I have often asked myself what is surrealistic cinema? In general terms, it is cinema that attempts to illustrate or visualize the inner workings of the unconscious mind. For centuries, and beginning in the early biblical periods, man has always tried to interpret our dreams. Surrealistic cinema is just a continuation of this desire within the cinematic universe. Widely considered the father of Surrealistic Cinema, Luis Bunuel, a Spaniard who throughout his long career never really abandoned surrealism in his films, was seriously considering retiring from directing movies, when he was inspired by an anecdote told to him concerning a forgotten dinner party where all the guests arrive at the hosts home, while the hosts who having forgotten about the invitations, are found unprepared to serve their guests. This anecdote would become the premise of one of surrealistic cinema’s most celebrated and popular works. The resultant film, “The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie”, became a huge critical and commercial hit.
The anecdote serves as the opening to the movie as four people arrive at a very well-to-do home in the country, all dressed up and ready for dinner. There is a married couple, Francois (Paul Frankeur) and Simone (Delphine Seyrig), Simone’s alcoholic sister Florence (Bulle Ogier), and the Ambassador from the fictional country of Miranda, Rafael (Bunuel regular Fernando Rey). Their supposed hosts are another couple, Henri (Jean-Pierre Cassel) and Alice (Stephane Audran). Alice and Henri are unprepared and seeing that there is no dinner available, the group, along with Alice, decide to go out together for dinner at a local restaurant. Once seated at the restaurant, they realize that the restaurant’s owner has just died, and his body is being kept in the adjacent room to where they are seated. This removes any appetite they may have had, and they leave the restaurant. These are just two attempted dinners by all or some of these main characters throughout the film. Each time something out of the ordinary will occur, which results in their inability to start their meal.
That would be the closest that this movie has in terms of a plot. It is just Bunuel taking this anecdote and expanding on it through his acute surrealistic eye. As the film progresses, so does the outlandishness of the interferences that prevent our heroes from even starting a meal. As the movie becomes more and more outrageous, it also verges on blaspheme and scandal. Just some of these exaggerations include.
- The arrival of the cavalry showing up between courses
- A soldier spontaneously telling a strange tale of his childhood at a café during teatime
- A dinner suddenly revealed to be a theatre play just before commencement of the meal
- The arrival of the police to arrest all the guests
- Terrorist attack on dinner guests
As you can see, these interruptions get more and more outrageous as the film moves along, which is then explained by eventually making some of them visualizations of a dream. In more than one instance, there is a dream within a dream, and as the movie progressed, I never knew what to expect. That is one of the main charms of this unique movie.
Another one of its many charms is its wonderful sense of humor. This is a very funny movie. So funny that I noticed elements in its surrealistic dreamlike tapestry that would serve as influences on more mainstream, though eclectic comedy troupes such as “Monty Python”. The episodic way that the characters move from situation to situation, without any rhyme or reason, and transitioning from wildly differing moods was something the Pythons would constantly use in their groundbreaking show. There is one scene, for example, at a typical café when the women try to order something to drink. First, they try to order specialized tea, then regular tea, then coffee and each time the waiter tells them that the café is out of what they want, until all they have left to order, and drink is a glass of water. It is a hilarious scene that I believe Monty Python stole as the premise for their famous “Cheese Store” skit.
As each attempted dinner creates an obstacle, the main characters become more frustrated, and the frustrations allow their minds to wonder and dream, while these dreams then are shown creating even more outlandish obstacles. Bunuel had quite an imagination and this strange premise allows him to add many unconnected surreal plot elements into the film. There are so many unexplained occurrences happening in this movie that it demands more than one viewing to gain a true appreciation.
Bunuel loves to play with his audiences’ pre-conditioned expectations. He gives us a diplomat who is a drug smuggler, a young maid who claims to be over 50, a priest who is a gardener and then a murderer, and so on. To say that I never knew what to expect each moment of the film is not an exaggeration.
As one of the creators and founders of surrealistic cinema, Luis Bunuel in his later years, with, “The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie”, has succeeded in bringing surrealism to the mainstream audiences with this immensely entertaining movie.
1001 Movies before you die 