A movie about the fundamental theme of male sexual obsession with a woman. The wealthy old bachelor Mathieu is intrigued by beautiful young Conchita, who lives in poor conditions with her mother. He becomes more and more sexually obsessed with her as she keeps turning down all his attempts to have sex with her and varies between feelings of love, indifference and hate towards him. He keeps following her around Europe and is increasingly obsessed and violent.
Buñuel lets two women play the same character, symbolizing the conflictual sides of her personality. This is a brilliantly outrageous idea, no matter whether Buñuel intended it or not, as the other commenters have discussed at length.
This brings me to the fatal flaw of the movie. I was disturbed by the sexism, violence, and repulsiveness of the main character because the movie never makes it completely clear where it stands towards him. The movie puts us on the side of the man trying to understand him as he becomes more and more obsessed with her, tries to buy her from her mother, has her deported, tries to rape her, and brutally beats her. His obsession never drives him to the tragedy that would be morally logical outcome, but the movie ends symbolically without conclusion.
Buñuel lets two women play the same character, symbolizing the conflictual sides of her personality. This is a brilliantly outrageous idea, no matter whether Buñuel intended it or not, as the other commenters have discussed at length.
This brings me to the fatal flaw of the movie. I was disturbed by the sexism, violence, and repulsiveness of the main character because the movie never makes it completely clear where it stands towards him. The movie puts us on the side of the man trying to understand him as he becomes more and more obsessed with her, tries to buy her from her mother, has her deported, tries to rape her, and brutally beats her. His obsession never drives him to the tragedy that would be morally logical outcome, but the movie ends symbolically without conclusion.