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| Special Features: |
Widescreen format.
Theatrical trailer.
Documentary: "El Naufrago De La Calle De La Providencia" ("The Survivor on the Street of Providence") 1970, 25 min. - A documentary on Bunuel by longtime friends Arturo Ripstein and Rafael Castanedo.
Bunuel's recipe for the perfect martini.
Documentary: A proposito de Bunuel (Speaking of Buneul, 2000): a new 98-minute documentary on the life and work of Buneul by Jose Luis Lopez-Linares and Javier Rioyo
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| Video Format: |
Anamorphic Widescreen (1.66:1)
[SS-SL]
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| Languages: |
French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
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| Subtitles: |
English.
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| Closed Caption: |
no
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| Sides: |
2-Disc Keep Case
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I was 14 when I first saw this movie at the Guild Theater in Memphis. I spent a great amount of time in the Memphis Public Library reading about movies. Luis Bunuel intrigues me. I remember trying to explain to some friends why they should go see this movie. To tell you the truth, I don’t believe that I could put the words together today any better than I could nearly 30 years ago. "The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie" is an absurdist film that centers around a group of amoral nuevo riche who are trying to get together for dinner. The group is always prevented from doing so by bizarre circumstances. The group includes Don Rafael (Fernando Rey), the ambassador to France from the country of Miranda and his two friends M. Thevenot (Paul Frankeur) and M. Senechal (Jean-Pierre Cassal). The three men are involved in drug smuggling while passing themselves off as pillars of the community. These men are accompanied by their sexy, idle pampered wives: Mme. Thevenot (Delphine Seyrig), Alice Senechal (Stephane Audran) and Florence (Bulle Ogier). Bunuel’s story follows their escapades as they vainly try to live the good life. Bunuel obviously has some nasty things to say about these shallow jet-setters, but I couldn’t help liking these people. I’m not sure that I completely understand the genius of this master film-maker’s yarn, but I can’t help enjoying the movie. I found it to be as unconventional and subversive today as I did 30 years ago. Unfortunately, I fear that I still don’t understand all Bunuel had to say. "The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie" is a lusty, funny tale which may say many different things to each viewer. I highly recommend it as a challenging piece of movie making. Funny, sexy and absurd, king of like life itself.
Wonderfully bizarre movie. Good picture, fair sound. Great extras.
Picture Quality: 8/10
I wish the movie has been remastered and restored. As it is, the picture is very good. This is a film worth restoration though!
Sound Quality: 7/10
The mono sound isn't bad, it just isn't very special. You won't miss any dialogue.
Menu: 10/10
Great use of a recurring image from the movie. Easy to navigate.
Extra Features: 10/10
The new documentary on Bunuel's life and work is a must see for serious film students. I especially enjoyed the sections dealing with his collaboration with Salvador Dali on "Un Chien Andalou" and "L Age d'Or." Bunuel was a major artistic force in cinema from the 20s until his death in 1983. This documentary is worth the price of admission by itself.
The Final Word:
A wonderfully dark and absurd movie. When time and money allows, I intend to add this one to my permanent collection. For now, I rented it online from CafeDVD.com. I logged on, ordered it and received it 4 days later. As with "Easy Rider" the disk was in excellent condition. I returned it the next week in the postage prepaid envelope. Easier than going to Blockbuster.
Rusty White
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