La Grande Bouffe (AKA The Grand Feast, Blow-Out)
Dir: Marco Ferreri
1973
*****
Marco Ferreri's infamous La Grande Bouffe is regarded as one of the most shocking films of all time. It is also quite often misunderstood, although much of it is open to interpretation. Unlike other films thought to be most shocking, such as Pier Paolo Pasolini's Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom, Luis Bunuel's The Phantom of Liberty or John Waters' Pink Flamingos, I'd be more inclined to watch La Grande Bouffe more than once. While Salo was political, The Phantom of Liberty somewhat philosophical and Pink Flamingos purely shocking for the sake of it, La Grande Bouffe explores deep routed human issues. It is of course a satire, certainly a more obvious one than Salo but it can be just as uncomfortable, especially as humor is involved. Both films will make you feel sick but in very different ways. La Grande Bouffe boasts one of the best casts of it's day, with four amazing performances to go with it. Everything about the film is symbolic, there is nothing in the film that isn't there for some purpose. I believe it is open to interpretation and I see it as many things. The film is about four old friends, A Judge, a Chief, a TV producer and a Pilot. All four decide to lock themselves up in a lavish house and eat themselves to death. Four noble, powerful, often corrupt and often desirable positions. The four men are bored of their lavish, decadent and bourgeois lives. They see themselves as having reached the pinnacle of living, so all that's left is to die. All four men are different but all are shown as children; spoiled and greedy. They are aristocracy, they are the West, they are capitalism?, it really depends who you are as to what you see. They are deluded, they are animalistic and they are dying. They are on self-destruct. The film is very much a look at the human condition and a sociological comment. Consumerism is also explored but it is power and greed that are really the main focus. The idea is horrific and certain scenes within the film are some of the most hilarious, haunting and disgusting I have ever seen. I actually skipped my dinner after watching this movie, having totally lost my appetite. It's a stunning film. It's filmed beautifully, is very easy to get into and the performances from Marcello Mastroianni, Ugo Tognazzi, Michel Piccoli and Philippe Noiret are second to none. All three were huge actors at the time, it would be interesting to see any current a-list actor taking the risk as they did on such a controversial film. Marco Ferreri's film is an orchestra of indulgence, a journey into societies greatest sickness, the most disturbing comedy of all time and one of the greatest essays on man ever filmed.