The Milky Way (1969 film)

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The Milky Way
French theatrical release poster
French	La Voie lactée
Directed by	Luis Buñuel
Written by	Luis Buñuel Jean-Claude Carrière[1]
Produced by	Serge Silberman
Starring	Paul Frankeur Laurent Terzieff Denis Manuel [de; fr] Daniel Pilon
Cinematography	Christian Matras
Edited by	Louisette Hautecoeur
Music by	Luis Buñuel
Distributed by	Medusa Distribuzione (Italy) CCFC (France)
Release dates	28 February 1969 (1969-02-28) (Italy) 15 March 1969 (1969-03-15) (France) 6 July 1969 (1969-07-06) (West Germany)
Running time	91 minutes (France) 101 minutes (Germany) 105 minutes (USA)
Countries	France Italy West Germany
Language	French

The Milky Way (French: La Voie lactée) is a 1969 comedy-drama film directed by Luis Buñuel. It stars Paul Frankeur, Laurent Terzieff, Denis Manuel, and Daniel Pilon, and features the likes of Alain Cuny, Michel Piccoli, and Delphine Seyrig in its ensemble cast. Buñuel later called The Milky Way the first in a trilogy (along with his subsequent films The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie and The Phantom of Liberty) about "the search for truth."^[2]

The title of the film is taken from a popular name used for the Way of St. James, a route often traveled by religious pilgrims that stretched from northern Europe to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. This is where the remains of St. James were reputed to be buried.^[3] The film follows the picaresque journey of two vagabond travelers, who seem to be making the pilgrimage as a means of escape. Along the way, they witness a series of bizarre incidents that involve persons named in documented heresies in church history. At key moments, they encounter Jesus and the Virgin Mary, as well as modern believers and fanatics.

The plot is non-linear and functions as a highly symbolic travelogue across time and space, set over the last two thousand years. It encompasses much of Christian history. While using satire to critique religion from a skeptical perspective, the film also explores the act of spiritual quest and search for meaning.

The highly idiosyncratic film originally met with limited success, but, in the 21st century, it is very well-regarded amongst film enthusiasts and critics.