Film- surrealism and dali

I wanted to delve more into surrealism in film. I like the idea of a dream like state that surrealist films and art lends it self to. I also like the use of highly contrasted black and white and the fact that the films often involve 'shock' tactics. It was always an idea of mine to look toward surrealist films for this film, mainly because of the trance like state that one ends up in while having a breakdown, but also because surrealism is a passion of mine. I also thought i could look to the photography as well. As a genre it has strict rules and regulations, orginating out of the DADA art movement. A personal favourite of mine is Dali. His work is just stunning, and while he was later rejected by the movement for being to mainstream, his paintings, films and even his life in general has always interested me. 

so of course when looking into surrealist films i wanted to look at Un chien andalou by Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali.

Un Chien Andalou is a statement about  how film can express the subconcious. It is rather shocking and reflects an obsession with death and lust. It is a silent film with no dialoge but the use of chapters. And takes a light hearted approuch with the music. It almost contradicts the scenes which are being played.

Dali often uses the representation of the eye in his work. here we see a womans eye cut open by a razor in the opening sequence.

Eyes feature highly in the dream sequence dali designed for Hitchcocks 'spellbound' as well as in alot of his paintings.

 

I also found a link to a good article on Dali and his work in film and other mediums as well as looking at what the surrealist movement thought of him.

http://www.studio-international.co.uk/reports/dali.asp