Existentialism in Bunuel and Gibson
By: Elizabeth Fernandez
College Now Course - HUM 1
J. Michael Straczynski said "I used to think it was a terrible thing that life was
so unfair. Then I thought, 'what if life were fair, and all of the terrible things
that happen to us came because we really deserved them?' Now I take great comfort
in the general unfairness and hostility of the universe." This quote represents the
philosophy of existentialism which is when a person's ability to function or make
decisions is impaired because they are submerged into an environment which is full
of chaos. The philosophy of existentialism was used by countless artists, musicians,
novelists, writers and even film makers. "That Obscure Object of Desire," directed
by Luis Bunuel and "The Passion of the Christ," directed by Mel Gibson, incorporate
the philosophy of existentialism by using uniquely chosen characters and their lives.
Luis Bunuel directed the film "That Obscure Object of Desire" in 1977, which was set
in Spain and was in French. The main character, Mathieu, was torn by the love games
of a Spanish woman named Conchita. Mathieu seemed incapable of discerning between
the reality and fiction of love. She constantly hurt him, but he seemed to allow her.
The reason why the main character could not concentrate on the matters at hand was
because of the chaos around him. In one scene, Mathieu is attacked and robbed by terrorists.
He was so preoccupied by the chaos surrounding him that he could not tell that Conchita
was simply playing games with him.
Mel Gibson directed the film "The Passion of the Christ" in 2004. It was based on
the biblical story of Jesus Christ's crucifixion and was in Aramaic. I have chosen
to focus in on the character of Peter. He was portrayed as one of Christ's loyal disciples.
Peter vowed he would never deny Christ, and would even die for Him. In one scene,
Jesus is being interrogated by the high priests of the temple. There Jesus is mocked,
hurt and seems utterly helpless. Peter is inside and watching what is occurring to
his Savior, yet he does nothing. There is a lot of commotion going on. There is a
lot of screaming, yelling, heckling and moving. Peter seems to feel trapped and helpless
himself. Peter is pushed among the crowd and at one point is singled out by members
of the masses. They accuse him of being one of Christ's disciples. Although he had
vowed to die for his Lord, because of the chaos around him, he did not dare acknowledge
that he was a disciple or even knew Christ.
Luis Bunuel chose Mathieu to portray a character that was thrown into existence. Mathieu
was subjected to the world around him and was unable to correctly perceive that he
was being hurt, which reflects the basic ideas of existentialism. When director Mel
Gibson places the character of Peter in a crowded and heaving temple of people accusing
him, Peter is overcome by his environment that he denounces someone vowed to live
for. Both directors also chose to use language as a factor, adding to their use of
existentialism. "That Obscure Object of Desire" is set in Spain, yet is in French.
"The Passion of the Christ" was made for modern day audiences, yet is in Aramaic.
This adds to the intensity of the environment for the audience members. We must read
subtitles to understand and this almost throws us into a realm of existentialism,
making us victims of the world and factors around us.
"That Obscure Object of Desire," directed by Luis Bunuel and "The Passion of the Christ,"
directed by Mel Gibson, incorporate the philosophy of existentialism. Both directors
use uniquely chosen characters and the environment that surround them to show how
their reasoning and judgment are impaired. The directors also use language as a factor
in the realm of existentialism for the audience members, showing that indeed this
philosophy is existent and excludes no one.
