Review of That Obscure Object of Desire (1977) by David K — 18 Nov 2004

[b]THAT OBSCURE OBJECT OF DESIRE [/b](Bunuel, 1977).

I've made the observation that Bunuel is like Fellini with an actual sense of storytelling. That's probably why I like Bunuel's films much more than the other more heralded surrealist director. Bunuel can toy with our minds, but he can tell a cohesive and engaging story as well.

[i]That Obscure Object of Desire [/i]is engrossing, seductive, funny, and deep. As cliched as it sounds, Bunuel's film does embodie all of those terms. And while the film is much more straight forward than his [i]Discreet Charm[/i], Bunuel still manages to infuse little details to add a touch of surrealism to challenge us. [i]That Obscure Object [/i]is a film with extroardinary depth that I know will require several more viewings to truly appreciate. But after one viewing, I can say that I was truly amazed by how Bunuel could say so much about the nature of politics and human desire while doing so little. Bring on [i]Belle De Jour[/i]!

[b][[/b]****[b]].

[/b][b]GUN CRAZY [/b](Lewis, 1949).

[i]Gun Crazy [/i]almost feels like B-movie level material put in the hands of a very skillfull director. The acting isn't exactly top notch and the dialogue isn't especially well-written, but the pulpy characters and brilliant visuals somehow make it work exceedingly well.

So much credit must be given to Lewis' direction. I wouldn't hesitate to say that this is one of the best directed film noirs I've ever seen. There are so many beautiful touches in the film's style that make it just a pleasure to watch. The film's finale in the foggy swamp is just awe-inspiring. The film's pacing is also masterful handled. It moves at a breakneck pace, and it never allows for a single lull in the plot. I can see why monolith pushed this film so hard. It really is terrific.

[b][[/b]****[b]][/b].