La Prima Angélica

An absorbing, moving and ultimately quite enjoyable meditation on the past and memory. Normally, a lot of flashbacks bug the shit out of me, but Saura handles them with such deftness and imagination that it's impossible to complain.

A man reflects on his youth, a time of forbidden love, loss of innocence, and the trauma of war. His past and present blend together in his mind, having never been able to escape the terror that shaped his life and, metaphorically, his country. This film has a great deal of vivid dramatic imagery, largely thanks to some exceptional interior work with light and shadow.

A surprisingly accessible, yet undeniably confusing mind-twister of a film. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out which time period we were in and whether the unspoken plot device was time travel, mental retardation or some kind of dreamlike memory voyage. Doubtless it will make more sense the second time I watch it. Some interesting themes and a nice parallel with the acting out of fantastical childhood scenes by adults as seen in Saura's 1969 work "La Madriguera".

Carlos Saura #1