COCTEAU

I have decided now to examine the films of some of the most famous surrealist filmmakers, starting with early cinema.


Jean Cocteau
Cocteau was one of the most multi-talented artists of the 20th Century. He was famed for his work as a writer, painter, poet, playwright, set designer, film director and actor. Cocteau's first film was 'The Blood of a Poet' or 'Le Sang d'un Poète' (1930). It is widely understood to be semi-autobiographical, reflecting on events of Cocteau's own life, his own private theories and mythology on the world of imagination, and the people that affected and influenced him in a profound way. 

Suicide in the film

The film begins with a shot of a chimney beginning to collapse followed by many statements suggesting that poetry should be read as you would read the work of the greatest painters (for Cocteau, this was Pisanello, Uccello and del Castagno). As such, the film insists on being deciphered in this way - with the ultimate enigma revealed as Cocteau himself. 

Surrealist dream-like imagery

It is difficult to describe the many elements of the film, so I will attempt to be brief and concise. The film moves across many different spaces and times, and the idea that artistic effort is a self-inflicting act of suffering is prevalent throughout, with motifs related to dramatic death and suicide. Influences from Cocteau's life are clear (his father committed suicide) and this is true also of the stylistic elements. The movements of the poet are derived from ballet, and Cocteau was influenced heavily by friends he met through the Parisian theatre. Dreamlike sequences in the film can be related to an Opium addiction that Cocteau suffered from (and was hospitalised for) following the untimely death of a close friend and poet. It explores the world of imagination and psychological irrationality, and for this reason the complex surrealist visual imagery works well. 


Information from Senses of Cinema