Luis Buñuel was undoubtedly one of the most distinctive, and successful, European filmmakers of his generation. Spending much of his youth in Paris, the Spaniard was deeply involved with the surrealism movement. He carried this with him throughout his career, going on to make a number of critically acclaimed and iconic films. Working across a number of genres in several countries. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie is one of his finest.
A group of six middle-class friends are getting together for a meal. Comprising two couples, the Thévenots (Paul Frankeur and Delphine Seyrig) and the Sénéchals (Stéphane Audran and Jean-Pierre Cassel), Madame Thévenot’s sister (Bulle Ogier) and the Ambassador for Miranda (Fernando Rey), a South American state. However, their attempts are repeatedly thwarted by a succession of interruptions.
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie really shouldn’t work but thanks to a lot of ingenuity and some great performances it is a fascinating and thought-provoking work of cinema. Buñuel has a lot of fun with his steadfastly calm but internally tumultuous farce. As their plans unravel, it becomes increasingly outrageous and amusing. However, it’s the little details which make The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie so exhilarating.
Extras:
- New Analysis of 3 scenes of the film with critic Charles Tesson
- New Critical Analysis of Charles Tesson
- Critical Analysis of Professor Peter W. Evans
- Interview with writer Jean-Claude Carrière
- New Trailer (2022 Version)
- Original Trailer
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie is released on on 4K UHD, Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital by Studiocanal on 20 June.
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