1972 Hit Film Ranked Among ‘Best Movies of All Time' Became a Late-Career Masterpiece

In 1972, a legendary filmmaker released one of his most acclaimed works towards the end of his decades-long career.

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, directed by Luis Buñuel, has since been ranked among the best movies of all time by Rotten Tomatoes, proof of its lasting critical reputation and influence over modern cinema and audiences around the world.

The film follows a group of upper-middle-class friends who repeatedly attempt and fail to sit down for a meal together. What begins as a simple premise quickly unravels into a series of surreal, dreamlike interruptions, blending reality and illusion in ways that challenge traditional storytelling.

Buñuel's inspiration for the film was surprisingly simple: "Some people want to take dinner together; they cannot; and why not?" he told The New York Times in 1972.

Known for his sharp critique of social norms, Buñuel uses the film to satirize the rituals and hypocrisies of the upper class- the bourgeoisie. Through absurd situations and unexpected narrative shifts, he exposes the emptiness beneath social conventions, all while maintaining a darkly humorous tone.

The film was written in part by Buñuel, at least conceptually, but it was his collaborator, Jean-Claude Carriere, that put pen to paper. "I'm a very bad writer. find it very difficult," said Buñuel. "I did not write a single line in the script. I give my ideas and we discuss them and then he writes for me. My collaborators oblige me to think."

By the time The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie was released, Buñuel was already an established figure in cinema, having spent decades shaping the surrealist movement. Yet the film marked a major late-career triumph, introducing his work to a wider international audience and reaffirming his relevance in the quickly changing film landscape of the early 1970s.

The movie went on to win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, further cementing its place as one of the defining films of the era.

More than 50 years later, its resonance can still be seen in films that experiment with narrative structure, tone and pacing as well as challenge society as we know it.

With its inclusion in Rotten Tomatoes' ranking, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie stands as both a timeless classic and a powerful reminder that some of the most daring artistic achievements can come late in a filmmaker's career.

Related: 1972 Hit Film Ranked Among ‘Best Movies of All Time'

Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 5:28 PM.