Phantom Of Liberty (DVD)
APPROX. 0 MINS. - PROD. YEAR: 1974 - MPA RATING: NR
" Nothing can be anticipated and, as a result, virtually every event in the film comes as a refreshing surprise.
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It´s tempting to extract a broader meaning from the film´s apparent randomness. One of the common themes running through Bunuel´s work is the notion that civilization is a thin veneer that can easily be stripped away to reveal the barbarism inherent in the human race. In "Exterminating Angel" (1962), my favorite Bunuel film, a group of wealthy, refined party-goers is trapped in a mansion and soon turn on each other after the food and water runs out. "Phantom" ends with a similar breakdown of society. Following the sniper´s rampage, the film ends with the police firing on a group of unseen protesters at a zoo, presumably slaughtering them all.
Even in this final scene, Bunuel taunts the audience by refusing to yield to even the most basic of filmic conventions. The camera holds on the police commissioners as they order the strike on the protesters. We hear gunfire off-screen, the camera holds a beat, then pans… and keeps right on panning in a dizzying blur. Bunuel never shows the protesters, as we would expect, but breaks off the pan with an abrupt cut to an ostrich (or maybe it´s an emu) which stares mutely as the shots continue to rings out.
So what does it all mean? To be honest, I´d rather not know. It would just spoil the fun.
Your appreciation of "Phantom of Liberty" will depend, in part, on your need to extract meaning from the entire affair. If you need a coherent story with a definitive conclusion and a clear message, you will probably feel as frustrated as many critics did in 1974 (of course, you´re not going to get that from many Bunuel films anyway.) If, instead, you allow yourself to simply experience the film from scene to scene, enjoying as absurdity piles upon absurdity, and surprise follows surprise, you just might enjoy it. I am hesitant to pass judgment after watching the film just once, but I guess that´s my job as a reviewer. I think it's pretty damned brilliant, at least for now. "Phantom of Liberty" is one of Bunuel´s most pleasurable and rewarding films and is perhaps my favorite after "Exterminating Angel." It is the sort of film that both requires and (I suspect) rewards multiple viewings, and I look forward to watching it again.
Video
The DVD is presented in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.66:1. The high-definition digital transfer is up to Criterion´s usual standards. There are a few specks remaining from the source material, but the image quality is sharp and clear and the colors are rich and vibrant. A fine effort.
Audio
The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital Mono. The soundtrack was mastered at 24-bit from the original optical track and the hisses and pops have been cleaned up. The music and dialogue are both well-mixed. Optional English subtitles support the audio.
Extras
Pretty flimsy by Criterion standards. The only real feature is a brief introduction (5 min.) by Carrière. The DVD also includes a theatrical trailer. The insert booklet contains an excellent essay by the always entertaining Gary Indiana as well as a lengthy interview with Bunuel.
Closing Thoughts
The title of the film supposedly derives from the opening of the Communist Manifesto: "A specter (phantom) stalks the land; the specter of Communism." The film is thus interpreted not only as a typical Bunuel shot at bourgeois hypocrisy, but also a dig at organized Communism in the 1970s. Maybe. I´d rather think of the film in terms of its parts: incestuous hookups, a dominatrix secretary, poker-playing monks, a dining room with toilet seats for chairs and a very disinterested ostrich (or maybe it´s an emu). That sure sounds like the formula for a good movie to me.
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