Bunuel was sick of condescension so he made the most condescending movie ever. He didn't want to make a film wherein people saw it, felt awful, gave five dollars to charity, and patted themselves on the back. Instead he made a movie where you laugh all the way through and feel ashamed of yourself for a week afterwards. This was not meant to be a documentary because, at the time, there was no such word. It was meant to be a true-ish film that was a take off of overly sympathetic travelogue films.
When they shoot the goat it's amazing. Because first you think you witnessed a tragic fall and then you realize that there are three camera angles and visible gun smoke. You're meant to laugh. The donkey that was stung to death by bees was first covered in honey.
The fact that the men leave an then come back is Bunuel's comment on people. We go back to awful situations because we're afraid of new things, He makes you laugh at the people and then realize it's not just them you've been laughing at.
The whole thing is horrific and amazing.
Also, apparently, a couple of years ago, a professor of film at Columbia turned off the soundtrack because he didn't believe it was original. He didn't think Bunuel meant it to be there because it mocks the people so much. but Bunuel most definitely did.
When they shoot the goat it's amazing. Because first you think you witnessed a tragic fall and then you realize that there are three camera angles and visible gun smoke. You're meant to laugh. The donkey that was stung to death by bees was first covered in honey.
The fact that the men leave an then come back is Bunuel's comment on people. We go back to awful situations because we're afraid of new things, He makes you laugh at the people and then realize it's not just them you've been laughing at.
The whole thing is horrific and amazing.
Also, apparently, a couple of years ago, a professor of film at Columbia turned off the soundtrack because he didn't believe it was original. He didn't think Bunuel meant it to be there because it mocks the people so much. but Bunuel most definitely did.