The Exterminating Angel. Dir. Luis Buñuel. Criterion Collection, 1962. Kanopy. 94 min.
For details:https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056732/
Language: Spanish
Subtitles: English
Setting: 1960s, Spanish elite house
Remarks: Knowing Buñuel had worked with Dalí for Un Chien andalou, I expected more surreal elements in The Exterminating Angel. I enjoyed the absurd situation as it underscores the nonsense behind social interactions. Despite being stranded in the parlor, the guests are still concerned about decorum. If they were on an island, I doubt they would care so much about appearances. Any adherence to a group (social, religious, or otherwise) confines the individual, the film suggests.
Keywords: Absurdity, class critique, inside/outside, invisible walls, mystery
See also: Huis clos, a play by Sartre