The Film (4/5)

In the hills of South America, A group of mixed French and Mexican miners are digging for diamonds. The local military starts to fear a revolt and start to enforce marshal law. Tensions rise when one of the elder miners, named Castin (Charles Vanel) is caught stealing diamonds and is seen with members of a mob. Castin then must escape the area, with the aid of Father Lizardi (Michel Piccoli), his mistress Djin (Simone Signoret), his deaf-mute daughter (Michele Girardon), and a tough rouge named Shark (Georges Marchal). As they run further into the jungle, things take a sharp left turn into the bizarre.

Luis Bunuel is one of the key international figures in world cinema. His influence and style is still fresh and rewarding, as well as inspiring a whole set of filmmakers to continue mixing Surrealist ideas into mainstream films. David Lynch (BLUE VELVET, WILD AT HEART) being one of the most famous supporters/ fans of his work. With his 1929 short film UN CHIEN ANDALOU, Bunuel and his lifelong friend Salvador Dali, gave birth to the shockingly graphic and yet humorist idea of surrealism. While known today as one of the masters, his middle section of his career is more obscured.

In the 1950’s Bunuel made a set of Mexican and French co-productions, with one of them being LA MORT EN CE JARDIN (aka DEATH IN THE GARDEN, 1956). Viewers of some of the later Bunuel films, like myself, may be shocked by how straight forward the film is on surface level. The story is traditional in a 3-act structure kind of way, and at best plays like an action serial. But where the tragedy, and comedy comes from is the interactions between characters, and the dreamlike moments that spring out of the rising tension. At one-point Piccoli’s character is desperate for food and starts digging up roots to eat. In the next scene, Shark shows up with bottles of wine from a nearby plane crash. It’s so matter the fact, that you almost expect to suddenly wake up from a dream. The film also mixes in shock with frank violence, such as Shark stabbing a prison guard in the eye with a pen.

Bunuel and his cinematographer Jorge Stahl Jr., take great advantage of the beauty of the South American locations. The colors are so vivid and enchanting. The camera work is also ahead of its time for its grand sweeping shots of the plane crash site and the maze of trees in the jungle.

Another excellent in the film is the cast. Everyone sinks into their roles and help keep the surrealist humor in some form of reality. What makes the characters so fascinating is how real and three dimensional they are. Everyone has a motive and no one is as they seem. By the end of the film it becomes even more shocking where the events drag the characters. It must simply be seen to be belived.

Audio/ Video (5/5)

DEATH IN THE GARDEN comes with 2.0 French language track with no issues. No pops or hiss. The film score sounds like it was recorded yesterday. The sound effects are crisp and sound wonderful on my sound system. English subtitles are included.

The 1080p HD transfer is one of the best I’ve seen for a Bunuel movie. The picture has a sharp focus with plenty of detail in every frame. The black levels are smooth. As for color, the yellows and greens are vivid. Some scenes have soft focus, but the picture never becomes blurry.

Extras (4.5/5)

Eureka! gives DEATH IN THE GARDEN the all-star treatment.  First up is an excellent interview with film scholar Tony Rayns. Rayns is known for his boundless Asian film knowledge, so it’s an interesting insight into Bunuel’s career and the themes of DEATH IN THE GARDEN. Next up is a career length interview with actor Michel Piccoli. Lastly is an interview with Film Scholar Victor Fuentes, who discusses his first Bunuel book in Mexico. A trailer is included. In the Blu-ray case, itself is a 24-page booklet of liner notes with an essay by Philip Kemp and production stills.

Overall (4.5/5)

An unexpected gem in the filmography of Luis Bunuel. A comedy with plenty of serial thrills. Eureka! also serves up a handsome transfer and extras. Highly Recommended.