348. Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles (Buñuel en el laberinto de las tortugas); movie review
BUÑUEL IN THE LABYRINTH OF THE TURTLES (BUÑUEL EN EL LABERINTO DE LAS TORTUGAS)
Cert 1580 mins
Has there ever been a film title more likely to turn off a mainstream audience than Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles?
Thankfully, this glimpse into the life of the famous director is not as pretentious as it might suggest.
Luis Buñuel was a film-maker who lived on the edge - both in terms of his movies and in day-to-day life.
In 1930, he was penniless in Paris after his L’Age d’Or prompted great controversy and led to a falling out with collaborator Salvador Dalí.
Director Salvador Simó pitches his animated film during that period when Buñuel (voiced by Jorge Usón) is down in the dumps and anger is coming at him from all angles.
To cheer him up, his best friend, sculptor Ramón Acín (Fernando Ramos), buys a lottery ticket and promises to devote his winnings to fund Buñuel’s next film.
Incredibly, Ramón wins the jackpot, sending the two friends to the remote mountains of their native Spain to film the documentary Las Hurdes: Land Without Bread.
So off they trot to a village of people who seem to be as cut-off a tribe in the deep Amazon.
The downside to this lads' adventure is that Buñuel suffers from hallucinations, appears to be oblivious to those around him and has no concept of either money or time.
Thus, during the making of a film which was intended to help the villagers, he could be accused of exploiting them.
Interestingly, Simó's movie occasionally flicks from animation to Buñuel's real footage to give the audience a clearer impression of his subjects and their living conditions.
Our hearts went out to the barefoot children who had little hope of fighting off any disease they contracted.
Thus, as Buñuel is seen to be losing his mind, youngsters are actually dying.
There is much to admire about Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles - it looks good and it delves into a Europe which became extinct following the advent of transport networks.
However, it is not the easiest picture to follow - so a bit of advanced reading about Buñuel would be beneficial.
Reasons to watch: An intriguing insight into an acclaimed director
Reasons to avoid: Quite tricky to follow
Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 6.5/10
Did you know? Alfred Hitchcock said Luis Buñuel was the best director of all time.
The final word. Salvador Simó: "Most of his actions, we are surprised (at) but that was the 1930s. It was another time, another way of thinking. The role of the father was different; everything was different. So, we couldn’t make the film without (acknowledging) that it’s what made Buñuel at that time. If Buñel had grown up these days, he would be someone else." Deadline
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