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The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972): Cast & Box Office

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) movie poster

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie is a 1972 comedy directed by Luis Buñuel, starring Delphine Seyrig as Simone Thévenot, Fernando Rey and Paul Frankeur. It runs 1 hour 41 minutes and earned $103,230 worldwide.

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The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 41m (101 min)
Director
Luis Buñuel
Genre
Comedy
Original language
French
Studio
Greenwich Film Production
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie About?

The premise of The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Luis Buñuel’s deliciously satiric masterpiece follows an upper‑class sextet as they repeatedly try to sit down to a formal dinner, only to be continually foiled by a chaotic blend of real and imagined interruptions that parody social pretensions and elevate the film’s surreal, vaudevillian humor.

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • absurdism
  • social commentary
  • avant garde
  • experimental film
  • decadence
  • social satire
  • ghost
  • bourgeoisie
  • surrealism
  • satire
  • sitting at a dining table
  • reference to astrology
+38 more
  • zodiac sign
  • reference to sagittarius the astrological sign
  • husband wife relationship
  • police torture
  • reference to mao zedong
  • reference to sigmund freud
  • reference to jesus christ
  • reference to napoleon bonaparte
  • reference to the battle of wagram
  • dinner
  • rich couple
  • priest
  • misunderstanding
  • uniform
  • torture
  • restaurant
  • guerilla
  • marijuana
  • evil priest
  • drug abuse
  • cocaine
  • small talk
  • political criminal
  • torture device
  • sex in a garden
  • lying in state
  • military officer
  • automatic weapon
  • dream sequence within a dream sequence
  • terrorism
  • adultery
  • diplomacy
  • zodiac
  • astrology
  • astrology enthusiast
  • astrology believer
  • reference to a zodiac sign
  • reference to pisces the constellation
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Cast & crew

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie Cast & Characters

Delphine Seyrig leads the cast as Simone Thévenot, with Fernando Rey as Don Rafael and Paul Frankeur as François Thévenot. Directed by Luis Buñuel; 38 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie

· 34 more
Show all 38 cast members
From the director

More from Luis Buñuel

More films directed by Luis Buñuel, best-rated first: That Obscure Object of Desire, Tristana (re-release), The Golden Age and The Phantom of Liberty (re-release).

Full filmography
Plot

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie Plot Summary

What happens in The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 5-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

A subtle, morally tangled drama unfolds as a French bourgeois circle drifts through a web of crime, politics, and desire. At the heart of it all is a dinner party turned tableau of paranoia and power. A French bourgeois couple, François Thévenot [Paul Frankeur], and Simone Thévenot [Delphine Seyrig], accompany François’s colleague Don Rafael Acosta [Fernando Rey], the ambassador from Miranda, and Simone’s sister Florence [Bulle Ogier] to the home of the Sénéchals for a gathering that promises polite conversation but hints at dangerous undercurrents. The host Alice Sénéchal is surprised to see them, explaining that she expected them the following evening and has no dinner prepared. The would-be guests invite Alice to join them for dinner at a nearby inn.

Full summary

The whole story of The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie Box Office

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie grossed $103,230 worldwide. $82,471 came from the US and Canada and $17,432 (17%) from the rest of the world.

1972 box office

Worldwide gross

$103.2K

US & Canada
$82.5K
International
$17.4K
US & Canada 83% Rest of the world 17%
Videos

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie Trailers & Videos

2 videos: 2 trailers.

Official Trailer - 40th Anniversary Reissue
  • Trailer Official Trailer [Subtitled]
Quiz

How Well Do You Know The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie?

9 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 9

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered

Which character is the ambassador from Miranda?
Details

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie Also Known As

29 alternative titles, including “中产阶级的审慎魅力” and “中产阶级的诱惑”.

Also known as
  • 中产阶级的审慎魅力
  • 中产阶级的诱惑
  • 中产阶级拘谨的魅力
  • 资产阶级的魅力
  • 부르주아의 은밀한 매력
  • El discreto encanto de la burguesía
  • Burjuvazinin Gizli Çekiciliği
  • Borgerskapets diskré sjarm
  • Der diskrete Charme der Bourgeoisie
  • Il fascino discreto della borghesia
  • 资产阶级的审慎魅力
  • Скромное обаяние буржуазии
+17 more
  • Burjuvazinin Gizemli Çekiciliği
  • O Charme Discreto da Burguesia
  • A burzsoázia diszkrét bája
  • O Discreto Charme da Burguesia
  • Дискретният чар на буржоазията
  • Η Διακριτική Γοητεία της Μπουρζουαζίας
  • Farmecul discret al burgheziei
  • Borgarklassens diskreta charm
  • Dyskretny urok burżuazji
  • סוד הקסם הבורגני
  • Сором'язлива чарівність буржуазії
  • Nenápadný půvab buržoazie
  • 中產階級拘謹的魅力
  • ブルジョワジーの秘かな愉しみ
  • El discret encant de la burgesia
  • Porvariston hillitty charmi
  • Kodanluse diskreetne võlu

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FAQ

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie FAQ: Cast & Box Office

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, post-credit scenes and language of The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, each answered in a sentence.

How long is The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie?

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie runs 1 hour 41 minutes (101 minutes).

When was The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie released?

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie was released on September 15, 1972.

Who directed The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie?

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie was directed by Luis Buñuel.

More films by Luis Buñuel

Who is in the cast of The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie?

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie stars Delphine Seyrig as Simone Thévenot, Fernando Rey as Don Rafael and Paul Frankeur as François Thévenot, among 38 credited actors.

How much did The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie make at the box office?

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie grossed $103,230 worldwide ($82,471 domestic, $17,432 international).

Does The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie have a post-credit scene?

No. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie has no extra scene during or after the credits.

What language is The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie in?

The original language of The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie is French.

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