Surrealism is a class of film that focuses on dreams and blurs reality. These films break typical conventions and use strange imagery to challenge the audience. Cinema today is highly influenced by these early filmmakers who explored the art of storytelling.
In this article, we provide a full definition of surrealism in film and a breakdown of the different elements. We also look at a few popular examples of different surrealist films and directors.
What is Surrealism?
Surrealism started as an art movement in Europe after World War I. Its founder, Andre Breton, wished to create a ‘dreamlike superior reality’. In the 1920s, the movement took over the art world, including painting, writing, photography and cinema.
Surrealism was a way of coping with the horrors of WW1 and WW2. Filmmakers and artists of the time wanted to express their anti-establishment views. Through this movement, they could break the rules and have complete control over their art.
This genre is the opposite of cinema realism and sets out to twist what is real for the viewer. It aims to free the creative mind and the strict constraints of reality. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, surrealist filmmakers rejected a typical narrative structure and experimented with new ideas. Let’s look at some of the elements you can expect to find.
Themes
When watching a surrealist film, you can expect to find a variety of visual elements. Not every film will have all of them, but here are some of the common elements you will find.
Dream Worlds
They often explore dreamlike worlds. These dreams or nightmares ask questions about life or a character’s psyche. While a typical film will focus on the real-life truth, these films will challenge the audience to find their own meaning.
Abstract Symbolism
Another element is their use of symbolism and imagery. These films frequently use metaphors to show meaning instead of being upfront with their messages. In addition, films of this genre are likely to have visual effects and grand art design.
Non-Liner Narratives
The storytelling will also defy reality by using nonlinear narratives. For example, filmmakers might mix up scene order, play with time and memory, or show little or no plot. By doing this, they lean toward the dreamlike quality of these films.
Phycological Themes
Some also explore the minds of their characters. Instead of describing their thoughts, they might show their unconscious state through imagery and symbols. These films will also delve deep into the mind and the darker aspects of humanity.
Examples of Surrealist Films
So, now you know what to expect from these films, let’s have a look at some well known surrealist filmmakers and their movies.
Un Chein Anadolu (1928)
French director Luis Bunuel created one of the most famous examples of surrealism called Un Chein Anadolu. The film is a sequence of shocking images, metaphors, and features nonlinear editing. It also has little plot and instead relies on the audience to determine what is happening.
Salvador Dali wrote the screenplay with Bunuel, and the pair based the story around their dreams. Bunuel intended to shock and insult the bourgeois class.
“The film provokes a violent reaction against avant-garde cinema of the time.”
Luis Bunuel
8 ½ (1963)
Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini’s most famous film 8 ½ delves into the surreal dreamscape. The story follows Guido, a film director with writer’s block and relationship issues. It features a non-linear narrative by mixing dreams, memory, and timelines.
We also see plenty of abstract imagery and dreamlike sequences. For example, a man flies across a beach in the opening scene. Fellini believed that dreams are real life.
“My fantasies and obsessions are not only my reality but the stuff of which my films are made.”
Federico Fellini
El Topo (1970)
Alejandro Jodorowsky is a Chilean French modern surrealist filmmaker. His film El Topo is a surrealist western about a cowboy and his son riding across the desert. Jodorowsky uses bold colors to make the surrealist elements and dream sequences stand out. In fact, if you pause the film, every scene will look similar to a Salvador Dali painting.
The film has a plot but relies heavily on violent imagery and symbolism. Jodorowsky sees cinema as a way of reconnecting with our subconscious.
“One does not go to the theatre to escape from himself, but to reestablish contact with the mystery that we all are.”
Alejandro Jodorowsky
Being John Malkovich (1999)
American Director Spike Jonze and writer Charlie Kaufman experiment with surrealist themes in their feature debut Being John Malkovich. The story follows Craig, a puppeteer who discovers a hole that leads him into the mind of actor John Malkovich for 15 minute intervals.
The concept itself is bizarre with a focus on the psyche. In one scene, John Malkovich climbs into the hole only to find that everyone he sees looks like him. Kaufman believes surrealism relates with people.
“Even if it’s surreal, it’s relatable, and that’s a core issue for me.”
Spike Jonze
Impact of Surrealism on Modern Cinema
Surrealist films ruled the cinemas in the 1920s and 1940s before the Hollywood Golden Age. However, early filmmakers still have a big impact on modern cinema. In particular with horror and science fiction genres as well as blockbuster fantasy movies.
Notable modern surrealist filmmakers are David Lynch and Terry Gilliam. Both directors play around with themes of dreams, abstract imagery, the mind, and nonlinear storylines. For example, Terry Gilliam’s Brazil (1985) uses surrealist imagery to create a future world.
Modern filmmakers continue to draw inspiration from the movement through techniques such as dream scenes, flashbacks, and visual effects. It’s highly likely that these surrealistic themes will continue to appear in future films.
Even modern Hollywood studio films explore abstract themes, focus on one character’s mind, and mix up timelines. So, we have a lot to thank for the early surrealist filmmakers who took risks with their movies.
Wrapping Up
In short, surrealism in film is about challenging storytelling norms. By doing this, filmmakers have more control and can create more interesting movies. They stand out because of their visuals and because they explore dreams or dark themes. What’s great about a surrealist film is when you watch them you have to interpret the context rather than have it explained to you.
