Un Chien Andalou, The Exterminating Angel, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeois.
Those are three I really like from him.
I really wanna see The Milky Way though.
“belle de jour” is his best film for me. after that, i really like “that obscure object of desire”.
bunuel has made a ton of films though. i don’t think i’ve seen even half of them.
Nate the Movie Mate told you the cream of the cream:
The Milky Way + The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeois are my favorite.
I wanna see That Obscure Object of Desire too.
I think everyone has covered the essentials already, but Viridiana and The Phantom of Liberty are both among his best as well. In general, I think you can’t go wrong with Bunuel from the 1960s and 70s. Even the weaker films of that period are still worth watching.
The pre-1960 work is a bit more variable in quality, especially since he was really cranking them out in the 1950s. But it’s a bit harder to find some of these films, and I still haven’t seen what are supposed to be his best from that era (like Los Olivados and Nazarin). El and The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz are both pretty good, though.
VIRIDIANA
then BELLE DU JOUR and THE PHANTOM OF LIBERTY
Bunuel, more than anyone in cinema, had the most varied, quasi-disparate and yet consistently brilliant output in his career. So many unbelievably good masterpieces.
Watch That Obscure Object of Desire and/or Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie first, then move onto Un Chien Andalou.
See them all, though. Although I really didn’t care for Phantom of Liberty.
Los Olvidados
Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
The Phantom of Liberty
The Exterminating Angel
The Milky Way
Belle du jour
That should do the trick
It’s almost easier to say which Bunuel films to skip than which to watch because he really didn’t make too many bad ones.
The essentials from the 1930s are of course “Un Chien Andalou,” “L’Age d’Or” and the great documentary “Las Hurdes.” Luckily, all of these are easily available for viewing on-line for free.
After 1936, Bunuel didn’t make another film for 14 years. His comeback was “Los Olvidados” in 1950. a classic of world cinema and a fundamental part of the Bunuel canon. It absolutely deserves the full Criterion treatment.
Bunuel spent the decade of the 1950s quickly cranking out films in Mexico; some are mediocre, a number are superb minor works: “Illusion Travels by Streetcar,” “The Brute,” “Abismos de Pasion” (a one-of-a-kind adaptation of “Wuthering Heights”), and “The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz.” The best from this period is “El,” a five-star work which many, including Pedro Almodovar, consider the director’s finest. (It would also make for a terrific double-feature with “Raging Bull.”)
From 1960 until his last film in 1977, Bunuel had a golden age that few directors could match: “Nazarin,” “Viridiana,” “The Exterminating Angel,” “The Diary of a Chambermaid,” “Belle de Jour,” “The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie,” “The Milky Way,” “The Phantom of Liberty,” and “That Obscure Object of Desire.”
Short version of the above: just see everything you can get your hands on.
He’s my favorite of all directors. I’ve seen everything that’s available to me on VHS or Region 1 DVD, which still leaves out a few here and there.
I saw “The Brute” recently, it’s great
I love “The Brute,” especially for the performance of Katy Jurado, a truly fiery Mexican beauty, who also distinguished herself in “High Noon” and Sam Peckinpah’s “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid” (as Slim Pickens’ wife).
Wow, that’s a lot to take in, but I think I now have a pretty good idea of where to start. Thanks, guys. =)
I saw new print of a great film of his I had never heard of before this year at the Berlin Film Festival, La mort en ce jardin (1956) with a young Michel Piccoli. Great color photography and a great example of subtle surrealism, surrealism working within supposedly “normal” or “classical” or “studio” filmmaking.
“Belle du jour” was my first and I think it was a good introduction.
Viridiana & Belle de Jour are the best introductions to Bunuel’s style. You can’t really go wrong checking out any of his though.
“Los Olvidados” (The Forgotten Ones) (1950) is a beautiful piece of work, exploring the lives of destitute children in Mexico- it has a documentary feel to it. It’s one of Bunuel’s underrated classics and plays nicely with Babenco’s “Pixote” (1981) or Martin Bell’s “Streetwise”(1984). I think “Los Olvidados” is only available on French region 2 dvd, from Amazon France, which is where I got my copy from. Otherwise, it hasn’t had much of a release. The region 2 French release also has “The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz” as a bonus film.
“Belle De Jour” is sexy and kinky too and well worth anyone’s time.
Bunuel’s a great director, but he could have used French actor Michel Piccoli a little less; he seems to appear in nearly all his films.
I recently ordered the 50th anniversary edition of “The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe” and am looking forward to seeing it for the first time since its original release. Has anyone seen it?
Is that out on R1 DVD Edwin?
VCI Entertainment released ADVENTURES OF ROBINSON CRUSOE on DVD in 2004. Not a great transfer, but it will suffice. It’s not one of Bunuel’s better movies, but it’s certainly more interesting than most adaptations of Defoe’s story.
I’d love to see more films from Bunuel’s Mexican period, few of which are available in the United States. Does anyone know how to track them down?
belle du jour!!!!!!!! cahterine deneuve ufffff
and NAZARIN surreal film
My essential Bunuel:
L’AGE D’OR (door and mind-opening use of cinema)
THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL (one of the 5 best films of all time, IMHO)
“Dairy of a Chamber Maid”, not mentioned by anyone, should be.
Re: his late period and “Obscure Object of Desire” in particular, there’s something severely lacking there for me visually and otherwise: the combination of Bunuel having pretty much lost it plus the French 70’s visual blandness is too much. …or too little.
To Mark Lansing, There’s a collection of films called “Grandes Clásicos del Cine Mexicano” which is supported by the biggest tv company here in Mexico, which is Televisa, maybe you can find them on any latin america related music or video sections on some stores. On that collection there are a lot of films from the “Mexican Golden Era”, including Buñuel’s Los Olvidados, El Bruto, El Gran Calavera, and classics such The Exterminating Angel & The Criminal Life or Archibaldo Cruz", as well as some other great works from directors such as Emilio “The Indian” Fernandez, and great actresses and actors such as Dolores del Río, María Félix, Pedro Armendariz and Ignacio Lopez Tarso.
“Los Olvidados” (The Forgotten Ones) (1950) is a beautiful piece of work, exploring the lives of destitute children in Mexico- it has a documentary feel to it. It’s one of Bunuel’s underrated classics and plays nicely with Babenco’s “Pixote” (1981) or Martin Bell’s “Streetwise”(1984). I think “Los Olvidados” is only available on French region 2 dvd, from Amazon France, which is where I got my copy from. Otherwise, it hasn’t had much of a release. The region 2 French release also has “The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz” as a bonus film."
My choice for his greatest piece of work and one of cinemas forgotten MASTERPIECES
“Los Olvidados” (The Forgotten Ones) (1950) is a beautiful piece of work, exploring the lives of destitute children in Mexico- it has a documentary feel to it. It’s one of Bunuel’s underrated classics and plays nicely with Babenco’s “Pixote” (1981) or Martin Bell’s “Streetwise”(1984). I think “Los Olvidados” is only available on French region 2 dvd, from Amazon France, which is where I got my copy from. Otherwise, it hasn’t had much of a release. The region 2 French release also has “The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz” as a bonus film."
My choice for his greatest piece of work and one of cinemas forgotten MASTERPIECES
It’s “Simon of the Desert” for me. A bit of a personal choice, and probably the shortest film on this board of his, but I literally did a backflip out of my chair when I saw that Criterion is releasing it. I haven’t been this excited for a release since “Two Lane Blacktop”.
I would love to see Criterion (especially in an Eclipse series) do a selection of Bunuel’s Mexican films:
“Los Olvidados”, “El”, “Nazarin”, "The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz” “Mexican Bus Ride”
Nazarin is an exquisite, astonishing film — worth every cent if you can get your hands on a copy.
Robinson Crusoe is amazing and Dan O’Herlihy in the title role gives a great performance.
I want to see Robinson Crusoe, I’m glad it’s been released on a modestly priced dvd.
Kim Nall
Just recently developed an interest in Luis Buñuel. Aside from L’Âge d’or, which is already on my list, does anyone have any recommendations?