I found this ground-breaking piece of film to be shocking and confusing, a piece that both that both draws and repels. When I first watched this short film, I felt a little frustrated as I was totally lost within it. Personally, I like to understand the story and be able to acknowledge what is going on, I enjoy watching how plots and characters develop, which has become a huge part of modern film making. However, as I reflect on this viewing, I realised how perfectly this short picture encapsulates surrealism presenting a dream like, or nightmarish, piece that simply cannot be put together. The experimental nature of this piece created by filmmaker Luis Bunuel and surrealist artist Salvador Dali makes it very artistic, it becomes ambiguous, evoking different emotions and meaning in everyone who views it, just like a piece of artwork displayed in a gallery.
Ultimately, the refusal to follow a structure made this piece so ground-breaking. Although criticized at the time, it became an inspiration to film makers as narrative and structure are banished, becoming a symbol of freedom and expression to modern audiences and encouraging more experimental film making. Personally I find it difficult to connect with this disjointed style however, I do appreciate artists creating pieces that do not fit the conventions of traditional filmmaking and think that in itself makes it a piece that should continue to be shown, encouraging younger generations to continue on this bold experimentation that can lead to ground breaking work.
The shocking imagery within this film does make it unforgettable and the feeling of not knowing what could possibly happen next keeps you intrigued, on the edge of your seat even, as each shocking, mind-bending scene leads to another just as so.
This experimental and expressive film making from director Luis Bunuel is something I had not witnessed before. Although I struggled with the blurred structure, it's unique style does draw you in making it clear to me why it is still being viewed and talked about over 90 years after its creation.
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