The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (La Charme Discret de la Bourgeoisie)- 1972 - Directed by Luis Bunuel - 1 Hour 29 Minutes

 

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (La Charme Discret de la Bourgeoisie)- 1972 - Directed by Luis Bunuel 

Available on Amazon Prime Video 

Buñuel’s 1929 short film Un Chien Andalou, which he co-wrote with Spanish artist Salvador Dalí, is perhaps his most famous work, notorious for its grotesque close-up shot of an eyeball. But The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, which was released in 1972 and won an Academy award for best foreign language film, is his most financially successful and among his most acclaimed. The film is less a story  than a scattered series of incidents involving a handful of hungry socialites including François (Paul Frankeur), Simone (Delphine Seyrig) and Rafael Acosta (Fernando Rey), an ambassador from a South American nation

Their dinner plans never come to fruition for a variety of reasons, spanning simple misunderstandings to out-of-this-world surprises. After arriving at the house of Alice and Henri Sénéchal (Stéphane Audran and Jean-Pierre Cassel) on the wrong day, a decision is made to relocate to a nearby inn. The group sit down and contemplate what to order – discussing the hare pâté and whether to drink red wine or martinis. But after hearing the sound of weeping coming from the next room where the proprietor is lying dead on a bed, they lose their appetite and call off dinner

Another attempt at a meal is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of a group of army men – led by a joint-smoking Colonel, because why not – who consume all the food. Later still (this one’s my favourite) they’re seated at a table, everything finally looking like it’s coming together, two roast chickens brought out on a tray. But they discover … the chickens are made of plastic! Then a red curtain rises and it’s revealed that the diners are situated on a stage in front of a large audience. They are, it seems, for some reason or maybe no reason at all, now performers in a theatre production.

Attempting to rationalise what exactly is going on incorrectly assumes a degree of logic and a pathway to clear meaning. Buñuel’s most famous films have a curious relation to realism, often sustaining the moment-by-moment rhythms we associate with reality, then ditching rational or anticipated outcomes, or simply refusing to explain something essential.