I can't think of any other film that attacks organized religion with such malice, as well as eloquence, as "Viridiana." The events in the movie are as mythically shocking as anything in the Bible. Bunuel's attitudes towards the church are bitter, brutal, cynical and cathartic, in other words, not terribly complex. But Bunuel, who could easily rank in (at least) the top 10 of a "Greatest Filmmakers of all Time" list, undercuts this with a genius ability to tell a story, and a gorgeous visual style on the level of Welles and Lang.
If guilt and shame are the heart of the Catholic Church, than hypocrisy must be its lungs. While the ultimate goal of this (still) political institution is power, secrets, cover-ups, and denial are its most effective weapons in achieving this goal. These weapons, over the centuries, have kept the Church alive and pushed the message of Jesus further out of reach. The result is a society, as in the one in "Viridiana," where treachery is delicately veiled in "piety." Bunuel conveys this message as only the greatest poets do.
If guilt and shame are the heart of the Catholic Church, than hypocrisy must be its lungs. While the ultimate goal of this (still) political institution is power, secrets, cover-ups, and denial are its most effective weapons in achieving this goal. These weapons, over the centuries, have kept the Church alive and pushed the message of Jesus further out of reach. The result is a society, as in the one in "Viridiana," where treachery is delicately veiled in "piety." Bunuel conveys this message as only the greatest poets do.