That Obscure Object Of Desire [1977] [VHS]

A man tips a bucket of cold water over a woman from a train that is pulling out of a station. His fellow passengers enquire to his odd behaviour. He tells them the story of his frustratingly sexless relationship with the love of his life.

There's a great 45 minute short film to be told from this story. At over 90 minutes it's not so great. Too little spread too thinly over too many minutes. There's just not enough here to sustain my interest for the full length. I started yawning by the end.

As usual with Luis Buñuel the good parts are very good, so something arresting will pop up every now and again to keep you going.

I first saw the film about ten years ago. I thought it was borderline okay, but very flawed and a little boring. This was only my second viewing as it's not a movie that calls for repeat screenings. Once was more than enough.

The lead female character is played by two actresses to no notable effect. She is an annoying, exasperating woman. When he finally snaps and starts slapping her around I found myself fully on his side. I don't recommend the film to feminists.

The movie doesn't really work, and is overall more of a failure than a success. The story just doesn't need so much running time to tell it effectively. I wouldn't call the movie slowly paced, more dragged out by bloating the plot with scene after scene of him getting close and then her rejecting him. You only need to see this happen so many times.

If the film wasn't subtitled and directed by someone with an arty reputation, I probably wouldn't take it any more seriously than a Carry On movie. Still, it's a lot better, shorter and thematically richer than Stanley Kubrick's brick of a film Eyes Wide Shut, with which it shares some similarities (That Obscure Object of Desire could make a strong 45 minute film, Eyes Wide Shut a so-so 30 minute film).

There may be contemporary political and social issues underlying this sparkling film but its salient issue, as comes across to me, has occupied us for the whole of man's tenure on earth and will continue for the remainder of our innings (which would soon be cut short without it!). Any man (I would say woman too, but this film is definitely cowering from a male perspective), who has not experienced sexual frustration or attempted a hopeless conquest will find little in this film. One of the most hilarious scenes in it would befit Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.That is where the "hero" attempts his first unveiling of his new love.I won't describe it because it's much more funny in the seeing than the telling.There is also a more thoughtful side to this film and, as I laughed my way through it, questions of the characters'true motivation did arise.The most stark and shocking scene in the film involves quite cathartic physical violence and ironically and deliberately that is where the possibility that there exists 'true love' between the two(or three?)main characters seems strongest.The acting is natural and the directing is pleasingly assured and uncomplicated (not the latter for the casting!). I'd recommend anyone who likes a laugh and a think to have a look.

A middle-aged man (brilliantly played by Fernando Rey) becomes obsessed with a young woman, who alternately encourages and rejects him.
The idea of having two actresses play the two conflicting sides to the "object of desire" is a neat one, but as Vladimir says you might not even notice the first time you see this film (except we have both told you). It makes the film less about desire for one woman than women in general, and they are contradictory and confusing. This film is not as funny as "Bourgoisie" and it is more straight-forward. I think Bunuel mellowed a bit as he got older, he is making fun of the middle-aged man lusting after young women, but not ridiculing him. He isn't holding his distorting mirror up to society as much here either, though the woman on the train with her prurient yet salacious relish for the details of his attempted consummation of his desire is a good moment. So is the moment where she finally cools his desire in the traditional manner.
There is a plot and a narrative flow to this film, but I'm not going to tell you any more. Watch it.