Review for La Grande Bouffe

Crikey. What will the average Arrow-head make of this? It certainly doesn’t fit into any of the usual Arrow categories (Giallo; cheesy horror; classic movies) though I guess arguably it could be considered ‘cult’. To my mind it has far more in common with the surreal films of Bunuel than it does to just about anything else. Indeed, it might even be considered something of a tribute.

‘La Grande Bouffe’ was deemed highly controversial on release in 1973. It divided audiences, some of whom thought it pretentious clap-trap whilst others the work of genius, and it managed to offend the moral majority with its scenes of kinky depravity. Viewed today it seems more of a curio than anything else – a bit long-winded and far less shocking than it might have been back in the day.

No one can doubt its cult credentials. The cast are virtual superstars of the genre, if such a genre truly existed. Four friends, played by international superstars Marcello Mastroianni (Fellini’s 8½), Michel Piccoli (Belle de jour), Ugo Tognazzi (Barbarella) and Philippe Noiret (Cinema Paradiso) retreat to a country mansion where they determine to eat themselves to death whilst engaging in group sex with prostitutes and a local school teacher (Andréa Ferréol, The Tin Drum), who seem to be up for anything. (All the actors agreed to go by their real names for the film).


Presumably a moral critique of sorts (like ‘The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie’) it’s difficult to get a grip on whether you should be laughing, crying or both. There’s plenty of ribald humour and copious amounts of farting but there are also deeper, darker themes which unfold as the film progresses through its bizarre, almost dream-like narrative.



It’s pretty much a set piece in a large house where the four men eventually settle to their resolve to eat themselves to death. The men are wealthy and bored, each having problems with their middle-age. Ugo is an accomplished chef who’s not at all happy with his marital relations; Philippe is a judge who is being hounded by his over-protective nanny; Marcello is having problems ‘performing’ and Michel may have little interest in women despite his protestations to the contrary.

So what else is there for it but to commit suicide by eating themselves to death, gorging their way out of existence with food and sex. The rest of the film is pretty much a constant cycle of both.

Whilst the men start out on their own, dining at a table overlooking a slide-show of pornographic images, they Marcello decides they need some prostitutes for their last night on earth. But then a portly young teacher arrives too and after a brief show of respectability, she joins in the fun.
When the plumbing over-flows with crap, exploding into the house, the hookers leave which means Andrea is left to finish the job of screwing the men to their deaths.



As this an Arrow release, it comes packed with special features, which are listed in full below. Perhaps the most fun is a clip from the Cannes film festival press conference where director Ferreri argues over one reporter’s interpretation of the film.

Also included is a fascinating 25 minute TV show from 1975 which is essentially a prolonged interview with Marco Ferreri who talks about the influences on his film-making which include Tex Avery cartoons, Bunuel and Todd Browning’s Freaks.

As has become standard practice for Arrow, the dual format edition ships with a reversible cover and a highly informative booklet.



Whilst I would recommend this film with caution (this is no giallo or cult horror movie), if you’re Bunuel fan, or a lover of the absurd who is not easily offended by frequent sexual reference and toilet humour, you may well enjoy this. Others need not apply.

Features in full:

· Brand new 2K restoration of the original camera negative
· High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation
· Original French audio (uncompressed PCM on the Blu-ray)
· Newly translated English subtitles
· The Farcical Movie – A French television profile of Marco Ferreri from 1975 in which the
director discusses, among other things, the influence of Tex Avery, Luis Buñuel and Tod Browning’s Freaks
· Behind-the-scenes footage of the making of La Grande Bouffe, containing interviews with
· Ferrari and actors Marcello Mastroianni, Michel Piccoli, Ugo Tognazzi and Philippe Noiret
· Extracts from the television series Couleurs autour d’un festival featuring interviews with the cast and crew recorded during the Cannes Film Festival
· A visual essay on the film with by Italian film scholar Pasquale Iannone
· Select scene audio commentary by Iannone
· News report from the Cannes Film Festival where La Grande Bouffe caused a controversial stir, including Ferreri at the press conference
· Original Trailer
· Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx
· Booklet featuring new writing on the film by Johnny Mains, illustrated with original archive stills and posters