Nothing is Sacred
From 1946 to 1965, Luis Buñuel directed 21 films in Mexico, the country that became his naturalised home. Towards the end of this period, the great master of surrealism would meet two of his most important collaborators - the husband-and-wife duo of producer Gustavo Alatriste and actress Silvia Pinal - and together they would create three of his most provocative and enduring works: Viridiana (1961), The Exterminating Angel (1962) and Simon of the Desert (1965). Presented here in new restorations, all three films are frequently hailed as some of the greatest of all time. All of what makes Buñuel one of the greatest of directors can be found within them: the startling imagery, the uncompromising surrealism, the wicked humour, the unapologetic eroticism, and the overwhelming disdain for contemporary boundaries of good taste.
In Viridiana, Pinal stars as a former nun who, believing she has been defiled by a relative, abandons nunhood and attempts to repent and lead a morally pure existence by turning a mansion into a shelter for vagrants. Hugely controversial on release, this brilliant satire remains shocking today, and was voted the best Spanish film of all time by Spanish critics in 2016.
The Exterminating Angel is one of Buñuel's most extraordinary and enduring works: after a night at the opera, a group of bourgeois party guests realise that they are inexplicably unable to leave the dining room they are sequestered in, and quickly descend into savagery. An influential blend of horror, comedy, drama and social commentary, the film was named one of the 200 greatest of all time in the 2022 Sight and Sound Critics Poll.
Simon of the Desert is a typically outrageous and provocative commentary on organised religion: a parable of Simon, the would-be saint who lives an ascetic life at the top of a ten foot pillar, the film features a memorable turn from Pinal as the Devil, and an unforgettably bizarre ending.
LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES
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New 4K restorations of Viridiana and Simon of the Desert from the original negatives
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A new restoration of The Exterminating Angel from a 4K scan by Radiance Films
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Uncompressed mono PCM audio for each film
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Newly filmed appreciations for each film and Buñuel by filmmakers Richard Ayoade, Alex Cox, Guillermo del Toro, and Lulu Wang
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The Life and Times of Don Luis Buñuel - A BBC Arena documentary on Buñuel featuring contributions from Bunuel and collaborators including Catherine Deneuve, presented on Blu-ray for the first time (1983, 98 mins)
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A Mexican Buñuel - A documentary directed by Emilio Maille on Buñuel’s Mexican period (1995, 50 minutes)
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Buñuel: A Surrealist Filmmaker - A feature-length documentary directed by Javier Estpada on Buñuel’s life and career, presented on Blu-ray for the first time (2021, 83 mins)
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An interview with Buñuel from 1964 recorded for French TV’s Cinéastes de notre temps (1964, 43 mins)
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The Other Trinity: Alatriste, Buñuel and Pinal - A visual essay on Buñuel in Mexico by Abraham Castillo Flores
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Dinner and Other Rituals - A visual essay on The Exterminating Angel and the dinner party on film by critic and writer Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
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Audio commentary on Viridiana by critic Michael Brooke
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Audio commentary on Simon of the Desert by critic and filmmaker Kat Ellinger
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Gallery of stills
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Trailer
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Optional English subtitles for each film
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Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sister Hyde
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Limited edition 80-page book featuring new writing by Glenn Kenny, Justine Smith, Lindsay Hallam and David Hering, as well as archive material
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Limited edition of 6000 copies, presented in a rigid box with full-height Scanavo cases and removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings
Press and Awards:
Viridiana
“The masterwork of one of the world’s outstanding artists” - Financial Times
Winner - Palme d’Or Cannes Film Festival 1961
The Exterminating Angel
“Devastatingly funny, illuminated by unexpected shafts of generosity and tenderness, it remains one of Bunuel's very best.” - Time Out
Winner - FIPRESCI Prize Cannes Film Festival 1962
Simon of the Desert
“Vintage Buñuel… startling, charming and healthily wicked” - Monthly Film Bulletin
Winner - Special Jury Prize Venice Film Festival 1965
