---
title: "Tristana"
year: 1970
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/tristana"
fi1m_id: "tristana"
imdb_id: "tt0066491"
tmdb_id: 35838
wikidata_id: "Q1321880"
fi1m_score: 79
critics_score: 74
critics_reviews: 9
published: "2026-09-26T17:03:02.795014+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-26T17:03:03.838033+00:00"
region: "CA"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Tristana (1970)

Directed by Luis Buñuel · 1h 38m · Drama

## Identity

Tristana

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/tristana
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** tristana
- **IMDb ID:** tt0066491
- **TMDB ID:** 35838
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1321880
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066491/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/35838, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1321880

**Fi1m score: 79** · Critics 74 from 9 reviews

*In a sentence:* Fernando Rey makes a gentleman’s good intentions sound like grounds for changing the locks

> Luis Buñuel’s *Tristana* is an unsettling drama worth seeing for Catherine Deneuve and Fernando Rey, despite some blunt dialogue. They make the unequal relationship between a young ward and her guardian difficult to dismiss or forget.

## Synopsis

In Toledo, Tristana (Catherine Deneuve) lives under the guardianship of the older Don Lope (Fernando Rey), with Saturna (Lola Gaos) part of the life around them. Tristana wants room to make decisions for herself, but her dependence gives Don Lope the power to impose his wishes. What begins as a relationship of care becomes a question of how much authority he can claim over her. His standing as her guardian makes it difficult to separate his responsibilities from his desires, and leaves Tristana trying to establish what she is entitled to decide.

## Review

Luis Buñuel’s *Tristana* is a good, disquieting drama with two performances that survive its occasional insistence on explaining itself. In Toledo, the young Tristana lives under the authority of her older guardian, Don Lope. The arrangement gives his wishes a practical advantage over hers, and the film finds both cruelty and bleak comedy in how readily that advantage passes for something respectable. Fernando Rey and Catherine Deneuve are usually more persuasive than the dialogue.

Luis Buñuel and Julio Alejandro adapt the novel by Benito Pérez Galdós without making the guardian’s authority seem safely remote. This is familiar territory for a domestic drama: someone who needs care must accept the conditions imposed by the person providing it. The film is sharpest when those conditions speak for themselves. It becomes less interesting when the dialogue tells us how to understand an inequality already plain on screen.

Fernando Rey makes Don Lope difficult to dismiss, which is essential to the film’s discomfort. He gives the guardian enough humanity that we cannot simply file him away as a monster and stop attending to him. We were disturbed by the ease with which Don Lope treats Tristana’s dependence as an entitlement to obedience. The performance makes that assumption seem ordinary, and therefore more unpleasant than a display of obvious villainy would have been.

Catherine Deneuve gives Tristana a reserve that keeps the film from becoming merely a study of her guardian. She does not make the young woman’s inner life readily available, and that makes the unequal relationship harder to watch. There are stretches when the performance holds us too far away, however, leaving us to study her predicament without feeling much closer to her. She remains compelling even when warmth is in short supply.

José Fernández Aguayo’s photography uses muted colour to keep the setting from becoming a pleasant distraction. That restraint suits a story in which respectable appearances provide so little reassurance. Enrique Alarcón’s production design supports the subdued look, keeping the surroundings from competing with the actors for attention. The visual quietness works well around the central performances, though it also means that when a passage goes flat there is little else to occupy the eye.

Pedro del Rey’s editing gives the uneasy relationship time to register, but it also leaves some blunt dialogue exposed. At 98 minutes, the film is not overlong; the problem is that certain points arrive after the actors have already made them clear. Luis Buñuel sometimes seems unwilling to let us miss the ugliness of Don Lope’s authority. Those explanations slow the drama more than its measured pace does.

The dreamlike strangeness is more rewarding, allowing uncertainty into a film that can otherwise be rather sure of its conclusions. Its bleak humour also prevents the subject of repression from becoming a solemn duty for the audience. There is pleasure here, although little comfort, and the emotional distance remains a caveat. Choose *Tristana* when the appeal of a domestic drama lies in watching people whose manners offer no guarantee that they will behave well.

*Fi1m score 79, published 26 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews lean favourable, with praise clustering around the performances and Buñuel’s treatment of repression, corruption and unequal relationships. Catherine Deneuve draws admiration for her chilling performance, while Fernando Rey earns praise even from critics less persuaded by the film around him. The more enthusiastic readings find complicated characters, unsettling dreamlike passages and a sly connection between sexual and political repression; they value the film’s resistance to simple explanations.

The spread runs from strong enthusiasm to qualified approval, with disagreement chiefly over how much subtlety and irreverence Buñuel brings to the material. Slant Magazine finds an accessible introduction to his work, but faults the blunt symbolism and obvious dialogue. Variety is more reserved, describing a sombre, unusually respectful film with only intermittent flashes of mischief, though it singles out Rey for praise. These reservations concern the handling of the material rather than the central performances.

## Straight answers

**Is Tristana worth watching?**

*Tristana* is worth watching for its unsettling performances by Catherine Deneuve and Fernando Rey, and we score it 79 out of 100. We recommend it to those who enjoy measured domestic dramas about power and dependence, with the caveat that blunt dialogue sometimes explains what the actors have already made clear.

**How long is Tristana, and what is it rated?**

*Tristana* runs 1h 38m. It is a drama film.

**Where can I watch Tristana in Canada?**

*Tristana* is not on any streaming or rental service in Canada at the moment. It is available in 8 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is Tristana, and is it suitable for children?**

*Tristana* is an unsettling adult drama rather than a choice we recommend for children; its US certificate advises parental caution for under-13s, and no UK certificate is supplied. The discomfort we identify comes from a guardian treating a young woman’s dependence as permission to control her, rather than any specific violence or frightening imagery we can substantiate.

**How does Tristana compare to The Heiress?**

*Tristana* shares [*The Heiress*](https://film.one/film/the-heiress)’s concern with a young woman whose household restricts her choices, but we recommend *The Heiress* more strongly for its precision and emotional force. *Tristana* offers bleak comedy and dreamlike strangeness alongside its unequal relationship; its occasional over-explanation and Deneuve’s reserve make it a more emotionally distant choice.

**Is Tristana based on a true story or a book?**

*Tristana* is adapted from a novel by Benito Pérez Galdós, with the adaptation credited to Luis Buñuel and Julio Alejandro, rather than presented as a true story. We make no claim about its fidelity to the book, but its central conflict between a dependent young woman and her controlling guardian is clear without knowing the source.

**What should I watch after Tristana?**

After *Tristana*, try [*The Heiress*](https://film.one/film/the-heiress) (1949, Fi1m 90): Another young woman’s choices are narrowed by a household certain it knows better. Then [*The Servant*](https://film.one/film/the-servant) (1963, Fi1m 89): Domestic authority becomes difficult to locate, with discomfort in every polite exchange; and [*The Piano*](https://film.one/film/the-piano) (1993, Fi1m 88): Female desire and male entitlement collide, with rather more emotional heat.

### Reviews we read (9)

- **Radio Times**, David Parkinson (5/5): Parkinson calls the film a bitter, brilliant indictment of corruption and decay. He praises Fernando Rey’s performance as Don Lope and Catherine Deneuve’s chilling portrayal of the victim turned tormentor. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-h6d63e/tristana/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Betsy Sharkey (Critic's Pick): Sharkey presents the restored film as a rare opportunity to appreciate Buñuel’s range and rebellious vision. She especially praises Catherine Deneuve’s performance and the restoration’s subtle, muted colors. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-xpm-2013-feb-22-la-et-mn-tristana-20130222-story.html)
- **The AV Club**, Scott Tobias (B+): Tobias finds the film rich in mystery and meaning, with characters too complicated to reduce to simple types. He praises Buñuel’s layered treatment of the story and the film’s elusive, dreamlike strangeness. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/tristana-1798176173)
- **The New Yorker**, Richard Brody (80/100, inferred): Brody presents the film as a forceful, slyly satirical drama. He praises how Buñuel links sexual repression and political repression without sacrificing the story’s disturbing immediacy. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/movie-of-the-week-tristana)
- **Slant Magazine**, Ed Gonzalez (3/4): Gonzalez finds the film mundane but competent, and a useful entry point to Buñuel. He praises its surrealist force near the end, while criticizing its blunt symbolism and obvious dialogue. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/tristana/)
- **Time Out**, CA (67/100, inferred): The available description frames the film as a mockingly sensible black comedy. It singles out the Toledo setting and the young ward’s relationship with her old guardian. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/tristana)
- **RogerEbert.com** (64/100, inferred): The page could not be inspected, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. No specific praise or complaint can be verified. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/tristana-1970)
- **The New York Times**, Vincent Canby (64/100, inferred): The page is blocked, so the critic’s verdict cannot be verified. Its praise or complaints about the film likewise cannot be confirmed. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1970/09/27/archives/bravo-bunuel-bravo-for-bunuels-tristana.html)
- **Variety**, Variety Staff (50/100, inferred): The review finds the film somber and more respectful than expected, with only occasional flashes of Buñuel’s irreverence. It singles out Fernando Rey as superb in his role. [Read](https://variety.com/1969/film/reviews/tristana-1200422053/)

## Details

- **Director:** Luis Buñuel
- **Director:** Luis Buñuel
- **Screenplay:** Luis Buñuel
- **Writer:** Julio Alejandro
- **Novel:** Benito Pérez Galdós
- **Cinematography:** José Fernández Aguayo
- **Editor:** Pedro del Rey
- **Production design:** Enrique Alarcón
- **Costume design:** Rosa García
- **Producer:** Luis Buñuel, Robert Dorfmann
- **Cast:** Catherine Deneuve as Tristana; Fernando Rey as Don Lope; Franco Nero as Horacio; Lola Gaos as Saturna; Antonio Casas as Don Cosme; Jesús Fernández as Saturno; Vicente Soler as Don Ambrosio; José Calvo as Bellringer
- **Runtime:** 1h 38m
- **First release (Spain):** 28 March 1970
- **Genres:** Drama
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJSRcBb8gb4

## Where to watch in Canada

Not streaming, renting or buying in Canada at the last check.

Also available in: AT, BE, CH, DE, ES, FR, IT, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 1971: Best International Feature Film (nominated)
- International Submission to the Academy Awards 1971: International Submission to the Academy Awards (nominated)
- Medal of the Circle of Cinematographic Writers for the best film 1971: Medal of the Circle of Cinematographic Writers for the best film (won)

## If you liked this

- *The Heiress* (1949), Fi1m 90: Another young woman’s choices are narrowed by a household certain it knows better — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-heiress.md)
- *The Housemaid* (1960): A household’s respectable arrangements prove alarmingly vulnerable to desire and dependence
- *The Servant* (1963), Fi1m 89: Domestic authority becomes difficult to locate, with discomfort in every polite exchange — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-servant.md)
- *The Piano* (1993), Fi1m 88: Female desire and male entitlement collide, with rather more emotional heat — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-piano.md)
- *A Separation* (2011), Fi1m 93: Family obligations become competing claims that no amount of righteousness can settle — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/a-separation.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/tristana