This volume presents the complete screenplay for The Exterminating Angel (1962), one of the most celebrated and surreal films by legendary filmmaker Luis Buñuel. Based on a cinedrama written by Luis Buñuel and Luis Alcoriza, the script offers a sharp and darkly humorous exploration of social rituals, class, and the fragile veneer of civilized behavior.
The story unfolds after an elegant evening at the opera, when a wealthy aristocrat, Edmundo Nobile, invites a group of society friends to continue their gathering at his home. Yet as the night begins, something strange occurs: the servants feel an inexplicable urge to leave the house. Soon after dinner, the guests themselves discover that they are mysteriously unable to depart. What begins as polite confusion slowly descends into paranoia, accusation, and psychological collapse as the group struggles with their own self-imposed confinement.
Translated from Spanish by Chase Madar, this edition allows readers to experience Buñuel’s linguistically brilliant satire and the precise construction of one of his most visually dazzling and philosophically provocative films.
Luis Buñuel (1900–1983), the Spanish-born filmmaker who later worked extensively in Mexico and France, is widely regarded as one of the greatest directors in cinema history. Known for blending surrealism with sharp political and social critique, he collaborated with Salvador Dalí on Un Chien Andalou (1929), won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film for The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972), and was twice nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature.