Visionary Catalan director Albert Serra has crafted what may be his most ambitious and contentious work to date. Afternoons of a Solitude is a sprawling, four-hour cinematic meditation on the ancient, blood-soaked ritual of bullfighting, set against its impending cultural extinction.
A Monumental Cinematic Ritual
Premiering at the prestigious Venice Film Festival, Serra's film is less a traditional documentary and more a hypnotic, sensory immersion. The camera fixates on the lithe, almost mythical figure of famed Peruvian matador Andrés Roca Rey, capturing his final performances in Spain's most legendary bullrings.
Eschewing narrative or commentary, Serra constructs a profound, almost religious experience. The film unfolds in a series of long, unblinking takes that force the audience to confront the raw, unvarnished spectacle—the tension, the grace, the terror, and the inevitable, brutal conclusion.
Beauty, Brutality, and Ethical Ambiguity
Afternoons of a Solitude does not seek to judge or persuade. Instead, it presents the corrida in all its paradoxical glory. One moment revelling in the balletic beauty of Roca Rey's artistry, the next forcing an unflinching gaze upon the gore and violence.
This is not a film for the faint of heart. It is a challenging, often uncomfortable watch that deliberately avoids easy moral conclusions. Serra masterfully captures the intense, almost sacred silence of the crowd, the intimate connection between man and beast, and the profound solitude of the matador facing his own mortality alongside the bull's.
A Eulogy for a Dying Art Form
At its core, the film serves as a majestic eulogy. With bullfighting banned in many regions and its popularity waning, Serra documents a world on the brink of disappearance. He captures the fading light of an tradition that has inspired artists for centuries, from Goya to Hemingway.
The cinematography is breathtaking, painting the sand of the ring in stark, beautiful contrasts. The sound design—the gasp of the crowd, the snort of the bull, the quiet swish of the cape—is a character in itself, pulling the viewer directly into the heart of the arena.
Critical Reception and Lasting Impact
Early reviews acknowledge the film's monumental achievement while grappling with its difficult subject matter. It is hailed as a visually stunning, philosophically rich work that will undoubtedly ignite fierce debate. Love it or loathe it, Afternoons of a Solitude is a powerful, unforgettable piece of cinema that challenges audiences to reflect on tradition, art, cruelty, and the very nature of spectacle.
Albert Serra has not made a film about bullfighting; he has transformed the bullfight itself into a film—a long, slow, and devastatingly beautiful farewell.
