After some years, I have seen again “La grande abbuffata” (“La Grande Bouffe” in French – “The Grande Bouffe” and ” in English) a 1973 French–Italian black comedy directed by Marco Ferreri.
It tells the story of four middle-aged friends who gather for a weekend to spend in debauchery at the villa of one of them. Truckloads of fine food and wine arrive and the four men prepare for a great banquet, where they invite three elegant slim prostitutes and the young plump local schoolmistress. Little by little their plan gets clear: bored with their routine and problems, they have decided to end their lives with an orgy of gluttony, sex and hedonism. It is a sort of suicide pact according to which they will eat themselves to death.
The film, although grotesque , surreal and sometimes disgusting in its scenes of culinary and sexual excess, is sad and compelling. It is a satire of consumerism, of the nihilistic ugliness of excessive wealth: middle class ennui and the desire to consume to death seem to be results of our modern lives and attitudes.
J’adore…
LikeLiked by 3 people
Moi aussi
LikeLiked by 2 people
Marco Ferreri è stato uno dei più grandi incompresi (volutamente) del cinema internazionale.
Scomodava i salotti buoni.
Un artista che ora manca, manca davvero per la critica tutta.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Sono d’accordo
LikeLiked by 1 person
Splendido film …grazie di averlo ricordato
LikeLiked by 2 people
Grazie a te!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I watched this movie many years ago. Thank you for reminding.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
My baby dream was to stay closed in a supermarket to eat all I wanted, like this film. Scusami per il mio inglese.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ma che bel sogno … da bambino sano e felice!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hai ragione è una critica estremamente attuale, purtroppo!
Ieri invece ho visto un film pieno di poesia e speranza “sognando un domani”, con Cavin Spaecy. Se ti capita guardalo, mi è piaciuto…
Buon tutto
LikeLiked by 2 people
Grazie per il suggerimento!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I have seen this film such a long time ago. I have to watch it again, hardly can remembered it. Unfortunately, unhealthy consumerism still seems to be a trendy way of living for many!
LikeLiked by 2 people
You are right 😦
LikeLiked by 2 people
Un film che ha fissato un punto importante nel cinema, un argomento trattato in modo diverso per l’epoca. Film stupendo con attori stupendi.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Vero!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m not sure I saw more than extracts. What I have seen is effectively sad. Excess…
Though a great Italian director.
(And a new word: I was wondering what “abbufata” meant. La “bouffe” of course. Love it!)
Ciao ciao
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you very much for your reading and kind comment.
LikeLiked by 1 person