A series of casually linked episodes moving from Toledo in 1808 and Goya’s painting of ‘The executions of 3 May’ to contemporary Paris where various people try to grasp or shun, in Karl Marx’s phrase, ‘the phantom of liberty’. This is Bunuel’s very personal version of ‘La Ronde’. In eight sketches - each representing a different aspect of hypocrisy - he creates a succession of dazzling moments. The sketches use every type of comedy: there is an interval of French farce with slamming bedroom doors, two black jokes about cancer and mass murder and a piece of pure Ionesco. Each sketch has its point to make and its own authority figures to be lampooned. This is a delightful and hilarious Bunuelian masterpiece.
Credits: Producer: Serge Silberman ; director, Luis Bunuel ; writers, Luis Bunuel, Jean-Claude Carriere ; photography, Edmond Richard.
Cast: Adriana Asti, Julien Bertheau, Michel Piccoli, Adolfo Celi, Milena Vukotic, Jean-Claude Brialy, Monica Vitti, Muni, Paul Frankeur, Michel Lonsdale, Pierre Maguelon, Framcois Maistre, Helene Perdriere, Claude Pieplu, Jean Rochefort, Bernard Verle
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How to watch
Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
X000262
Languages
English
French
Subject category
Foreign language films
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Colour
Holdings
16mm film; Limited Access Print (Section 2)