La voie lactée (1969)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Luis Buñuel

Writers:

Luis Buñuel (writer)
Jean-Claude Carrière (writer)

Release Date:

15 March 1969 (France)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

Two tramps going on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, meet different christian heresies. They meet too the Marquis of Sade. |

Plot Keywords:

Religion | Surrealism | Bible | Virgin Mary | Bizarre

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Paul Frankeur	...	Pierre
Laurent Terzieff	...	Jean
Alain Cuny	...	L'homme à la cape / Man with cape
Edith Scob	...	La Vierge Marie / Virgin Mary
Bernard Verley	...	Jésus / Jesus
François Maistre	...	Le curé fou / French Priest
Claude Cerval	...	Le brigadier / Brigadier
Muni	...	La mère supérieure / Mother Superior
Julien Bertheau	...	Richard 'maître d'hôtel' / Maitre d'Hotel
Ellen Bahl	...	Madame Garnier
Michel Piccoli	...	Le marquis de Sade / The Marquis
Agnès Capri	...	La directrice de l'institution Lamartine / Teacher
Michel Etcheverry	...	L'inquisiteur / The Inquisitor
Pierre Clémenti	...	L'ange de la mort / The Devil
Georges Marchal	...	Le jésuite / The Jesuit

Also Known As:

Die Milchstraße (West Germany)
La via lattea (Italy)
The Milky Way (USA)

Runtime:

France:98 min | Germany:101 min | USA:105 min

Country:

France | West Germany | Italy

Language:

French | Italian | Latin

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:PG | Finland:K-8 | Ireland:12 (DVD rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:12 (video rating) (2001) | UK:15 (video rating) (1993) | UK:A (original rating) | USA:M (original rating) | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Forêt d'Halatte, Oise, France

Company:

Fraia Film

Goofs:

Continuity: During the seen with the "free love" Catholics in the forest, the wide angle shots are taken during the day, while the close-ups and medium shots are clearly not during the day.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Buñuel: Athée grâce à Dieu (2005) (V)

Bunuel at his best

This movie is one of Luis Bunuel's best and my personal favourite. Though it was filmed between Belle de Jour and Tristana, it has more in common with Bunuel's three last movies - Discreet Charm of the bourgeoisie, Phantom of the liberty and That Obscure object of desire. Bunuel is at his surrealistic and atheistic best. Though some moments may make almost anybody laugh, the movie is intended for highly educated audience, preferably familiar with the history of heresies and the Catholic Church - without this kind of knowledge much of film's charm will be missing. Milky Way may be called a road movie in a sense: two main characters are on a pilgrimage to Santiago-de-Compostella and while on their way, also travel through time - Milky Way is unique in the way it handles this time travel.