Advantages and disadvantages of the film medium for Surrealism - Essay Example

The advantages Running head: FILM IN SURREALISM The advantages and disadvantages of the film medium for surrealism’s goals as they are expressed in Andre Breton’s Manifesto of surrealism Name of Client Name of University Name of Class The advantages 2 The advantages and disadvantages of the film medium for surrealism’s goals as they are expressed in Andre Breton’s Manifesto of surrealism Introduction Surrealism in film allowed for artists to express their point of view in moving action rather than in just one impacting image. The images could change and evolve, moving through a series of concepts that is not available through the use of a canvas and brush. To understand how the surrealists used film, it is best to first understand how the medium of film brings art to life. An examination of Andre Breton’s Manifesto of Surrealism can bring to light some of the aspects of the intentions of the surrealists. Finally, looking at examples of surrealistic film work can provide a relational discussion of the Manifesto of Surrealism and the achievements of the artists who used film as a medium. Surrealism blossomed from the remnants of the Dada movement. Surrealism emerged to elevate objects into new imaginings of reality, recreating the world to express thoughts that were unfettered by reason and order, but free to be associated through related and unrelated imaginings. Politically, Surrealists were typically to the extreme left, embracing communism and anarchist principles in search of ways in which to liberate man from the chains of capitalistic points of view and to elevate the human spirit beyond the needs for material gain over others. If one clear message is to be gained from the overall movement and the visuals that were represented by its members, it might be said to say that ’the world is not as it seems’. It is the common interpretation of the world that is challenged by the Surrealists. At a time when the entire world was struggling with the interpretation of how life should be viewed and lived, the Surrealists revealed that the perception of the world did not always reflect its The advantages 3 reality. Therefore, to reflect reality was to, in truth, twist it until it revealed a deeper truth or an unimagined sense of how the world worked. In a work of surrealism real objects become pawns that do not respond to the laws of the universe as we perceive them. Floating, bending, twisting objects create a commentary on how one sees things from a point of view that most benefits the individual rather than from the greater truth of how it impacts the world. In 1924 Andre Breton wrote his Manifesto of Surrealism, setting down a philosophy of thought that would define the Surrealists and their work. Within this work is a complex concept of thought that attempts to challenge the rational thought for its confining terms in which the view of the world is constrained. Breton laments the loss of the imagination and of the superstitious mind that has become caught up in the rational and lost the sense of wonder that promotes more than just the mundane point of view. In examining the surrealistic examples of films that were the result of the surrealism movement, the goals that were brought forward by Breton in his Manifesto of Surrealism can be examined and assessed. Manifesto of Surrealism Andre Breton begins his manifesto by saying that “So strong is the belief in life, in what is most fragile in life - real life, I mean, that in the end this belief is lost” (Breton, 1972*). As mankind struggles to understand life and to create a dynamic of belief sets from which to base the progression of a life, the essence of truth begins to fade and be dominated by that set of beliefs rather than a whole understanding of what is important. Others are affected by what is done, creating an oppressed status and a perceived free status. However, that freedom is also not real as it is bound by constrictions of social order that oppress the imagination and bend the perception of truth until it no longer actually reflects the truth. The advantages 4 Breton discusses at length that in the search for answers to questions, the rational mind has taken over and decided to fit the answers into convention so that the imagination no longer develops its own concepts and notions of how the world is defined. In searching for the ideals of surrealism, the mundane is reexamined for qualities that would elevate it to a higher level of consciousness. Breton says “If the depths of our mind contain within it strange forces capable of augmenting those on the surface, or of waging a victorious battle against them, there is every reason to seize them -- first to seize them, then, if need be, to submit them to the control of our reason “ (Breton 1972). Breton once again approaches the mind from the point of view that it has a capacity that defies science and can expand the universe to include the wondrous. Breton discusses the aspect of the dream within the consciousness and the analysis of Freud as it pertains to dreams. Breton calls man the plaything of his memory, giving a sense of power to the aspect of dreaming. He questions why he cannot use the dream as answers to the fundamental questions of life over the perceptions of reality within the waking world. He eventually concludes that the mind of the man who dreams is fully satisfied by what happens to him. He has experienced that which is waking life could not provide, answering questions he could not fathom to ask. One of the most important concepts brought forward by Breton is that of the “There is a man cut in two by a window” (Breton 1972). He states that once he unleashes this image within his mind, a whole series of images follow in a flowing free form that creates a series of thoughts, pure and without fetters. This reflects an essence of surrealism as the thoughts and images that flow from one concept to the next that inspired automatic writing and the series of films that The would evolve during the time period. The concept that reality is a series of seemingly The advantages 5 disconnected free form images rather than the rationalized order to which most people insist to construct their perception of reality comments on the nature of truth. The Surrealists As the visual arts became more prominently used in the work of the Surrealists, figural art became more prominent once again. According to Williams (1992), the use of space was unique in that it was rearranged and recognizable but recomposed or deformed in order to relate a distortion of reality (12). The realism that had been abandoned by others in previous movements was now once again embraced but with a series of unique revisions on reality so to comment on perception. Williams (1992) discusses Breton’s concept of the man who is cut in half by the window. He suggests that what is important about the concept is not the original image but in the series of images that seem to flow from the initial thought. Breton believe that the evolving imagery captures the truth of reality (13). This concept and the concept of automatic writing is a fertile source of the successive images that film can produce. The natural use of film to create successive images that express the messages that the Surrealists intended seemed to be an organic progression for the movement. What Film offers the Surrealist In looking at the work of Bunuel, one can see the experience of the surrealist come to life. Embracing many of the tenets set forth by Breton, the films seem to embody the defining concepts of surrealism. According to Tyler (1995) Un Chien Andalou by Bunuel was “the result of conscious automatism and to the extent it does not recount a dream although it profits from a mechanism analogous to dream” (137). The attempt was to create the unreal through the use of The advantages 6 film tricks which Tyler (1995) says were the tools of the surrealist in creating the imagined world (137). The embracing of the dream by the surrealist film makers was one of the central themes. Tyler (1995) says that “The dream, per se, according to the Surrealists, is not surreal activity, not reality’s other function, but as much an illusion as the stage trick’s of prestidigitators” (137). The expression of thought was intended to be without the burden of reason or rational. According to Klingsohr-Leroy and Grosenick (2006), Surrealism is defined by “thought dictated in the absence of all control exerted by reason, and outside all aesthetic or moral preoccupations” (6). Therefore, the conceptualization of the succession of images is unfettered by oppressive concepts that would influence them into a rationale that would defy the very nature of their inception. Sensation became the effect of the imagery in the films of the Surrealists. According to Earle (1987), the films of the surrealists removed the conditions for all genuine perception (34). In removing these conditions, the visual impact had the power of the sensations that the imagery would invoke. The concept is deeper, however, than just the succession of images in order to cause sensation. Earle (1987) says that the imagery is “the necessary means of liberating the spirit from any final engrossment in what passes for the real, what offers itself to perception and to comprehension” (34). Liberation from the false perceptions of contrived society is the ultimate goal of the Surrealist. Earle (1987) quotes Lautreamont who said that “beauty of the fortuitous encounter of a sewing machine and an umbrella on a dissecting table” embodies the essence of the surreal experience. He goes on to say that “The displacement of things and persons from their own space and own time, from their own relative dimensions and public values, is designed to offer the The advantages 7 spirit a world closer to its own desire” (35). Therefore, the creation of the film medium to express an altered sense of reality is not just for the purpose of a free form expression without intent. The blossoming of the surrealistic vision is intended to free the mind from preconceived ideas about reality with the intent of opening up the spirit to receive more than just the sociologically devised perceptions that are predetermined by the prevailing culture. The very creation of the medium of film is an expression of Surrealistic ideals. According to Bazen, the cinematic tools were created to fulfill an idea that was fueled by the imagination and without the economic drive that supports most innovation. Most invention is developed through a movement from economic infrastructure to the ideological superstructure. However the development of the cinema was done solely for the desire to transfer perceptions of reality onto a moving medium that imitates realistic representation (17). The innovation of film was designed to capture the realistic perceptions of an ideal that is a virtual translation of the film makers vision. It is ideal for Surrealistic impression. Surrealism and Analysis The connections between the dream theories that are abundant in Surrealism and the theories of Freud on the meanings of dream cannot be ignored when a discussion of the movement is made. The intent of the free form automatic succession of imagery that is typical of Surrealistic work is also part of both Jungian and Freudian theories on the psyche and on the meaning of dreams. However, if one focuses only on the meanings derived through analytical psychology, the loss of the artistic intent is bastardized by the idea that the imagery is nothing more than illustrations of Jungian or Freudian thought (Adorno, ?, 220). The Surrealist artist “is obliged to explain what is strange in terms of what is already The advantages 8 familiar (Adorno, ?, 220). In the analysis of imagery in association to analytical psychology, representation is static. However it is the responsibility of the artist to recognize that imagery is not static, but an evolution of thoughts that can be perceived through new points of view. The psychoanalyst will admit that the spontaneous and voluntary associations take effort and do not come forth simply through an organic desire to develop them. The birthing of associations that are defined by symbolic resonance within the psyche require a great deal of pain and effort to bring forward. Therefore, the seeming random and automatic responsive imagery that is the result of the creation of associations is not necessarily as unplanned as they might seem. In seeing films that are Surrealistic, the evocation of emotions may seem random, but in reality in order to create a film, much planning must take place. In this sense, one wonders if film can capture the essence of Breton’s manifesto in that the imagery cannot possibly be done through a random flow of thought. Indeed, no medium of art can in all honesty be accomplished solely through an organic assemblage of imagery that is blossomed through an initial thought. Surrealistic Films Bataille and Richardson (1994) reveal the Surrealism of Breton through a critical lens, suggesting that the entire concept is contrived and without merit. They declare the concept of the freedoms espoused by the Surrealist to be a false sense of liberty and that the tenets constitute being “buried in blind and idiotic contemplation” because “no one wants a mythical liberty” (29). In some ways the aspect of Surrealism seems to try to hard to be revolutionary as it embraces the ridiculous as commentary on reality. The films of the Surrealist have both a commentary on reality, but a strained sense of revolutionary thought that sometimes seems to try to hard in order The advantages 9 to successfully be original. According to Williams (1992), Surrealistic film “unites the spatial elements of image and the temporal elements of narrative in a discourse that deconstructs the usual function of each” (13). It is the deconstruction that allows for the revelation of reality through the new conceptualization of perception. Williams equates this to the quality of a dream, thus renewing both the expectations of Breton and the associations to Freudian and Jungian theory. As associations, which at times seem random, are pulled together to create a Surrealistic film piece, the creation of a dream like quality allows for the perception of the viewer to be evoked through the emotions that are explored. The danger that exists for the Surrealist film maker is in adhering too strictly to the concept of the dream without tempering it with the artistic point of view. The symbolism should not be too literal or otherwise it is nothing more than symbolism of mental processes rather than reinterpretations of reality (Tyler 1995: 136). Therefore, there must be some fore thought to the creation of the imagery that the film maker might use. Otherwise, it is nothing more than a series of symbols without a fresh perspective or a truly revolutionary commentary. According to Mathews (1990), however, Breton did not intend to assign a theory to his surrealistic aspirations, but rather literally embrace the randomness of thought as it moved from the first concept through the associated following concepts (27). As his manifesto was a conceptualization of support for the automatic writing that would become the surrealistic point of view from which poetry would form, the translation of the concepts into other art forms required theorizing in order to be utilized in mediums that required some sense of planning in order to achieve meaning. The advantages 10 The surrealistic attempts at film making was not without its limitations considering the technological advancements that might have allowed the creators to achieve their goals were yet decades from being designed and implemented into film making. According to Kuenzli (1996), dozens of film sequences were written and published as works of literature rather than being filmed because they simply could not be achieved at that time. Only a few of these texts were filmed. Antonin Artaud’s “La Coquille et la clergyman” was filmed by Germaine Dulac in 1928. Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali filmed “ Un chien andalou” in 1929 (58). However, in publishing texts of film scenarios, the surrealists were able to express in writing what they could not quite achieve directly on film. As a medium, the processes were not yet sophisticated enough to capture the essence of what was being expressed. Conclusion Surrealism had several great influences in the development of the basic theories and in bringing its concepts to the general population. Breton, of course, began a discourse on the topic of surrealism in his manifesto as he explored the ways in which the imagined could be defined in expression. Salvador Dali is well known for his expressions in paint that held the recombined realities that would typify Surrealism. However, it is the Spanish director Bunuel that may have been the most influential for the Surrealists in film, although he is not near as well known as his literary and artistic counterparts. His work revolutionized some aspects of film, leading to surrealistic elements remaining part of cinematic history and appearing in everything from The Twilight Zone to the children’s film Dumbo during a dream sequence (Kidder & Oppenheim 2008: 96). In constructing the theories of Surrealism and in the rejection of Dadaism there had to The advantages 11 take place the rejection of the Dadaist’s sense of deconstruction. This allowed for the Surrealist to embrace the realistic figural representation once more in order to define the movement through the combination of the real and the imagined real. Through the combinations of elements that might seem unrelated or unrealistic, the dream world came forward into existence in order to suggest the boundaries of perception were not as they might appear. Breton found the beginnings of these thoughts as he wrote his Manifesto of Surrealism When looked at through a purity of thought, films of the Surrealist both achieve the goals of Breton and do not achieve those goals. As well, they achieve an irony concerning perception in that they appear to be an evolution of imagery without the direction of the rational thought, but in truth because of the nature of film, they are planned and shot with an intent of appearing to be random evolution. In this can be found the irony of Surrealistic film in that the very alteration of perception in order to reveal new truths is contrived in a way to appear to not be contrived. Therefore, in the sense that the films are perceived in one way while having an entirely different reality, they embody the very nature of Surrealism. Breton attributes the advances that Surrealism represented to the research done by Sigmund Freud. According to Fer (1993), Breton said “the human explorer will be able to carry his investigations much further, authorized as he will henceforth be not to confine himself solely to the most summary realities” (50). In the search for the discovery of the deeper sense of the mind, the imaginings of dreams and of mythological imageries opened to the world in a way that still has merit in art as well as the cinematic expressions of contemporary society. While the Surrealists who dabbled in film were unable to fully realize Breton’s concepts, the surrealistic spirit was expressed and has lasting importance. The advantages 11 References Adorno, T. W. (?) Looking back on Surrealism. Found in _____ Bataille, G., & Richardson, M. (1994). The absence of myth: Writings on surrealism. London: Verso. Bazin, A. (?) What is cinema? London, University of California Press. Breton, A. (1972). Manifestoes of surrealism. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. Earle, W. (1987). A surrealism of the movies. Chicago, Ill: Precedent Pub. Fer, B. (1993). Modern art: Practices and debates. Realism, rationalism, surrealism : art between the Wars. New Haven: Yale Univ. Press. Matthews, J. H. (1990). The surrealist mind. Selinsgrove [Pa.]: Susquehanna University Press. Kidder, D. S., & Oppenheim, N. D. (2008). The intellectual devotional modern culture: Revive your mind, complete your education, and converse confidently with the culturati. Emmaus, Penn: Rodale. Klingsohr-Leroy, C., & Grosenick, U. (2006). Surrealism. Koln: Taschen Kuenzli, R. E. (1996). Dada and surrealist film. Cambridge, Mass. [u.a.]: MIT Press. Spiteri, R., & LaCoss, D. (2003). Surrealism, politics, and culture. Studies in European cultural transition, 16. Aldershot: Ashgate. Tyler, P. (1995). Underground film: A critical history. New York: Da Capo Press. Williams, L. (1992). Figures of desire: A theory and analysis of surrealist film. Berkeley: University of California Press. Read More