oOoBarracuda How free are human beings when every aspect of our being is decided by forces beyond our control? L'Age d'Or explores the notion of the damage caused by the human spirit that must submit to the shackled world society's, religion's, and family's expectations. Luis Buñuel was responsible for one of the most important films in cinematic history with his 1930 film L'Age d'Or. Buñuel was able to explore such deep, resonating themes, and keep his life, by putting a surreal spin on the narrative like only he can do. Written with the aid of Salvador Dalí, this team proved that, a personal favorite and equally as important film Un Chien Andalou (1929), was not a one-time swipe at a hard-hitting necessary film. Gaston Modot and Lya Lys star as a man and a woman who want to love each other and face opposition from the class society that separates them, the church, and family's of the two which are determined to keep them divided.In a film that brilliantly begins as a documentary about scorpions, L'Age d'Or quickly draws parallels to humanity and begins to explore that tale of a man (Gaston Modot) and a woman (Lya Lys) who are desperately in love with one another. Through several independent yet corresponding incidences, the audience is made aware that the bourgeoisie, church, and each of their families are against the idea of the two forming a union. Determined to remain together, the man and woman attempt to defy the odds and consummate their love. Luis Buñuel is responsible for some of the most beautiful, starkly real images I have ever seen. You gain a lot of freedom when you shoot such a biting social commentary with such surreal imagery, as Buñuel chooses to do with this film and many others. Only ever referring to the protagonists and "man" and "woman" ensures Buñuel's message will not be lost; no matter how free you think you are, there are forces controlling you even on a subconscious level. None of us are free to live the life we have imagined for ourselves, we cannot even love who we choose to love unless it is agreed upon by society and all its agencies. Buñuel captures imagery that will stick with the audience long after the film ends, really illustrating the struggles of life and society that we all face, whether we are aware of them or not.

christopher-underwood So easy to watch but rather more difficult to write about. I first saw this with 'Un Chien Andalou' in the 60s and was an overnight Bunuel fan, gradually getting to see most of his subsequent films. The exception was some of the earliest Mexican ones, which just recently I have seen, thanks to DVD releases. Once a director only seen in film societies and art galleries, now available to all. Of course there were later films that got reasonable releases but rarely to your local Odeon. I have never understood why. I admit that watching this film nearly 80 years after it was made a few allowances have to be made, but it is still shocking, it is still disturbing and it is still funny and at the same time uplifting. It is something that seems to run through all of Bunuel's work, this sunny disposition. At one with the earth. This is despite his fury bordering on hatred of authority and the church in particular and this certainly shows here, whether it's shooting a child, pushing over a blind man, tipping a cardinal out of a window. Just to add to this potent mix there is of course the sexual angle and this film contains one of the most erotic sequences in all of cinema, complete with Wagner's, Tristan und Isolde soaring on the soundtrack. I've just realised I haven't even mentioned the surrealism!

daniel charchuk I loved Un Chien Andalou. Like, really, really loved. There was something about its utterly bizarre surrealism and total lack of any semblance of a plot that really struck a cord with me. So I couldn't help but be slightly disappointed by this.Don't get me wrong, it has its fair share of wonderfully surreal imagery and truly unique moments, but it couldn't match the delicious randomness of Buñuel's earlier work. I think because it's too focused on telling a story, and subsequently mocking the Church and bourgeois society, to truly embrace its surrealist mentality. There's flashes of it, like the cow on the bed or throwing the bishop out the window, but, for the most part, it's far too concerned with making fun of stuff to actually be weird or artsy or even that interesting.Still, it's worth a look. There's a lot of worthwhile stuff here - even if it is masked by overtly satirical material - and it's a breeze to get through. And the woman fellating the statue's toes is bizarrely erotic and not something you're likely to find in a film of the 30s, no matter how surreal it is.For fans of Buñuel only, I think.

MartinHafer If you'd like a great April Fool's joke, then please by all means show this film to someone. However, it is important that you in no way criticize the film but instead talk about what an artistic triumph it is and how "they just don't make great films like this any more". As your victim watches many disconnected and nonsensical scenes (such as a cute dog getting punted for no apparent reason, a cow standing on the bed, a woman licking a statue's feet or Jesus apparently raping a woman), make lots of comments using words like "brilliance", "juxtaposed" or "transcendent"--all the while acting as if the film actually makes perfect sense and isn't a complete waste of an hour of your life. Also be sure to keep a straight face and feign shock when (and if) they say that they either didn't understand it or thought it had all the artistry of a cow patty. Then, to further mess with them, show them all the comments on IMDb, as nearly all (except for a few trouble-makers like almagz and rooprect) talk glowingly about what genius and artistry this film is! By the time you are done with this little charade, they'll most likely think they are idiots and will make an appointment with a psychologist. This, to me, is the ONLY possible reason to watch this horrid mess of a film!!! That, or you could show it to the prisoners at Guantanamo in order to get them to talk!If you ask me, the famous painting of dogs playing poker or a velvet Elvis painting are superior artistically.