A review by hberg95
My Last Sigh by Luis Buñuel

5.0

Bunuel was born in 1900 and lived until 1983, which means his memoir covers a major chunk of the 20th century: He was born the year Friedrich Nietzsche died and died when Reagan was president. Because of this incredible span of time, Bunuel's memoir involves insights into film and politics during this moment in time when major shifts were happening in both realms. Bunuel was friends (maybe acquaintances) with Dali and Chaplin and Hitchcock, he made movies in several countries, in several languages, and worked with or rubbed shoulders with everyone in the business.

Bunuel's memoir follows a vague chronological outline, but many of my favorite chapters were non-sequitor sections where Bunuel digressed and told random stories and mused about his favorite cocktail recipes and stories of working with Fernando Rey or being involved in political unrest. A handful of these stories are repeated and re-told and it all serves to make Bunuel's memoir feel genuine and the humanity really comes through.

I absolutely loved it and found his life, philosophy, and attitude toward life very compelling, I'm sure I'll read it again.