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The Phantom of Liberty



Bourgeois convention is demolished in Luis Buñuel's surrealist gem The Phantom of Liberty. Featuring an elegant soiree with guests seated at toilet bowls, poker-playing monks using religious medals as chips, and police officers looking for a missing girl who is right under their noses, this perverse, playfully absurd comedy of non sequiturs deftly compiles many of the themes that preoccupied Buñuel throughout his career, from the hypocrisy of conventional morality to the arbitrariness of social arrangements.

Special Features

- New, restored high-definition digital transfer
- Video introduction by screenwriter Jean-Claude Carrière
- New and improved English subtitle translation
- Original theatrical trailer
- PLUS: A 32-page booklet featuring a new essay by critic Gary Indiana and a reprinted interview with Buñuel

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Not too surprised at the lack of extras. There just doesn't seem to be anything out there on Bunuel. If so, they are waiting to be put on his heavier works (Viridiana, Exterminating Angel) I suppose. I'm wondering if The Milky Way is suffering the same situation.

Totally agree, and perhaps milky way will be under the same circumstances...

Axel.

I wonder how many films haven't been released simply because they do not have enough special features to put under the criterion banner.

They had released barebones dvds...


Axel.

On the "Related Topics" section for this title, it lists "Short Films."

Does this mean that more specs are coming, like some Bunuel shorts? Or is just referring to the anthology-like nature of the film (I haven't seen it)?

I'm surprised by it being listed as non-anamorphic.

For short films.... maybe LAND WITHOUT BREAD?

Harold Gervais wrote:I'm surprised by it being listed as non-anamorphic.

I'm not, since it's almost certainly a mistake.

JusteLeblanc wrote:For short films.... maybe LAND WITHOUT BREAD?

That would be wonderful, but doesn't Kino own the video rights to Land Without Bread? They did the old vhs that came with Un Chien Andalou.

Well, Phantom can really stand on its own, but a scholarly commentary could shed some light on all the little details which I'm sure are in the film. In general, though, it's a convoluted comedy that isn't nearly as complex as Viridiana or The Milky Way.

The Milky Way desperately needs a lot of supplemental materials to help most viewers appreciate all the stuff happening in the film. I think Simon of the Desert would make a great supplement on that disc. If The Milky Way is going to be released by itself, it needs a good compliment of supplements since I'm sure a lot of people won't buy it just for the barebones movie. Phantom, on the other hand, is tremendous fun without the benefit of an academic background in the Catholic tradition.

Yes, a double feature of Phantom and Simon del Desierto... that sounds quite right...


Axel.

chaddoli wrote:On the "Related Topics" section for this title, it lists "Short Films."

Random theory on my part: Burden of Dreams is not listed under "Short Films," despite including "Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe"....

I'm thinking it's just a Criterion mix-up and this heading was meant for Burden, not Phantom. However, I'll be crossing my fingers for a much more rewarding answer...

-Toilet Dcuk

The Fanciful Norwegian wrote:

Harold Gervais wrote:I'm surprised by it being listed as non-anamorphic.

I'm not, since it's almost certainly a mistake.

Well, let's hope so.

the dancing kid wrote:

JusteLeblanc wrote:For short films.... maybe LAND WITHOUT BREAD?

That would be wonderful, but doesn't Kino own the video rights to Land Without Bread? They did the old vhs that came with Un Chien Andalou.

I don't think either of Bunuel's shorts would work with Phantom. This is surely an error. Land Without Bread is a bit of a tough film to pair with any of Bunuel's features (though something like Los Olvidados would be a far better bet than any of the late-period French films). It would probably make most sense in a package of his first three films (the first European period).

It's now listed as being anamorphic on the Criterion website.

They've taken the "Short Films" link off this one.


Axel.

I'm glad that this is finally being released, but I've really been waiting for "The Milky Way"; I thought that Criterion would definitely be putting these out together. I saw both last year in the theaters and, while "The Phantom Of Liberty" is enjoyable, "The Milky Way" really sucked me in. For me, it may be Bunuel's best (out of the 7 films of his that I've seen). Hopefully the delay is an indicator of more extras on the DVD to prepare.

Back in Cannes 2000, they made a retrospective of Buñuel due to his 100th anniversary; they only projected the french films and Viridiana...

They stated that Buñuel's finest and best films were the French ones. So, now you know it folks, forget about Olvidados, Nazarín, Él, etc. \:D/

Axel.

Criterion's fourth Bunuel...without a commentary. What gives? He's not my fav director, but there's so much in his films for discussion. Would love to have a pundit lay down a track on any one of these. Are there any Bunuel's on DVD anywhere with a quality scholar track?

Un Chien Andalou has one I haven't heard. L'Age D'Or has a completely awful one.

skuhn8 wrote:Are there any Bunuel's on DVD anywhere with a quality scholar track?

I quite like Julie Jones' commentary on Miramax's Belle de jour release.

> I quite like Julie Jones' commentary on Miramax's Belle de jour release

On the other hand, I didn't like it at all.

Ugly visual quality on this DVD too. Miramax should be ashamed.

Michael Kerpan wrote:> I quite like Julie Jones' commentary on Miramax's Belle de jour release

Ugly visual quality on this DVD too. Miramax should be ashamed.

Better yet, hand the rights to Criterion...

oldsheperd wrote:Un Chien Andalou has one I haven't heard. L'Age D'Or has a completely awful one.

The Kino one? haven't watched with the commentary...

Axel

I'm hoping Belle De Jour sees a decent re-release. Besides the whole picture quality, it's the subtitles that bother the hell out of me. And honestly, I'm not a big fan of the commentary either.

You'd think they'd get someone like Gilliam to do a commentary, or maybe even someone else inthe Python group.