This document provides information and requirements for answering exam questions about surrealist cinema. It discusses how one question will focus on the historical context and influences of surrealist directors. The other question will require analysis of surrealist techniques in films through detailed references to examples. It states that answers must refer to early surrealist films from the 1920s by Bunuel as well as more contemporary examples, including films by Christopher Nolan like Inception. It poses the question of whether Nolan can be considered a surrealist filmmaker and suggests it is because he experiments with concepts of time and memory important to surrealists, while acknowledging he has not referred to himself as one.

1. WJECA2 Film Studies
FM4 Section A World Cinema
International Film Styles: Surrealism
Contemporary Surrealism

2.  Two questions will be offered
 One will be about the historical context of surrealist
cinema or the influences of directors etc. on the style
of surreal filmmaking
 The other will require detailed references to
examples of the style – over time – as found in surreal
films. This will involve analysis of film language of film
exerpts (you need to refer to extracts from films for
the previous question too but not in so much detail)
Requirements for the Exam Question

3.  As well as referring to the early examples of surrealist
cinema in the 1920s (Bunuel et al) you have to refer to
subsequent examples (Svankmajer) and one
contemporary example
 Our contemporary example is Christopher Nolan.
 The focus film will be Inception and you can also make
use of Memento to back up points you make
Requirements for the Exam Question

4.  Why might Christopher Nolan be regarded as a
surrealist film maker?
 Because he is an experimental film maker who has
experimented with film narrative, particularly with
the concepts of time and memory, which were so
important to the original surrealists
 Nolan has not referred to himself as a surrealist film
maker and there are debates between film critics as
to whether he can be labelled surreal
Christopher Nolan
Contemporary Surrealist Film Maker

5.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Nolan
 Make some brief notes on the most significant
aspects of Nolan’s biography and film industry career
 Debate: Is Nolan a Surrealist? Watch the Video
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uADa1jQ2JiY
 Make Notes from the video
Christopher Nolan

6.  http://www.salon.com/2001/06/28/memento_analysis/
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memento_(film)
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qduOF_sl1IQ
A neo-noir psychological thriller that challenges all the conventions of the
genre whilst actually drawing attention to them at the same time. The
narrative of the flawed detective who relies on establishing the importance
of when and where events have happened in order to solve the enigma of
‘who-dunnit’ whilst achieving redemption for himself (with some dubious
help – or not – from a femme fatale) is completely refreshed by the
application of surreal experimentation with narrative structure (order of
events, cause--effect logic, continuity editing, backward flashbacks,
perspective etc)
Memento, 2000

7.  What aspects of the early part of this film suggest
that it is a surreal film?
Inception, 2010