There is probably no other art movement, which has the same power to evoke completely antithetical reactions from audiences in quite the same way as Surrealism. Emerging as a movement in the 20s (Paris) it has gone on to impact many of the arts, including cinema and was originally intended by Andre Breton to have revolutionary zeal.

Students often begin by watching Un Chien Andalou (the one with the woman's eye being cut with a razor blade) but keep in mind that this is often a very confusing starting place. For starters, it is not really supposed to make any sense although it is possible to see the semblance of a romance running through the film. Notice the grotesque imagery used to reflect inner desires and the conscious and subconscious state of mind. Given that surrealism is often associated with dreams, nightmares and the subconscious, it is hardly surprising that it doesn't make sense to many viewers. In the case of Bunuel, that was the point.





Thanks to Mingky Park for sharing the next example of surrealism. Check out the following collaboration between Walt Disney & Salvador Dali (Dali had already co-directed Un Chien Andalou with Bunuel). Notice the combination of Disney's trademark hourglass female character and the surreal imagery (much of it intertextual) to Dali's paintings.



The chances are that at some stage in the course and probably during the sound unit (After Christmas) you'll have the chance to watch David Lynch's Eraserhead. Lynch's work can Blue Velvet or TV programme Twin Peaks can also be viewed as an example of surrealist work. Watch the first 10mins of Blue Velvet and consider how Lynch makes use of surrealist techniques and imagery without compromising the narrative coherence. As young I.B. filmmakers I would suggest that you borrow from surrealism rather than attempting to make whole 7 minutes films in this tradition.




Some useful links, which will help you to understand more about this fascinating and often overlooked area of cinema:

FILM REFERENCE (Surrealist Cinema)

SENSES OF CINEMA: SURREALISM & THE OMNIPOTENCE OF CINEMA

SENSES OF CINEMA- LUIS BUNUEL

SENSES OF CINEMA- DAVID LYNCH

SURREALISM & CINEMA by MICHAEL RICHARDSON (A full book!)

SURREALISM & HORROR- A Guardian newspaper article (Interesting idea for an Independent Study?)

STRICTLY FILM SCHOOL- LUIS BUNUEL

BRITISH FILM.ORG- DAVID LYNCH