A review of the 1972 classic film “The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie”
An odd title for a very odd film, but then this French-language work was co-written and directed by the Mexican surrealist Luis Buñuel. Three upper middle-class couples try repeatedly to sit down for a meal together, only to be frustrated by an absurd number and nature of interruptions. Out of such seemingly quotidian material, Buñuel fashions a satire on the selfishness and vacuous nature of the ruling class. Three of the four dreams in the loose narrative are inspired by Buñuel’s own nocturnal experiences. The work won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, but it will not be to everyone’s taste and I found it rather irritating.