The Phantom of Liberty

Released: 1974


Comedy, Drama
This Surrealist film, with a title referencing the Communist Manifesto, strings together short incidents based on the life of director Luis Buñuel. Presented as chance encounters, these loosely related, intersecting situations, all without a consistent protagonist, reach from the 19th century to the 1970s. Touching briefly on subjects such as execution, pedophilia, incest, and sex, the film features an array of characters, including a sick father and incompetent police officers.
Starring: Adriana Asti, Milena Vukotić, Jean-Claude Brialy, Monica Vitti, Jean Rochefort, Michel Piccoli, Adolfo Celi, Claude Piéplu
Directed by: Luis Buñuel
Written by: Luis Buñuel, Jean-Claude Carrière
Language: French
Scenes
A couple invites guests to their home, but instead of dinner they adjourn to a table ringed by toilets. Each of them drops his or her pants and sits down. No audio or nudity. At one point a male guest is forced to discreetly use the "facilities," a small room where he sits down and consumes food and drink. (This scene is sometimes incorrectly attributed to The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie.)
Alternate Titles
自由的魅影
자유의 환상