Luis Buñuel is a filmmaker with few peers and a unique career track. Buñuel, a 1920s Parisian hardcore surrealist and republican Spanish proponent during the Northern and Southern Wars, entered the Mexican film industry before returning to France and the Art Cinema Pantheon in his later years with a victory. I evacuated.
“Bourgeois understatement” Buñuel’s greatest commercial and significant success, he won the Best Foreign Film Award at the 1972 Oscar. Given the new 4K digital restore, it’s back for a two-week run at the Film Forum.
Buñuel, who died in 1983, intended “modest charm” as his last film (it wasn’t). This movie is usually described as a frustrated comedy. In this comedy, a cool, super-civilized luxury bourgeoisie (five French and fictional South American nation ambassadors) repeatedly tries to sit for dinner. Thus, it was thwarted to fuel his two early masterpieces, the “Golden Age” made in Salvador Dali in 1930 and Buñuel’s penultimate Mexican work “The Exterminating Angel” (1962). It details the desire.
This movie, along with a highly obligatory bishop (Julian Bertou), is highly irrational, premised on interlocking dreams (and dreams in dreams), as well as various terrorists, gangsters, and army officers. .. It is also an avant-garde sitcom. Men are ruling class criminals — although the ambassador (Fernando Rey) is far more subtle than his French companions (Paul Frankeur and Jean-Pierre Cassel). Two older women (Delfine Serig and Stephane Audran) are fiercely prepared fashion police. The youngest member of the group (Bulle Ogier) is a bit wildcard. Much of the humor relies on their crazy observations and ridiculous Sanfroids in a series of increasingly troublesome social situations. (Imagine a smart tea room running out of tea!)
Despite several scenes of torture, American critics plummeted for “modest charm.” Andrew Sarris called it “apparently this year’s movie.” Vincent Canby’s New York Times review states: “At the age of 72, as a filmmaker, moralist, social critic, and humorist, the director’s unique creation has never completely dominated his talent. I praised it. It’s hard to disagree with this assessment, but Buñuel’s indigestible works, especially “Viridiana” (1961), which slipped through the Spanish fascist censors, and inevitably the grain.
“Unobtrusive charm” is not without its joy. Seyrig, Audran, and Ogier are spectacular farceurs. Buñuel may be shooting fish in barrels, but French manners are rarely ridiculed so cleverly. Some of the movie pranks (inconvenient death confuses one supper) are still shocking. Others (Ogier parading with Napoleon’s hat) keep laughing out loud. It’s fascinating to see Buñuel’s involvement in the “French connection” in Godard’s “La Chinoise” and “Weekend”, as well as in Ray’s casting.
Still, “The Discreet Charm” isn’t completely satisfying, but it’s not unreconciled. Due to all its non-patriotic and anti-clerical jive, the movie is too generous to be really uncomfortable. Even if Buñuel suggests that his producer bribed the academy to get it, Oscar is a hint.
Bourgeoisie’s understated charm
Until July 7th at the Manhattan Film Forum. filmforum.org..
