For my presentation on Thursday, I plan to explore the Grotesque and the Carnivalesque in Surrealist film. I was inspired by the Fellini Satyricon film, which to me displayed a lot of examples of Surrealism, such as the sound not lining up and the plot being very scattered. I want to show a brief clip of a Surrealist film, most likely “Un Chien Andalou” by Luis Buñuel, and then explain a little bit about what Surrealism is. After watching the clip, I want to consider the questions:
- What aspects of the Grotesque or the Carnivalesque did you identify in “Un Chien Andalou?”
- Considering that Surrealism emulates the subconscious mind, why might the Grotesque and the Carnivalesque be so common in Surrealism?
- Do you think that Fellini’s Satyricon is Surrealist or not? How do the Surrealist aspects of the film influence its Carnivalesque/Grotesque nature?
I’ll give the class a few minutes to write about these questions, and then we can discuss as a group. I hope that this discussion can help us to understand Fellini’s film better, as well as some of the subconscious reasons why we might identify with the Carnivalesque and the Grotesque. I think that this presentation may be influenced by what we discuss in class on Tuesday as well, so it is subject to change!
I love that you’re showing another film to us in class! I might want to hear your explanation for what Surrealism is before watching the clip, not after, just so I know what to look for. Can’t wait!
I’m excited for this presentation! I’m currently in a theater class where we are creating our own surrealist/dada-ist acts, and I’m curious to see the clip. I also think that this is a really timely topic for me because a lot of conversation in theater surrounds how the grotesque is portrayed through the body and stage.