Codes and conventions

http://filmstudiesrevisiona2.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/surrealism-conventions.html (May 19, 2011)

http://cinecollage.net/surrealism.html (2012-2015)

http://www.filmreference.com/encyclopedia/Romantic-Comedy-Yugoslavia/Surrealism-SURREALIST-CINEMA.html Erin Foster

 

There are not many rules or guidelines within this area of art and that is why it can be argued that Surrealism is not a true genre. Although these are codes and conventions within surrealism in film that has been mentioned a lot.

 

• Anti narrative

This basically is saying that it is hard for the audience to understand the narrative within the film. This is mostly done because the audience then won’t be able to connect with the characters, as the audience will not have anything to relate to within their lives. Surrealism has a loose narrative structure, the films lack real plot or direction, but usually attempt to follow completely illogical storylines which represent dreams. An example could be ‘Doxology’ by Michael Langan. He uses of bizarre images and clever editing techniques to create an anti narrative surreal short film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouEtqk3VIFM

 

• Juxtaposition used for disturbing effect

Surrealists include this within their films to create disturbance for the audience and make them question fiction and reality. Cuts between shots are unpredictable and disorienting which is highlighting the juxtaposition of assumedly unrelated things.

 

• Minimal characterisation

This is simply because surrealist film directors don’t want the audience to connect with the characters because the focus is not on them, but on the surreal, abstract events. The director’s intention of the surreal film is to question the audiences’ mind about the difference between realism and surrealism while watching the film.

 

• Dreams and desires

Surrealist films use the idea of being in a dream within the narrative, because it can’t happen in real life. Although surrealist films play within a realistic location to make the audience question whether it is reality. Looking at desires, the unconscious mind sometimes shows us our deepest desires, what we really want. This could be reflecting within a surreal film because it is showing the unconscious ideas within a character created by directors and writers.