Tag: Social Class
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THE FLAMINGO KID
“The Flamingo Kid” (1984) is a coming-of-age comedy-drama directed by Garry Marshall, set in New York during the summer of 1963. The film follows a working-class teenager from Brooklyn who gets a job at an exclusive beach club on Long Island. There, he is captivated by the glamour and easy confidence of a wealthy car…
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LE CHARME DISCRET DE LA BOURGEOISIE aka THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE
“The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie” is a 1972 surreal satirical comedy directed by Luis Buñuel in which a group of affluent friends repeatedly attempt—and continually fail—to sit down and enjoy a proper dinner together. Through a series of absurd interruptions, dreams within dreams, and bizarre coincidences, Luis Buñuel constructs a sharp critique of upper-middle-class…
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MAÎTRESSE
“Maîtresse” is a 1976 drama directed by Barbet Schroeder. The film stars Gérard Depardieu, Bulle Ogier, André Rouyer, and Roland Bertin. It’s a controversial film that explores an intense, complicated relationship between a working-class man and a professional dominatrix in Paris. Blending raw realism with provocative subject matter, the film examines sexuality, power, love, and…
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LE PROFESSEUR aka LA PRIMA NOTTE DI QUIETE aka INDIAN SUMMER
“Le Professeur” aka “Indian Summer” is a 1972 film directed by Valerio Zurlini. The story follows Daniele Dominici, played by Alain Delon, a disillusioned, gambling-prone poetry professor. He takes a temporary teaching position in the coastal town of Rimini, working as a substitute teacher at a high school for about four months. Daniele is emotionally…
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LE JOURNAL D’UNE FEMME DE CHAMBRE aka DIARY OF A CHAMBERMAID
“Le journal d’une femme de chambre” aka “Diary of a Chambermaid” is a 1964 satirical and unsettling drama directed by Luis Buñuel. The film critiques French provincial society, exploring themes of repression, xenophobia, sexual obsession, and class hypocrisy. The story follows Célestine (Jeanne Moreau), a brilliant yet disillusioned Parisian woman who takes a job as…
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IF…. (NSFW)
“if….” is a 1968 British satirical drama directed by Lindsay Anderson and is regarded as one of the defining films of 1960s British cinema. Blending realism with surrealism, the film is a scathing critique of institutional authority, class privilege, and societal repression, set against the rigid backdrop of an English public (private) boys’ school. It…
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POOR THINGS
“Poor Things” is a 2023 surreal, feminist science fiction comedy-drama film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. It is based on Alasdair Gray’s 1992 novel of the same name. Known for its visual style, dark humor, and profound exploration of identity and liberation, the film has been widely acclaimed and won the Golden Lion at the 80th…
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ARTHUR
Arthur (1981) is a romantic comedy directed by Steve Gordon, starring Dudley Moore, Liza Minnelli, John Gielgud, and Geraldine Fitzgerald. The film became a critical and commercial success, earning multiple Academy Award nominations and winning Best Supporting Actor for John Gielgud and Best Original Song for “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)” by Christopher Cross. Arthur Bach (Dudley Moore) is…
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1900 (NOVECENTO)
“1900” (original title: Novecento, 1976) is an epic historical drama directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. The film spans several decades in 20th-century Italy, from the early 1900s to the rise of fascism (an occurring theme in Bertolucci’s earlier films), and it explores the lives of two men from different social classes whose fates are intertwined with…
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WANDA
“Wanda” (1970) is an independent film directed, written by, and starring Barbara Loden. The film, which has a stark, minimalist style, tells the story of a drifting, disaffected woman trying to navigate her bleak existence in working-class America. Loden’s film stands as a landmark of feminist cinema, capturing the aimless life of its central character…
