Viridiana (1961) ****

The first of three films (one being a short) that Luis Buñuel made with Silvia Pinal, Viridiana (1961) was considered by some to be blasphemous and it was banned in Spain, only seeing release there in 1977 when Buñuel was 77 years old. Viridiana has a lot of bold symbolism and sexually suggestive imagery and dialogue. It feels like Buñuel at his most Bergmanesque. It has a protagonist whose piety is taken advantage of at every turn, by both strangers and relatives alike. As a piece of filmmaking that presents human beings as realistic, complex, and sometimes base in nature, it's a masterwork.

Luis Buñuel Films Ranked