click on image to enlargeSurrealism is a broad area of study and this resource attempts to contextualise surrealism in terms of both its historical origins but also how the style has been adapted by focusing on key texts. Surrealism, as an ‘International Film Style’ is taken as emerging out of the Surrealist Art Movement, particularly with the film work of Louis Bunuel. As a result, one of the key texts explored in this resource will be the seminal 1929 silent surrealist ‘masterpiece’, Un Chien Andalou directed by Bunuel and controversial artist Salvador Dali. The work of other historical directors will also be explored e.g. Jean Cocteau (Blood of a Poet, 1930) but it will be important to look at the body of work of one director in particular, Bunuel’s from L’age D’or (1930) through to The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) and That Obscure Object of Desire (1977). Other American films such as Meshes of the Afternoon (1943, Maya Deren) also communicated surrealist themes and messages but arguably could be categorised as art cinema.
‘Meshes’ was particularly surreal through its use of music and anti form approach to narrative, only 15 minutes long but with a cyclical narrative repeating several motifs throughout including a flower on a long driveway. Clearly influenced by Bunuel and surrealism, the film is creative in its use of camera angles and edits, representing a surreal world in which it is more and more difficult to understand reality. On a manifest…
