The Big Feast (1973) La grande bouffe (original title)

Director:

Marco Ferreri

Writers:

Marco Ferreri (scenario & adaptation) and
Rafael Azcona (scenario & adaptation) ...
(more)

Release Date:

1 September 1973 (Sweden)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

A group of men hire some prostitutes and go to a villa in the countryside. There, they engage in group sex and resolve to eat themselves to death.

Plot Keywords:

Villa | Death | Prostitute | Pilot | Food

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Marcello Mastroianni	...	Marcello
Michel Piccoli	...	Michel
Philippe Noiret	...	Philippe
Ugo Tognazzi	...	Ugo
Andréa Ferréol	...	Andrea (as Andréa Ferreol)
Solange Blondeau	...	Danielle
Florence Giorgetti	...	Anne
Michèle Alexandre	...	Nicole
Monique Chaumette	...	Madeleine
Henri Piccoli	...	Hector
Maurice Dorléac
Simon Tchao
Louis Navarre	...	Braguti
Bernard Menez	...	Pierre
Cordelia Piccoli	...	Barbara
Jérôme Richard
Patricia Milochevitch	...	Mini
James Campbell	...	Zack
Eva Simonet		(as Eva Simonnet)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gérard Boucaron	...	Le chauffeur
Margaret Honeywell	...	Une hôtesse de l'air
Mario Vulpiani	...	Le copilote
Giuseppe Maffioli	...	(uncredited)
Rita Scherrer	...	Anulka (uncredited)

Directed by
Marco Ferreri

Writing credits
Marco Ferreri		(scenario & adaptation) and
Rafael Azcona		(scenario & adaptation)
Francis Blanche		(dialogue)

Produced by
Vincent Malle	....	producer
Jean-Pierre Rassam	....	delegate producer

Original Music by
Philippe Sarde

Cinematography by
Mario Vulpiani

Film Editing by
Claudine Merlin
Gina Pignier

Production Design by
Michel de Broin

Set Decoration by
Claude Suné		(as Claude Sune)

Costume Design by
Gitt Magrini

Makeup Department
Jacky Bouban	....	makeup artist
Alfonso Gola	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Ilya Claisse	....	unit production manager
Alain Coiffier	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Enrico Bergier	....	assistant director (as Enrique Bergier)
Rémy Duchemin	....	assistant director
Jacqueline Ferreri	....	assistant director (as Jacqueline Perrier)
François Lavigne	....	assistant director

Art Department
Roger Jumeau	....	property master
Maurice Sergent	....	assistant set decorator
Michel Suné	....	property master (as Michel Sune)

Sound Department
Jean Fontaine	....	sound assistant
Michel Laurent	....	sound assistant
Jean-Pierre Ruh	....	sound engineer

Special Effects by
Paul Trielli	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Jean-Louis Dastugue	....	chief electrician
Jacques Dorot	....	assistant camera
Yves Pouffary	....	assistant camera
Bernard Prim	....	still photographer
Pasquale Rachini	....	camera operator (as Pascuale Rachini)
Ferdinand Roquet	....	key grip (as Ferdinand Rocquet)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Muriel Ghene	....	wardrober
Geneviève Tonnelier	....	wardrober

Editorial Department
Laurence Lemaire	....	assistant editor
Monique Prim	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Michel Piccoli	....	musician: piano solo
Hubert Rostaing	....	musical director
William Flageollet	....	music engineer (uncredited)

Other crew
Annie Cabat	....	production secretary
Ilya Claisse	....	studio manager
Henri Laurent	....	assistant studio manager
Volker Lemke	....	assistant studio manager
Giuseppe Maffioli	....	consultant: gastronomy
Claude Parnet	....	assistant studio manager
Jacques Quelennec	....	assistant consultant: gastronomy
Colette Suder	....	administrator
Becuwe Thomselle	....	cooking equipment

Production Companies

• Films 66
• Mara Films
• Capitolina Produzioni Cinematografiche (co-production)

Distributors

• Magna-Filmi (1973) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1998) (Finland) (TV)
• Image Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Gaumont/Columbia TriStar Home Video (GCTHV) (2006) (France) (DVD) (HD remaster)
• Kinokuniya (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2007) (Australia) (DVD)
• Future Film (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2008) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Koch Lorber Films (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Filmmuseum Distributie
• Sceneries Distribution
• Umbrella Entertainment (2007) (Australia) (video) (VOD)

Other Companies

• Editions Marafan  music publishing company
• Fauchon  foods

Also Known As:

"La grande bouffe" - France (original title)
"The Great Feed" - Europe (English title)

MPAA:

Rated NC-17 for some explicit sexuality (re-rating) (1998)

Runtime:

130 min

Country:

France | Italy

Language:

French | Italian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Finland:K-18 | France:-16 | Norway:18 | Portugal:M/18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:NC-17 (re-rating) (1998) | USA:X | France:-12 (re-rating) | Germany:16 (re-rating) | New Zealand:(Banned) (original rating) | New Zealand:R18 (re-rating) | Australia:MA (TV rating) | Spain:18 | West Germany:18 (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Rue Boileau, Paris, France

Company:

Films 66

Trivia:

In the final scene in the garden - where Philipe is sitting on the bench, there is a poem by Dorothy Frances Gurney written on the bench. Many garden lovers have this poem written in their gardens. It says: "Kiss of the sun for pardon. Song of the birds for mirth. You're closer to God's heart in a garden than any place else on earth."

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: After Philippe says to Nicole "actor incombit probatio", a crew member can be seen in the mirror.

Quotes:

Ugo:Wanting to be Marlon Brando is vanity.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Nitrate Base (1996)

An extraordinary movie. Sad and depressing but shot through with black humour.

'La Grande Bouffe' (aka 'Blow-Out') is an extraordinary movie, the kind of movie you just can't imagine getting made these days. While shot through with black humour it is very sad and depressing, and for me just as bleak as say, 'Leaving Las Vegas'. Instead of alcohol these dissatisfied men decide to kill themselves using food. Marcello Mastroianni is the best known of the four stars but Michel Piccoli (Belle De Jour), Ugo Tognazzi and and Philippe Noiret are equally impressive. The acting from all four is first rate and really makes the premise believable. Director Marco Ferreri went on to make the Bukowski adaptation 'Tales Of Ordinary Madness' another uncompromising, f*cked up and beautiful movie. I highly recommend both films which are difficult viewing, but worth the effort.