"The Exterminating Angel" is as Thought Provoking as It is Twistedly Fun

The Exterminating Angel is Luis Bunuel's darkly comical, surreal and absurd deconstruction of bourgeoisie social expectations. After a party ends at a wealthy Spanish estate, the guests find themselves unable to leave the room. At first they just spend the night, but when it turns out no one can enter the premises, they start getting desperate and turning on one another. All bets are off as social proprieties are thrown out the window. Turns out they all hate each other and only feign liking one another due to social norms and social standing.

Why can't they leave? It doesn't really matter. An explanation is never given and who cares as it's all one big, bitingly funny allegorical snipe fest at the rich and their excessive, selfish lifestyles. In their desperation the film finds increasingly amusing ways for them to attempt survival. They break a hole into the wall to get water out of a pipe. They wreck furniture to start a fire and roast animals.

Throughout there's little details specific to Bunuel's cynical regard for human nature. A woman keeps a dead chicken in her purse. The owners of the house have a pet bear, and some sheep (a symbol for the people).

It's an absurd premise but everyone is so serious and committed to the idea that they can't leave the house that we begin to believe them. And as they throw off the act of social politeness and spar with one another, the film becomes far too entertaining to question the surrealness of all this.

Grade: A