La grande bouffe (1973)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

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:

Villa | Death | Prostitute | Judge | Chef

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)
La grande abbuffata (Italy) (dubbed version)
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

Colour:

Colour (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:16 (re-rating) | Germany:18 (original rating) | New Zealand:(Banned) (original rating) | New Zealand:R18 (re-rating) | Australia:MA (TV rating) | Spain:18 | 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)

Filming Locations:

Rue Boileau, Paris, France

Company:

Films 66

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:

Featured in Le cinéma passe à table (2005) (TV)

An extraordinary movie. Sad and depressing but shot through with black humour.

'La Grande Bouffe' (aka 'Blow-Out') is an extraordinary movie, the kind of movie you just can't imagine getting made these days. While shot through with black humour it is very sad and depressing, and for me just as bleak as say, 'Leaving Las Vegas'. Instead of alcohol these dissatisfied men decide to kill themselves using food. Marcello Mastroianni is the best known of the four stars but Michel Piccoli (Belle De Jour), Ugo Tognazzi and and Philippe Noiret are equally impressive. The acting from all four is first rate and really makes the premise believable. Director Marco Ferreri went on to make the Bukowski adaptation 'Tales Of Ordinary Madness' another uncompromising, f*cked up and beautiful movie. I highly recommend both films which are difficult viewing, but worth the effort.