Death In The Garden (1956) ***1/2

While on the surface it appears to be mostly a straightforward action/adventure drama, Death In the Garden (1956) does contain Buñuelian surrealist touches and director trademarks. The political overtones might lead some viewers to believe the film is a kind of rally cry, but Buñuel is more interested in human behavior and the choices his characters make. 

Those characters comprise a kind of ragtag band of rogues, who expose the cynical quality and selfishness that human beings often fall prey to when forced into a desperate, life-threatening situation (in this case being pursued by soldiers in the jungle). Buñuel pairs Simone Signoret with Charles Vanel, both of whom appeared together the previous year in Henri-George Clouzot's Diabolique (my review here). Vanel also starred in another Clouzot classic, 1953's The Wages Of Fear (my review here), which bears more than a few similarities to DITG. 

It's a different kind of picture than what Buñuel's reputation precedes, but DITG—with its not-entirely-likable characters and ambiguous ending—serves as a very interesting bridge between the director's early work and his later surrealist masterpieces, where he seemed more carefree, his dream-logic was much more prevalent, and he had total control over his movies.

You can find my Luis Buñuel Films Ranked list here.