Surrealism and Non Linear Narrative

How did this film make you feel?

What are two of the most memorable scenes (for you) from the film?

How are the characters and the plot connected?

What do you think are the main themes of the film, what do you think it is about?

Questions from the Film

The film has no plot in the conventional sense of the word.

The chronology of the film is disjointed, jumping from the initial "once upon a time" to "eight years later" without the events or characters changing very much.

It uses dream logic in narrative flow that can be described in terms of then-popular Freudian free association, presenting a series of tenuously related scenes.

This is called Non Linear Narrative or Non Linear Storytelling.

Un Chien Andalou (1929)

Surrealism and Non Linear Storytelling

Luis Bunuel- The Golden AgeSergei Eisenstein- StrikeOrson Welles- Citizen KaneJean Luc Godard- Week EndFederico Fellini- 8 ½, RomaAndrei Tarkovsky- The MirrorDavid Lynch- Lost Highway, Mulholland Drive, Blue VelvetChristopher Nolan- MomentoCharlie Kaufman- Being John Malkovich, AdaptationMichel Gondry/Charlie Kaufman- Eternal Sunshine of the

Spotless MindGus van Sant- Elephant, Last DaysRichard Linklater- Waking Life

Non Linear Film

Freud analyses dreams in order to understand aspects of personality as well as peoples´ actions.

Every action and thought is motivated by your subconscious.

In a civilized society, we have to hold our urges and impulses back and these are released through our dreams

Sigmund Freud: The Interpretation of Dreams

FREUD+THE SUBCONSCIOUSLUIS BUNUEL AND SALVADOR DALIACTIVATING THE SUBCONSCIOUS AND

CREATING IT INTO A REALITY.AUTOMATIC THINKING

NON LINEAR NARRATIVE/STORYTELLING

So What the ^$%@ is Surrealism?

Take a piece of paper. Fold it consecutively like a hotdog.Draw on one hot dog section, make sure your

lines peak out to the other section.Fold over to blank side. Another person draws.

Repeats process.Keep passing until the paper is complete. Unfold.There are many different methods to automatic

drawing, this is just one of them.Same method for Automatic writing, except you

alternate with sentence writing.

Automatic Drawing “The Exquisite Corpse” Method

Antonin Artaud

Dark Poet

Dark Poet, a maid's breastHaunts you,Embittered poet, life seethesAnd life burns,And the sky reabsorbs itself in rain,Your pen scratches at the heart of life.

Forest, forest, alive with your eyes,On multiple pinions;With storm-bound hair,The poets mount horses, dogs.

Eyes fume, tongues stir,The heavens surge into our sensesLike blue mother's milk;Women, harsh vinegar hearts,I hang suspended from your mouths.

Umbilical Limbo 1926