‘Belle Epoque’

Fernando Trueba’s sexy, bittersweet and contemplative 1994 comedy takes us back in time and place: early in 1931 Spain, an uncertain but hopeful moment of calm before the storm of the Spanish Civil War. Trueba imagines a magical interlude in a sunny, idyllic setting where freedom and passion reign. A handsome young army deserter, Fernando (Jorge Sanz, pictured, with Maribel Verdu), lands in a charming rural community, where he is taken under the wing of the leading member of the landed gentry, the aging but vital Don Manolo (Fernando Fernan Gomez), whose four attractive daughters descend upon him for a visit. In good time Fernando manages to have his way with them--and vice versa. Trueba casts us into a ribald “You Can’t Take It with You,” but subtly reminds us that like life, liberty itself can be fleeting (Showtime Thursday at 8 p.m.).