Wednesday, 18 September 2024 12:16

August Virgin, The

august virgin

THE AUGUST VIRGIN

 

Spain, 2019, 125 minutes, Colour.

Itsasa Arana, Vito Sanz.

Directed by Jonas Trueba.

 

The Truebas have been significant filmmakers in Spain, especially Fernando, with his brother, David. The August Virgin has been corrected by Fernando’s son, Jonas.

This is very much a film for 30 somethings. 20 somethings are probably too busy with their lives to be so empathetic with Eva, the central character here, age 33, taking time off to reflect on her life and its directions. 40 somethings plus may well be impatient with Eva as they watch the film.

The introduction tells us that citizens of Madrid leave for the summer, leaving the city to tourists and to a range of entertainers as well as for celebrations of religious festivals, glimpsed during the film.

The structure of the film is a literal calendar, indicating the beginning of each day for the first 15 days of August. Eva writes a diary but the film is something of a visual diary for the audience. Some of the days are filled with action, some have only brief glimpses.

She takes up an apartment, described in great detail on the first day, base for her when she decides to go out, and as a tourist, other times just wandering, encountering an old friend at the Museum and discussing old times with him, and a drink; another time going to the cinema and meeting two old friends, further discussions; at the cinema she listens to 2 women talking and asks one of them to accompany her home for a special female massage; another time she is concerned with the man she fears is standing in a dangerous place, talks with him, befriends him, fascinated, the next night following him, talking, a sexual encounter, highlighting her preoccupation with being pregnant.

There is indication that after the first 15 days of August, she has come to some terms with herself, very much preoccupied with pregnancy – and some enigmatic references to being pregnant, no father, memories of the Virgin Mary.

Varied reactions – sympathetic audiences very involved, others irritated and bored.

  1. The director, his family, films and reputation?
  2. Madrid, the first half of August, the summer, the heat, the streets and crowds, the festivities, the concerts, the music? Apartments, bars, city locations? The musical score, the range of songs?
  3. The introduction, the explanations, citizens of Madrid leaving, the heat, but the celebrations in the city, the tourists? The glimpse of tourist buses and their destinations, the tourist crowds in the streets, the concerts and performances?
  4. The use of the calendar for the first half of August, indicating days?
  5. The introduction to Eva, at the apartment, the long speech from the apartment owner, his writing, interested in 1930s movie comedy and its stars, his going on vacation, showing her every detail of the apartment? Her accepting it? Relaxing in it?
  6. Eva, the audience not knowing much about her, in her 30s, revelation that she was an actress, gradual revelation of friends, relationships? Her reason for staying in Madrid, wanting to understand herself, being alone, her identity, the issue of pregnancy?
  7. The succeeding days, the keeping a diary, the film is a visual diary?
  8. The scenes of her wandering around, observing, in the tourist bus, following the Asian tourist, going to the museum, the encounter with her friend, his continued talking, writing articles, breakup with his girlfriend, the aftermath, her having a drink with him, his getting drunk?
  9. Going to the cinema, meeting the two friends, the conversations, relationships, the past, her self-consciousness, their going into the film, Eva not going, going home, writing in the diary?
  10. The next day going to the cinema, listening to the two women and their talk, meeting them afterwards, going home with Maria, the rituals and massage, women’s massage, periods, pregnancy?
  11. Seeing Agos behind the glass, her concern, crawling under the glass, the long conversation with him, actor, working at the bar, his girlfriend, the daughter with her and her boyfriend? The long talk, attraction? Her going home?
  12. Going to the concert in the city, the performance, dramatics, music, her enjoying it, rapt with the music? Meeting the two women again, the conversations?
  13. The bar, seeing Agos, later following him, their talking, the walk home, the possibility of an apartment, the room, the sexual encounter, his sleeping, her consciousness of pregnancy?
  14. The next day, with Agos and his daughter, the family group, the daughter and her very direct questions about pregnancy, the father, the comparisons with the Virgin Mary?
  15. At the end of the period, Eva and her self-understanding, looking in the mirror, her naked self, the pregnancy, her wishes, joining with a gloss and his daughter, happy times together, her future?