THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL, 1962
Movie Review

After a dinner party, the guests spend the rest of the night in a room drinking and talking, however the guests soon realize, for unexplained reasons, they are unable to leave the room.

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REVIEW:

The Exterminating Angel is a strange and original film that provides no explanation about the events taking place, but examines the relationship and interaction among people faced in an unknown situation. After a pleasant dinner, several of the guests migrate to the music room where they continue with their conversations and listen to some music. Although the night has come to a close, no one leaves; they settle in without even realizing until eventually discovering that the servants are gone and for some unknown reason no one is able to leave the room. There windows are not closed, doors are not locked, nothing physically preventing them from leaving, they simply cannot leave.

Luis Bunuel channels the Twilight Zone mythology relying on the unknown or unexplained as the reason behind the strange event. As far as we know, there is nothing beyond the walls preventing them from exiting, yet despite their attempts they remain trapped feeling completely stranded. Gradually their minds start to break forcing some to commit suicide as a way out of this endless torture.

As their days of torment continue the guests start to turn on each other, blaming certain individuals for their current predicament. One even suggests that a sacrifice be made while another claims to call upon demons to end the madness. Only the doctor remains practical, using reason and login to quell the growing paranoia noting that the situation will resolve itself if given enough time. The Exterminating Angel’s premise may seem mundane; however Bunuel creates a surreal atmosphere emphasized by a menacing tone with sharp dialogue that evokes a sense of realism.

At the end of the film some will have their own interpretation on what happened, but Bunuel gives no answers. Even the ending is ambiguous in which the torment starts all over again leading to riots in the streets and military forces taking action to subdue the rioters. Since Bunuel provides no explanation, he leaves it to your imagination to fill in the blanks, which in some ways is a gift and the best decision a director can do when dealing with the unknown.

Our imagination can be far scarier than anything Bunuel could have put on screen or even implied in the film. We never see any supernatural creature or force standing outside the room preventing the guests from leaving. A few guests try to apply reason and logic to the situation, but nothing happens, so they resort to an absurd idea to combat their absurd predicament; reenact the events of the night before being trapped.

Every conversation is reenacted as an attempt to solve the problem. If they can recreate the night maybe they can have an opportunity to leave once again. It’s their last move before they succumb to total madness and savagery. The desperation on their faces as they try methodically to capture that one night is great to watch with each person hoping to not make a mistake.

The Exterminating Angles is a bleak, dark, and at time humorous take on the downfall of civilization. Luis Bunuel created a trilogy of odd Mexican films dealing with the unknown, this likely being his most recognizable. At the time of its release the film was selected in the Cannes Film Festival in 1962 and has been on the list of several best films by national and international critics. Bunuel is an excellent director whose distinct vision has provided for some intellectually engaging and compelling stories that unfortunately remain unknown. An excellent film by an innovative director, The Exterminating Angel is certainly one worth seeking.

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THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL