Film Snail

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie

7.5

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie

PG·1972·101m

Summary

In Luis Buñuel’s deliciously satiric masterpiece, an upper-class sextet sits down to dinner but never eats, their attempts continually thwarted by a vaudevillian mixture of events both actual and imagined.

Crew

Director, Screenplay

Luis Buñuel

Screenplay

Jean-Claude Carrière

Reviews

t

talisencrw

August 15, 2016

10

This came in the outstanding 10-DVD boxed set 'Rialto Pictures: 10 Years', one of the finest things I've bought from The Criterion Collection (and a great deal too, one I'd heartily endorse).

I had to wait an entire day, after watching the dreadful 'Disaster Movie', to get the acrid taste out of my mouth to watch this one, by my fourth favourite director ever ('Viridiana' is still probably my favourite of his, though). Luckily it had three of my favourite French actors from the period, in Bulle Ogier (just check out 'Maitresse' if you don't understand why), Delphine Seyrig and Fernando Rey (for the two 'French Connection' films alone)--even though for a director of Bunuel's strength, any actors could have sufficed. It's the ideas that stand out most triumphantly.

It's most known for being Bunuel's Oscar-winner for Best Foreign Language Film, but its OTHER nomination is what's almost neglected when people talk about him. Yes, they talk about Bunuel the director, or (from David Thomson) Bunuel the photographer, but people never realize his two nominations for the Calanda, Spain-native were never for director, but for writing (with another nod for his swan song, 'The Obscure Object of Desire').

Media

Status:

Released

Original Language:

French

Budget:

$800,000.00

Revenue:

$103,230.00

Keywords

diplomat
dreams
nightmare
upper class
date
drug trafficking
guest
bishop
restaurant
surreal
bourgeoisie
satire
surrealism
dinner
terrorism
drink
oneiric
dream within a dream
small talk
anarchic comedy
absurd
unexpected situation