April 3, 2007
If only they had better monster makeup. I jest - wonderful film.
Fernando Fernán Gómez,
Teresa Gimpera,
Ana Torrent,
Isabel Telleria,
Miguel Picazo
... see more 
Widely regarded as a masterpiece of Spanish cinema, this allegorical tale is set in a remote village in the 1940s. The life in the village is calm and uneventful -- an allegory of Spanish life after G... read more
DVD Release Date: September 19, 2006
Stats: 510 reviews
Your Rating
Flixster Reviews (510)
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September 16, 2011A young person learning about death is universal, but here in Spirit of the Beehive it's filtered into a very specific situation: a girl coming to grips with mortality in the shadow of the Spanish Civil War, through a viewing of James Whale's Frankenstein. Perhaps not the most re... read more
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September 10, 2011fb1216165431Symbolically critical of post-civil war Spain, The Spirit Of The Beehive is a Victor Erice work that features young Ana and her curiosity. Gorgeous cinematography. Graceful performances. Exceptional.
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May 17, 2011Slow and somber film with gorgeous cinematography and one of the most captivating performances by a child I've ever seen (Ana Torrent). "The Spirit of the Beehive," ripe with symbolism, plays less like a standard film than it does a reflection or meditation on many subjects, most... read more
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September 8, 2009Beautifully shot and acted, this dreamy lyrical story unfolds almost poetically.
That said, the film did little for me personally. Perhaps it was my mood when watching it, but I had to struggle to pay attention. -
July 6, 2009An absolutely gorgeous film. Some of the shots in this film are like works of art you could stare at for hours. It also features some of the most naturalistic performances by children that I have ever seen. A must for any Malik fans, considering many know Erice as the Spanish ver... read more
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May 8, 2009After watching James Whale's "Frankenstein", a little girl living in a small rural town in Spain, gets fascinated by the monster.
"Why did he kill the girl, and why did they kill him after that?", she asks her older sister that says he hasn´t been killed, first because everythi... read more -
October 15, 2008Beautiful movie about the thin line between fantasy and reality. It's so endearing to see how open and innocent the girls are, there world isn't limited by grownup's rules yet.
It's almost as if the two girls 'play' themselves, that's how natural and effortless they seem to play... read more -
July 24, 2008There are aspects of the film that I feel are truely exceptional and some that left me totally frustrated. Mainly because I feel like it could have been brilliant, but fell short.
I must say that I've never been opposed to having to think things through on my own or "fill in ... read more -
January 29, 2008Beautiful, magical, dreamy allegory about discovery. the young Ana Torrent perfectly embodies the tenderness, innocence and boundless imagination of childhood.
Critic Reviews
July 6, 2006
Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
May 26, 2006
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
This is a modest marvel of grace and framing that unfolds with the patience of a cloud and is driven more by wonder than pure emotion. Full Review
March 31, 2006
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press
Those who haven't seen it since the '70s may find themselves amazed all over again by its lyrical potency and grace; those who have never seen it may wonder how it can be that a film this great isn't ... Full Review
January 26, 2006
A.O. Scott, New York Times
Takes place at the particular intersection of reality and fantasy defined by youthful moviegoing.
January 26, 2006
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer
Ana Torrent gives perhaps the greatest child performance of all time.
January 25, 2006
Michael Atkinson, Village Voice
... the finest and most beautifully wrought first film of the European '70s, a mysterious crucible as elusive, concrete, and visually primal as anything by Herzog, Straub, Olmi, or Denis. Full Review
January 1, 2000
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
Much in the film is derivative, but Erice excels in precise evocations of childhood feelings -- there is one dumbfounding moment of lyrical, joyful horror. Full Review
October 6, 2008
Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy
A most exceptional vision of the inner life of a child just learning about the darker complexities of life. Full Review
May 7, 2007
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Considered by many as one of the key Spanish films of the Seventies. Full Review
September 17, 2006
Mark Bourne, DVDJournal.com
...a graceful, lyrical masterpiece wound around one of the most natural and engrossing performances by a child actor we've ever seen. Full Review
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