French Surrealism and It's Influence on Mulholland Drive

Perhaps the most common technique used in French Surrealist films, which inspired Mulholland Drive, was the fact that most plots led to confusion and disturbance.  I guess the art of Surrealism is just that.  Confusion of the mind; allowing you to make assumptions and draw your own conclusions, whether they're right or wrong.  The lack of structure in films like Un Chien Andalou can also be seen in some of the scenes of Mulholland Drive. Quick shots, fast scene transitions, and close ups, are just a few of the techniques used to create that "Is this really happening? What's really going on?" feeling. I received the exact same feeling as we watched L'age d'Or.  The erotic notions that took place between the couple as they lunged and kissed on each other, as well as other inanimate (i.e. the statue's foot) throughout the movie reminded me of the different lesbian and affair scenes that took place in Mulholland Drive. That dreamy, hazy suggestion of flashbacks, dreams, and confusion, was also a great technique used in the early 1920's and 1930's that could also claim its stake for being an inspiration to the David Lynch film.

Blog Post for Week 1/29

What really set Dimitri Kirsanoff’s Ménilmontant apart from the other films we watched on Thursday was the fact that there wasn’t any use of intertitles to inform or provide us with any kind of background information. I think this tactic allowed us to pay closer attention to the film and understand the jist of what the producer was trying to portray. Personally, I felt like the music dictated how I was supposed to feel during different scenes. The most memorable scene, in my opinion, was when the cold and hungry, young woman was sitting on the bench with her baby and the man next to her offered her a piece of bread. I could actually feel the compassion coming from his end and somewhat of a shameful, but thankful feeling coming from hers. Kirsanoff’s ability to pan in and out and cut quickly to the characters’ faces, also played a great part in the adding of different sentiments. When the murders first took place, we were looking up at the hatchet in one scene, and in the next we see the victim in pain. This quick, technique briefly allowed the audience to be placed in the shoes of the victim. The use of dreamy, out of focus, blurry shots had a great emphasis on different flashbacks of the sisters’ short-lived childhood, the confusion of lust mistaken for love, young pregnancy, suicide, prostitution, poverty, murder, etc. Much of what went on in Ménilmontant, is relatable to some of the worldly issues that we see on television, in films, or even on the news.