Luis Buñuel: influences, peers and legacy

Every connection with its receipt

Buñuel arrived in Paris in the 1920s as a Spanish provincial Jesuit-schooled boy and left as surrealism's most durable filmmaker — the only member of André Breton's circle to sustain a fifty-year career across France, Mexico and Spain. This mix traces the slapstick, the Catholicism, the Residencia de Estudiantes friendships and the Mexican studio years that made him, and the directors who still mine his seam of blasphemous comedy.

The Kynda mix for Luis Buñuel

• Key Influence · Entr'acte by René Clair (1924). Buñuel's film education came in 1920s Paris, where the Dada-surrealist short was the model for what cinema could do outside narrative. Clair's Entr'acte — scenario by Francis Picabia, score by Erik Satie, a hearse pulled by a camel — demonstrated the non-sequitur editing and anticlerical mischief Buñuel would weaponise in Un chien andalou. Buñuel worked in Paris as assistant to Jean Epstein in the same period, absorbing the avant-garde milieu directly.
• Influencia Obscura · Le Sang d'un poète by Jean Cocteau (1930). Financed by the same patron, Vicomte Charles de Noailles, who bankrolled L'Âge d'or in the same year — the two films are twins of one aristocratic commission, and the surrealist group's furious rejection of Cocteau as a poseur defined by contrast what Buñuel's blasphemy was supposed to be. A genuinely under-discussed hinge: the scandal that got L'Âge d'or banned also entangled Cocteau's patron.
• Local Roots · Romancero gitano by Federico García Lorca (1928). Lorca and Buñuel shared rooms and friendship at Madrid's Residencia de Estudiantes from 1917, the crucible of the Generation of '27. Their rupture came over Un chien andalou, which Lorca believed was aimed at him. Lorca's Andalusian folk-surrealism and Buñuel's Aragonese anticlericalism grew from the same soil; Buñuel's memoir Mon dernier soupir devotes its warmest and guiltiest pages to him.
• Beyond the Medium · The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud (1899). Buñuel read Freud at the Residencia de Estudiantes and the surrealist programme he joined in 1929 was built on Freudian method: Un chien andalou was assembled from his and Dalí's actual dreams, with displacement and condensation as editing principles. Fetish objects, foot obsessions and the return of the repressed organise everything from Él to Belle de jour — psychoanalysis used as a dramaturgy, not a diagnosis.
• Peer · L'Atalante by Jean Vigo (1934). Vigo was the other great anarchist of 1930s French cinema, and his Zéro de conduite shared Buñuel's hatred of clerical schooling and the censor's attention — both men had films banned in France in the same decade. L'Atalante's drift between documentary texture and erotic reverie is the nearest contemporary analogue to what Buñuel attempted in Las Hurdes and later in his French period.
• From the Canon · Los olvidados by Luis Buñuel (1950). The film that resurrected a career stalled since 1932, winning Best Director at Cannes in 1951 and proving surrealism could survive inside a commercial Mexican production schedule. Its dream sequence — raw meat, a mother floating forward — grafts Un chien andalou's logic onto slum naturalism. Mexico City initially recoiled at the portrait; it remains the pivot between the avant-garde Buñuel and the working director.
• Key Collaborator · The Tin Drum by Volker Schlöndorff (1979). Carrière co-wrote six films with Buñuel from Diary of a Chambermaid to That Obscure Object of Desire, and ghost-shaped the memoir My Last Sigh from their conversations. Their method was to trade dreams each morning at a Spanish hotel. Schlöndorff's Palme d'Or-winning Grass adaptation, also scripted by Carrière, shows the same gift for grotesque comedy lodged inside respectable literary material.
• Legacy · Mulholland Drive by David Lynch (2001). Lynch has named Buñuel among the filmmakers he loves, and the inheritance is structural rather than decorative: dreams presented with the same unblinking continuity as waking scenes, two actresses as one role, desire that keeps dissolving its object. The doubling at the heart of That Obscure Object of Desire, where two women play Conchita, is the clearest ancestor of Lynch's identity slippages.

What influenced Luis Buñuel

• Federico García Lorca. Buñuel credited García Lorca's poetry with opening a new world to him. (also via Un Chien Andalou, Romancero gitano) “he would read me his poems. He read slowly and beautifully, and through him I began to discover a wholly new world.” (Wikipedia)
• Maurice Legendre. Reading Legendre's study preceded Buñuel's decision to film Las Hurdes. “Buñuel read Maurice Legendre’s account of his experiences in Las Hurdes, Spain, and something about this fervent Catholic’s account of the remote, destitute region fired Buñuel’s creativity.” (Desistfilm)
• Der müde Tod by Fritz Lang. Buñuel said Lang's film prompted his decision to devote himself to cinema. “Buñuel's interest in films was intensified by Fritz Lang 's Der müde Tod : "I came out of the Vieux Colombier [theater] completely transformed. Images could and did become for me the true means of expression. I decided to devote myself t…” (Wikipedia)
• Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo. Buñuel expressed admiration for Rulfo's novel and wanted to adapt it. “a cherished plan to film Mexican novelist Juan Rulfo 's Pedro Páramo , of which he enjoyed "the crossing from the mysterious to the real, almost without transition. I really like this mixture of reality and fantasy, but I don't know how …” (Wikipedia)
• The Gold Rush by Charlie Chaplin (1925). The Gold Rush (Charlie Chaplin) — titan for Luis Buñuel “In it, he recounts dreams, encounters with many well-known writers, actors and artists such as Pablo Picasso and Charlie Chaplin as well as antics, like dressing up as a nun and walking around town.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Le Sang d'un poète by Jean Cocteau (1930). Le Sang d'un poète (Jean Cocteau) — ghost for Luis Buñuel “The furor was so great that the premiere of another film financed by the de Noailles, Jean Cocteau's The Blood of a Poet, had to be delayed for over two years until outrage over L'Age d'Or had died down.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Battleship Potemkin by Sergei Eisenstein (1925). Battleship Potemkin (Sergei Eisenstein) — titan for Luis Buñuel “While in the United States, Buñuel associated with other celebrity expatriates including Sergei Eisenstein, Josef von Sternberg, Jacques Feyder, Charles Chaplin and Bertolt Brecht.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• The Marquis de Sade's 120 Days of Sodom by Marquis de Sade (1785). The Marquis de Sade's 120 Days of Sodom (Marquis de Sade) — ghost for Luis Buñuel “The de Noailles, both Catholics, were threatened with excommunication by The Vatican because of the film's blasphemous final scene (which visually links Jesus Christ with the writings of the Marquis de Sade), so they made the decision in…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. Don Quixote (Miguel de Cervantes) — culture for Luis Buñuel (wikidata.org)
• Entr'acte by René Clair (1924). Entr'acte (René Clair) — titan for Luis Buñuel (themoviedb.org)
• The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud (1899). The Interpretation of Dreams (Sigmund Freud) — culture for Luis Buñuel (openlibrary.org)
• Spiritual Exercises by Ignatius of Loyola (1548). Spiritual Exercises (Ignatius of Loyola) — culture for Luis Buñuel (wikidata.org)

Peers and kindred spirits

• Jean Epstein. Buñuel assisted Epstein on two films. (also via Un Chien Andalou) “Before long, Buñuel was working for Epstein as an assistant director on Mauprat (1926) and La chute de la maison Usher (1928)” (Wikipedia)
• Salvador Dalí (1904). Buñuel and Dalí collaborated on two films. (also via L'Âge d'Or, Un Chien Andalou, The Great Masturbator) “In 1929, Dalí collaborated with Surrealist film director Luis Buñuel on the short film Un Chien Andalou ( An Andalusian Dog ).” (Wikipedia)
• Juan Larrea. Buñuel developed a film idea with Larrea. “Guion: Luis Buñuel y Luis Alcoriza; colaboración sin crédito: Juan Larrea; diálogos: Max Aub y Pedro de Urdimalas (Jesús Camacho)” (Centro Virtual Cervantes)
• Jean-Claude Carrière. Carrière describes his extensive working relationship with Buñuel. “Out of the six films I did with Luis, three were from books, though That Obscure Object of Desire was very far from the book.” (Itineraries of a Hummingbird)
• Janet Alcoriza. Buñuel wrote a film scenario with Janet Alcoriza. “En algunas ocasiones trabajaron con Janet ( Si usted no puede, yo sí , 1950; La hija del engaño , 1951), aunque ella se mantuvo siempre en segundo plano” (Letras Libres)
• Luis Alcoriza. Buñuel wrote a film scenario with Luis Alcoriza. “Tras estas colaboraciones, Buñuel valoró la solvencia y el oficio de Luis Alcoriza y lo convirtió en uno de sus coguionistas habituales” (Letras Libres)
• Julio Alejandro. Buñuel and Alejandro drafted the screenplay for Viridiana. “Pero hasta 1954 no pudo filmar este argumento que reescribió con Julio Alejandro y que finalmente llamaron Abismos de pasión.” (Letras Libres)
• Surrealism. The article associates Buñuel with Surrealism. (also via Un Chien Andalou) “Often associated with the surrealist movement , Buñuel's career spanned the 1920s through the 1970s.” (Wikipedia)
• André Breton (1896). Buñuel joined the Surrealist community led by Breton. “Y, al cambiar la militancia en el grupo surrealista de Breton por el compromiso con el Partido Comunista, contó con Pierre Unik” (Letras Libres)
• Jean Cocteau. Un Chien Andalou (Luis Buñuel) — geography for Jean Cocteau (via Un Chien Andalou, Le Sang d'un poète) “The furor was so great that the premiere of another film financed by the de Noailles, Jean Cocteau's The Blood of a Poet, had to be delayed for over two years until outrage over L'Age d'Or had died down.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• The Tin Drum by Volker Schlöndorff (1979). The Tin Drum (Volker Schlöndorff) — collaborator for Luis Buñuel “Carrière also penned the screenplay for The Tin Drum (1979), which won both the Palme d'Or at the 1979 Cannes Film Festival and Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars a year later.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Pierre Unik. Martínez Herranz identifies Unik as a collaborator on the screenplay for Las Hurdes. “contó con Pierre Unik, uno de sus miembros más destacados, y también con el anarquista Ramón Acín para componer el guion de Las Hurdes, tierra sin pan (1933)” (Letras Libres)
• Man Ray. Buñuel and Man Ray worked together on a scenario. “In collaboration with an old friend from his Surrealist days, Man Ray , he worked on a scenario called The Sewers of Los Angeles” (Wikipedia)
• Ramón Gómez de la Serna. Buñuel and Gómez de la Serna collaborated on a screenplay. “He also collaborated with the celebrated writer Ramón Gómez de la Serna on the script for what he hoped would be his first film, "a story in six scenes" called Los caprichos .” (Wikipedia)
• Generation of '27. Buñuel, Dalí and García Lorca are described as members of the Generation of '27. “with the three friends forming the nucleus of the Spanish Surrealist avant-garde , [ 20 ] and becoming known as members of " La Generación del 27 ".” (Wikipedia)
• Jean Ferry. Buñuel worked with Ferry on the adaptation. “The first, Cela s'appelle l'aurore (Franco-Italian, 1956) required Buñuel and the " pataphysical " writer Jean Ferry to adapt a novel by Emmanuel Roblès” (Wikipedia)
• Marie Epstein. Martínez Herranz describes Epstein’s assistance with Buñuel’s first film text. “Con Marie, Luis estableció enseguida una amistosa complicidad. Ella le ayudó a corregir la redacción de este primer texto cinematográfico, a pulir algunas cuestiones de carácter técnico.” (Letras Libres)
• José Rubia Barcia. Buñuel co-wrote a screenplay with Rubia Barcia. “With his friend, José Rubia Barcia , he co-wrote a screenplay called La novia de medianoche (The Midnight Bride), a gothic thriller” (Wikipedia)
• The Great Masturbator by Salvador Dalí (1929). The Great Masturbator (Salvador Dalí) — geography for Luis Buñuel “He collaborated with surrealist painter Salvador Dalí on Un Chien Andalou (1929) and L'Age d'Or (1930).” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Romancero gitano by Federico García Lorca (1928). Romancero gitano (Federico García Lorca) — geography for Luis Buñuel “He developed very close relationships with painter Salvador Dalí and poet Federico García Lorca, among other important Spanish creative artists living in the Residencia de Estudiantes, with the three friends forming the nucleus of the Sp…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Cet obscur objet — Fernando Rey in The French Connection by William Friedkin (1971). Cet obscur objet — Fernando Rey in The French Connection (William Friedkin) — collaborator for Luis Buñuel “Rey played memorably the French villain Alain Charnier in William Friedkin's The French Connection (1971).” (en.wikipedia.org)
• The Night of the Iguana by John Huston (1964). The Night of the Iguana (John Huston) — collaborator for Luis Buñuel “The movie was eventually made in 1984 by John Huston.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Mario Nalpas. Buñuel worked for Nalpas on La Sirène des Tropiques. “and also for Mario Nalpas on La Sirène des Tropiques ( Siren of the Tropics ) (1927), starring Josephine Baker .” (Wikipedia)
• Viaggio in Italia by Roberto Rossellini (1954). Viaggio in Italia (Roberto Rossellini) — peer for Luis Buñuel (themoviedb.org)
• L'Atalante by Jean Vigo (1934). L'Atalante (Jean Vigo) — peer for Luis Buñuel (themoviedb.org)
• The Blood of the Beasts by Georges Franju (1949). The Blood of the Beasts (Georges Franju) — peer for Luis Buñuel
• Los olvidados — Mexican cinema context: Enamorada by Emilio Fernández (1946). Los olvidados — Mexican cinema context: Enamorada (Emilio Fernández) — geography for Luis Buñuel

Who Luis Buñuel influenced

• Godfrey Reggio. The article states that Buñuel’s film strongly influenced Reggio. (via Los Olvidados) “Reggio has cited several important influences. While still in his religious order, Reggio was shown a copy of Spanish-Mexican Director Luis Bunuel’s 1950 film Los Olvidados (The Forgotten Ones, released in the US as The Young and the Dam…” (Maurice’s Musings)
• Andrei Tarkovsky. Nazarín (Luis Buñuel) — ghost for Andrei Tarkovsky (via Nazarín) “Winter Light , Wild Strawberries , and Persona by Ingmar Bergman ; Nazarín by Luis Buñuel” (Wikipedia)
• Here We Are. The Exterminating Angel was a source film for the musical later titled Here We Are. (via The Exterminating Angel, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie) “Sondheim and David Ives began work on a musical based on Luis Buñuel 's films The Exterminating Angel and The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie” (Wikipedia)
• The Lobster by Yorgos Lanthimos (2015). The Lobster (Yorgos Lanthimos) — legacy for Luis Buñuel “He has influenced directors such as Woody Allen, Godfrey Reggio, Aki Kaurismäki, Gaspar Noé, Yorgos Lanthimos, Wes Anderson, and Jonathan Glazer.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Federico Fellini (1920). Fellini names Buñuel as the filmmaker he feels closest to. “Buñuel is the auteur I feel closest to in terms of an idea of cinema or the tendency to make particular kinds of films.” (Wikipedia)
• François Truffaut (1932). Buñuel is among the filmmakers Truffaut admired. “Truffaut expressed his admiration for filmmakers such as Luis Buñuel , Ingmar Bergman , Robert Bresson , Roberto Rossellini and Alfred Hitchcock .” (Wikipedia)
• The Color of Pomegranates by Sergei Parajanov (1969). Vartanov compares the film's revolutionary cinematic language to that of Buñuel's Un Chien Andalou. (via Un Chien Andalou) “the world cinema has not discovered anything revolutionarily new until The Color of Pomegranates, not counting the generally unaccepted language of the Andalusian Dog by Buñuel” (Wikipedia)
• Black Francis. Francis cited Un Chien Andalou as an influence. (via Un Chien Andalou) “Francis has cited the surrealist films Eraserhead and Un chien andalou (as mentioned in "Debaser") as influences.” (Wikipedia)
• Mulholland Drive by David Lynch (2001). Mulholland Drive (David Lynch) — legacy for Luis Buñuel (themoviedb.org)
• Orson Welles (1915). Un Chien Andalou (Luis Buñuel) — ghost for Orson Welles (via Un Chien Andalou) (wikidata.org)
• Yayoi Kusama (1929). Un Chien Andalou (Luis Buñuel) — culture for Yayoi Kusama (via Un Chien Andalou) (themoviedb.org)
• Simone de Beauvoir (1908). Un Chien Andalou (Luis Buñuel) — culture for Simone de Beauvoir (via Un Chien Andalou) (themoviedb.org)
• Vivienne Westwood (1941). Un Chien Andalou (Luis Buñuel) — ghost for Vivienne Westwood (via Un Chien Andalou) (themoviedb.org)
• Monty Python. Un Chien Andalou (Luis Buñuel) — culture for Monty Python (via Un Chien Andalou) (themoviedb.org)
• Siouxsie and the Banshees (1976). Un Chien Andalou (Luis Buñuel) — culture for Siouxsie and the Banshees (via Un Chien Andalou) (themoviedb.org)
• Maya Deren (1917). Un Chien Andalou (Luis Buñuel) — titan for Maya Deren (via Un Chien Andalou) (themoviedb.org)
• The Phantom of Liberty — successor: Holy Motors by Leos Carax (2012). The Phantom of Liberty — successor: Holy Motors (Leos Carax) — legacy for Luis Buñuel
• Pixies. Un Chien Andalou (Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí) — culture for Pixies (via Un Chien Andalou)