TRISTANA

France, 1970, 98 minutes, Colour.
Catherine Deneuve, Fernando Rey, Franco Nero.
Directed by Luis Bunuel.

Tristana is one of Bunuel's most straightforward films both in narrative and style. It take a common theme of an innocent girl seduced by a guardian and changing into a destructive woman. But this theme is presented intelligently and interestingly.

Bunuel has had a long career of making creative cinema masterpieces that attack hypocrisy, tyranny and religion. But here his tone seems to have mellowed. There is sadness here, but only traces of bitterness. Perhaps the over 70 year old director has much in common with Don Lope, the guardian of the film, who ages and becomes more resigned to life, more conventional than in his heyday of bland egalitarianism and self-confident anti-religious tirades.

The story is set in Spain and captures a Spanish atmosphere and customs well. Catherine Deneuve (Bunuel's Belle de Jour) is excellent as the changing Tristana; Fernando Rey is a marvellous Don Lope. Tristana can be compared with Bunuel's earlier Viridiana.

1. What was the main theme of this film?

2. What were your first impressions of Tristana as a person? How did Bunuel mean us to feel about her? Her youth, innocence, playing with the deaf boys.

3. What did Bunuel mean us to feel and think about the Spanish society and customs in which Tristana and Don Lope lived?

4. What were your first impressions of Don Lope? Did you like him?

5. What was his philosophy of life ? his easy-going attitude to work and equality and to women? To what extent did you agree with his philosphy his lack of concern for money and his poverty at home? His irreligious attitudes?

6. Did Don Lope seduce Tristana? Did he take it as a matter of course that she would become his de facto wife? Did Tristana? Did the housekeeper? Was this an accepted Spanish custom? How much moral censure would be attached to this liaison?

7. Did Don Lope love Tristana? How dependent on him was she? Did he always see her as the innocent beauty he described her as at the opening of the film? How sincere was he in telling her that she was completely free?

8. Did Tristana love Don Lope at any stage? what did her liaison mean to her? How did it change her? Did it artificially cut her off from life and experience? How strongly did she come to resent it and Don Lope?

9. Why did Tristana fall in love with Horacio? Was it his person that she loved or the opportunity for companionship with someone her own age and for freedom? Why did she go away with him and hurt and defy Don Lope?

10. What was Don Lope's attitude to her love for Horacio, towards Horacio himself and then going away? How did her departure affect him?

11. Why did Horacio bring Tristana back when she was ill? Did he still love her?

12. Why did Tristana leave Horacio and go back to Don Lope? what compelled her? Why did she marry him? What did her behaviour at the wedding indicate? What was the significance of her dream with Don Lope's head as the bell-clapper?

13. How bitter did her illness and her marriage make Tristana? How different had she become?

14. How different had Don Lope become as he grew older? What was the significance of the sequence where he has the priests to tea? Was it just another of Bunuel's taunts at the worldliness of the Church or did it show a mellowing of Don Lope (or his 'getting back' religion)?

15. Why did Tristana let him die? What did this reveal about her? What did the quick re?showing of the main scenes of her life indicate?

16. Did this film move you? Was its theme trite or valuable? Did it provide insight into human nature, religion and society?