Advanced Topics in Hispanic Literature and Film: The Films of Luis Buñuel
MIT OpenCourseWare presents a survey of Luis Buñuel's full career, from the 1929 surrealist short Un perro andaluz to his final film, Ese oscuro objeto del deseo (1977). The course traces his Mexican exile period and his later Spanish-language films, including documentary work, and examines his early friendship with Salvador Dalí and Federico García Lorca. Lessons cover surrealist aesthetics, the influence of Freud's theories of dreams and sexuality on his imagery, and his recurring critique of bourgeois manners and the Catholic church. Materials include film screenings paired with historical background and film criticism readings, structured as weekly sessions typical of MIT's comparative literature offerings. As with other MIT OCW courses, materials are free to access under a Creative Commons license, with no certificate offered. Suited to students of film history, Hispanic studies, or twentieth-century European art movements.