A group of bourgeoisie dinner guests - alongside the couple that invites them - gets trapped in a surrealist nightmare inside the mansion in which said party takes place. They cannot leave, but not because they're physically incapable of doing so; they're rather unable to get out for some odd, unexplainable reason.
Luis Buñuel crafted this sardonic tale that satirizes the upper classes' infighting. As much as I love a good social critique, this film felt lacking. The surreal imagery that digs into the characters' corrupted psyche were the highlight of the story, while the arguments and drama that ensues between the invitees are the side dish.
The long, mundane scenes seemed a bit pointless. Maybe there was a meaning in there that I couldn't catch, but I felt like it ruined an otherwise excellent film. That's why I give this six stars, I had the feeling that Buñuel didn't want to go full blown surrealist, which is a pity since I think a more artsy, dream-like approach would have improved this film. Just imagine Un Chien Andalou but instead the bourgeois are having a psychotic breakdown.
Luis Buñuel crafted this sardonic tale that satirizes the upper classes' infighting. As much as I love a good social critique, this film felt lacking. The surreal imagery that digs into the characters' corrupted psyche were the highlight of the story, while the arguments and drama that ensues between the invitees are the side dish.
The long, mundane scenes seemed a bit pointless. Maybe there was a meaning in there that I couldn't catch, but I felt like it ruined an otherwise excellent film. That's why I give this six stars, I had the feeling that Buñuel didn't want to go full blown surrealist, which is a pity since I think a more artsy, dream-like approach would have improved this film. Just imagine Un Chien Andalou but instead the bourgeois are having a psychotic breakdown.