Nothing is Sacred: Three Heresies by Luis Buñuel: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)
Theatrical Release Dates: Mexico/Spain, 1961 (Viridiana), Mexico, 1962 (The Exterminating Angel), Mexico, 1965 (Simon of the Desert)
Director: Luis Buñuel (All Films)
Cast: Silvia Pinal, Francisco Rabal, Fernando Rey, José Calvo, Margarita Lozano, José Manuel Martín, Victoria Zinny, Luis Heredia, Joaquín Roa, Lola Gaos, María Isbert, Teresa Rabal (Viridiana), Silvia Pinal, Jacqueline Andere, José Baviera, Augusto Benedico, Luis Beristáin, Antonio Bravo, Claudio Brook, César del Campo, Rosa Elena Durgel, Lucy Gallardo, Enrique García Álvarez, Ofelia Guilmáin, Nadia Haro Oliva (The Exterminating Angel), Claudio Brook, Enrique Álvarez Félix, Hortensia Santoveña, Francisco Reiguera, Luis Aceves Castañeda, Enrique García Álvarez, Antonio Bravo, Enrique del Castillo, Eduardo MacGregor, Silvia Pinal (Simon of the Desert)
Release Date: July 1st, 2024 (UK)
Approximate Running Times: 90 Minutes 57 Seconds (Viridiana), 92 Minutes 55 Seconds (The Exterminating Angel), 45 Minutes 8 Seconds (Simon of the Desert)
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Viridiana), 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (The Exterminating Angel, Simon of the Desert)
Rating: 12,15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Spanish (All Films)
Subtitles: English (All Films)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £37.49 (UK)
"From 1946 to 1965, Luis Buñuel directed 21 films in Mexico, the country that became his naturalised home. Towards the end of this period, the great master of surrealism would meet two of his most important collaborators - the husband-and-wife duo of producer Gustavo Alatriste and actress Silvia Pinal - and together they would create three of his most provocative and enduring works: Viridiana (1961), The Exterminating Angel (1962) and Simon of the Desert (1965). Presented here in new restorations, all three films are frequently hailed as some of the greatest of all time. All of what makes Buñuel one of the greatest of directors can be found within them: the startling imagery, the uncompromising surrealism, the wicked humour, the unapologetic eroticism, and the overwhelming disdain for contemporary boundaries of good taste.
In Viridiana, Pinal stars as a former nun who, believing she has been defiled by a relative, abandons nunhood and attempts to repent and lead a morally pure existence by turning a mansion into a shelter for vagrants. Hugely controversial on release, this brilliant satire remains shocking today, and was voted the best Spanish film of all time by Spanish critics in 2016.
The Exterminating Angel is one of Buñuel's most extraordinary and enduring works: after a night at the opera, a group of bourgeois party guests realise that they are inexplicably unable to leave the dining room they are sequestered in, and quickly descend into savagery. An influential blend of horror, comedy, drama and social commentary, the film was named one of the 200 greatest of all time in the 2022 Sight and Sound Critics Poll.
Simon of the Desert is a typically outrageous and provocative commentary on organised religion: a parable of Simon, the would-be saint who lives an ascetic life at the top of a ten foot pillar, the film features a memorable turn from Pinal as the Devil, and an unforgettably bizarre ending." - synopsis provided by the distributor
Video: 4.25/5 (Viridiana, Simon of the Desert), 4/5 (The Exterminating Angel)
Here’s the information provided about this release's transfers, "Viridiana and Simon of the Desert were scanned in 4K from the original camera negatives and restored in 4K by Mercury Films in Madrid, Spain. Additional color correction was applied to Viridiana by Radiance Films in 2024.
The Exterminating Angel was scanned in 4K from the original camera negative by Mercury Films in Madrid, Spain. The film was restored by Radiance Films at Heavenly Movie Corp in 2024. Thousands of instances of dirt, dust, stains and tears were removed and dozens of shots stabilized to accentuate mechanical jiter. The film was grade by Stephen C. Horne."
Viridiana comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.
Disc Size: 45.5 GB
Feature: 24.5 GB
The Exterminating Angel comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.
Disc Size: 40.3 GB
Feature: 27 GB
Simon of the Desert comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.
Disc Size: 41 GB
Feature: 19.1 GB
The sources for these three films are comparable; they are all in excellent shape, free of any debris. Image clarity and compression are solid, contrast and black levels are strong, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction.
Audio: 3.75/5 (Viridiana), 4/5 (The Exterminating Angel, Simon of the Desert)
Each film comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Spanish with removable English subtitles. Viridiana has some background hiss; the other two films are free of hiss. Dialog always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented. That said, range-wise these audio tracks are best described as satisfactory.
Extras:
Extras for Viridiana include an image gallery (16 images - posters/stills), an introduction by filmmaker Anthony Wall (9 minutes 50 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an appreciation by filmmaker Lulu Wang (10 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Buñuel from 1964 recorded for French TV’s Cinéastes de notre temps (47 minutes 46 seconds, Dolby Digital mono French with removable English subtitles), The Life and Times of Don Luis Buñuel - A BBC Arena documentary on Buñuel featuring contributions from Buñuel and collaborators including Catherine Deneuve (101 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English and Spanish with non-removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary by film critic Michael Brooke.
Extras for The Exterminating Angel include an image gallery (10 images - stills), a video essay on The Exterminating Angel and the dinner party on film by critic and writer Alexandra Heller-Nicholas titled Dinner and Other Rituals (16 minutes 52 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an introduction by filmmaker Alex Cox (9 minutes 39 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an appreciation by filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (18 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival documentary titled A Mexican Buñuel, this extra explore Luis Buñuel’s Mexican period (55 minutes 45 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, French, and Spanish with removable English subtitles).
Extras for The Exterminating Angel include an image gallery (12 images - stills/poster), a video essay on Luis Buñuel in Mexico by Abraham Castillo Flores titled The Other Trinity: Alatriste, Buñuel and Pinal (32 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an appreciation by filmmaker Richard Ayoade (14 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an archival career-spanning documentary titled Buñuel: A Surrealist Filmmaker (87 minutes 8 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles).
Other extras include reversible cover art, a rigid box with full-height Scanavo cases and removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings, and an 80-page booklet with cast & crew information for each film, an essay titled The Enduring Termite Art of Luis Buñuel in Mexico written by Glenn Kenny, extract from The Guildford and Godalming Examiner, an essay titled A World That Cannot be Saved: Buñuel, Spain, Blasphemy, and Satire written by David Hering, an essay titled Slicing up Eyeballs: The Horror of Luis Buñuel written by Lindsay Hallam, an essay titled Love Above All Else: Luis Buñuel’s Amour Fou written by Justine Smith, Letter to Luis Miguel Dominguín written by Luis Buñuel, an archival essay titled The Disappearance of Viridiana written by Pere Portabella, and information about the transfers.
Summary:
Viridiana: Before taking her vows to be a nun, a young woman visits her reclusive uncle, who paid for her education.
Viridiana is the first of three films that Luis Buñuel made with actress Silvia Pinal and producer Gustavo Alatriste. Some of the themes explored in Viridiana are religion, classism, lust, envy, guilt, and mortality. Luis Buñuel approaches his subject matter with his usual subversive humor; it is laced with social commentary. The cinema of Luis Buñuel has often delved into taboo subjects, and in Viridiana, the protagonist, who looks like her deceased aunt, is nearly raped by her uncle while she’s wearing her aunt’s wedding dress.
The opening setup is flawlessly executed; it does a phenomenal job fleshing out the protagonist and laying the foundation for her journey. Things take an abrupt turn after her uncle's suicide, connected to his guilt for what he almost did to his niece. This traumatic event leaves a deep scar on the protagonist, leading her to abandon her plans of becoming a nun. Instead, she dedicates her life and her uncle's wealth to helping the less fortunate. Despite her pure intentions and kind heart, those she seeks to assist often exploit her generosity.
All around, the entire cast are excellent, especially Silvia Pinal in the role of Viridiana. She delivers a remarkable performance that exudes empathy, and it is arguably her best performance. Other performances of note are Fernando Rey (The French Connection), who portrays Viridiana’s uncle, and Francisco Rabal (Sorcerer), who portrays Viridiana’s uncle’s illegitimate son. Both of these characters' lives are driven by sinful behavior.
Not to be overlooked when discussing Viridiana are its visuals, which are overflowing with striking moments like Viridiana wearing her aunt’s wedding dress, her uncle’s body hanging from a tree, and a Last Supper-like sequence where the poor take advantage of Viridiana’s kindness and ransack her uncle’s home. Music also plays a significant role; classical music like George Frideric Handel's Hallelujah Chorus, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Requiem, Johann Sebastian Bach's Mass in B Minor, and Sarabande helps heighten the mood. Ultimately, Viridiana serves as a profound exploration of the human condition, rich with symbolism.
The Exterminating Angel: Guests at an affluent dinner party linger instead of going home, and when anyone tries to leave, that person cannot cross the threshold.
A recurring subject of the cinema of Luis Buñuel is the bourgeoisie; they are a character that would dominate his films from the 1960s onward. The bourgeois partygoers in The Exterminating Angel attend a feast that ultimately never ends. They live an isolated life confined to other like-minded wealthy people, and when they are unable to choose their destiny, their worst qualities come to the forefront.
The opening setup foreshadows events to come, yet there is a mundane quality to these initial moments. This stands in stark contrast to the moments that follow the partygoers' realization that they are trapped. By opening in such a way, it greatly enhances these darker moments by heightening the mood. That said, when their moment of truth arrives, it is all the more potent because of the way in which the narrative builds to it.
No one performance stands out; the entire cast is excellent. The cast is truly an ensemble in which no character is greater, and together they are a sum of parts. Silvia Pinal, who had a much larger role in Viridiana, portrays one of the party guests, an opera singer named Leticia. Another cast member of note is Claudio Brook; he portrays the head servant. He would go on to star in Luis Buñuel’s next film, Simon of the Desert.
Despite being billed as a melodrama with fantasy elements, a real case can be made for labeling The Exterminating Angel. A key ingredient to horror cinema is the unknown, a force or an entity that is not easily explained or disposed of, and in The Exterminating Angel, characters are faced with an invisible barrier that prevents them from leaving or crossing it. That said, all of the horror in The Exterminating Angel comes from the characters fears.
The premise is superbly executed; the narrative does an excellent job building to an ending that perfectly summarizes what preceded. The Exterminating Angel is dialog-driven, and though the visuals let the characters take center stage, there are several arresting moments. Other areas where The Exterminating Angel excels are its use of sound and editing; there are 27 moments of repetition. Ultimately, The Exterminating Angel is an exceptional surrealist fantasy that's overflowing with subversive humor and social commentary.
Simon of the Desert: A deeply religious man who wants to be nearer to God climbs a column and remains there. He is visited by monks, peasants, an affluent family, and the devil in various disguises while standing on the column.
Simon of the Desert would mark Luis Buñuel’s third and final collaboration with Silvia Pinal and Gustavo Alatriste. Simon of the Desert was originally intended to be an anthology film with three stories by three directors; the only story completed was Luis Buñuel’s Simon of the Desert. Other directors approached to be part of this anthology film include Federico Fellini, Jules Dassin, Vittorio de Sica, and Orson Welles. The inspiration for Simon of the Desert is the life of the ascetic 5th-century Syrian saint Simeon Stylites, who lived for 39 years on top of a pillar.
Despite its brevity (45 minutes in length) and minimalist set design, Simon of the Desert is a film rich in subtext and overflowing in symbolism. Some of the striking imagery includes a thief whose hands were cut off being restored through prayer, a coffin dragging itself across the desert, an exorcism of a monk, and the devil showing up in many forms trying to tempt Simon. Although Simon only has one goal—to be closer to God—those around him are constantly interrupting him.
There are only two performances of note: Claudio Brook (The Mansion of Madness) in the role of Simon and Silvia Pinal (Viridiana), who portrays the devil. Their performances are like night and day; Claudio Brook delivers a pitch-perfect portrayal of serenity, while Silvia Pinal’s performance is expressive as she fully embraces decadence.
According to Luis Buñuel, Simon of the Desert was supposed to be a feature-length film and not an anthology film; it only became a medium-length film because producer Gustavo Alatriste ran out of money. That said, any behind-the-scenes issues don’t show in the film, and by cutting from the past to the present for the final scene, Luis Buñuel delivers a very effective transition that provides a satisfying conclusion. Ultimately, Simon of the Desert has all the elements that are synonymous with the cinema of Luis Buñuel, making it a must-see for fans of his films.
Radiance Films Nothing is Sacred: Three Heresies by Luis Buñuel compiles three of his films and offers their finest home media release to date, complete with a wealth of insightful extras. Highly recommended.
Written by Michael Den Boer
