Nazarín
| Nazarín | |
|---|---|
 Nazarín poster | |
| Directed by | Luis Buñuel |
| Written by | Julio Alejandro Luis Buñuel |
| Produced by | Manuel Barbachano Ponce |
| Starring | Francisco Rabal Marga López Rita Macedo Jesús Fernández |
| Distributed by | Producciones Barbáchano Ponce |
Release date | 4 June 1959 (Mexico) |
Running time | 94 min. |
| Language | Spanish |
Nazarín is a 1959 Mexican film directed by Luis Buñuel and co-written between Buñuel and Julio Alejandro, adapted from the eponymous novel of Benito Pérez Galdós. It won the international prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
Synopsis
Padre Nazario is a priest of Spanish heritage living austerely in the poor side of town. He is of a quiet, template nature and carelessly gives away what little he has, to the point of not caring whenever his house is burgled. One night, a prostitute, Andara, comes running into his home seeking shelter from the authorities; she has murdered a colleague and has been wounded herself in the fight. Padre Nazario decides to aid her and houses her until the authorities find her out hiding there. The prostitute burns the place, so as to not leave a trace of her passing by, and Padre Nazario sets out to peregrinate the country in disguise.
Along the way, Padre Nazario goes through a series of encounters where he does good through charity, help and comfort, but ends wreaking havoc and chaos. He first tries for a job at a railroad, but is intimidated by his co-workers and after he leaves the site a fight ensues between those defending him and those harassing him; Nazario hears gunfire in the distance. He then comes across a miserable village where he once again meets the prostitutes Andara and Beatriz, who ask for his help in curing a sick child ridden with fever. He prays amidst their superstitious rites, and leaves the household.
By the following day, the child has become healthy, and believing that Padre Nazario performed a miracle, Andara and Beatriz join him in his peregrination, at first rejected, then secretly following him and finally joining him. They come across a tyrant colonel who is on the verge of shooting Nazario for his lack of respect, and a village ridden with the plague. Their services are met with distaste by one dying woman who will rather have her husband next to her than the priest.
As they camp in the forest, it becomes clear that Andara and Beatriz follow Nazario for hedonistic purposes rather than religious ones - they dispute over Nazario's affection. The party is eventually ambushed traitorously with the aid of the midget Ujo, Andara's "boyfriend", and Nazario and Andara are taken prisoners on account of their crimes; Beatriz tails along, but is forcefully reunited through her mother with her malicious husband, Pinto, after being told that her devotion for Nazario is nothing but lust. After a soul-breaking night in jail, where Nazario begins to have trouble with his convictions and finds it hard to forgive his torturing cellmates, he is separated from the procession and is made to march along to his execution point accompanied by one guard.
In the last scene of the movie, Beatriz and Pinto drive by Nazario without noticing him (or him they) and an old woman by the road gives him a pineapple as charity. Nazario doubts for a moment whether to accept the useless charity, but takes it in. He then marchs on to drumbeats, having finally receded on his unquestioning faith and the pride with which he used to take in charity.
Parallelisms with Jesus Christ
The second half of the movie shares various parallels with the life and work of Jesus Christ:
- Nazario peregrinates the land, performing "miracles" and aiding the needed.
- He is joined by two women astounded by his miracles and wishing to do good, much like the apostles.
- Nazario rouses scandal amidst the dogmatic religious because of his teaching and lifestyle.
- The character of Beatriz represents Mary Magdalene since she is a follower and reluctant love interest of Nazario.
- One of his "disciples" betrays the party and has them arrested in a garden, an event identical to Judas Iscariot's treason at the Garden of Gethsemane. Even Andara attempts to fight the soldiers and knocks one down with a branch, but is reprehended by Nazario and asked to follow suit. This closely parallels Peter's maiming of a soldier with his sword and Jesus reprehending him and asking him not to put up a fight.
- Both Nazario and Jesus are sent to prison, tortured, offered a chance to escape and forced to wear a mock crown of some sort.
- Both Nazario and Jesus are forced to march through torture and humiliation to their deaths.
- Also marching to their deaths are two thieves, one of whom is 'bad' and humiliates Nazario, and one of whom is 'good' and who helps him.