That Obscure Object of Desire is a 1977
filmFilm encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects....
directed by
Luis BuñuelLuis Buñuel Portolés was a Spanish-born filmmaker who acquired Mexican citizenship and worked in Mexico, France, and also in his native Spain and the United States...
. Set in
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
and
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
against the backdrop of a
terroristTerrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion.At present, there is no internationally agreed definition of terrorism...
insurgencyAn insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority when those taking part in the rebellion are not recognised as belligerents.[Oxford English Dictionary second edition 1989 "insurgent B. n...]
, the film tells the story of an aging Frenchman who falls in love with a young woman who repeatedly frustrates his romantic and sexual desires. Written by Buñuel with long-time collaborator
Jean-Claude CarrièreJean-Claude Carrière is an award-winning screenwriter and actor. Alumnus of the École normale supérieure de Saint-Cloud, he was a frequent collaborator with Luis Buñuel...
, it is based on the French novel
La Femme et le pantinThe Woman and the Puppet is a novel by Pierre Louÿs that was adapted for film several times.-Film adaptations:*1928 - La Femme et le Pantin - Jacques de Baroncelli, starring Conchita Montenegro...
(
The Woman and the Puppet) by
Pierre LouÿsPierre Louÿs was a French poet and Romantic writer, most renowned for lesbian and classical themes in some of his writings...
, although many changes were made for the screenplay.
This is the story of a dysfunctional and sometimes violent romantic relationship between Mathieu (played by
Fernando ReyFernando Casado Arambillet, better known as Fernando Rey , was a Spanish film, theatre, and TV actor, who worked in both Europe and the United States.-The beginnings:...
), a middle-aged, wealthy Frenchman, and Conchita (played by
Carole BouquetCarole Bouquet is a French actress and fashion model, who has appeared in more than 40 films since 1977. Bouquet was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France....
and
Angela Molina Ángela Molina is a Spanish actress, daughter of Antonio Molina, Spanish singer and actor.Molina studied dance and theater art in the Escuela Superior de Madrid. She rose to international prominence after starring in Luis Buñuel's last movie That Obscure Object of Desire...
), a young, impoverished and beautiful flamenco dancer from Seville.
That Obscure Object of Desire is a 1977
filmFilm encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects....
directed by
Luis BuñuelLuis Buñuel Portolés was a Spanish-born filmmaker who acquired Mexican citizenship and worked in Mexico, France, and also in his native Spain and the United States...
. Set in
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
and
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
against the backdrop of a
terroristTerrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion.At present, there is no internationally agreed definition of terrorism...
insurgencyAn insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority when those taking part in the rebellion are not recognised as belligerents.[Oxford English Dictionary second edition 1989 "insurgent B. n...]
, the film tells the story of an aging Frenchman who falls in love with a young woman who repeatedly frustrates his romantic and sexual desires. Written by Buñuel with long-time collaborator
Jean-Claude CarrièreJean-Claude Carrière is an award-winning screenwriter and actor. Alumnus of the École normale supérieure de Saint-Cloud, he was a frequent collaborator with Luis Buñuel...
, it is based on the French novel
La Femme et le pantinThe Woman and the Puppet is a novel by Pierre Louÿs that was adapted for film several times.-Film adaptations:*1928 - La Femme et le Pantin - Jacques de Baroncelli, starring Conchita Montenegro...
(
The Woman and the Puppet) by
Pierre LouÿsPierre Louÿs was a French poet and Romantic writer, most renowned for lesbian and classical themes in some of his writings...
, although many changes were made for the screenplay.
Synopsis
This is the story of a dysfunctional and sometimes violent romantic relationship between Mathieu (played by
Fernando ReyFernando Casado Arambillet, better known as Fernando Rey , was a Spanish film, theatre, and TV actor, who worked in both Europe and the United States.-The beginnings:...
), a middle-aged, wealthy Frenchman, and Conchita (played by
Carole BouquetCarole Bouquet is a French actress and fashion model, who has appeared in more than 40 films since 1977. Bouquet was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France....
and
Angela Molina Ángela Molina is a Spanish actress, daughter of Antonio Molina, Spanish singer and actor.Molina studied dance and theater art in the Escuela Superior de Madrid. She rose to international prominence after starring in Luis Buñuel's last movie That Obscure Object of Desire...
), a young, impoverished and beautiful flamenco dancer from Seville. This film is unique in that two actresses play one character: Conchita, each appearing unpredictably in separate scenes. Not only are they physically different, but temperamentally as well, adding dimension and mystery to the character.
Most of the film is a flashback told by Mathieu with additional non-flashback elements shown only at the start and end of the film.
The movie begins with Mathieu travelling by train from
SevilleSeville is the artistic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level. The inhabitants of the city are known as Sevillanos or...
to
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He's trying to distance himself from his young girlfriend Conchita. As Mathieu's train is ready to depart he finds that a bruised and bandaged Conchita is pursuing him. From the train he pours a bucket of water over her head. He believes this deters her, but she sneaks aboard.
Mathieu's fellow compartment passengers witness his rude act. These include a mother and her young daughter, a judge who is coincidentally a friend of Mathieu's cousin, and a psychologist who coincidentally is a
dwarfDwarfism is a medical disorder, the term being used to describe a person of short stature. It is sometimes defined as a person with an adult height under 4 feet 10 inches...
. They inquire about his motivation for such an act and he then explains the history of his tumultuous relationship with Conchita. The story is set against a backdrop of terrorist bombings and shootings.
Conchita, who claims to be 18 but looks older, vows to remain a virgin until marriage. However, she tantalizes Mathieu with sexual promises but never allows him to satisfy his sexual desire for her. At one point she goes to bed with him wearing what appear to be a pair of tightly laced
canvasCanvas is an extremely heavy-duty plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, and other functions where sturdiness is required...
shorts, making it impossible for the couple to have sexual intercourse. Conchita's antics cause the couple to break up and reunite repeatedly, each time frustrating and confusing Mathieu.
Eventually, Mathieu finds Conchita dancing nude for tourists in a Seville nightclub. At first he becomes enraged. Later, however, he forgives her and buys her a house. The movie's climax arrives when, soon after moving into the house, Conchita tells Mathieu that she hates him and that kissing and touching him make her sick. She then appears to have sex with a young man in plain view of Mathieu to prove her independence from him.
After this, Conchita attempts to reconcile with Matthieu, insisting that the sex was fake and that her "lover" is in reality a homosexual friend. However, during her explanation, Mathieu beats her (she then says "Now I´m sure you love me"), causing her bandaged and bruised state earlier in the film.
Just as the fellow train passengers seem satisfied with this story, Conchita reappears from hiding on the train and dumps a bucket of water on Mathieu. However, the couple apparently reconciles yet again when the train reaches its destination. After leaving the train, they walk arm in arm, enjoying the streets of Paris.
At that moment loudspeakers blare the news that a strange alliance of extremist groups intend to sow a state of confusion in society through terrorist attacks. The announcement adds that several right-wing groups plan to counterattack.
As the couple continues their walk, they notice a seamstress in a shop window mending a bloody veil. They begin arguing just as a bomb explodes, apparently claiming their lives.
Casting
Spanish actor
Fernando ReyFernando Casado Arambillet, better known as Fernando Rey , was a Spanish film, theatre, and TV actor, who worked in both Europe and the United States.-The beginnings:...
(who frequently worked with Buñuel in his later years) plays Mathieu, but his voice is dubbed by
Michel PiccoliMichel Piccoli is a French actor. He was born in Paris to a musical family; his mother was a pianist and his father a violinist....
.
The film is notable for its use of two actresses,
Carole BouquetCarole Bouquet is a French actress and fashion model, who has appeared in more than 40 films since 1977. Bouquet was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France....
and
Angela Molina Ángela Molina is a Spanish actress, daughter of Antonio Molina, Spanish singer and actor.Molina studied dance and theater art in the Escuela Superior de Madrid. She rose to international prominence after starring in Luis Buñuel's last movie That Obscure Object of Desire...
, in the single role of Conchita; the actresses switch roles in alternate scenes and sometimes even in the middle of scenes (at one point, Molina walks behind a curtain and Bouquet emerges a second later). Many film critics believe this to be an example of Buñuel's
surrealistSurrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
sensibilities, arguing that the odd use of casting highlights Conchita's mercurial nature. In his autobiography, Buñuel writes that he was inspired in this particular idea by drinking.
The switching of actresses often goes unnoticed by many of those watching, is an example of the psychological phenomenon of
Change blindnessIn visual perception, change blindness is the phenomenon that occurs when a person viewing a visual scene apparently fails to detect large changes in the scene. For change blindness to occur, the change in the scene typically has to coincide with some visual disruption such as a saccade or a...
.
Responses
The film was not financially successful, but it became a critical favorite, garnering Best Foreign Language Film nominations at both the Golden Globes and the
Academy AwardsThe Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are presented annually by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers. The formal ceremony at which the awards are presented is...
(where it was also nominated for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) but failing to win at either. The critics associations were slightly more generous, with the National Board of Review, and the
Los Angeles Film Critics AssociationThe Los Angeles Film Critics Association was founded in 1975. Its main purpose is to present yearly awards to members of the film industry who have excelled in their fields. These awards are presented each January...
both giving the it Best Foreign Language Film awards in 1977. Luis Buñuel won Best Director at the National Board of Review and
National Society of Film CriticsThe National Society of Film Critics or NSFC is an American film critic organization. The NSFC currently consists of approximately 60 members who write for a variety of weekly and daily newspapers as of December 2007.-History:...
awards. He was also nominated at the French
César AwardThe César Award is the national film award of France, first given out in 1975. The nominations are selected by the members of the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma....
s.
Sources
- That Obscure Object of Desire, DVD, Criterion Collection; Jean-Claude Carrière Interview (2000)
External links