Surrealist cinema
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| + | "They can keep their [[Robert Bresson|Bresson]]s and their [[Jean Cocteau|Cocteaus]]. The cinematic, modern [[marvelous]] is popular, and the best and most exciting films are, beginning with [[Georges Méliès|Méliès]] and [[Fantômas]], the films shown in [[Grindhouse|local fleapits]], films which seem to have no place in the [[History of film|history of cinema]]." --''[[Le Surréalisme au cinéma]]'' (1953) by Adonis A. Kyrou | ||
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| {{Template}} | {{Template}} | ||
| - | [[Surrealist]] [[film]]s include ''[[Un chien andalou]]'' and ''[[L'Âge d'Or]]'' by [[Luis Buñuel]] and [[Dalí]]; Buñuel went on to direct many more, with varying degrees of Surrealism. Notable for Surrealism amongst Bunuel's later films are ''[[The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie]] (Le Charme discret de la bourgeoisie)'', ''[[El ángel exterminador|The Exterminating Angel]] (El Ángel exterminador)'', and ''[[Belle de jour]]''. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/{{PAGENAMEE}}] [May 2007] | + | [[Surrealism]] coincided with the rise of [[film]] as a mass entertainment medium, and it was the first art movement to appreciate film as a means of artistic expression. Two prominent members of the Surrealists collaborated on films near the end of the [[1920s]]: [[Luis Buñuel]] and [[Salvador Dalí]] with ''[[Un chien andalou]]'' and ''[[L'Âge d'Or]]''. Buñuel went on to direct many more, with varying degrees of Surrealism. Notable for Surrealism amongst Buñuel's later films are ''[[The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie]] (Le Charme discret de la bourgeoisie)'', ''[[El ángel exterminador|The Exterminating Angel]] (El Ángel exterminador)'', and ''[[Belle de jour]]''. |
| + | == Precursors == | ||
| + | *[[Georges Méliès]] | ||
| + | *[[Fantômas]] | ||
| + | == Films by the Surrealist movement == | ||
| + | * ''[[Entr'acte (film)|Entr'acte]]'' by [[René Clair]] (1924) | ||
| + | * ''[[The Seashell and the Clergyman|La Coquille et le clergyman]]'' by [[Germaine Dulac]], screenplay by [[Antonin Artaud]] (1927) | ||
| + | * ''[[Un chien andalou]]'' by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí (1928) | ||
| + | * ''[[L'Étoile de mer]]'' by [[Man Ray]] (1928) | ||
| + | * ''[[L'Âge d'Or]]'' by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí (1930) | ||
| + | * ''[[The Blood of a Poet|Le Sang d'un poète]]'' by [[Jean Cocteau]] (1930) | ||
| - | Films by the Surrealist movement: | + | == Later directors working within the surrealistic tradition == |
| - | * ''Entr'acte'' by [[René Clair]] (1924) | + | |
| - | * ''La Coquille et le clergyman'' by [[Germaine Dulac]], screenplay by [[Antonin Artaud]] (1927) | + | |
| - | * ''Un chien andalou'' by Luis Bu uel and Salvador Dalí (1928) | + | |
| - | * ''L'Étoile de mer'' by [[Man Ray]] (1928) | + | |
| - | * ''L' ge d'or'' by Luis Bu uel and Salvador Dalí (1930) | + | |
| - | * ''Le Sang d'un po te'' by [[Jean Cocteau]] (1930) | + | |
| - | Later directors who made Surrealistic films: | + | *[[Michel Gondry]] (''[[The Science of Sleep ]]'') |
| - | *[[Michel Gondry]] (''[[La Science des r ves]]'') | + | |
| *[[Jean-Pierre Jeunet]] (''[[Delicatessen]]'', ''[[La Cité des enfants perdus]]'', ''[[Amélie]]'') | *[[Jean-Pierre Jeunet]] (''[[Delicatessen]]'', ''[[La Cité des enfants perdus]]'', ''[[Amélie]]'') | ||
| *[[Alejandro Jodorowsky]] (''[[El Topo]]'', [[The Holy Mountain (film)|''The Holy Mountain'']]) | *[[Alejandro Jodorowsky]] (''[[El Topo]]'', [[The Holy Mountain (film)|''The Holy Mountain'']]) | ||
| - | *[[David Lynch]] (''[[Eraserhead]]'', ''[[Blue Velvet]]'', ''[[Mulholland Drive (film)|Mulholland Drive]]'') | + | *[[David Lynch]] (''[[Eraserhead]]'', ''[[Blue Velvet (film)|Blue Velvet]]'', ''[[Mulholland Drive (film)|Mulholland Drive]]'') |
| *[[Guy Maddin]] ([[Archangel (film)|''Archangel'']], ''[[The Saddest Music in the World]]'') | *[[Guy Maddin]] ([[Archangel (film)|''Archangel'']], ''[[The Saddest Music in the World]]'') | ||
| *[[Takashi Miike]] (''[[Gozu]]'') | *[[Takashi Miike]] (''[[Gozu]]'') | ||
| + | *[[Hayao Miyazaki]] (''Spirited Away'') | ||
| *[[Mamoru Oshii]] (''[[Tenshi no Tamago]]'') | *[[Mamoru Oshii]] (''[[Tenshi no Tamago]]'') | ||
| *The [[Brothers Quay]] (''[[The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes]]'') | *The [[Brothers Quay]] (''[[The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes]]'') | ||
| *[[Jacques Rivette]] (''[[Céline et Julie vont en bateau]]'') | *[[Jacques Rivette]] (''[[Céline et Julie vont en bateau]]'') | ||
| *[[Jan Svankmajer]] (''[[Faust]]'', ''[[Alice]]'') | *[[Jan Svankmajer]] (''[[Faust]]'', ''[[Alice]]'') | ||
| - | *[[Shinya Tsukamoto]] (''[[Tetsuo]]'', ''[[Rokugatsu no Hebi]]'') | + | *[[Shinya Tsukamoto]] (''[[Tetsuo]]'') |
| *[[Terry Gilliam]] (''[[Brazil (film)]]'', ''[[Time Bandits]]'', [[The Adventures of Baron Munchausen]]'', ''[[Tideland (film)]]'') | *[[Terry Gilliam]] (''[[Brazil (film)]]'', ''[[Time Bandits]]'', [[The Adventures of Baron Munchausen]]'', ''[[Tideland (film)]]'') | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Notes === | ||
| The truest aspects of Surrealism in film are often found in passing frames of a larger film; the sudden emergence of the uncanny into the "normal" which may or may not be further explored in the rest of the film. The original group spent hours going from film to film, often not finishing one before seeking another, partly in hopes of catching just such [[ephemeral]] moments, and partly with the idea of stitching together a film in their own minds out of the disparate parts. | The truest aspects of Surrealism in film are often found in passing frames of a larger film; the sudden emergence of the uncanny into the "normal" which may or may not be further explored in the rest of the film. The original group spent hours going from film to film, often not finishing one before seeking another, partly in hopes of catching just such [[ephemeral]] moments, and partly with the idea of stitching together a film in their own minds out of the disparate parts. | ||
| - | [[Marcel Mariën]] (''L'imitation du cinéma''), [[André Delvaux]] (''Un Soir, un train'') and, more recently, [[Jan Bucquoy]] (''[[Camping Cosmos]]'') are notable for being representational of the [[Belgian]] Surrealist school in cinema. | ||
| [[Antonin Artaud]], [[Philippe Soupault]] and [[Robert Desnos]] wrote screenplays for Surrealistic films. | [[Antonin Artaud]], [[Philippe Soupault]] and [[Robert Desnos]] wrote screenplays for Surrealistic films. | ||
| [[Salvador Dali]] designed a dream sequence for [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s film ''[[Spellbound]]''. | [[Salvador Dali]] designed a dream sequence for [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s film ''[[Spellbound]]''. | ||
| There is a strong Surrealist influence present in [[Alain Resnais]]'s ''[[Last Year at Marienbad]]''. | There is a strong Surrealist influence present in [[Alain Resnais]]'s ''[[Last Year at Marienbad]]''. | ||
| - | Surrealist and film theorist [[Robert Benayoun]] has written books on [[Tex Avery]], [[Woody Allen]], [[Buster Keaton]] and the [[Marx Brothers]]. | + | Many have described [[David Lynch]] as a Surrealist filmmaker, he is perhaps one of the best known examples of today, and most influential. For examples of Surrealism in his work, see ''[[Eraserhead]]'', ''[[Blue Velvet (film)|Blue Velvet]]'' or ''[[Mulholland Drive (film)|Mulholland Drive]]''. |
| - | + | ||
| - | Many have described [[David Lynch]] as a Surrealist filmmaker, he is perhaps one of the best known examples of today, and most influential. For examples of Surrealism in his work, see ''[[Eraserhead]]'', ''[[Blue Velvet]]'' or ''[[Mulholland Drive (film)|Mulholland Drive]]''. | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | Elements of the late [[Stanley Kubrick]]'s films have contained Surrealism. | + | |
| [[Alejandro Jodorowsky]] sought to revive Surrealism in his films [[The Holy Mountain (film)|''The Holy Mountain'']] and ''[[El Topo]]''. | [[Alejandro Jodorowsky]] sought to revive Surrealism in his films [[The Holy Mountain (film)|''The Holy Mountain'']] and ''[[El Topo]]''. | ||
| - | [[Monty Python]] member [[Terry Gilliam]] is considered a Surrealist filmmaker, with his many films including ''[[Brazil (film)|Brazil]]'', ''[[Time Bandits]]'', ''[[12 Monkeys]]'', ''[[The Fisher King (film)|The Fisher King]]'', and ''[[Tideland]]''. | + | [[Marcel Mariën]] (''L'imitation du cinéma''), [[André Delvaux]] (''Un Soir, un train'') and, more recently, [[Jan Bucquoy]] (''[[Camping Cosmos]]'') are notable for being representational of the [[Belgian]] Surrealist school in cinema. [[André Delvaux]] (the latter in the tradition of the ''[[magic realism]]'' with the movie ''Un Soir, un Train'' ([[1968]])) and [[Marcel Mariën]] with the controversial ''L'imitation du cinéma'' ([[1959]]), are representatives of the [[Surrealism in Belgium|Belgian Surrealist school]] in cinema. |
| + | |||
| + | Film director and music video director [[Michel Gondry]] is regarded as a Surrealist filmmaker, particularly for his films ''[[Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind]]'' and ''[[The Science of Sleep]]''. | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Bibliography == | ||
| + | |||
| + | [[Ado Kyrou]] and [[Robert Benayoun]] founded the surrealist cinema journal [[L'Âge du cinéma]]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | *''[[Le Surréalisme au cinéma]]'' is a [[French language]] [[film history]] history book by [[Ado Kyrou]]. | ||
| + | *''[[Film as a Subversive Art]]'' (1974) by Amos Vogel has a good section on surrealist cinema titled Surrealism: ''The Cinema of Shock''. | ||
| + | *''[[Surrealism and Film]]'' (1971) by J. H. Matthews | ||
| + | *''[[The Shadow and Its Shadow: Surrealist Writings on the Cinema]]'' (1978) - [[Paul Hammond]] (Editor) | ||
| + | *''[[Dada and Surrealist Film]]'' (1987) - Rudolf E. Kuenzli | ||
| + | *''[[Surrealism and Cinema]]'' (2006) - Michael Richardson | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Related == | ||
| + | *[[Experimental film]] | ||
| + | *[[Surrealist photography]] | ||
| + | *[[List of surrealist films]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | == Assorted quotes == | ||
| + | *"Creation, to me, is to try to orchestrate the universe to understand what surrounds us. Even if, to accomplish that, we use all sorts of stratagems which in the end prove completely incapable of staving off chaos." - Peter Greenaway | ||
| + | |||
| + | *"Fortunately, somewhere between chance and mystery lies imagination, the only thing that protects our freedom, despite the fact that people keep trying to reduce it or kill it off altogether." - Luis Buñuel | ||
| + | |||
| + | *"A specter is haunting the cinema: the specter of narrative. If that apparition is an angel, we must embrace it; and if it is a devil, we must cast it out. But we cannot know what it is until we have met it face to face." - Hollis Frampton | ||
| - | Czech filmmaker [[Jan Svankmajer]] has also made a number of Surrealist films.[http://www.illumin.co.uk/svank/films/filmogac.html] | + | *"Everybody's a mad scientist, and life is their lab. We're all trying to experiment to find a way to live, to solve problems, to fend off madness and chaos." - David Cronenberg |
| - | [[Jan Bucquoy]] with the movie ''[[Camping Cosmos]]'' ([[1996]]), [[André Delvaux]] (the latter in the tradition of the ''[[magic realism]]'' with the movie ''Un Soir, un Train'' ([[1968]])) and [[Marcel Mariën]] with the controversial ''L'imitation du cinéma'' ([[1959]]), are representatives of the [[Belgian]] Surrealist school in cinema. | + | *"I don't think that people accept the fact that life doesn't make sense. I think it makes people terribly uncomfortable." - David Lynch |
| + | ==See also== | ||
| + | *[[Terayama]] | ||
| + | *[[Wayney of Chaotic Cinema]] | ||
| - | The animated Surrealist filmmakers [[Hayao Miyazaki]] and [[Isao Takahata]] began to have broad international influence in the 1970s. Miyazaki’s themes of magical terrains and nature vs. man have influenced new Pop Surrealist fine artists around the world. | ||
| - | [[Tex Avery]] cartoons originated on film in the 1930s and 1940s, but millions more know his famous characters from Saturday morning cartoons replayed during the 1970s: [[Bugs Bunny]], [[Daffy Duck]], etc. | ||
| - | Another [[Looney Tunes]] animator, [[Robert Clampett]], was renowned for his Surrealistic style in both story and visuals. Especially notable are [[The Great Piggy Bank Robbery]] and [[Porky in Wackyland]]. | ||
| - | More recently. award winning filmmakers at Peter Dizozza’s International Surrealist Film Festival have included Amy Greenfield's ''Wildfire'' (Eclipse Productions), a new film by Matthew Gray Gubler ''The Cactus that Looked Like a Man,'' Lauren Hartman's ''PHANT,'' and Susan Ingraham's ''GoescarGo.'' | + | {{GFDL}} |
Current revision
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"They can keep their Bressons and their Cocteaus. The cinematic, modern marvelous is popular, and the best and most exciting films are, beginning with Méliès and Fantômas, the films shown in local fleapits, films which seem to have no place in the history of cinema." --Le Surréalisme au cinéma (1953) by Adonis A. Kyrou |
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Featured: |
Surrealism coincided with the rise of film as a mass entertainment medium, and it was the first art movement to appreciate film as a means of artistic expression. Two prominent members of the Surrealists collaborated on films near the end of the 1920s: Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí with Un chien andalou and L'Âge d'Or. Buñuel went on to direct many more, with varying degrees of Surrealism. Notable for Surrealism amongst Buñuel's later films are The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (Le Charme discret de la bourgeoisie), The Exterminating Angel (El Ángel exterminador), and Belle de jour.
Contents |
[edit]
Precursors
[edit]
Films by the Surrealist movement
- Entr'acte by René Clair (1924)
- La Coquille et le clergyman by Germaine Dulac, screenplay by Antonin Artaud (1927)
- Un chien andalou by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí (1928)
- L'Étoile de mer by Man Ray (1928)
- L'Âge d'Or by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí (1930)
- Le Sang d'un poète by Jean Cocteau (1930)
[edit]
Later directors working within the surrealistic tradition
- Michel Gondry (The Science of Sleep )
- Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Delicatessen, La Cité des enfants perdus, Amélie)
- Alejandro Jodorowsky (El Topo, The Holy Mountain)
- David Lynch (Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive)
- Guy Maddin (Archangel, The Saddest Music in the World)
- Takashi Miike (Gozu)
- Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away)
- Mamoru Oshii (Tenshi no Tamago)
- The Brothers Quay (The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes)
- Jacques Rivette (Céline et Julie vont en bateau)
- Jan Svankmajer (Faust, Alice)
- Shinya Tsukamoto (Tetsuo)
- Terry Gilliam (Brazil (film), Time Bandits, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Tideland (film))
[edit]
Notes
The truest aspects of Surrealism in film are often found in passing frames of a larger film; the sudden emergence of the uncanny into the "normal" which may or may not be further explored in the rest of the film. The original group spent hours going from film to film, often not finishing one before seeking another, partly in hopes of catching just such ephemeral moments, and partly with the idea of stitching together a film in their own minds out of the disparate parts.
Antonin Artaud, Philippe Soupault and Robert Desnos wrote screenplays for Surrealistic films. Salvador Dali designed a dream sequence for Alfred Hitchcock's film Spellbound. There is a strong Surrealist influence present in Alain Resnais's Last Year at Marienbad.
Many have described David Lynch as a Surrealist filmmaker, he is perhaps one of the best known examples of today, and most influential. For examples of Surrealism in his work, see Eraserhead, Blue Velvet or Mulholland Drive.
Alejandro Jodorowsky sought to revive Surrealism in his films The Holy Mountain and El Topo.
Marcel Mariën (L'imitation du cinéma), André Delvaux (Un Soir, un train) and, more recently, Jan Bucquoy (Camping Cosmos) are notable for being representational of the Belgian Surrealist school in cinema. André Delvaux (the latter in the tradition of the magic realism with the movie Un Soir, un Train (1968)) and Marcel Mariën with the controversial L'imitation du cinéma (1959), are representatives of the Belgian Surrealist school in cinema.
Film director and music video director Michel Gondry is regarded as a Surrealist filmmaker, particularly for his films Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep.
[edit]
Bibliography
Ado Kyrou and Robert Benayoun founded the surrealist cinema journal L'Âge du cinéma.
- Le Surréalisme au cinéma is a French language film history history book by Ado Kyrou.
- Film as a Subversive Art (1974) by Amos Vogel has a good section on surrealist cinema titled Surrealism: The Cinema of Shock.
- Surrealism and Film (1971) by J. H. Matthews
- The Shadow and Its Shadow: Surrealist Writings on the Cinema (1978) - Paul Hammond (Editor)
- Dada and Surrealist Film (1987) - Rudolf E. Kuenzli
- Surrealism and Cinema (2006) - Michael Richardson
[edit]
Related
[edit]
Assorted quotes
- "Creation, to me, is to try to orchestrate the universe to understand what surrounds us. Even if, to accomplish that, we use all sorts of stratagems which in the end prove completely incapable of staving off chaos." - Peter Greenaway
- "Fortunately, somewhere between chance and mystery lies imagination, the only thing that protects our freedom, despite the fact that people keep trying to reduce it or kill it off altogether." - Luis Buñuel
- "A specter is haunting the cinema: the specter of narrative. If that apparition is an angel, we must embrace it; and if it is a devil, we must cast it out. But we cannot know what it is until we have met it face to face." - Hollis Frampton
- "Everybody's a mad scientist, and life is their lab. We're all trying to experiment to find a way to live, to solve problems, to fend off madness and chaos." - David Cronenberg
- "I don't think that people accept the fact that life doesn't make sense. I think it makes people terribly uncomfortable." - David Lynch
[edit]
See also
Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Surrealist cinema" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.
