Curation Program Statement

List of Films

1. Dimensions of Dialogue. Directed by Jan Švankmajer. Czechoslovak, 1982. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-gGpWpra-g. 12:07 – 15:50 (3 min) A stop motion animation about communication and dialogue.
2. L’Âge d’Or. Directed by Luis Buñuel. France, 1930. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDbav8hcl5U. 05:00 – 08:30 (3 min) A couple attempted to consummate but was stopped by their family, the Church, and the bourgeois society.
3. The Blood of a Poet. Directed by Jean Cocteau. France, 1932. https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7t26d7. 15:51 – 17:41 (2 min) Abstract visuals of a poet’s emotions.
4. The Immigrant. Directed by Charlie Chaplin. United States: Mutual Film Corporation, 1917. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbaH52i62CQ . 00:00-02:31 (2 min) Charlie endures the hardship of migrating to America.
5. The Seashell and the Clergyman. Directed by Germaine Dulac. France, 1928. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypseXIQVaF0. 08:31 – 12:07 (4 min) A soldier and a clergyman are having a conflict.
6. There It Is. Directed by Harold L. Muller and Charles Bowers. United States: Educational Pictures, 1928. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHWHeqD-F_g . 02:32-04:59 (2 min) Charley and his bug assistant try to solve a case of strangeness.

Program Statement

The Surrealist movement, a response to the post-war disillusionment that swept the world in the 1920s, was characterized by a deep rebellion against all established norms and forms of reality to break away from the shackles of rationality.[1]. However, Surrealism was meant to do more than show dreamlike images and reach into the unconscious’s dark places where instincts and raw emotions dwell. By combining incongruent elements and distorting familiar objects, surrealists sought to shake society from its comfortable slumber or sleepwalker state and thus encourage questioning of the very nature of reality. Through this, they unmasked the underlying inanity lurking beneath the facade of mundane life, defying social norms and cultural standards. The humor that Surrealism engenders is not the type that brings people to laughter but an underlying sense of uneasiness and disorientation towards the uncanny and irrational. Surrealist filmmakers like Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí used cinematic devices such as disorienting images and fragmented stories that defy what viewers expect to see and make them feel something in their guts. [2]. Surrealism was an attempt to break the limits of representation and perception to free the mind from rationality and logic and open up to what is hidden in the human soul.

Early surrealist filmmakers found their inspiration in different sources, including slapstick comedy, which helped incorporate absurd and superfluous elements into their works.[3]. Charlie Chaplin, known for his classic comedy role, perfectly represents this combination of humor and social commentary in his films such as “The Immigrant,” through Chaplin’s exaggerated movements and misfortunes, the audience can laugh yet learn about what immigrants go through. This contrast of dark realities with comic overstatement is used to amuse and make the reader contemplate human fate.[4]. Similarly, comedic pieces such as “There It Is” use humor to escape reality, taking the viewer into a world of ridiculousness where the distinction between the real and the imaginary is dissolved. However, beyond the laughs is a much more profound statement about life’s underlying idiosyncrasies. Though these films provide relief amid humanity, they are used to create a sharp contrast and highlight the inconsistencies and unfairness in society. By over-amplifying reality to the point of ridiculousness, they force audiences to deal with harsh truths, whereas their audiences are offered a brief escape from the seriousness of life. So, surrealism and slapstick comedy marriage not only amuse but also force the viewer to rethink their perception of the world around them.

However, the latter four films of surrealist cinema focus philosophically on societal issues and power dynamics, which indicates that the movement was more than a cinematographic phenomenon; it was political as well. [5]. In “Seashell and the Clergyman,” Armand Nugès challenges the power dynamics between social classes, laying bare the political tensions between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The Book “Dimensions of Dialogue” discusses the failure of dialogue between people and the disconnection evident among individuals within a particular society. The control of outside forces over personal relationships, feelings, and emotions is the subject of “L’Âge d’Or,” while “The Blood of a Poet” examines the internal conflict within an artist. These films can be seen as powerful critiques of the limits placed on human beings by social constructions and of the contradictions involved in everyday life. In Surrealism, humor is not just used for entertainment but also as a means of overcoming the traditional ideas of rationality and knowledge.[6]. Through disconnecting humor with conventional means of intellectual structures, the surrealists challenge the current system and encourage onlookers to consider questioning the ordinary order. While slapstick comedy allows us to escape from life’s realities, Surrealism uses humor to enhance contradictions in society and make us face unpleasant realities and imagine new possibilities. Using their overturned reality and acceptance of absurdity, surrealists try to stimulate self-contemplation and encourage social change, that is, to destroy the oppressive system and promote greater individuality and togetherness.

References

Richardson, Michael. “Luis Buñuel and the Snares of Desire” In Surrealism and Cinema. Berg, 2006.

Breton, André. “First Surrealist Manifesto.” Surrealism. McGraw-Hill, New York (1924): 66-75. https://thecomposingrooms.com/research/reading/2014/Breton_First_Surrealist_ Manifesto.pdf

Fijalkowski, Krzysztof, and Michael Richardson. “Introduction” In Surrealism: Key Concepts. Routledge, 2016.

Richardson, Michael. “Introduction: Surrealist Film Theory and Practice” In Surrealism and Cinema. Berg, 2006.

Fijalkowski, Krzysztof, and Michael Richardson. “Black Humour” In Surrealism: Key Concepts. Routledge, 2016

[1] Richardson, Michael. “Luis Buñuel and the Snares of Desire” In Surrealism and Cinema. Berg, 2006.

[2] Michael, 2006

[3] Richardson, Michael. “Introduction: Surrealist Film Theory and Practice” In Surrealism and Cinema. Berg, 2006.

[4] Breton, André. “First Surrealist Manifesto.” Surrealism. McGraw-Hill, New York (1924): 66-75. https://thecomposingrooms.com/research/reading/2014/Breton_First_Surrealist_ Manifesto.pdf

[5] Fijalkowski, Krzysztof, and Michael Richardson. “Introduction” In Surrealism: Key Concepts. Routledge, 2016.

[6] Fijalkowski, Krzysztof, and Michael Richardson. “Black Humour” In Surrealism: Key Concepts. Routledge, 2016