Where to Stream The Red Virgin (2024): A Dramatic Spanish Thriller

The Red Virgin (La Virgen Roja) is a 2024 Spanish drama film directed by Paula Ortiz, starring Najwa Nimri and Alba Planas as a controlling mother, Aurora, and her daughter Hildegart, a prodigious feminist thinker of the Second Spanish Republic era. The film, set against the backdrop of 1930s Spain, delves into the intense and suffocating relationship between Hildegart, a young woman groomed to lead a sexual revolution, and her obsessive mother who refuses to let her stray from her carefully constructed path.

Plot Summary

The story opens with Aurora Rodríguez, an affluent woman with a single goal: to raise her daughter Hildegart to become a force for change in the world. Grooming her from birth, Aurora prepares Hildegart to be an advocate for female sexuality and a symbol of the sexual revolution in Spain during the Second Spanish Republic. As a teenager, Hildegart’s intellectual prowess and writings on women’s rights draw admiration from activists and scholars, including Abel Vilella, a Socialist who becomes romantically involved with her.

However, Aurora’s control over Hildegart becomes increasingly oppressive as she senses her daughter pulling away. This culminates when Hildegart falls in love with Abel and plots to escape her mother’s control. Aurora, feeling betrayed, resorts to extreme measures to prevent Hildegart from leaving her, leading to a tragic and brutal ending that sees Aurora take her daughter’s life.

Cast and Characters

• Najwa Nimri as Aurora Rodríguez: A mother whose obsessive vision for her daughter’s future ultimately leads to violence.
• Alba Planas as Hildegart Rodríguez: A child prodigy raised to become a revolutionary thinker, caught between her intellectual ideals and her mother’s possessiveness.
• Patrick Criado as Abel Vilella: A Socialist activist who becomes romantically involved with Hildegart.
• Aixa Villagrán as Macarena: The family’s maid who witnesses the destructive dynamic between Aurora and Hildegart.

Production

Based on the true story of Hildegart Rodríguez, the screenplay was crafted by Eduard Sola and Clara Roquet. The film is produced by Amazon MGM Studios, Elastica, and Avalon, with a production budget that allowed for lavish period sets and intricate costuming, reflecting 1930s Spain. The film was shot across iconic locations in Madrid, including Puerta del Sol and the Ateneo de Madrid, which serves as the backdrop for pivotal Socialist meetings.

Reception

The Red Virgin premiered at the 72nd San Sebastián International Film Festival on September 22, 2024, and was praised for its visual aesthetics and the commanding performance of Najwa Nimri. Critics, such as Juan Pando of Fotogramas, lauded Nimri’s portrayal of Aurora, describing it as "filling the entire film." Raquel Hernández Luján of HobbyConsolas noted the visual richness and high production values, awarding the film 75 out of 100 points.

However, some critics, including Rubén Romero Santos of Cinemanía, felt the film lacked the emotional depth of earlier adaptations of Hildegart’s story, with Najwa Nimri’s portrayal being deemed too distant to fully capture the complex madness of her character.

Themes

At its core, The Red Virgin explores themes of control, intellectual freedom, and the clash between revolutionary ideals and personal autonomy. Aurora’s obsessive vision for Hildegart’s future as a leader in the sexual revolution is contrasted with her refusal to allow her daughter personal freedom, especially in matters of love. The film presents a tragic cautionary tale of how even the most well-intentioned ambitions can spiral into destructive obsession.

The Red Virgin is a powerful historical drama that reimagines one of Spain’s most tragic stories from the Second Republic era. With a haunting atmosphere and strong performances, particularly from Nimri and Planas, the film captures the tense relationship between a mother and daughter bound by ideology and ultimately destroyed by control.