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Fantasy drama

The Spirit of the Beehive (1973): Cast, Box Office & Plot

The Spirit of the Beehive (1973) movie poster

The Spirit of the Beehive is a 1973 fantasy drama directed by Víctor Erice, starring José Villasante as Frankenstein, Ana Torrent and Fernando Fernán Gómez. It runs 1 hour 37 minutes and earned $190,734 worldwide.

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The Spirit of the Beehive (1973) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 37m (97 min)
Director
Víctor Erice
Genres
Fantasy , Drama
Original language
Spanish
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is The Spirit of the Beehive About?

The premise of The Spirit of the Beehive without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Set in 1940, just after the Spanish Civil War, a young girl on the Castilian plain becomes unnerved after watching James Whale’s 1931 Frankenstein. Her sister tells her the creature never truly died, but lingers as a spirit in a nearby barn, sparking the girl's obsession and blurring the boundary between reality and imagination.

The Spirit of the Beehive Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • spanish village
  • year 1940
  • reference to frankenstein's monster
  • little girl
  • imagination
  • magical realism
  • childhood
  • mushroom
  • beehive
  • reference to god
  • child protagonist
  • reference to frankenstein
+38 more
  • drawing
  • lorry
  • watching a movie in a theater
  • projection room
  • beekeeping
  • lighting a cigarette
  • riding a bicycle
  • train
  • train station
  • christian
  • reference to boris karloff
  • reading a magazine
  • praying
  • prayer
  • lighting a candle
  • reference to virgin mary
  • delusion
  • whistling
  • oil lamp
  • watching someone sleep
  • origami
  • pretending to sleep
  • singing along
  • school
  • elementary school
  • teacher
  • schoolteacher
  • female teacher
  • biology class
  • covering a dead body
  • throwing a stone
  • mushroom picking
  • picking wild mushrooms
  • woods
  • camera shot of feet
  • reading a book
  • reading aloud from a book
  • literature class
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Cast & crew

The Spirit of the Beehive Cast & Characters

José Villasante leads the cast as Frankenstein, with Ana Torrent as Ana and Fernando Fernán Gómez as Fernando. Directed by Víctor Erice; 10 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in The Spirit of the Beehive

· 6 more
Plot

The Spirit of the Beehive Plot Summary

What happens in The Spirit of the Beehive from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Six-year-old Ana Ana is a shy girl who lives in the manor house in an isolated Spanish village on the Castilian plateau with her parents Fernando and Teresa and her older sister, Isabel. The year is 1940, and the Civil War has just ended with the Francoist victory over the Republican forces. Her aging father spends most of his time tending to and writing about his beehives; her much younger mother is caught up in daydreams about a distant lover, to whom she writes letters. Ana’s closest companion is Isabel, who loves her but cannot resist playing on her little sister’s gullibility.

Full summary

The whole story of The Spirit of the Beehive, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

The Spirit of the Beehive Box Office

The Spirit of the Beehive grossed $190,734 worldwide.

1973 box office

Worldwide gross

$190.7K

International
$190.7K
Videos

The Spirit of the Beehive Trailers & Videos

The trailer of The Spirit of the Beehive.

Trailer for Spirit of the Beehive
Quiz

How Well Do You Know The Spirit of the Beehive?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

How old is the main character, Ana, at the start of the film?

Details

The Spirit of the Beehive Also Known As

19 alternative titles, including “El espíritu de la colmena” and “Mehiläispesän henki”.

Also known as
  • El espíritu de la colmena
  • Mehiläispesän henki
  • 蜂巢幽灵
  • L'Esprit de la ruche
  • 벌집의 정령
  • Lo spirito dell'alveare
  • Der Geist des Bienenstocks
  • O Espírito da Colmeia
  • ミツバチのささやき
  • O Espírito da Colméia
  • Arı Kovanı'nın Ruhu
  • Bikupans Ande
+7 more
  • Duch roju
  • Дух улья
  • 蜂巢的幽靈
  • Το Πνεύμα του Μελισσιού
  • Ånden i Bistaden
  • Duch úlu
  • A méhkas szelleme

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FAQ

The Spirit of the Beehive FAQ: Cast & Box Office

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, post-credit scenes and language of The Spirit of the Beehive, each answered in a sentence.

How long is The Spirit of the Beehive?

The Spirit of the Beehive runs 1 hour 37 minutes (97 minutes).

When was The Spirit of the Beehive released?

The Spirit of the Beehive was released on September 18, 1973.

Who directed The Spirit of the Beehive?

The Spirit of the Beehive was directed by Víctor Erice.

More films by Víctor Erice

Who is in the cast of The Spirit of the Beehive?

The Spirit of the Beehive stars José Villasante as Frankenstein, Ana Torrent as Ana and Fernando Fernán Gómez as Fernando, among 10 credited actors.

How much did The Spirit of the Beehive make at the box office?

The Spirit of the Beehive grossed $190,734 worldwide.

Does The Spirit of the Beehive have a post-credit scene?

No. The Spirit of the Beehive has no extra scene during or after the credits.

What language is The Spirit of the Beehive in?

The original language of The Spirit of the Beehive is Spanish.

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