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The Milky Way

Play trailer Poster for The Milky Way PG Released Jan 26, 1970 1h 42m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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95% Tomatometer 19 Reviews 83% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Jean (Laurent Terzieff) and Pierre (Paul Frankeur) are drifters who travel from Paris to Spain on the Way of St. James pilgrimage route. On the journey, the two men encounter many strangers who debate aspects of Catholic faith as well as heresies that have been rejected by the religion. Their trek defies time as they meet historical figures such as Jesus and the Marquis de Sade. At the end of their trip, Jean and Pierre are left with more questions than answers.
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The Milky Way

Critics Reviews

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Vincent Canby New York Times Everything is photographed straightforwardly, in cheerful but not bilious color, and seen with documentary-like clarity. Rated: 4/5 May 9, 2005 Full Review Ed Gonzalez Slant Magazine Though highly regarded in some circles, The Milky Way may be the worst film Buuel ever made; at the very least, it may be his most jaded and inhuman. Rated: 2/4 Sep 6, 2004 Full Review Dave Kehr Chicago Reader A bit of a poor relation among the magnificent films of Buuel's late period, but rarely shown and well worth seeing. Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Dennis Harvey 48 Hills A pilgrimage narrative whose impudent humor doesn’t hide more humanistic warmth than usual. Jul 18, 2023 Full Review Harvey G. Cox Tempo (National Council of Churches) Hail to thee, Luis Bunuel, you crusty old heretic. You can be my fellow pilgrim any day. Jan 7, 2021 Full Review Lloyd Steele Los Angeles Free Press The Milky Way.... is, to my mind, not only [Luis Buñuel's] finest, most audacious film but one of the small handful of films I consider to be truly brilliant. Jan 14, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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dave s Set in modern times, two poor travelers make the famed pilgrimage from Paris to Santiago de Compostela, their picaresque journey introducing them to a host of religious figures, including none other than the Virgin Mary and Jesus. In typical surrealist fashion, Luis Bunuel's The Milky Way bends time and introduces the audience to a parade of absurd scenarios, all while slapping the Catholic faith in the face by exposing countless theological inconsistencies. It is brilliant throughout, but those not familiar with the doctrines and dogma of Christianity in general or Catholicism specifically would benefit by some sort of primer before viewing – the material that accompanies the Criterion DVD would be an excellent start. The Milky Way is a must see for anyone interested in Bunuel's body of work, an intelligent and stylish film that is also relentlessly entertaining. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review chartwell c A poor follow up to Brunel's Simon of the Desert. Hypocracy in humans and saints were accurately portrayed in the latter but it is poor taste in this movie! Rated 1 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Visually pleasant and filmed in a very charming way, although its themes are not as deep as they may seem, a bit pretentious I dare say. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Audience Member F 8.2 [Luis Buñuel] Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Audience Member Another enjoyable surreal film, albeit less widely celebrated, by Bunuel. The film is as bizarre and incoherent as Catholicism, and religion in general, is. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member A more modern and surralistic take "thy old pilgrimage". Bunuel is in a way critical of the religion itself which he is folding his story around, the christendom. A messy pilgrimage it is, stumbling across lots of events with roots from biblotic tales. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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The Milky Way

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Movie Info

Synopsis Jean (Laurent Terzieff) and Pierre (Paul Frankeur) are drifters who travel from Paris to Spain on the Way of St. James pilgrimage route. On the journey, the two men encounter many strangers who debate aspects of Catholic faith as well as heresies that have been rejected by the religion. Their trek defies time as they meet historical figures such as Jesus and the Marquis de Sade. At the end of their trip, Jean and Pierre are left with more questions than answers.
Director
Juan Luis Buñuel
Producer
Serge Silberman
Screenwriter
Juan Luis Buñuel, Jean-Claude Carrière
Distributor
Universal Marion Corporation
Production Co
Fraia Film
Rating
PG
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
Canadian French
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 26, 1970, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 26, 2020
Runtime
1h 42m
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