Saura's films are explicitly concerned with the problems of Spanish society, a society (as he sees it) which is not yet free of the guilt of the Civil War. This eminence grise colours all his works, in varying degrees; even in such an allegorical piece as La caza its influence can be felt. Much of Saura's output I find mannered and unapproachable …; there is no doubting, however, his technical ability or deep-seated conviction….

Superficial resemblances to [John] Boorman's Deliverance (1972) should not be allowed to diminish the stature of Saura's achievement. His mixed quartet undergoes little physical hardship, and there are no visual thrills to rivet the audience to its seats. Saura's film is considerably more claustrophobic: the nerve-ends are stifled rather than rubbed raw. From the opening credits, unwound over footage of caged ferrets, it is clear that we are in allegorical territory. (p. 33)

The early scenes of...