The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie [re-release] 2000

As François Thévenot and his wife Simone accompany their colleague Don Rafael Acosta, the ambassador from the mysterious nation of Miranda, along with Simone’s sister Florence, to the residence of Alice and Henri Sénéchal, they’re greeted by an unforeseen surprise. The Sénéchals, unexpectedly thrown off by their early arrival, scramble to prepare a hasty dinner. However, François’ party convinces them to abandon their plans and join them at a nearby inn instead.

Upon their arrival at the inn, things take a strange turn as the establishment is under new management. The doors are locked, and the menu prices are shockingly low. While waiting, they hear haunting wails coming from an adjacent room, leading them to stumble upon a somber vigil for the recently deceased manager. With the coroner’s arrival imminent, the group quickly exits, leaving behind an unsettling atmosphere filled with newfound revelations.

Later, discussions at the Embassy of Miranda reveal that Acosta, François, and Henri engage in a conversation about the considerable profits from a recent cocaine deal. Meanwhile, outside the embassy, Acosta’s attention is grabbed by a young woman selling intricately crafted clockwork-animal toys on the sidewalk. Intrigued, he aims his rifle and sends one of the toys spinning away, causing the vendor to flee in fear. It becomes clear that she is a member of a radical Maoist terrorist group from Miranda, intent on targeting Acosta for his suspected involvement in the country’s illicit activities.

Two days later, as François and Simone try to join the Sénéchals for lunch, their unexplained absence raises suspicions among their friends. They speculate that the couple has fled to avoid possible arrest for their alleged connections to drug trafficking. Frustrated by the mysterious circumstances, the group departs in haste, leaving the Sénéchals behind.

Upon returning from a secretive meeting in the garden, Alice and Henri meet an unexpected guest— a bishop who initially appears in gardener’s attire. Although they initially reject him, the bishop later returns dressed in full ecclesiastical robes, prompting Alice and Henri to welcome him respectfully. Eager to find work as their gardener, the bishop shares harrowing tales of his past, including the unsolved murder of his parents by arsenic poisoning.

As the story unfolds, we find a stark scene in the teahouse where women arrive only to discover a complete lack of drinks. The sense of comfort appears evaporated, replaced by an air of disappointment. Amidst these disheartening surroundings, they encounter a soldier who shares a heartrending tale from his youth, detailing the devastating loss of his mother and the hardships that followed it. His narrative reveals hidden family secrets, ultimately leading him to confront the man responsible for her tragic fate.

In a twist of fate, Simone finds herself romantically entangled with Acosta. Their passionate affair is abruptly interrupted by the unexpected arrival of Simone’s husband. With a clever ruse, she manages to leave with her spouse, leaving Acosta to contemplate the precarious nature of love. Unbeknownst to him, however, danger looms, as the same terrorist stalking the city has targeted him. In a calculated ambush, she confronts Acosta, chastising his negligence and demanding he join her or face dire consequences. In a show of resilience, he repels her agents and takes a decisive stand against her threats.

As the evening progresses, the group’s dinner gatherings are punctuated by unforeseen interruptions. Military personnel suddenly invade the gathering, only to be recalled for a disruptive training exercise. Later, when a colonel invites everyone to his home, they discover that his dining room has been converted into a stage for a theatrical production, with a frustrated audience critiquing the actors’ lack of preparedness, a surreal scenario reflecting Henri’s subconscious.

During the colonel’s soirée, the ambassador finds himself under intense scrutiny regarding his administration’s policies in Miranda, culminating in a shocking moment where he shoots the colonel after enduring significant provocation (a scene later revealed to be a dream of François). In a somber turn of events, the bishop visits a dying man, the very individual responsible for his family’s tragic demise. Upon hearing confession, he exacts righteous justice with a shotgun.

As the friends are apprehended in their home by authorities seeking to manipulate public opinion, a grim and surreal incident unfolds where a man is electrocuted while forced into a piano. Their release from captivity comes through the ethereal intervention of the soldier’s deceased father. When the police chief awakens from his troubled dream, he realizes that the friends have indeed been freed, thanks to a surprise call from the Interior Minister.

The film reaches its climax as the group once again convenes for dinner at the Sénéchal residence. However, this gathering descends into chaos as they are brutally executed by terrorists who invade their home, a sequence ultimately revealed to be a dream of Rafael. The haunting imagery of the six individuals walking silently along a desolate country road loops back to the forefront, offering a chilling final note that lingers throughout the film.