5/5 INCOMPREHENSIBLE HERE THE ONE STAR REVIEWS OF THIS EXCELLENT MOVIES BECAUSE OF NO SUBTITLES
  by
These are perhaps some of Bunuel's finest movies, along with Los Olvidados Aka The Forgotten and The Young and the Damned and The Brute (El Bruto). These films are only matched by such great classics as Bicycle Thieves (Criterion Collection) (notice the restoration of the correct plural title) or Grand Illusion - Criterion Collection itself.

For the other reviewers to give this immortal films ONE STAR because they lack English subtitles is a barbarity and cultural crime beneath contempt and beyond understanding.

The first film as mentioned trails the urban odyssey, here not of Mr. Leopold Bloom, but of two street car workers who restore a broken street car to usability, but the company accuses them of an excess of efficiency as the plan had been to close that line. The street car goes that night for one trial run, and the inevitable occurs, and much that is unpredictable, but all within the realm of the real.

What a delight to see Mexico City of 1953! What a joy the three main actors in this film, excellent, including the young Lauren Bacall-like lead, who is absolutely delicious, matched only by the actress who plays Eve in an amateur production of tales from the Bible (the fall of Lucifer; the temptation and ejection from Paradise) which oddly and wonderfully fills a good part of the opening of the film, after the smashing of a pinata portraying a wealthy man carrying large money bags.

This film is not so much surrealist as socially symbolic therefore. The only ones to doubt the joy of a free street car ride are two old pious women with a religious statue who find such an arrangement suspicious. A wealthy women objecting strongly to not paying for the ride as communism, while others happily shared what food they had with one another. The social significance of all of this is very strong, and much to be admired and to study. No wonder Bunuel had to flee his native Spain and Franco's anti-communist, anti-democratic fascist terrorist army.

The lack of subtitles should be the least of your concerns. Learn Spanish already, as Spanish has never left the majority of these United States, and was the original European tongue of many, including the largest Continental (FL, TX, CA). To be American one must know Spanish. Learn it already. And the Spanish here is always delightful and brilliant and exact, and clear. This is a good teaching tool in many ways, and stands up to repeated viewing.

Of the Nazarin, what is written here in the product description is wrong. This priest is no womanizer, would that he were, but someone who takes the word of the Gospel literally and intellectually, and disdains those who do not follow his logic with precision. His sin is not women but one of great pride. He selflessly gives all that he has without question, and has nothing. A women who has been stabbed seeks refuge form the police in his small and poor quarters, which he gives her without question, while insulting her throughout their time together. Bunuel uses very striking images throughout, including a laughing Christ, a desperate drink of water calmly taken, a child dragging a blanket down a rural street . . .

Nazarin as well is a film which must be seen over and over. The lack of subtitles is a benefit, not a reason for one star reviews, as we can view the film as intended without the garish intrusion of white English words across the bottom of the screen. Jsut learn Spanish already, ok?

The dwarf in this film is fantastic, a full figure, never again in a film I know of, but excellent here, truly human, wonderful, and a model of Love. The end comes abruptly with the priest's final conversion to the Truth, and final expression of gratitude. Throughout the film he thanks no one, but despises all and treats them with great arrogance for their ignorance and foolishness as he calls it. He blithely walks away from a work site where he has caused a conflict which results in gunfire, and his reaction is not one of remorse at hearing the gunfire (nor any consciousness that he has caused it) but of joy at seeing an apple tree with fruit. In the end, stripped of everything, on a forced march as prisoner to face a curial court, a women gives him a pineapple, as he has not eaten for sometime. Although this is the one fruit which it is impossible for him to eat, with no knife, etc., he for the first time grins authentically with joy and gratitude and gives thanks. This is his catharsis, and so the film ends.

See this movie several times to get a grasp of it, to learn the Spanish in all its varieties (from fifty years ago), to understand the cruel socio-economic situation, and to find conversion to true gratitude and joy and peace and love among us humans.

These are great films. There are not stars enough in the sky to praise these films. TO give them one star for not having subtitles is great ignorance. It is pure foolishness. It is a cultural crime.

5/5 INCOMPREHENSIBLE HERE THE ONE STAR REVIEWS OF THIS EXCELLENT MOVIES BECAUSE OF NO SUBTITLES
  by
These are perhaps some of Bunuel's finest movies, along with Los Olvidados Aka The Forgotten and The Young and the Damned and The Brute (El Bruto). These films are only matched by such great classics as Bicycle Thieves (Criterion Collection) (notice the restoration of the correct plural title) or Grand Illusion - Criterion Collection itself.

For the other reviewers to give this immortal films ONE STAR because they lack English subtitles is a barbarity and cultural crime beneath contempt and beyond understanding.

The first film as mentioned trails the urban odyssey, here not of Mr. Leopold Bloom, but of two street car workers who restore a broken street car to usability, but the company accuses them of an excess of efficiency as the plan had been to close that line. The street car goes that night for one trial run, and the inevitable occurs, and much that is unpredictable, but all within the realm of the real.

What a delight to see Mexico City of 1953! What a joy the three main actors in this film, excellent, including the young Lauren Bacall-like lead, who is absolutely delicious, matched only by the actress who plays Eve in an amateur production of tales from the Bible (the fall of Lucifer; the temptation and ejection from Paradise) which oddly and wonderfully fills a good part of the opening of the film, after the smashing of a pinata portraying a wealthy man carrying large money bags.

This film is not so much surrealist as socially symbolic therefore. The only ones to doubt the joy of a free street car ride are two old pious women with a religious statue who find such an arrangement suspicious. A wealthy women objecting strongly to not paying for the ride as communism, while others happily shared what food they had with one another. The social significance of all of this is very strong, and much to be admired and to study. No wonder Bunuel had to flee his native Spain and Franco's anti-communist, anti-democratic fascist terrorist army.

The lack of subtitles should be the least of your concerns. Learn Spanish already, as Spanish has never left the majority of these United States, and was the original European tongue of many, including the largest Continental (FL, TX, CA). To be American one must know Spanish. Learn it already. And the Spanish here is always delightful and brilliant and exact, and clear. This is a good teaching tool in many ways, and stands up to repeated viewing.

Of the Nazarin, what is written here in the product description is wrong. This priest is no womanizer, would that he were, but someone who takes the word of the Gospel literally and intellectually, and disdains those who do not follow his logic with precision. His sin is not women but one of great pride. He selflessly gives all that he has without question, and has nothing. A women who has been stabbed seeks refuge form the police in his small and poor quarters, which he gives her without question, while insulting her throughout their time together. Bunuel uses very striking images throughout, including a laughing Christ, a desperate drink of water calmly taken, a child dragging a blanket down a rural street . . .

Nazarin as well is a film which must be seen over and over. The lack of subtitles is a benefit, not a reason for one star reviews, as we can view the film as intended without the garish intrusion of white English words across the bottom of the screen. Jsut learn Spanish already, ok?

The dwarf in this film is fantastic, a full figure, never again in a film I know of, but excellent here, truly human, wonderful, and a model of Love. The end comes abruptly with the priest's final conversion to the Truth, and final expression of gratitude. Throughout the film he thanks no one, but despises all and treats them with great arrogance for their ignorance and foolishness as he calls it. He blithely walks away from a work site where he has caused a conflict which results in gunfire, and his reaction is not one of remorse at hearing the gunfire (nor any consciousness that he has caused it) but of joy at seeing an apple tree with fruit. In the end, stripped of everything, on a forced march as prisoner to face a curial court, a women gives him a pineapple, as he has not eaten for sometime. Although this is the one fruit which it is impossible for him to eat, with no knife, etc., he for the first time grins authentically with joy and gratitude and gives thanks. This is his catharsis, and so the film ends.

See this movie several times to get a grasp of it, to learn the Spanish in all its varieties (from fifty years ago), to understand the cruel socio-economic situation, and to find conversion to true gratitude and joy and peace and love among us humans.

These are great films. There are not stars enough in the sky to praise these films. TO give them one star for not having subtitles is great ignorance. It is pure foolishness. It is a cultural crime.

4/5 Excellent Films From The Golden Era Of Mexican Cinema
  by Joseph Wilby (SAN ANTONIO)
Considering that the films are part of a series of important movies from the golden era of Mexican cinema. I was dissapointed about the movies released by Lionsgate without subtitles, which contributes to these fine films to be ignored by anyone who does not understand Spanish and is not willing to sit through them for the beauty that they are. I understand the language but, it's a shame that they will not find a wider audience.
I am giving the films four stars because they deserve it.

1/5 No English subtitles
  by Jeffrey Rosen (Los Angeles, CA)
As the previous reviewer ststed there are NO English subtitles on this release, even though it is released by Lionsgate, a US company. Don't know if a first pressing issue but beware.

1/5 No English subtitles
  by English Prof (Winston Salem, NC)
Do be aware that this disc is part of a Lionsgate release of classic Mexican cinema, and that there are NO ENGLISH SUBTITLES, despite the information on the Amazon listing page.