L'Âge d'or

Plot

The film begins with a documentary-style sequence about the behavior of scorpions before shifting into a series of surrealist vignettes centered on a man and a woman whose desperate attempts to consummate their physical passion are repeatedly obstructed. Their desire is interrupted by various manifestations of bourgeois society, including the Catholic Church, the military, and rigid aristocratic social codes. As the narrative dissolves into dreamlike logic, the protagonist is seen kicking a blind man and striking a woman at a party, symbolizing a total revolt against moral constraints. The film culminates in a shocking final sequence that links the Marquis de Sade's '120 Days of Sodom' with religious iconography, suggesting a dark fusion of debauchery and the sacred. Ultimately, the film serves as a violent manifesto against the repression of human instinct by the institutions of the modern world.

Historical Background

Made in the transition period between silent film and 'talkies', L'Âge d'or was produced during a time of rising political extremism in Europe. The Surrealist movement was at its peak of provocation, seeking to align itself with Marxist revolution while maintaining an anarchic artistic independence. The film's release coincided with the Great Depression's arrival in Europe, a time when the stability of the bourgeois order was being questioned. The violent reaction from right-wing leagues like the 'Croix-de-Feu' reflected the deep ideological divisions in France that would eventually lead to the civil unrest of the 1930s.

Making Of

The production was marked by the disintegrating friendship between Buñuel and Dalí. While Dalí sent suggestions from Spain, Buñuel found many of them unworkable or too focused on personal obsessions rather than the social critique he wanted to achieve. The filming was also physically demanding; the crew traveled to the rugged coast of Cadaqués to film the 'Majorcan' sequences. Buñuel exercised total control over the editing, ensuring that the sound—a mix of Mozart, Wagner, and Pasodoble—often contrasted ironically with the visual imagery. The Vicomte de Noailles, despite the social ruin the film brought upon him, remained a supporter of the work, though he was forced to withdraw it from distribution to protect his family's reputation.

Visual Style

The cinematography by Albert Duverger is characterized by its stark, high-contrast black and white imagery that oscillates between documentary realism and dreamlike artifice. The film uses deep focus in several interior scenes and wide, desolate shots of the Spanish coastline to create a sense of isolation. The camera work is often static, allowing the bizarre actions within the frame—such as a cow appearing on a bed or a cart driving through a drawing room—to speak for themselves without manipulative camera movement.

Innovations

The film is one of the earliest examples of using sound as a counterpoint to image rather than just a reinforcement of it. It also utilized sophisticated (for the time) editing techniques to create 'associative montages', such as the transition from a woman's face to a mirror reflecting a different reality. The use of non-professional actors in key roles to achieve a 'blank' or 'naturalistic' performance style also predated Italian Neorealism by over a decade.

Music

The soundtrack is a collage of classical music and found sounds. It features excerpts from Wagner's 'Tristan und Isolde', Mozart's 'Ave Verum Corpus', and Mendelssohn's 'Italian Symphony'. Buñuel used sound subversively; for instance, the sound of barking dogs or wind is often layered over scenes of high-society dialogue, and the protagonist's inner thoughts are occasionally heard as a voiceover, which was a revolutionary technique in 1930.

Memorable Scenes

• The opening documentary about scorpions fighting among rocks.
• A woman sucking the toe of a statue in a state of religious/erotic ecstasy.
• A father shooting his son for dropping a cigarette ash tray during a party.
• A cow lying calmly on the bed of an aristocratic woman.
• The final sequence where survivors of a debauched orgy emerge from a castle, led by a figure resembling Jesus Christ.

What Critics Said

Upon its 1930 release, the film was met with horror and outrage by conservative critics, who labeled it 'the work of a madman' and 'bolshevik filth.' However, the Surrealist group published a manifesto praising it as a triumph of the imagination. In the modern era, critics universally regard it as a landmark of avant-garde cinema. It currently holds a very high rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is frequently cited in academic circles as one of the most important films ever made for its uncompromising vision and technical audacity.

What Audiences Thought

Initial audiences were polarized; while the intellectual elite and the Surrealist circle hailed it as a breakthrough, general audiences were often confused or offended. The 1930 screenings at Studio 28 were famously interrupted by riots, leading to the film's seizure by police. Today, the film is a staple of film schools and cinematheques, where it is received with reverence by cinephiles who appreciate its dark humor and historical defiance.

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