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| “The
search for the truth is wonderful. Beware
of the person who claims to have found that
Truth!” —Bunuel
Luis Bunuel, the father of surrealism,
is considered to be one of the most original
film directors. Following his strict Jesuit
education, which impregnated him with an
obsessive inclination towards themes of
religion and subversive behavior, Bunuel
began his film career teaming up with another
genius-in-development; Salvador Dalí. Their
first, and, regrettably, their only collaborative
work, 'An Andalusian Dog,' was like a love
letter to irrationality. It became the symbol
of the truth which Bunuel would search for
his entire life: Visual disorder, images
that would only make sense in the mind of
somebody who would love to experiment with
things that others rather avoid.
Born with the 20th century in Spain, Bunuel
became one of the few who have directed
successfully in three different countries.
He was the subject of many books and biographies,
perhaps because of his inherent unpredictability
- the fact that no one really understood
what his next move was going to be. Since
the release of "Belle de Jour"
(1967), Bunuel threatened that every one
of his films thereafter would be the last.
He finally kept his promise with "That
Obscure Object of Desire" (1977), after
which he wrote a memorable autobiography.
In this work, he affirmed that he would
happily burn all the prints of his films
- just another irrational surrealist gesture
from Bunuel to his fans.
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An
Andalusian Dog (1929)
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Bunuel in his first
film as a savage who
sliced someone's eye
in the first scene.
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What a way to start
a film. I've seen
this film about 20
times with the eye
is sliced in two pieces,
and it still gives
me the chills. |
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Take two artists of the caliber of young Salvador
Dalí and Luis Bunuel with nothing to lose
in the film business. Give them a pen, some
paper, a couple of movie cameras, and two
weeks. You will get the most bizarre 16.5
minutes of film in cinema history of the time.
'An Andalusian Dog' combines standard surrealist
imagery with the bizarre - rotting donkeys
juxtaposed with grand pianos, visual puns
on pubic hair, and sea urchins.
With its lack of concern for plot structure
and disparaging allusions to contemporary
dramatic convention, "An Andalusian Dog"
is a rejection of aestheticism. The famous
eye-slitting sequence, following and paralleling
the clouds drifting across a full moon, explodes
the latter as a cinematic signifier as it
liberates physical revulsion. The film retains
just enough sense of rationality to preserve
the narrative. With the creative assistance
of Dalí, financial assistance of his mother,
and the soon-to-come undeniable acceptance
of the surrealist group of Bunuel's era, these
16.5 minutes of madness became a classic that
deserves a place in the annals of any cinema
school in the world.
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In his efforts to
stay true to surrealism,
Bunuel included several
maniacal scenes in
the "Age of Gold." |
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Corpses, preachers,
thieves. passionate
scenes take place
in the "Age of
Gold." |
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After "An Andalusian Dog," Bunuel desired
to remain a surrealist under all circumstances.
While trying to keep Dalí as his collaborator,
Bunuel discovered that their lives were going
separate ways. Unfortunately, this forced
an abrupt break-up that would later end this
friendship for the rest of their lives.
The "Age of Gold," depicts the story
of two lovers interrupting some religious
service in a place where monks were praying.
The lovers try to consummate their passion
with no luck through the entire film; they
fail at all times, while dealing with a hostile
environment of hypocrisy and denial. This
film emphasizes how society has found ways
to overcome the provocative potential of a
work of art, while adopting an attitude of
selfishness. Nonetheless, what remains remarkable
about this movie is its criticism of a society
in crisis. More that being a strike demanding
better social standards, 'Age of Gold' is
a poetic portrait of society in early twentieth
century. |
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The
Young and the Damned (1950)
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After the Cannes Film
Festival recognized
Bunuel's achievement
with this film, this
director's career
was back on track.
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Pedro's dreams are
a reminder of what
Bunuel was all about:
Making people wonder
between the real and
surreal. |
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Being recognized with the Best Director award
at the Cannes Film Festival in 1951, this
film brought Bunuel back to cinema stardom.
During its making and premiere in México,
"The Young and the Damned" was, to put
it mildly, criticized because of its harshness.
Later, it was mentioned and honored in France
and the rest of Europe.
The film's main character, Pedro, witnesses
a murderer and swears to remain silent after
being pressured by one of his friends. Subsequently,
Pedro deals with all sorts of guilt that doesn't
let him sleep at night. Bunuel creates marvelous
dream sequences that remind us of his very
first work, mixing visual chaos and inexplicable
events that make Pedro feel sorry he even
exists.
Due to its theme and the freshness of the
actors, the film is totally realistic. Made
under Neo-realistic influences, "The
Young and the Damned" has the qualities
of both documentary and fiction, as these
were common people, and the movie was shot
in real places. Interestingly, the production
retains all the elements that made Bunuel
a renown surrealist; it is a film about the
fatality of destiny, the irrationality of
life itself, the hidden desires, and the passions
that keep the characters alive. The film is
also one of Bunuel's biggest gifts from Latin
America to world's cinema. If cinema is considered
an art, much is owed to filmmakers like Bunuel
and the film "The Young and the Damned."
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The
Exterminating Angel (1962)
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Suddenly, whoever
wants to get out of
that room falls into
a depressed state. |
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What does fate hold
for these people?
What is that force
that takes their will
and keeps them in
that room? |
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The theme of entrapment is by far not a new
one in art, music, literature, philosophy,
or cinema. In "Exterminating Angel,"
Bunuel confronts us with an all-too-familiar
setting: A common social gathering among friends
and acquaintances. Everything seems normal
enough, until one by one, the guests realize
that they cannot leave. Certainly nobody is
forcing them to stay. So what is it that's
holding them back?
Whatever it is, it is not explored in the
film; instead, Bunuel concentrates on the
reactions of the characters as they deal with
the fate of being trapped. Without knowing
why, they are forced to confront being held
forever, and their will of escaping just fades
from their minds. Some commit suicide, others
get sick to death... Imagine the picture of
having to eat paper to survive - or breaking
all your furniture to cook a meal, instead
of breaking down the windows and being free
again. Bunuel's idea is that without true
courage and its resulting uplifting effects,
the vast majority of people would simply stay
in the "room" of their own creation, never
to find a way out. |
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