El ángel exterminador
"The degeneration of high society!"
The Exterminating Angel - Movie Quotes
Memorable Quotes
Me parece que la gente de clase humilde siente menos el dolor. ¿No ha visto usted nunca un toro herido? Ni un átomo de dolor.
— Female Guest
Context:
Spoken during a casual conversation among the female guests early in the party, before the crisis begins. The comment is made with complete sincerity, exposing the ingrained prejudices of the upper class.
Meaning:
Translated as: "It seems to me that the lower class don't feel pain the way we do. Haven't you ever seen a wounded bull? Not a trace of pain." This line perfectly encapsulates the dehumanizing and condescending attitude of the aristocracy. It reveals their profound lack of empathy and their belief in their own exceptionalism, a core tenet of the class structure Buñuel is dismantling.
¿Y por qué no habría de gustarme? Hace mucho tiempo que no estoy en ninguna parte.
— Cristian Ugalde
Context:
This is said by one of the guests as they mingle in the music room after dinner, just before they realize they are trapped. The line carries an unintentional prophetic weight.
Meaning:
Translated as: "And why shouldn't I like it? It's been a long time since I've been anywhere." This quote, said in response to being asked if he likes the salon, is deeply ironic and foreshadows the impending, indefinite confinement. It speaks to the existential emptiness and ennui of the bourgeois characters, for whom even a lavish party is just another location in a life of placelessness.
Wouldn't it be a good joke if I sneaked up and pushed you out? Try it, and I'll kill you.
— Two Guests
Context:
Two male guests are standing at the threshold of the salon, looking out into the hallway they cannot bring themselves to enter. The exchange highlights their psychological paralysis.
Meaning:
This exchange reveals the underlying tension and aggression simmering just beneath the surface of their polite interactions. The suggestion of a playful "joke" is met with a deadly serious threat, demonstrating how quickly their social pretenses can give way to primal fear and violence. It shows that they are aware of the invisible barrier and are terrified of what crossing it might entail.