This is not an easy film to watch and so I cannot recommend it to everyone. I involves the sick relationship between a young lady who is entrusted to the care of her guardian after the death of her parents. At first, this older man appears to be very strict and concerned about her virtue by keeping her away from young suiters. However, ultimately this supposed benevolence is exposed for hypocrisy when the old man begins making sexual overtures to his young ward. Ultimately, he rapes her (though he justified this to himself and clearly acted as if it was not rape) and ruins her life. However, over time, she becomes more bitter and cold--and this transition becomes so apparent and ironic at the film's conclusion.

Catherine Deneuve and Fernando Rey are both superb in the movie, as is the pacing, direction and cinematography. Depressing but exceptionally well-made.

When the young woman Tristana's mother dies, she is entrusted to the guardianship of the well-respected though old Don Lope. Don Lope is well-liked and well-known because of his honorable nature, despite his socialistic views about business and religion. But Don Lope's one weakness is women, and he falls for the innocent girl in his charge, seduces her, makes her his lover, though all the while explaining to her that she is as free as he.

Buñuel's French investors insisted that Catherine Deneuve be cast as Tristana and his Italian investors wanted young heartthrob Franco Nero to play Horacio. Filming began in September 1969. Actress Vanessa Redgrave was often on the film's set after recently divorcing Tony Richardson for Nero, which caused Nero to often be late or distracted during filming.

Although I applaud the casting, I am still not convinced that I like Bunuel's later films. He stopped being outright surreal and got more subtle, which I do not care for. He also became far more political, which I am not necessarily oppose to, but I think takes away from the art. I will definitely have to revisit him again at some point, but I feel like he may be given too much credit.

In the 30's, in Spain, the teenager Tristana (Catherine Deneuve) becomes an orphan when her mother, who is the servant of Don Lope (Fernando Rey),dies. Don Lope is a decadent but respected aristocrat, anticlerical and liberal with socialist principles, and he becomes the guardian of Tristana. Don Lope sexually abuses of Tristana and develops a strange lover/father relationship with her.

When Tristana meets the painter Horacio (Franco Nero),they fall in love with each other and Tristana flees from Don Lope. However, years later, Horacio brings Tristana back to Don Lope with a terminal disease on her leg. She has a severed leg and survives, and Don Lope asks her hand in marriage. She accepts but now Tristana is a bitter and cynical woman and Don Lope feels the consequence of his acts in the past.

"Tristana" is a morbid tale of lost of innocence by Luis Buñuel. I had seen this film for the last time on 05 Feb 2003 and despite the wonderful performances of Catherine Deneuve and Fernando Rey, it is not among my favorite Buñuel's films. As usual, the director criticizes the Church and the bourgeois class but his famous surrealism is only presented in Tristana's nightmare. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Tristana"