Thursday, 6 May 2010

That Obscure Object of Desire


















That Obscure Object of Desire (1977)
a film by Luis Buñuel


Mala leche. This is the expression that could summarize the sardonic humor and provoking character of this movie. It is easy to check scene by scene the surreal feeling that Bunuel puts on the images. The consuming desire drives the characters while a fly on a martini glass or a bucket of water are loud in the images as the string of a detuned electric guitar on a quiet room.

I really liked the use of two actresses for one of the main roles, both beautiful in their own style, both provocative and deceiving. I was surprised by the way in which there was no need for introduction or abrupt cut in the scenes for one to change into the other, and I was more surprised to see how this effect works even when it is in principle used arbitrarily.

This movie grows on me and I appreciate the background story of the terrorist group and the dark news from the world that the main character finds through the story. This is a movie to generate ideas, to discuss and keeps you thinking about it after it is over. I get the feeling of misogyny and mock of the bourgeoisie but it fits perfectly when I also see the critical view of this story. Critique to what? To everything, it seems nothing is sacred for Bunuel, and that gives a particular allure to his films.

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