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The Milky Way

La voie lactée is probably the best film made by Buñuel together with The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie. Buñuel uses religious themes in his other movies too but this one became the ultimate manifest of his religious ideas and concepts. Don't think that the film insults any dogma or religion though this might be a question to argue. He uses many cites from the Bible and the fathers of church but all these citations are correct. The way in what context he uses them is the other question. But as for the film itself in spite of the fragmentary structure the story looks complete as well as in his other films.

The story portraits two vagabonds who under the disguise of pilgrims travel from France to Spain, intending to visit Santiago de Compostella, the famous place for pilgrimage. They walk along the traffic and tri to pick up a car but without any success... On their way which is most goes through France they meet strange and bizarre people and participate and witness many extraordinary events. Sometimes though our heroes disappear and other people act as a heroes of events. But again as in other film of Buñuel they are never surprised in what they see, miracles look like a common event of that life where reality and superreality merge. The actions seems to take place some centuries ago judging from some interiours and landscape but in fact it takes place in modern time. Though the exact time and epoch are of not importance as different epochs are mixed in this film: sometimes we see Jesus and his people, sometimes something looking like a ritual gathering of heretics and sometimes a woman dressed in short skirt that signifies modern time without doubt. All these epochs live together. Certainly it implies that the world hasn't changed much since the ancient times and that in every time there were wonderful people and wonderful events.

But what's the use to tell the story which is fragmentary any way? It's the poetry that attracts in this film, its subtle humour, brilliant wit and interesting faces, in a word this wonderful poetic world that Buñuel succeeded to show us...

Again, there are many witty moments in this film. Like the episode famous from the fairy tales when the host of the inn warn his guest not to open them a door at night even if he would ask about it himself. You could expect that the guests will open the door but how surprisingly it might be, none of them open the door so the poor priest has to speak to them through it. Also when they find a person in the other bed (there were two beds in each room but one was empty and the host didn't allow them to spend the night in the same room) none of them is surprised or at least never shows it. They all behave quite naturally and it is extremely attractive.

I jut mention numerous allusions to religious dogmas at which Buñuel makes subtle irony that shows that religion is the same human activity as the science for example...

The characters are very sympathetic, they have that French charm that is difficult to shake off. It gives the film an unparalleled atmosphere, an ambiance. Buñuel used the cinematographic means with mastery, they are never excessive but always express exactly what they intend. I liked this film enormously.

So this is a film I recommend to watch to everybody. I think you'll enjoy it. This is one of the best films I've seen.

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