MYOFNF #19: The Spirit of the Beehive (dir. Victor Erice, 1973)

This is the kind of movie people that love call "hypnotic," and people that hate call "boring." While there are certainly some striking visuals in this film (especially the final shot), for the most part, put me in the "boring" camp. I know: a philistine like me should just stick with Michael Bay if I can't appreciate artistic, plotless meandering with an allegorical subtext. I'm sorry! I like a story in my narrative film! Sue me! All of that said, there is something special in this film. Unlike most films that operate from a kid's point of view, Beehive doesn't sentimentalize childhood or treat it as a parade of traumatic experiences. Instead, the viewer is treated to a singularly haunting and realistic portrayal of the way that children assimilate the concept of death into their imaginations.