Luis Buñuel’s Viridiana is a film steeped in the themes and values of its director’s Catholic upbringing. As a piece from his mid to late career, Viridiana is well equipped to tackle the more scathing criticisms of the church and its establishment that Buñuel had been developing throughout this point in his life. Central to the plot are themes of innocence, guilt, and redemption. The titular character, a nun about to take her vows, is predated upon by her uncle who tricks her into refusing the convent. After she renounces him, he takes his own life, and Viridiana shoulders the blame for his death. To continue on her holy path, she transforms his manor into a halfway house for the poor and disabled. It’s through these characters that Buñuel launches his critique. Viridiana herself seems like a fairly comical character who resigns herself to serving a lord who wouldn’t accept her into his service based on her chastity, while her rich uncle is the wolf in sheep’s clothing who hides behind his wealth and reputation to abuse those who rely on him. The poor people who follow Viridiana through the film are no less depraved. Despite their situation, they never pass an opportunity to degrade, belittle, or hurt one another. Ine the culminating scene, they destroy Viridiana’s home in a fit of debaucherous rage before sheepishly disappearing into the night. It’s this equivalence of both the wealthy and the poor in their greed and depravity that Buñuel’s mastery shines through. In his criticism of the poor, Buñuel also exalts Jesus Christ for his forgiveness and tolerance to such a wretched populace.