Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

A master of surrealism and satire, Luis Bunuel was never one to give his audience idealistic optimism about the way things are heading. The intellect/director often accomplished the exact opposite with his scolding criticisms of society and religion, or more accurately, society's relationship with religion. While Nazarin isn't purely idealistic nor optimistic, Bunuel manages to deliver a somewhat "positive" message alien to fans familiar with his other Mexican-period works. This is the film for all those who incorrectly labeled him "anti-Christian." Let the real truth be known: he was not.

Allow me to explain...

Luis Bunuel was an atheist in the truest meaning of the term, yet he was fascinated by society's need for religion. Some of his closest friends were Catholic priests and he would hang out with various orders to satisfy his undying curiosity about their strict relationship with God. What Bunuel despised was not religion itself, it was the hierarchical structure of Roman Catholicism as well as the strict Papal rules embodied in Catholic morality systems. Because Luis Bunuel advocated all forms of Rousseauian social democracy (including Marxism), the attacks of his satire target hierarchy found all over society; religion not excluded. I only recommend Bunuel films to people who can appreciate the quality and cleverness of his art without necessarily having to agree with it.

"Thank God I'm an atheist!" (Luis Bunuel)

To the film...

Winner of the Cannes Film Festival Grand Prize, Nazarin follows the trials and tribulations of a pious priest named Father Nazario (Francisco "Paco" Rabal), humble cleric of a lowerclass Mexican village. Giving what little he can to those in need, Nazario's charities are often taken for granted by self-interested pheasants. After providing refuge to a prostitute accused of attempted murder, the priest is stripped of certification and forced out of town by superiors who don't want his "image" disgracing the sanctity of the clergy. Now free of the Church's hierarchy, ex-Father Nazario roams the Mexican countryside, hoping to spread God's goodwill to a deteriorating society that has long since forgotten His message.

Father Nazario is a Christian idealist who subscribes more to the teachings of the Bible than he does the rules of Catholic priesthood. I know what you're thinking: "oh no Third_Man, when are you going to quit writing about weird stuff?" Nazario doesn't do anything bizarre, rather he devotes his life to charity and receiving the charity that is given back to him (begging), a lifestyle deemed tasteless by the priesthood that exiled him. Much to Nazario's dismay, the people of Mexico have turned him into a common folk Saint, and some undesirables have gone so far as to join his trek as disciples. Wanting to remain humble and pious, Father Nazario does all he can to dispel rumors of his overblown greatness. At the same time, his morality forces him to keep helping the helpless and teaching the undesirable. Is it any coincidence that over the course of his travels, the beggar-priest gradually takes on a more Christlike appearance and rhetoric?

NOTE: Don't worry; Bunuel doesn't go so far as to make the audience believe that Father Nazario is the second-coming or anything, but he does play with the question of how modern people would react when confronted by Jesus if they didn't know it was Him. I assure you that no blasphemy is involved in this one. That's more or less saved for the Vatican-blacklisted Viridiana.

Nazarin best serves as a companion piece to Viridiana (1961). These two films share more than just the same protagonist model; their themes, criticisms, and struggles are virtually identical. Plot aside, the only major difference between them is outcome, or "Bunuel's Final Thought" (Jerry jokes aside). The overall message of any Luis Bunuel feature is either altered or stabilized by the final sequence. Is there hope for us yet? The two films disagree.

It may seem odd to others familiar with Bunuel's works that I recommend viewing Nazarin as a companion piece to Viridiana especially knowing that the latter was filmed over two years afterwards. I ask you to consider that these films are two sides of the same coin, virtually identical in content yet different in perception and resolution. Whichever one you wish to see first is completely up to you. Let it be known that Viridiana stands alone a bit more comfortably due to Nazarin's mixed signals and anticlimax. Take this into account if you opt to split up the duo.

Nazarin is the film for people who want to get a taste of Luis Bunuel but fear his legendary harsh criticisms of society and religion. Though gentle while alone, this movie can pack a punch when combined with its mirror reflection, Viridiana. I do not recommend this piece to readers new to Mr. Martini's filmography, as its thick meat of themes and satire tend not to sit well in the stomachs of amateurs. That said, this movie is one of my personal top five favorite Bunuel films (sometimes #1, sometimes not). Nazarin's intricacy forces me to keep it permanently resided in my VCR - coming out briefly whenever a new movie is popped in, but always returning to its rightful place when I'm through.





Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older