Merlín (1991)

Based on Jean Coceatu's play, "Knights of the Round Table", Merlín is Arrieta's only film shot on 35mm. Like his other works, it is highly ritualistic and theatrical, with carefully composed fantastical images that envelop the viewer in an otherworld where logic has its own rules. There are shape-shifting demons, a talking flower that sounds like a record player, and a false Holy Grail that looks like a disco ball. Arrieta once again eschews absurdity in favor of magic and hypnotism. Despite the theatrical mise en scène, he makes fantastic use of cinematic space, using heavy darkness and the most rudimentary lighting to complete the image of the ethereal Camelot. The special effects recall the horror movies of the 1930s, with their obvious anamatronics, but this only adds to the awe. Arrieta has been compared to Rivette, but his direction has a quality uniquely his own; his sense of spacing, pace, and theatrics is something that while we have seen before in cinema, is lent new life and innovation under his hand. Merlín is also his most accessible film, and an excellent starting point for those looking to explore this neglected talent.