An Unspeakable Betrayal: Selected Writings of Luis Buñuel (Hardcover)

~ Luis Buñuel (Author) "For a whole year I had been laboring on my work..." (more)
Key Phrases: close medium shot, Las Hurdes, Maria Louise, Duchess of Alba (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bu?uel (1900-1983) is familiar to English speakers as a pathbreaking Spanish filmmaker heavily influenced by surrealism and Marxism; his work also, of course, helped to define these movements. Less well-known are his numerous writings; most of the pieces in this assemblage have not appeared in English until now. In this collection, Bu?uel eloquently proves to be an intellectual and an ideologue and a jokester as well. Though a "man of silence," according to Jean-Claude Carri?re in his foreword, his words speak strongly throughout, even when the difficulties of translation from both Spanish and French are evident. (In "Land Without Bread," Bu?uel writes that he was attracted to the "incredible region" of Las Hurdes "by its intense drama, its terrible poetry.") Written between 1922 and 1980 (though the majority date from the '20s), the entries--short plays, scripts, stories and poems as well as theoretical pieces--all share Bu?uel's distinctively odd yet keenly perceptive interest in surrealism, class, theater, cinema and autobiography. His silly, and very surrealist, sensibility (in "Hamlet" he offers a campy, melodramatic re-rendering of the play) shows up as often as his abilities as a passionate visionary (in "Cinema as an Instrument of Poetry" he writes that "in the hands of a free spirit, the cinema is a magnificent and dangerous weapon").
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Review

"A lovely, startling grab bag of jokes, insights, recollected dreams, superbly grave mini-essays...bits and pieces retrieved from Bunuel's life." -- Artforum's Bookforum

"This book will be treasured by anyone who cares about cinema." -- Sunday Tribune (Dublin)

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 277 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (April 6, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520208404
• ISBN-13: 978-0520208407
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,035,234 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, these writings are available, June 6, 2000

By	"hawsd1" (LA, CA) - See all my reviews

This is a wonderful and funny collection of surreal writings from one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. Many of the earlier, surreal writings by Bunuel, written when he was with the Surrealists in France, are imaginative and funny. There is also the complete collection of poetry originally titled An Andulsian Dog, which is surprisingly strong. The criticisms by Bunuel, along with the autobiographical material, offer insight to his aesthetic beliefs and his thinking. There are also snatches of the last screenplay on which he was working before he died in addition to the original screenplay for Andulsian Dog and a Hollywood treatment for an unrealized film GOYA. Overall, this is a big treasure for those who love Bunuel and who have been anxiously awaiting to read his hard to find pieces. It is a great companion to Bunuel's MY LAST SIGN.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sublime, June 14, 2003

By	J. Park "easily bored" (LA, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The "return" of the master. Although not as good of a read, imho, as MY LAST SIGH, this is still required reading for Bunuel fans, and still retains all of the great artist's power, humor, and insight. In an era of big bucks and ready-made food, it stands out like a whale among minnows.