · 01-01-2018, 05:54 PM

One of my favorite films that’s not yet available on Blu Ray is Spirit if the Beehive. Anyone know if Criterion is planning on putting out a Blu Ray of it this year?

Lope de Aguirre · 01-01-2018, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by benroig

One of my favorite films that’s not yet available on Blu Ray is Spirit if the Beehive. Anyone know if Criterion is planning on putting out a Blu Ray of it this year?

I own the Spanish release:
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/El-Es...Blu-ray/47690/

Although I have it for years now, I haven't seen it.
Only the Criterion DVD back in the day.

scarletlion · 10-08-2019, 12:05 PM

I watched a rip of this last night. Managed to download subtitles from DVD to match a 1080p version (if that gets me banned because I've admitted to loving world cinema so much I downloaded something - so be it). My mini review:

'The Spirit of the Beehive' (1973)

Dir.: Victor Erice

Absolutely beautiful film. It depicts the lives of 2 sisters in Spain during the end of the Spanish Civil War. They watch the movie Frankenstein, amble about in the rural countryside, make up fantasy stories and trick each other. In that sense it's a coming of age movie but also one about socio-political events of the time and the threats to family life.

What is so stark about the film is that it uses the shots, cinematography, light, camerawork etc to do the story telling instead of dialogue. There is one scene where the mother is lying in bed, her husband wandering about in the same room, but the camera never moves away from her face, and not one word is spoken. The shot looks almost Bergmanesque and the absence of dialogue hints at a problematic relationship melded with mental suffering. In another shot we see the windows of the house bathed in yellow sunlight as the father tries to open them. The windows are honeycomb shaped - in a reference to the bees that the father keeps. Presumably Erice is saying that the family, just like any other family in Spain at this time are trapped like worker bees in a futile existence as the political regime of the time tightens it's grip on ordinary people.

Guillermo del Toro cites this as a major influence on his work, and it is easy to see why. The period, the language, the fantasy, the innocence of the children (who are remarkable in this film - their expressions and mannerisms are so natural), the political climate, the slight horror element etc etc. It's almost like a cross between Pan's Labyrinth and The Devil's Backbone.

Of the two sisters, the movie focuses on the younger - Ana and her relationship with the spirit monster that her sister has told her lives in an abandoned outbuilding in a nearby farm. This, along with large amount of symbolism (I won't even pretend to know what all the paintings represent) makes the viewer think that the loss of innocence is somehow tied to Spain finding it's feet as a nation. But I'm hardly qualified in history to confirm it.

A really beautiful film.

brooklynne · 11-03-2019, 01:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lope de Aguirre

I own the Spanish release:
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/El-Es...Blu-ray/47690/

Although I have it for years now, I haven't seen it.
Only the Criterion DVD back in the day.

Well, I hope you speak Spanish, because there are no English subs on this release, typical of France's Blu-rays. Criterion has released EL SUR, Erice's only other dramatic feature-length film, so perhaps they'll finally get around to upgrading that old DVD.

Cremildo · 11-03-2019, 01:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brooklynne

Well, I hope you speak Spanish, because there are no English subs on this release, typical of France's Blu-rays.

But that's a Spanish edition, and the back of the cover art states that it does have English subtitles.

brooklynne · 11-03-2019, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cremildo

But that's a Spanish edition, and the back of the cover art states that it does have English subtitles.

That's the one I have, and no subtitles...maybe they added them for the edition this post links to?

Lope de Aguirre · 11-04-2019, 06:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brooklynne

That's the one I have, and no subtitles...maybe they added them for the edition this post links to?

I have a/the Spanish Blu-ray.
It has English subtitles.

vortexx · 11-17-2019, 05:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lope de Aguirre

I have a/the Spanish Blu-ray.
It has English subtitles.

Which edition (or label) is the one with subtitles?

LloydK · 02-07-2020, 08:30 AM

It seems like the 2012 BD has English subs:

https://www.amazon.es/Esp%C3%ADritu-...dp/B008GOUURA/

And the 2014 version doesn't:

https://www.amazon.es/esp%C3%ADritu-...dp/B00J6V1RQK/

InlandEmpire · 10-30-2023, 04:21 PM

That's true above, only one of the releases has English subtitles. Seems to be the version from Vertice?

Does anyone know if the Spanish blu-ray with English subtitles is available anywhere? Seems impossible to find.

01-01-2018, 05:54 PM	#1
benroig New Member Member since:May 2016 Location:St. Louis 4K collection:30 Blu-ray collection:266	Spirit of the Beehive One of my favorite films that’s not yet available on Blu Ray is Spirit if the Beehive. Anyone know if Criterion is planning on putting out a Blu Ray of it this year?

10-08-2019, 12:05 PM	#3
scarletlion Special Member Member since:Feb 2017 Location:Wales, Europe 4K collection:37 Blu-ray collection:343 DVD collection:8	I watched a rip of this last night. Managed to download subtitles from DVD to match a 1080p version (if that gets me banned because I've admitted to loving world cinema so much I downloaded something - so be it). My mini review: 'The Spirit of the Beehive' (1973) Dir.: Victor Erice Absolutely beautiful film. It depicts the lives of 2 sisters in Spain during the end of the Spanish Civil War. They watch the movie Frankenstein, amble about in the rural countryside, make up fantasy stories and trick each other. In that sense it's a coming of age movie but also one about socio-political events of the time and the threats to family life. What is so stark about the film is that it uses the shots, cinematography, light, camerawork etc to do the story telling instead of dialogue. There is one scene where the mother is lying in bed, her husband wandering about in the same room, but the camera never moves away from her face, and not one word is spoken. The shot looks almost Bergmanesque and the absence of dialogue hints at a problematic relationship melded with mental suffering. In another shot we see the windows of the house bathed in yellow sunlight as the father tries to open them. The windows are honeycomb shaped - in a reference to the bees that the father keeps. Presumably Erice is saying that the family, just like any other family in Spain at this time are trapped like worker bees in a futile existence as the political regime of the time tightens it's grip on ordinary people. Guillermo del Toro cites this as a major influence on his work, and it is easy to see why. The period, the language, the fantasy, the innocence of the children (who are remarkable in this film - their expressions and mannerisms are so natural), the political climate, the slight horror element etc etc. It's almost like a cross between Pan's Labyrinth and The Devil's Backbone. Of the two sisters, the movie focuses on the younger - Ana and her relationship with the spirit monster that her sister has told her lives in an abandoned outbuilding in a nearby farm. This, along with large amount of symbolism (I won't even pretend to know what all the paintings represent) makes the viewer think that the loss of innocence is somehow tied to Spain finding it's feet as a nation. But I'm hardly qualified in history to confirm it. A really beautiful film.

02-07-2020, 08:30 AM	#9
LloydK Member Member since:Jun 2011 Blu-ray reviews:1	It seems like the 2012 BD has English subs: https://www.amazon.es/Esp%C3%ADritu-...dp/B008GOUURA/ And the 2014 version doesn't: https://www.amazon.es/esp%C3%ADritu-...dp/B00J6V1RQK/

10-30-2023, 04:21 PM	#10
InlandEmpire New Member Member since:Mar 2017	That's true above, only one of the releases has English subtitles. Seems to be the version from Vertice? Does anyone know if the Spanish blu-ray with English subtitles is available anywhere? Seems impossible to find.

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