20 Foreign Language Movies You Must See Before You Die
14. The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie
Country: France/Spain.
Plot: A surreal, dream-like film concerning six middle-class people who want to have dinner together but are subjected to many bizarre interruptions.
There are two cinematic masters of surrealism. One is David Lynch, the other is Spanish director Luis Bunuel, who made many wonderful surrealist works that attacked and satirized religion, the establishment, politics and pretty much everything you can shake a tripod at over the course of his long and impressive career.
This absolute classic, which won a well deserved Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film and also managed to nab a nomination for Best Original Screenplay (which is rare for a foreign-language film), is one of his very best.
A biting, ferocious attack on the bourgeois done in the most visually stunning, hilarious, thought-provoking and ridiculously entertaining way possible, this is a delightful, stunningly imaginative work that shows a unique and essential cinematic auteur at the absolute peak of his craft.
It's a film which doesn't make a huge amount of sense, so don't expect a traditional narrative and just surrender yourself to the madness. You'll be glad you did.