That Obscure Object of Desire
THAT OBSCURE OBJECT OF DESIRE (CET OBSCUR OBJECT DU
DESIR) (15)
D: Luis Bunuel
Greenwich/Galaxie/Inine (Serge Silberman)
Spain/France 1977
100 mins
Drama/Comedy/Romance
W: Luis Bunuel & Jean-Claude
Carriere [based on the novel "La Femme et la Pantin" by Pierre Louys]
DP: Edmond Richard
Ed: Helene Pieniannikov
PD: Pierre Guffroy
Fernando Rey (Mathieu), Carole Bouquet / Angela Molina
(Conchita)
Luis Bunuel's final film is a surrealist view at a poisonous
romance.
On a train from Seville to Paris, a middle-aged man recounts
to his fellow passengers of his doomed love affair with Conchita, a beautiful young woman who constantly manipulates, deceives and torments him, leading him on for the thrill of the chase then
rebuffing his advances when he does get a chance to bed her.
It's a stroke of genius from the director to use two different
actresses for the part of the alluring femme fatale; the demure, seductive and innocent Carole Bouquet when the script calls for the character to be attractive and the cattish, fiery Angela
Molina when the script calls for her to be spiteful.
It's all about the duality of the female psyche, and though it
can often seem a bit misogynistic, it's also a clever portrayal of a desperate man always wanting what he can never quite get.
8/10
