Cria Cuervos...

CRIA CUERVOS... Y TE SACARÁN LOS OJOS
Finally, it appears, Criterion is getting around to releasing some of the many great Spanish films of the past decades. High time they noticed there have been some astounding Spanish films and directors beyond Luis Buñuel, undoubtedly the great master. But Saura, Berlanga, Bardem, Borau, Erice, Bigas Luna, and quite a few more I could name, have directed some masterpieces that also deserve the special Criterion teatment. After the recent and excellent release of El Espíritu de la Colmena (Spirit of the Beehive), now comes Cría Cuervos, a fascinating parable, somewhere between fantasy and reality, that beyond the too obvious symbolism of a country finally liberating itself from a long dictatorship, it is an intelligent exploration of the scary world of troubled childhood. And Ana Torrent (the same girl of Spirit of the Beehive) speaks volumes just with those incredible dark eyes. My copy is in its way, but I don't doubt Criterion transfer and worthy extras will...

Saura's Masterpiece
Once upon a time, there was a dictator who ruled Spain whose name was Franco. While the most famous Spanish director, Luis Buñuel, left the country to work uninhibited in France and Mexico, and the next generation's most famous director, Almodóvar, was just an infant, Carlos Saura was the director who remained in Spain making films that were critical of the dictatorial regime but escaped the vigilant eyes of the censors because of their subtlety and his use of metaphor and symbolism. Cría is the product of this masterful director who dared to challenge the authoritarian government.
On the surface, it is the story of a young girl, Ana, who is obsessed with death because she witnesses the slow death of her mother from a painful disease; but she also witnesses the infidelities and hypocrisy of the adults that surround her: her father who dies while having intimate relations with a close family friend, an aunt who is left as her guardian who is incapable of...

Reality and imagination merge for orphaned Ana
"Cria!" tells the story of a little girl named Ana (Ana Torrent), who has lost both of her parents. However, they are still in her thoughts, so this captivating work from writer-director Carlos Saura merges her thoughts with reality. Ana continues to talk with her parents, especially her mother, also named Ana and wonderfully played by Geraldine Chaplin (yes, I was surprised to realize it was her in this film as well). Throughout this film you will be wondering what is real and what is imagination, although it is clear as to which is more important to Ana. It is nice to see that this film appears letterboxed and digitally re-mastered with new subtitles. However, if you can watch this film with somebody who knows Spanish you should get them to tell you the words of the song little Ana keeps singing, because it is that song which is her "cry" in this film. One of the strengths of this film is how Saura using camera angles to reflect the little girl's...

Click to Editorial Reviews