NAZARIN

Mexico, 1959, 94 minutes, Black and white.
Francisco Rabal.
Directed by Luis Bunuel.

Nazarin is a striking film by Luis Bunuel. Made in Mexico, where he directed his films during the 50s, it indicates a serious concern about transcendent values, the lack of experience of transcendent values in a suffering world. It also marks Bunuel's films of the 60s with their preoccupation about religious and social themes (The Exterminating Angel, Viridiana, The Milky Way, Simon of the Desert).

The simple priest of the title is obviously a Christ figure, Father Nazarin. He tries to live his life according to the Gospels - but is taken to task by official church authorities, is misunderstood by people. Like Don Quixote, he moves through the countryside tying to do good but provokes clashes and fighting. Eventually, he is made to experience his own agony in the garden about his life as a priest, within and outside the church, trying to embody Christian values, experiencing a range of disciples, both men and women, like Jesus.

Eventually he is chained between a good thief and a bad thief. A woman finally offers him a piece of fruit as comfort - and this focuses him on his decisions, the meaning of his life, dependence on God, dependence on humans. The film can be interpreted in many ways as both pro-Christian and anti-Christian - especially as anti-Catholic church. Given the changes in perspectives on church and religion in the succeeding decades, it is clear that Nazarin would receive much more favourable response later.

1. Personal drama, series of fables, religious content?

2. Bunuel and his black and white photography, his cinema artistry? Vision, serious, satirical? His Spanish background, anti-Catholic stances? His criticism of the church? His sojourn in Mexico and his experience of Spanish culture, the Hispanic church?

3. The title, the focus on the priest, his name, behaviour, the Christ figure?

4. The experiences of Nazarin: as a priest, in his place and time, working for the Mexicans, the Mexican church, its interpretation of the Gospel precepts? Andrea and the shelter? Giving shelter to the prostitute, peoples reactions, the church? The effect on himself, on her? His being summoned by the authorities, the criticisms, their explanations?

4. The decisions about his priesthood, his right to administer the sacraments? Beatrice, the suicide, abandoned? Going on the road, the encounters with the poor? The two women - and they're being disciples, the Gospel background of Martha and Mary? Nazarin being simple, his illusions? The work with the poor like Christ, trying to live with the rail gang, the question of the wages, the riot? The plague, the victim and giving the sacraments? The concern for the lover and not for God? Beatrice and Andreas' love? The arrests, Nazarin beaten? The two thieves? On the road, the reaction, the woman and the fruit? His wandering off - to what future?

5. The film as an allegory of the gospels? How persuasive? Audience knowledge of Christ and the gospel episodes? Nazarin as an image of Christ? The sermon on the mount, the gospel values - Nazarin practicing what he preached? Challenge?

6. The cumulative effect of the episodes, the gospel parallels? The effect on the audience, on Nazarin?

7. Andrea and Beatriz, gospel figures, the background of their lives, the effect, suicide attempt? Following Nazarin? The quality of their love, from the heart, erotica? love? His Leaving? Their personality of the dwarf, his devotion to the women? friendship with Nazarin, the lessons for Nazarin?

8. Prison, the two thieves, the beating? Cynical observation?

9. The people that Nazarin encountered, ordinary people, hard work, suffering? the grind of daily life? the rail gangs? The plane victims? The woman with the fruit?

10. The critique of Christianity, the affirmation of its values, of the person of Jesus? The critique of the church interpreting Jesus? Bunuel and his atheistic stances, his denial of transcendence? The affirmation of spirituality as the ending of the film, the defeat of the disillusionment of spirituality?