Un Chien Andalou is a masterpiece of French surrealism, and the film’s screenplay was written by Salvador Dali and Luis Buñuel, who were famous Spanish artists. According to Lecture #3, the movie is worth considering because it is one of the most famous short films that was created in a few days without studio financing. The artists used their dreams as inspiration to create the film. It is also mentioned in the lecture that the absence of intention to promote logical comprehensibility is a characteristic feature of surrealism. This information demonstrates that the film does not have a logical storyline in its standard meaning, but a particular kind of logic is present, and specific imagery significantly impacts the spectators.
At first sight, it seems that Un Chien Andalou consists of sequences that do not have any logical connection. This impression exists because the artists did not want to include any storyline to link the images. That is why there is no explanation regarding why a man decided to slice a woman’s ice with a blade or why a man, after being shot, dislocated from a room to the wood (Buñuel, 1929). As a result, I was encouraged to watch the film and explain these connections by myself. Lecture #3 stipulates that Buñuel explicitly mentioned that their task was to include the irrational to shock the intellectual bourgeoisie. One should explain that there is a specific phenomenon that defines the description above. The film relies on dream logic, and I have found that the presented sequences are tenuously related, and spectators are responsible for uncovering possible logic and connection.
The film is full of compelling and even shocking imagery. Firstly, it is impossible to remain indifferent to the scene where a man slices a woman’s eye with a blade. It is the first scene, and it immediately demonstrates that the film intends to impress and shock spectators. Secondly, the scene with a hand crawling with ants was also compelling (Buñuel, 1929). This imagery provokes many questions, but the film does not include any answers.
In conclusion, while Un Chien Andalou is an example of French surrealism, the film includes numerous features of this genre. A dream logic demonstrates that even though the film does not include any explanation regarding how various images are connected, I managed to find tenuous relationships between them. That is why it is possible to mention that the film is shocking and thought-provoking for me, which deservedly makes it a masterpiece.
Reference
Buñuel, L. (1929). Un chien Andalou [An Andalusian dog] [Film]. Les Grands Films Classiques.