Death in the Garden

One of the least-known films in the Luis Buñuel canon (the film received no U.S. theatrical release), this 1956 French-Mexican co-production set in an unspecified South American country follows a group of mismatched people fleeing for their lives through the jungle when a political uprising turns into full-scale revolution. For the most part, Death in the Garden is a standard-issue action-adventure, complete with predictable stock characters: a tough prostitute (a young Simone Signoret), an enigmatic drifter (Georges Marchal), a well-intentioned priest (Michel Piccoli), plus an ambitious diamond miner and his mute daughter. But in typical Buñuel style, flashes of grotesque surrealism and droll cynicism save it from being utterly predictable, and the harrowing journey brings out the worst in the travelers. The title is hardly an accident—be prepared for a body count that is a little high for a movie of this era. It's a shame that Buñuel shot this dark psychological drama in garish Eastman color, as it would have looked wonderful in shadowy monochrome. If Death in the Garden never meets the standards of the master's classics, it will nonetheless appeal to Buñuel completists. DVD extras include an audio commentary by film scholar Ernesto R. Acevedo-Munoz, and interviews with Piccoli and film historian Victor Fuentes, as well as a booklet with essays on Buñuel. Recommended. (P. Hall) [Blu-ray/DVD Review—July 30, 2019—Kino Lorber, 104 min., in French w/English subtitles, not rated, DVD: $19.99, Blu-ray: $29.99—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1956’s Death in the Garden features a fine transfer and a DTS-HD 2.0 soundtrack on the Blu-ray release. Extras include audio commentary by film critic Samm Deighan, an interview with film critic Tony Rayns (33 min.), and a booklet with an essay by film critic Peter Tonguette. Bottom line: this lesser-known Buñuel film makes a welcome debut on Blu-ray.]