Un Chien Andalou

( Un Chien Andalou Short Film)

                      First of all, after watching the film, I DID NOT UNDERSTAND ANY.

                      I was able to watch the film twice. Watched it first with the whole class at school during our cinema class. Since I wasn't able to understand it, I tried to give myself another chance to understand the film. Its heartbreaking that I've wasted time trying to understand something yet you end up gaining nothing. It brought so much headache for it manipulated my brain through the not-so-related events present in the film. I guess this is what Surrealist films really wanted, to surprise their audiences through the shocking events in the film.

                     The film is not boring for it showed disgusting yet interesting scenes. Let's just disregard the fact that Surrealist films don't have narratives. Some of those scenes are the following:

                             Un Chien Andalou is a film of the most famous film maker Luis Bunuel. He was one of the casts of this film. He was present at the prologue. According to French translation, Un Chien Andalou is translated as "Andalusian Dog". I searched for the definition of Andalusian, a region of Southern Spain on the Mediterranean Sea, the Strait of Gibraltar, and the Atlantic Ocean. 

                            Honestly, I did not see any relation of the title translation to the plot of the film. Well there may be a subliminal message present, I just haven't figured it out yet, or maybe won't be able to figure it out anymore. 

                          I don't think Surrealist films will be a great hit for the present generation. I'm not closing any opportunity for myself to watch this type of film again in my life. Who knows, maybe one day, the thought of mine would be proven wrong. :) I'll be waiting for it. It would be really exciting if there would be a diversion of film that young people will look into. Looking forward!

- ClarissaAlimot

French Impressionism and Surrealism (According to the book Film Art by David Bordwell and Kristen Thompson)

IMPRESSIONISM

                      Impressionism was one of the French alternative movement during the period of silent films. It included a style where people had new strategies and techniques that were operated mainly in large firms.

        World War I brought French Film Industry almost to a downfall. However, there were large firms who continued in controlling circuit of theaters by the use of some American film. By then, Hollywood cinema invaded every movie houses in France. French film industry tried to recapture the market through the imitation of American films. But one thing that made a great impact in this movement was the encouragement of younger French directors, such as Abel Gance, Louis Delluc, Germaine Dulac, Marcel L' Herbier, and Jean Epstein. 

Abel Gance 

Louis Delluc

Germain Dulac

Marcel L' Herbier

Jean Epstein

                         These young directors made essays to proclaim that cinema is worthy of comparison to poetry, painting, and music, for all these things fall under art. In bringing French film industry back to life, they made films emphasizing mainly personal emotions, thus leading to psychological narratives. Examples of this are love triangles, human fantasies, and depicting memories through flashbacks. These were also experimented by young directors through cinematography and editing. Impressionists also required a lot of innovations in film technology. Gance was noted for using new lenses, multiple frame images, and widescreen ratio. He used it for his epic Napoleon. 

                     These different innovations made by Impressionists gave French filmmakers the hope to grant their films popularity in Hollywood. Some succeeded, but some did not. Some young directors stopped pursuing their careers, while some were absorbed by big production companies.

                    It was year 1929 when Impressionist movement was put to an end, but the stylistic and conceptual influence of this movement can still be seen in present-day films.

SURREALISM

                       Surrealism was another alternative movement during the silent era. It was mainly focused outside the film industry. French filmmakers in this movement relied on their own and private patronage.

                      Painters like Man Ray and Salvador Dali, and writers like Antonin Artaud, began experimenting and investigating the art of cinema, but the young Spaniard Luis Bunuel became the most famous filmmaker. 

Luis Bunuel

                      Surrealist cinema deeply emphasized the causality of events, and not merely about narratives. These films were about violence, sexual desires, and blasphemy. The main purpose of these films is to let their viewer's impulses engage to them in a way that they could feel they are present in the movie. Surrealist paintings influenced films' mise-en-scene. Some paintings by great artists were featured on scenes of certain film.

                        It was dated year 1930 when Surrealism movement was ceased. Some filmmakers continued working on their own. The most famous filmmaker, Bunuel, continued making films in Surrealist style, that lasted for 50 years.

- ClarissaAlimot