Sound of the Sea (2001)

Virgil's Aeneid: Bigas Luna ' s Aphrodisiac

Bigas Luna is a Spanish director who has his own style (Jamón, jamón, Huevos de oro, Bámbola, Lumière et compagnie, La Femme de chambre du Titanic, etc) and his method of storytelling takes some adjustment on the part of the viewer. For those who treasure the magical mysteries of Latin dramas this film SON DE MAR (Sound of the Sea) will surely satisfy. Keeping with the title he has chosen (from Rafael Azcona's screenplay based on Manuel Vicent's novel) the presence of the complex sounds of water are ever present and the carriage that escorts the lovers to their ultimate destiny is a boat of the same name. It works.

Ulises (Jordi Mollà) is a teacher brought in midterm to a little town's school. His obsession (and teaching assignment) is Virgil's Aeneid, and he constantly reads it, quotes it, coaxes his students to read aloud the poetry therein, and when he finds an apartment belonging to a couple whose daughter Martina (Leonor Watling) falls under Ulises spell, Ulises quotes from the book scenes involving serpents from the sea, words that make the young and very beautiful Martina awaken sexually. In rapid sequence they become pregnant and marry - though Martina's parents prefer the young wealthy Sierra (Eduard Fernández) as a suitable husband.

Soon after their baby son is born the couple attend a party at Sierra's estate and Ulises eyes a beautiful woman while Sierra attempts to win Martina's heart. Ulises buys a fishing boat and sets out to fish for Martina but the boat is wrecked and thinking Ulises dead, a Requiem mass is held and Martina in time marries Sierra for his ability to provide for her infant son. Five years pass and the now steely Martina lives in luxury and receives a phone call from - Ulises! First enraged that Ulises left her for five years, Martina is quickly wooed to the strains of poetry from the Aeneid and hides Ulises in the top floor of one of Sierra's new buildings. Sierra discovers the reunited lovers' tryst and plans for their end. The lovers escape - to a destiny foretold by phrases from the Aeneid.

Despite his greasy long hair and scruffy beard Jordi Mollà delivers a smoldering presence as Ulises. But it is the presence of Leonor Watling's Martina that makes this at times shaky film work. She is a powerhouse presence. The photography by José Luis Alcaine and the sensuous musical score by Glen Johnson enhance Bigas Luna's concept for the film. It is another satisfying work by a unique director who knows how to mold a story with fleshy means and make it work. In Spanish with English subtitles. Grady Harp, January 07 January 24, 2007

Bigas Luna, of the Greek Tragedies

At first I thought: oh come on, give me a break! The wandering, dreamy-eyed young teacher, the pouting, rap music-blasting village Lolita sucking whole oranges, the white panties on the clothes line -- could you be any more clichéd? But then the story grew on me, with its many parallels to the Greeks, so much so that I think I'll go back to the source and reread the original. Some of the sea and water images reminded me of "Sex and Lucia" which I still prefer. Also, in the R-Rated version I rented from Blockbuster, the sex scenes must have been cut. Nothing spectacular, by far. So Bigas Luna likes breasts, but then again, we knew that already. March 28, 2006

Romance, sex, betrayal, sex, suspense, sex, mystery, sex!

If you are familiar with any work of Begas Luna, you might recognize his desire to include sex, and this movie has its share of sexual scenes. Fortunately, the subjects and scenes were tasteful. And, if you are new to European film, they favor full frontal nudity. Upon viewing, we are given a warning.

Martina is a young girl who is attracted by a drifter (Ulises) who ends up at her family's rooming house. He lands a job as a literature teacher and in romancing her, he quotes passages from Virgil's The Aenid and other pleasing to the ear passages. Martina is in love, nothing else matters to her except the excitement of passion and sex.

Ulises impregnates Martina, they marry quickly and a baby is born. We don't see or learn much that Ulises becomes restless with marital and parental life, however, we only view a couple of short scenes that dictate his unhappy state.

Then, Ulises is suspected of drowning. But now we cut to Martina's luxurious life married to rival and villainous construction magnate.

Flash forward to movie predictability, Ulises is alive and has discovered he cannot live without her. It only took him about 7 years to figure that out! Secretly, they are united, she hides him and the only thing they can do together is.....HAVE SEX!

The movie has elements of suspense, love, seduction, mystery, betrayal, nudity and plenty of hot sex. The beautiful music at the end was soothing like the Sound of the Sea. It was quite entertaining and I recommend it highly. ...MzRizz
January 29, 2006

beautiful woman with low esteem

This film is beautiful. All of the scenery is gorgeous and the people are very beautiful as well. However, it tells the story of a gorgeous young woman who falls for a seductive teacher who turns her on sexually with poetic prose. However, he never tells her he loves her until their wedding day (shotgun wedding) and only after she forces it out of him. After the birth of their child, he seems uneasy with his new life as husband and father. He even removes his wedding ring. He then fakes his death in order to leave his situation (one that I would gladly trade places with) so that he could live wandering the world lustfully. After the wife remarries to a wealthy and loving man, who adopts her child, the estranged undead husband reappears, wanting her back. Now, if I were the woman in this case, I would have completely gotten medieval with him, showing him what true suffering can be like. However, after she gives him a well deserved slap on his face, he begins to spout poetry once again, causing her to awaken those dormant feelings of complete arousal. She then begins to neglect her perfect life with her new husband, child, and gorgeous home and wealth. The new hubby finds out and .....well, you will see. I know I would have done something along the same lines. Great film, but, women with low self esteem who are selfish and make wrong choices really make me sick. May 24, 2005

A good script with lows and peaks!

To talk too much about oneself is also another way of hiding.
Nietzsche.

This ambitious film started as a good premise. The raise of a passion through the literature reached its peak in previous films such as The Dead Poets Society, 84 Charing Cross Road, The dark side of the heart, Il Postino or Browning version

Until the first half, the film sustains its dramatic force but suddenly falls down in a dark hole of zero atmosphere. Bigas Luna has always characterized by his excess but in this case this was the main default. The extralimited and overlong love scenes pretend to my mind to fill the dramatic lagoons and lack of cohesion and ideas without adding anything to the story. Sex as visual entertainment may work out to young audiences but restrains the artistic intentions.

The poetry as seductive device is well expressed, there are visual images simply arresting and spelling but there are serious problems with the actor direction. The crocodile as visual metaphor was somehow wasted in the final sequences. There is a real sensation of artificial drama when the boat is sinking which makes the film loses expressive punch.
February 11, 2005

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