История любви с постепенным погружением в безумие. Если по кадрам фильм выглядел более-менее традиционной мелодрамой, то по факту оказалось, что это все тот же "Андалузский пес", только теперь в формате полного метра.
Мне почти понравилось. Но концовка с Есусом и отсылкой к Де Саду смешала все карты.
The most magical decade in all of cinema, ranked and rated high-to-low:
1. City Lights (1931) ★★★★★★★★★★
2. It Happened One Night (1934) ★★★★★★★★★★
3. Duck Soup (1933) ★★★★★★★★★★
4. The Invisible Man (1933) ★★★★★★★★★★
5. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) ★★★★★★★★★★
6. The Wizard of Oz (1939) ★★★★★★★★★★
7. The 39 Steps (1935) ★★★★★★★★★★
8. The Smiling Lieutenant (1931) ★★★★★★★★★★
9. Ninotchka (1939) ★★★★★★★★★★
10. The Cat and the Canary (1939) ★★★★★★★★★★
11. Horse Feathers (1932) ★★★★★★★★★☆
12. Frankenstein (1931) ★★★★★★★★★☆
13. Pygmalion (1938) ★★★★★★★★★☆
14. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) ★★★★★★★★★☆
15. My Man Godfrey (1936) ★★★★★★★★★☆
16. Animal Crackers (1930) ★★★★★★★★★☆
17. Monkey Business (1931) ★★★★★★★★★☆
18. A Night at the Opera (1935) ★★★★★★★★★☆
19. The Lady Vanishes (1938) ★★★★★★★★★☆
20. The Thin Man (1934) ★★★★★★★★★☆
21. Top Hat (1935) (1935) ★★★★★★★★★☆
22. The Most Dangerous Game (1932) ★★★★★★★★★☆
23. The Port of Shadows (1938) ★★★★★★★★★☆
24. The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934) ★★★★★★★★★☆
25. Love Me Tonight (1932) ★★★★★★★★★☆
26. The Merry Widow (1934) ★★★★★★★★★☆
27. One Hour with You (1932) ★★★★★★★★★☆
28. Trouble in Paradise (1932) ★★★★★★★★★☆
29. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) ★★★★★★★★★☆
30. Nothing Sacred (1937) ★★★★★★★★★☆
31. Oliver the Eighth (1934) ★★★★★★★★★☆
32. Midnight (1939) ★★★★★★★★★☆
33. Towed in a Hole (1932) ★★★★★★★★★☆
34. Gone with the Wind (1939) ★★★★★★★★★☆
35. Bride of Frankenstein (1935) ★★★★★★★★★☆
36. La Grande Illusion (1937) ★★★★★★★★★☆
37. Boudu Saved from Drowning (1932) ★★★★★★★★½☆
38. La Chienne (1931) ★★★★★★★★½☆
39. The Petrified Forest (1936) ★★★★★★★★½☆
40. M (1931) ★★★★★★★★½☆
41. King Kong (1933) ★★★★★★★★½☆
42. The Man Who Could Work Miracles (1936) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
43. Pépé le Moko (1937) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
44. Topper (1937) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
45. Tarzan the Ape Man (1932) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
46. Queen Christina (1933) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
47. Freaks (1932) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
48. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
49. The Music Box (1932) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
50. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
51. Modern Times (1936) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
52. Baby Face (1933) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
53. The Miracle Woman (1931) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
54. The Awful Truth (1937) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
55. The Scarlet Empress (1934) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
56. Young and Innocent (1937) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
57. Jewel Robbery (1932) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
58. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
59. Way Out West (1937) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
60. A Tale of Two Cities (1935) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
61. Ruggles of Red Gap (1935) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
62. Island of Lost Souls (1932) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
63. The Gay Divorcee (1934) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
64. Busy Bodies (1933) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
65. History Is Made at Night (1937) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
66. Stagecoach (1939) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
67. Morocco (1930) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
68. Bringing Up Baby (1938) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
69. Marie Antoinette (1938) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
70. Dracula (1931) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
71. Bizarre, Bizarre (1937) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
72. Let's Make a Dream (1936) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
73. I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
74. Wuthering Heights (1939) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
75. Grand Hotel (1932) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
76. L'Age d'Or (1930) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
77. The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
78. Blonde Bombshell (1933) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
79. Scarface (1932) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
80. Under the Roofs of Paris (1930) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
81. À Nous la Liberté (1931) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
82. Block-Heads (1938) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
83. Public Enemy (1931) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
84. Destry Rides Again (1939) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
85. Lady for a Day (1933) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
86. Charlie Chan at Treasure Island (1939) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
87. A Star Is Born (1937) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
88. Shanghai Express (1932) ★★★★★★★★☆☆
89. The Sign of The Cross (1932) ★★★★★★★½☆☆
90. Christine (1937) ★★★★★★★½☆☆
91. Platinum Blonde (1931) ★★★★★★★½☆☆
92. Sabotage (1936) ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
93. Kongo (1932) ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
94. Lost Horizon (1937) ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
95. The Old Dark House (1932) ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
96. Design for Living (1933) ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
97. The Blue Angel (1930) ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
98. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
99. Death Takes a Holiday (1934) ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
100. The Story of Temple Drake (1933) ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
Two lovers try to have sex but are prevented by various elements of society. Also a group of criminals are locked in a castle with no laws to see what they will become when they are eventually released.
The imagery is somewhat memorable as is expected of a film made by surrealist artists but only a handful of the shots are iconic throughout the hour. The religious aspects are the parts with the most subtext and have far more long-standing images to draw from and satirise, the corruption of which gives this film most of its political and theological messages.
Although this film is from the same creators as Un Chien Andalou (1929), it fails to really commit to the surrealist style and what are described as dream landscapes are really more just, well landscapes. The plot is still weird and difficult to follow but without the innovative and captivating cinematography style which makes the films more notable.
One good thing is that even though it’s described as feature-length, it’s still only an hour long, which is at least merciful. The main attraction the film has is the frequent criticisms of the upper classes, their methodology, and the perspective with which they view society. The idea of lawlessness in isolation is also thought provoking.
The camera is still and used in no particularly fascinating way which makes most of the shots feel similar to documentary style but with varying subject matter. There is an attempt at humour a few times but it falls rather flat. The main problem with surrealism that doesn’t follow through is that it clearly has social messages but they’re so subjective that you can read them from most perspectives which renders them rather meaningless.
2/10 -It’s not THE worst, that’s something else. But...-
-Salvador Dali was originally a creator of the project but dropped out early on due to creative differences.
-The footage of the scorpions was a real documentary that the director added captions to.