On-screen masterpieces by Luis Bunuel brought the director the title of founder of surrealism in cinema and the main representative of this trend. In films, dreams and reality, incongruous, were combined in an amazing way in shocking unprepared spectators.
Luis Buñuel Portoles did not immediately find his calling. Agronomy, entomology, philosophy, history, literature - as a result, the student became an owner in the field of arts.
Searching for a vocation
The biography of the future screenwriter and director began in 1900 in the village of Kalanda. The boy was born on February 22 in the family of an entrepreneur. Louis was the oldest of seven children. After the birth of their first child, the parents moved to Zaragoza.
The son studied at a Jesuit school, then entered the university in Madrid. The student made friends with Salvador Dali. In 1925 the graduate left for Paris.
Louis started working as a secretary. During a trip to Amsterdam, the young man staged de Falla's opera "Master Pedro's Balaganchik".
In 1926 Bunuel began his studies at the film school of Jean Epstein. Louis assisted him as director in Mopra and The Fall of the House of Usher. Soon, the articles of the aspiring filmmaker began to be published in the newspapers of Paris and Madrid.
Cinema
The script was written in collaboration with the writer Ramon Gomez de la Serna Bunuel. It was not possible to remove "Caprichos", but the budget was used for the debut work. In 1928, cooperation with the Madrid Film Club began. Louis sent films and lectured there.
With the help of the Dali family, he directed his first film, The Andalusian Dog. The tape became a discovery for viewers who were not used to the shock aesthetics of surrealism. The picture was not accepted, demanding to ban it, but they started talking about the director. A couple of years later, Bunuel presented an even more scandalous "Golden Age".
In 1932 the master took a break, which lasted until 1947. In 1938, the director moved to America, where he was engaged in dubbing Spanish films as an understudy. He moved to Mexico in 1943. After "Big Bootie" and "Big Casino", the drama "Forgotten" followed. The master's work has brought both recognition and awards: at the Cannes Festival in 1951, the director was awarded for the best directing.
The filmmaker returned to his homeland a decade later. There he directed Veridiana, winner of the 1961 Cannes Grand Prix. The golden fund of the cinema includes Tristana, Beauty of the Day and Diary of a Maid, filmed in France. The film "Modest Charm of the Bourgeoisie" became an Oscar winner.
Beyond the screen
The farewell masterpiece was the dramatic parable “This Vague Object of Desire”, which premiered in 1977. In 1982, “My Last Breath,” a book of the director's memoirs, was published.
The personal life of the cinematographer was also successful. Jeanne Rucard became Bunuel's wife in 1934. The filmmaker met her 8 years ago. The sons Rafael and Juan Luis appeared in the family, choosing directing as their profession.
The master passed away in 1983, on July 29.
