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Buñuel claimed that of all the films of his prolific Mexican period (1946 - 1961), his own favourite was Nazarin, one of the director's four filmic adaptations of works by 19th century Spanish novelist Benito Pérez Galdós. The film chronicles the quixotic wanderings of the titular priest (Francisco Rabal) in turn-of-the-century Mexico and his attempts to live in as faithful a manner as possible to the Gospel. Through his encounters with the harsh realities of the secular world, Buñuel highlights both Nazarin's detachment from the desperate poverty he witnesses and the indifference of those he attempts to aid.
With Nazarin, Buñuel strived for, and largely achieved, the unadorned realism of Los Olvidados - and this despite his initial disagreements with DoP Gabriel Figueroa who favoured more elegant compositions. At the time of its release, to Buñuel's exasperation, Nazarin was misunderstood both by the Catholic Church and old Surrealist friends as signalling the director's rejection of his lifelong anti-clericism. The release of Viridiana in 1961 would shatter such misreadings.

 

Pasquale Iannone on 14th September 2006
View all 52 of Pasquale Iannone's reviews