Bunuel_Luis_My_Last_Breath

The Civil War (19364939)I57masons as heartily as they did the Communists. Claudio had anexcellent cook whose fiance was fighting with the anarchists. Oneday I went to his house for lunch, and suddenly, out there in theopen country, a POUM car drove up. I was very nervous, becausethe only papers I had on me were Socialist and Communist, whichmeant less than nothing to the POUM. When the car pulled up tothe door, the driver leaned out and . . . asked for directions. Claudiogave them readily enough, and we both heaved a great sigh of reliefas he drove away.All in all, the dominant feeling was one of insecurity and confusion,aggravated, despite the threat of fascism on our very doorstep,by endless internal conflicts and diverging tendencies. As I watchedthe realization of an old dream, all I felt was sadness.And then one day I learned of Lorca's death, from a Republicanwho'd somehow managed to slip through the lines. Shortly beforeUn Cbim andalou, Lorca and I had had a falling-out; later, thinskinnedAndalusian that he was, he thought (or pretended to think)that the film was actually a personal attack on him."Bufiuel's made a little film, just like that!" he used to say,snapping his fingers. "It's called An Andalusian Dog, and I'm thedog!"By 1934, however, we were the best of friends once again; anddespite the fact that I sometimes thought he was a bit too fond ofpublic adulation, we spent a great deal of time together. WithUgarte, we often drove out into the mountains to relax for a fewhours in the Gothic solitude of El Paular. The monastery itself wasin ruins, but there were a few spartan rooms reserved for people fromthe Fine Arts Institute. If you brought your own sleeping bag, youcould even spend the night.It was difficult, of course, to have serious discussions about paintingand poetry while the war raged around us. Four days beforeFranco's arrival, Lorca, who never got excited about politics, suddenlydecided to leave for Granada, his native city."Federico," I pleaded, trying to talk him out of it. "Horrendous