THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE

THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE (1972) ***1/2

Reviewed 5/15/00

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie marked Luis Buñuel at the peak of his most formal period, roughly signposted by Belle de jour (1967) to his final film, That Obscure Object of Desire (1977). A diplomat (played by Buñuel-favorite Fernando Rey) from the fictional Latin American country of Miranda along with his five wealthy friends repeatedly try and fail to have a meal together. Their travails are intertwined with dreams (surreal of course) and ghost stories. The usual Buñuel targets, the bourgeoisie of the title and organized religion both take a lambasting, but these are not the broad shots of the recent American Psycho; Buñuel's black comedy is nuanced and sophisticated. Buñuel attacks the bourgeoisie in precisely the way that the bourgeoisie can most appreciate -- with wit and condescension. With the film's last shot, one realizes that these people will never reach their destination or eat a soulful meal.