An essay of three Spanish films Directed by Carlos Saura

The Hunt (1966), Peppermint Frappe (1967) and Ana and the Wolves (1973)

Carlos Saura (1932-2023), a Spanish director who made numerous films is best remember for is anti-Franco films. During the years of 1936-1975, Francisco Franco ruled Spain with an authoritarian iron fist. Saura protested and criticizes Franco's society with his films. The films that I will focus on are The Hunt, Peppermint Frappe and Ana and the Wolves.

The Hunt (1966) Three former Spanish civil war veterans reunite for a rabbit hunt. The movie touches upon trauma, male toxicity, and disappointment.

The hunt takes place on a sweltering day in a desolate area. They talk, hunt and drink as the hot sun beats down on them. Bitter feelings and truth come to the surface. Their lives did not turn out the way they hoped. The world forgot about them. In the heat, they find themselves relieving the war. The only way they know how to express themselves is through violence.

Peppermint Frappe (1967): A doctor becomes obese with his friend's wife. His obsession leads him to mold his female assistant to be like the friend's wife. In this movie there are varies themes such as how society views women, how men want to shape women to fit their fantasy, how an obsession drives a person to the edge and how society's strict rules and suppression harms people.

It is also a criticism of the Catholic Church for supporting the Franco regime.

Jose has a desire that society prohibits him from expressing. When he meets his friend (Pablo) wife (Elena). His desires take hold of him. What makes matters worse, he believed he saw her playing drums in a village. It was a memory he held onto and wished to be true. However, Pablo and Elena mock the memory. The disrespect he feels causes him to lash out.

Ana and the Wolves (1973): An English governess (Ana) goes to work with a family living on an isolate estate. In this estate live three brothers (the wolves) and their mother. The first brother, Juan, represents misogyny and lust. The second brother, Jose, represents the military and authority. The third brother, Fernando, represents religious zealots and hypocrisy.

Juan is married with children. He is unfaithful to his wife. Jose and Fernando are not married, nor do they have children.

Their mother, an elderly woman with a seizure disorder, represents the aristocracy and the traditionalist who cling to power and to the past. They refuse to change for the better of the country.

In the movie the mother and Ana are in her bedroom. The mother has the housekeepers searching for boxes of mementos to show Ana. She makes a comment about the mice destroying things. Even though the mice are in the house, she does not try to rid the house of the rodents.

She does not realize how odd her sons have become. There is part of the movie where Fernando lives in a cave and refuses to eat. Meanwhile Juan is anonymously writing disturbing letters to Ana. Jose collects military memorabilia and spends his time taking care of his military museum.

Ana is a foreigner intruding in their bizarre world. She is an independent and educated woman. She rejects them. (Though, she briefly bonds with Fernando) She is a threat to her their world.

The movie is a criticism of society and how absolute and delusional power can be destructive.

These types of wolves exist in the world.

Special Mention:

Blind Folded Eyes (Los Ojos Vendados) 1978

Luis, an acting teacher and director, sits on a panel hearing testimony from people held prisoner and brutalized by an authoritarian regime. Testimony by Inez inspires Luis to create a play.

During this time, he starts a relationship with Emilia. He gives her the lead part of the play.

This film has two sides to it, one is the play and two is Luis relationship with Emilia.

The last part of the film, Emilia as Inez recounts her experience. The last line of the movie, she pleas for people to "condemn authoritarian and repressive military regimes, so events like this never happen again."

In a world that is fascinated with authoritarianism, these films have now become a warning.