MovieChat Forums > Le fantôme de la liberté (1974) Discussion > I really expected to be bored by this fi...

I really expected to be bored by this film but..

posted 14 years ago by colt_89
3 replies | jump to latest

I wasn't!

I genuinely thought this might be slow and a bit dull but I just felt I had to see it because I'm interested in surrealism and it's apparently a must see - I just felt it would be a film, that I wouldn't find very enjoyable but I can respect. I felt quite the opposite, it was very entertaining despite the fact I didn't really know what was going a whole lot, or what it meant.

The nonlinear narrative was interesting and I think I was so attracted to that because I always thought it would be an interesting film to do a film about passing characters and such.

As I said, I don't really know what it's all about, of course I grabbed a lot from it and found it quite fascinating but I'm sure there is a lot of symbolism there that went over my head - This is a film I can see myself watching a lot over the years and each time grabbing something new from it. I paid full attention but I didn't try my hardest to suck everything in in terms of plot and such.

Just curious, but is it mostly all a dream? I'm not sure of the name, but the man that goes to sleep flicks the light off, then turns it back on and checks the clock and the time appears to change quite radically - Which is a typical sign you're having a lucid dream. He appears to wake up or something, but he does still have the letter from the postman which would be quite impossible (obviously) so maybe a false awakening and the rest was simply a continuation of the dream? I don't know. I'm probably just missing the point.

I'd like to read others interpretations and such.

This is the first of Bunuel's films I have seen, can I expect much the same from the rest of his films? I plan on watching The Exterminating Angel next.

[–] ilpohirvonen 13 years ago

I know what you mean. Although I didn't except to be bored with this, since I love Bunuel, but I can relate to your feelings. You can never say for sure when the events we see are dream or not. It's a comedy of manners and morals, everything is turned upside-down.

And, YES. You can expect the same from the rest of his films. It's all great from Un Chien Andalou to That Obscure Object of Desire!

[–] udippel 9 years ago

It is some time since your first post. I hope you could watch and enjoy the other movies likewise!?
Also, I think you describe well what actually a movie can be - if it is not abused to show reality 1:1. It can jump between different levels, it can jump in time, and it can offer an overflow of pictures and short sequences.
And this one does especially well in this respect. We follow through almost everyday-life scenes, accompanying here and there, only to stick with the next person for some time.
And yet, everything sticks together with the other. Be it the picture of Goya appearing twice, or the foxes: first searched by the soldiers and later placed, stuffed, on the mantelpiece of the chimney.
It is full of subtle messages, and as long as one doesn't expect a dry lecture about life, it joins one funny scene to the next.
What I never grokked and never really grasped or related to a meaning were are the minutes with the serial killer. I mean the killing spree. The court scenes are fine with me, again, though. Maybe it is me only, but the condemnation to death is executed exactly as instructed by the judges: he is let back to the wolves.
Best scene? to me undoubtedly the transformation of the monks until the exit of the SM-trial "if he wants to be hit, I'll hit him for good!"

[–] colt_89 9 years ago

Time flies. It has been a while, and I can't honestly say I remember a whole lot about the movie at this point, maybe it's time for a rewatch.

I did end up watching quite a few of his films, as far as I can recall I watched Belle de Jour, The Exterminating Angel, Un Chien Andalou and The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie.

I think I liked Belle de Jour the least. Un Chien Andalou was another that I didn't expect to enjoy a whole lot, but I had wanted to see for a long time because of the infamous eye shot in the film. The Exterminating Angel is probably the Bunuel film stood out quite a lot to me. It didn't blow me away at the time, but I've found myself think back on it quite a lot over the years.