Luis Buñuel
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(22 February 1900 [Calanda, Aragón, Spain] – 29 July 1983 [Mexico City]).

Spanish writer director, who worked in France in the 1920s and 1930s, made many films in Mexico (1945-60), then returned to Europe.  A once notorious surrealist, his later films mocked hypocrisy and the shows of religion.

  • 1908-15: Studies at a Jesuit School in Zaragoza.
  • 1915-17: Finishes degree at Instituto de Segunda Ensenañza.
  • 1917-25:  Travels to Madrid, meets Federico García Lorca and Salvador Dalí.
  • 1921: Military service.
  • 1925: Moves to Paris, teaches at an institute, falls in love with a gymnastics teacher, Jeanne Rucar, whom he eventually marries.
  • 1926:  Watches a Fritz Lang film (Destiny), falls in love with film, and becomes assistant director to Jean Epstein.
  • 1928:  Un Chien andalous, written in 6 days with surrealist Salvador Dalí.
  • 1929:  Un Chien andalou shown in Paris, creates a scandal; Buñuel joins Surrealists.
  • 1930:  L'Age d'Or.  Scandal.  Stink bombs, right wing protesters, slashing of paintings of Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró (Catalan), Max Ernst, and others.
  • 1932:  Las Hurdes.  Banned by Second Spanish Republic for two years.
  • 1933-34:  Works dubbing American films into Spanish for Warner Brothers in Madrid.
  • 1936-37: Spanish Civil War breaks out, Buñuel is attaché at Spanish Embassy in Paris, where he makes film propaganda for the Spanish (Republican) cause.
  • 1938-39: The Republic sends Buñuel to Hollywood to supervise films on the Spanish Civil War.  The war ends and Buñuel is left unemployed.
  • 1939-43: Buñuel works at the Museum of Modern Art in NY, where he edits anti-Nazi documentaries for the Office for Coordination of Inter-American Affairs.  He resigns when Dalí's autobiography states Buñuel is a Communist.
  • 1944-45: Moves to Hollywood, works for Warner Bros., supervising Spanish dubbing.
  • 1946: Goes to Mexico, applies for Mexican citizenship.
  • 1950: Los olvidados.  Best Director, Cannes Film festival.
  • 1952: Wuthering Heights, Robinson Crusoe.
  • 1953: El.
  • 1955: The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz.
  • 1959: Nazarín.   International jury prize at Cannes.  National Catholic Film Office award for best foreign language film.
  • 1961:  Returns to Spain after 25 year absence.  Viridiana (with Mexican actress Silvia Pinal): Palme d'Or at Cannes, critics' prizes in Paris and Brussels.  Film banned in Spain until after Franco's death.
  • 1962:  Exterminating Angel (with Silvia Pinal).  1962 Cannes Critics' Award, plus prizes in Italy, Paris, and Argentina. 
  • 1963: Diary of a Chambermaid, with Jeanne Moreau.
  • 1964: Simon of the Desert.  Venice International Film Award.
  • 1966: Belle de jour.  Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival (with Catherine Deneuve).
  • 1968: The Milky Way, France.
  • 1969: Tristana, Spain (with Fernando Rey& Catherine Deneuve)
  • 1972: The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, Oscar for best foreign language film.
  • 1974: The Phantom of Liberty.
  • 1977: The Obscure Object of Desire (last film) [Fernando Rey]
  • 1983: Death, July 29, Mexico City. 

Luis Buñuel, wife Jeanne Rucar, and son Juan Luis Buñuel (US, 1940)

Biographies:

  • Autobiography: My Last Breath (1982). 1984.
  • Objects of Desire: Conversations with Luis Buñuel, by José de la Colina & Tomás Pérez (New York: Marsilio, 1993).
  • Joan Mellen, ed.  The World of Luis Buñuel: Essays in Criticism (New York: Oxford, 1978).
Luis Buñuel (1900 1983).  Filmography:
  • Mauprat (France, 1926), Assistant Director (Jean Epstein, director).
  • La Sirène des tropiques / Siren of the Tropics (France, 1972), Asstistant Director (Jean Epstein, director).
  • La Chute de la maison Usher / The Fall of the House of Usher (France, 1928), Assistant Director to Jean Epstein, director.
  • Un Chien andalou / An Andalusian Dog (France, 1928-29). Director/editor (with Salvador Dalí).
  • L'Age d’Or / The Golden Age (France, 1930).  Screenplay: Luis Buñuel & Salvador Dalí.
  • Las Hurdes / Tierra sin pan / Land without Bread / Unpromised Land (Spain, 1932).
  • Don Quintín el amargao (Spain, 1935).  Executive producer & screenplay.
  • La hija de Juan Simón (Spain, 1935).  Executive producer & co-director.
  • ¿Quién me quiere a mí?  (Spain, 1936).  Executive producer & editor.
  • ¡Centinela alerta! (Spain, 1936).  Executive producer & co-director.
  • España 1937 / (¡España leal en armas! (France, 1937).  Supervision & assembly of material.
  • Triumph of Will (US, 1939).  Director, commentary, editor.  Based on Leni Riefenstahl's film, Triumph des Willens (1934).
  • The Beast with Five Fingers (US, 1946).  Special sequence (uncredited).
  • Gran Casino / En el viejo Tampico (Mexico, 1946).  Director.
  • El gran calavera / The Great Madcap (Mexico, 1949).  Director.
  • Los olvidados / The Young and the Damned (Mexico, 1950).  Director & screenplay.
  • Susana (demonio y carne) / The Devil and the Flesh (Mexico, 1950).  Director, screenplay.
  • Si Usted no puede, yo sí (Mexico, 1950).  Screenplay.
  • La hija del engaño / Daughter of Deceit (Mexico, 1951).  Director, editor.
  • Una mujer sin amor / Cuando los hijos nos juzgan / A Woman without Love (Mexico, 1951). Director.
  • Subida al cielo / Mexican Bus Ride (Mexico, 1951).  Director.
  • El bruto / The Brute (Mexico, 1952).  Director, screenplay.
  • Adventures of Robinson Crusoe / Robinson Crusoe (Mexico & US, 1952).  Director, editor.
  • El / This Strange Passion (Mexico, 1952).  Director, editor.
  • Abismos de pasión / Cumbres borrascosas / Wuthering Heights (Mexico, 1953).  Director and editor.
  • La ilusión viaja en tranvía / Illusion Travels by Streetcar (Mexico, 1953).  Director.
  • El río y la muerte / The River and Death (Mexico, 1954).  Director and editor.
  • Ensayo de un crimen / The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz (Mexico, 1955).  Director.
  • Cela sápelle l'aurore (France & Italy, 1955).  Director.
  • La Mort en ce jardin / Death in the Garden/Evil Garden (Mexico & France, 1956).  Director.
  • Nazarín (Mexico, 1958).  Director.
  • La fièvre monte à El Pao / Los ambiciosos / Republic of Sin (Mexico & France, 1959).  Director.
  • The Young One / Island of Shame/La joven (Mexico & US, 1960).  Director, screenplay, editor.
  • Viridiana (Mexico & Spain, 1961).  Director, screenplay, editor.
  • El ángel exterminador / The Exterminating Angel (Mexico, 1962).  Director, screenplay & editor.
  • Le Journal d'une femme de chambre / Diary of a Chambermaid (France & Italy, 1963).  Director.
  • En este pueblo no hay ladrones / There Are No Thieves in This Town (Mexico, 1964).   Actor (priest).
  • Llanto por un bandido / Time for a Bandit (Spain / Italy / France, 1964).  Actor (executioner).
  • Simón del desierto / Simon of the Desert (Mexico, 1965).  Director, screenplay, editor.
  • Belle de Jour (France & Italy, 1966). Director.
  • La voie lactée / The Milky Way (France & Italy, 1969).  Director, screenplay, editor.
  • Tristana (Spain / Italy / France, 1970).  Director and editor.
  • La Charme discret de la bourgeoisie / The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (France Spain, 1972).  Director.
  • Le Moine / The Monk (France / Italy / Germany, 1972).  Screenplay.
  • Le Fantôme de la liberté / The Phantom of Liberty (France, 1974).  Director, screenplay, actor.
  • Cet Obscur Objet du désir / That Obscure Object of Desire (France & Spain, 1977). Director, editor, and script.


Scenes from L’Age d’Or
Page created by

A. Robert Lauer
arlauer@ou.edu
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