Grande bouffe, La (1973)

Director:

Marco Ferreri

Writers:

Marco Ferreri (scenario & adaptation) and
Rafael Azcona (scenario & adaptation) ...

Release Date:

1 September 1973 (Sweden)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

A group of men hire some prostitutes and go to a villa in the countryside. There, they engage in group sex and resolve to eat themselves to death.

Plot Keywords:

Surrealism | Pilot | Surreal | Gluttony | Anger

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Marcello Mastroianni	...	Marcello
Michel Piccoli	...	Michel
Philippe Noiret	...	Philippe
Ugo Tognazzi	...	Ugo
Andréa Ferréol	...	Andrea (as Andréa Ferreol)
Solange Blondeau	...	Danielle
Florence Giorgetti	...	Anne
Michèle Alexandre	...	Nicole
Monique Chaumette	...	Madeleine
Henri Piccoli	...	Hector
Maurice Dorléac
Simon Tchao
Louis Navarre	...	Braguti
Bernard Menez	...	Pierre
Cordelia Piccoli	...	Barbara

Also Known As:

Blow Out (UK) (DVD title)
Blow-Out (UK)
Grande abbuffata, La
The Big Feast (USA)
The Grande Bouffe (USA)
The Great Feed (Europe: English title)

MPAA:

Rated NC-17 for some explicit sexuality.

Runtime:

130 min

Country:

France | Italy

Language:

French | Italian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:16 (re-rating) | New Zealand:(Banned) (original rating) | New Zealand:R18 (re-rating) | Spain:18 | Germany:18 (original rating) | Australia:MA (TV rating) | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Finland:K-18 | France:-16 | Norway:18 | Portugal:(Banned) (1973-1974) | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:NC-17 (re-rating) (1998) | USA:X | France:-12 (re-rating)

Company:

Mara Films

Trivia:

In the final scene in the garden - where Philipe is sitting on the bench, there is a poem by Dorothy Frances Gurney written on the bench. Many garden lovers have this poem written in their gardens. It says: "Kiss of the sun for pardon. Song of the birds for mirth. You're closer to God's heart in a garden than any place else on earth."

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Clefs de bagnole, Les (2003)

more sexy and much more gross

Seeing this again after a gap of many years I was struck by the fact that it seemed at once more sexy and much more gross. I remembered the humour and the surreal touches as well as the excellent performances from Marcello Mastroianni, Michel Piccoli and Phillippe Noiret but was surprised at the sensational and pivotal performance from the delightfully plump, Andrea Ferreol. The guys have arranged a giant eating session, later spiced up with the ordering of three prostitutes as we come to realise that their intention is to eat and f*** themselves to death. Andrea plays the 'innocent' local school teacher, also roped in and it is she who ends up showing the rest a thing or two. It is a marvellous, sexy and invigorating performance amidst the disgusting surroundings of gluttonous eating mixed with vomit and s**t. Not an easy view, I'm not even sure to whom I might recommend it. A restaurant critic perhaps!