| One of the most original and prolific movements that influenced all fields of art and literature, Surrealism contributed to cinema and the development of new narratives by strongly emphasizing the exploration of dreams and fantasy. While most studies on Surrealism concentrate on its influential period of the 1930s and the films of Luis Bunuel, the purpose of this thesis is to surpass the fragmentary nature of research on Surrealism in film after the Second World War; to analyze the French and Francophone directors whose works relate consistently to Surrealism; and finally to determine Surrealism's situation in recent French cinema.; The first chapter, "Surrealist Image Reexamined," concentrates on the texts of the surrealist avant-garde period. Film scripts, reviews and theoretical texts are analyzed in order to reconstruct the surrealist program of beliefs and practices and establishes the ground for future research. Chapter two, "Surrealism and Commercial Cinema after World War II," analyzes Surrealism's influence on commercial cinema and the films of Luis Bunuel that propose his own brand of Surrealism. Chapter three, "Jan Svankmajer and the Persistence of Surrealism," examines the activity of a contemporary surrealist filmmaker whose personal philosophy and works revive the ideas and beliefs of the original group. "Demystification and Webtopia in the Films of Nelly Kaplan" examines her definition of androgynous creation, the mythicized image of woman and the construction of one of the most original feminine utopias.; Chapter five, "Andre Delvaux or What Surrealism Could Have Been," looks at Delvaux's exploration of the dialectic real---imaginary and the Proustian dimension of his films. Chapter VI, "Surrealism in Contemporary French Cinema," explores the dispersion of Surrealism in contemporary French cinema, while the conclusions point to other possibilities of research in various world cinemas. Covering a period of eight decades, this research puts into perspective the remarkable developments and metamorphosis of contemporary Surrealism. |
