The Phantom of Liberty (1974)

R   |    |  Comedy

The Phantom of Liberty (1974) Poster

A series of surreal sequences that critique morality and society in a stream of consciousness style.

7.9/10
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  • The Phantom of Liberty (1974)
  • The Phantom of Liberty (1974)
  • Michel Piccoli in The Phantom of Liberty (1974)
  • Philippe Brigaud in The Phantom of Liberty (1974)
  • Pierre Maguelon in The Phantom of Liberty (1974)
  • Anne-Marie Deschodt in The Phantom of Liberty (1974)

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Cast & Crew

Top Billed Cast

Director:

Luis Buñuel

Writers:

Luis Buñuel (scenario), Jean-Claude Carrière (collaboration)
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Awards

2 wins.

Reviews & Commentary

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User Reviews
13 December 2003 | davidbyrne77
A surreal film of ideas, not plot. Beautiful!
Bunuel's most strict surrealist film since L'age Dor is an amalgamation of strange backwards ideas flowing into one another. The little girl sequence is brilliant, as is the 'pervert' in the park how shows little kids 'obscene' pictures of.....famous national landmarks. "Just disgusting", a child's parent comments. This is the kind of film where a group of celebut monks join a card game, only to find themselves in the midst of kinky couple's bondage fetish. A man who's just been diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer is offered a cigarette by his doctor! And the piece de la resistance, families and friends defacating in public, only to leave the table to secretly cower in little private rooms where they can guiltily eat with no one watching. Inspiring to no end! This film made me go out and make my own surrealist video, even going to the trouble of shooting in the freezing cold and getting a severed pig's head for one scene. It's all for the sake of surrealist art!

Critic Reviews

Did You Know?

Trivia

The title is a reference to "The Communist Manifesto" which in English begins: "A spectre is stalking Europe, the spectre of Communism." The French translation known to Buñuel translated "spectre" as "fantome". So the title can be seen as a dig at the "Bourgeois" mentality which fears freedom, and also a sideswipe at the rather straightjacketed Communist parties of the time.

Quotes

Le docteur de Legendre/Doctor Pasolini: You have cancer of the liver.
Legendre/Mr. Legendre: Cancer? Me?
Le docteur de Legendre/Doctor Pasolini: It's in a fairly advanced state. But today, you know, these things... Cigarette?

Goofs

At the beginning of the movie after shooting the prisoners you can see one of the victims moving the hand although he's dead.

Soundtracks

Carnaval, opus 9, movement number 12 - Chopin
Written by Robert Schumann
Played on the piano by the sister of the police commissioner

Storyline

Plot Summary

Synopsis (WARNING: Spoilers)

Genres

Comedy

Details

Release Date:

27 October 1974

Language

French

Country of Origin

France, Italy

Filming Locations

Studios de Boulogne, Avenue Jean-Baptiste Clément, Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,172 10 November 2002

Gross USA:

$6,172

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$6,749

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