Viridiana is a 1961 Spanish-Mexican film directed by Luis Buñuel. It stars Silvia Pinal as Viridiana, Francisco Rabal as Don Jaime, and Fernando Rey as Jorge.
The film begins with Viridiana at the convent, ready to take her vows and become a nun. However, she receives a letter from her uncle Jaime, inviting her to visit him at his estate in the countryside. Viridiana reluctantly agrees, feeling it is her duty as a family member to visit him before she enters the convent.
Once she arrives at the estate, Viridiana meets her uncle Jaime, a wealthy and lonely man who quickly becomes fascinated with her. Jaime sees in Viridiana a resemblance to his deceased wife, and becomes increasingly obsessed with her.
As the days go on, Jaime's obsession with Viridiana grows, and he begins to make inappropriate advances towards her. Viridiana, who has always despised her uncle, is horrified and disgusted by his behavior. She tries to avoid him, but he continues to pursue her relentlessly.
Things come to a head when Jaime drugs Viridiana and attempts to rape her. She manages to fend him off, but is left traumatized by the experience. Viridiana, now completely disillusioned with her life and her faith, decides to abandon her plans to become a nun and instead decides to stay at Jaime's estate and care for the beggars and outcasts who have taken up residence there.
Despite her good intentions, Viridiana's attempts to help the poor and needy are met with resistance and betrayal. In the film's shocking and unforgettable final scene, the beggars who Viridiana has tried to help wildly and grotesquely reenact the Last Supper, complete with sacrilegious actions and disturbing parodies.
Viridiana is a dark and thought-provoking film that explores themes of obsession, sin, and redemption. It is widely considered to be one of Buñuel's masterpieces, and won the Palme d'Or at the 1961 Cannes Film Festival.
