Surrealism is a class of film that focuses on dreams and blurs reality. These films break typical cinema conventions and use strange imagery to challenge the audience. Films today are highly influenced by these early filmmakers who explored the art of storytelling.
In this article, we will study these films with a definition and a breakdown of the elements that make them. We will also include examples of surrealist filmmakers and their movies.
What is Surrealism in Film?
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.
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 in a surrealist film.
Film Surrealism Elements
When watching a surrealist film, you can expect to find a variety of visual elements. Not every film will have all aspects, but a viewer can categorize a surreal film just by viewing it. Below are some of the common elements you will find in this art movement.
Dream Worlds
Surrealist filmmakers 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 of surrealism in film is its 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 in these films 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
Surrealism in film will also explore the minds of its characters. Instead of describing their thoughts, the filmmakers will 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
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.
So, now you know what to expect from these films, let’s look at some surrealist filmmakers and their movies.
Un Chein Anadolu (1928)
French director Luis Bunuel created one of the most famous examples of surrealism in film. 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 saying, ‘The film provokes a violent reaction against avant-garde cinema of the time’.
8 ½ (1963)
Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini’s most famous film 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.’
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.’
Being John Malkovich (1999)
American Director Spike Jonze and writer Charlie Kaufman experiment with surrealist themes in their feature debut. 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’.
Surrealism Impact
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 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. Plus, it is highly likely that these surrealistic themes will continue to appear in future cinema productions.
Wrapping Up
To sum up, surrealism in film is about challenging storytelling norms. By doing this, filmmakers have more control and can create more interesting films. These films stand out because of their visuals and because they explore dreams or dark themes. When you watch a surreal film, you will have to interpret the context rather than have it explained to you.
Many modern filmmakers still use the elements found within surrealist films. Most notably, dream sequences and nonlinear storylines. 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.
