By Scott Muoio

They don’t make ‘em like they used to. And with good reason. Modern audiences are most likely desensitized to the avant-garde shock that once made the Luis Bunuel/Salvador Dali surrealist masterpiece Un Chien Andalou a sensation. No matter, the 16 minute film remains, nearly a century after its creation a tremendous feet whose impact continues to be felt in modern cinema.

Forget plot, as this film values mood and visualization over typical narrative structure. Rich, textured photography mixes with stark gray scale and is punctuated with a soundtrack featuring Richard Wagner's "Liebestod," the concert version of the finale to his opera "Tristan und Isolde," and a non-descript yet tantalizing tango tune. Surreal moments of death, thought, violence, and transformation morph one moment to the next to create an edgy vibe that soars above the thoroughly engaging though barely coherent story of battling lovers. Seriously absurd surrealism is the result, the realization of style as substance in a film that utilizes the filmmaker’s golden rule to the max: show, don’t tell. But what is being told, is anything being told, and should we care? Indeed, the dream piece is brilliant because it makes every shot count in a different way, not by merely plotting a story but by plotting the irrational structure of our dreams.

Though the movie debuted in 1929 its influence is surely being seen today in modern music videos as well as the thriving independent film scene. Imagination makes up for a small budget and creativity provides the engine that makes Un Chien Andalou engaging from the famous moon/eyeball opening to its stoic conclusion. In the end we are taught the timeless lesson that cinematic greatness comes in many forms and that the best way to indentify it is with the mantra “you know it when you see it.” And no doubt, Un Chien Andalou is “it.”

Director: Luis Bunuel

Producer: Luis Bunuel

Writer: Luis Bunuel, Salvador Dali

Starring: Pierre Batcheff, Simone Mareuil, Luis Bunuel, Salvador Dali, Jaume Miravitlles

Original Music: <See Review>

Cinematographer: Albert Duverger, Jimmy Berliet (uncredited)

Editor: Luis Bunuel