10 Essential Surrealist Films from 1928 to 2001

A listicle on TheCollector highlights ten defining surrealist films spanning from 1928 to 2001. The selection includes Germaine Dulac's 'The Seashell and the Clergyman' (1928), considered the first surrealist film, which was censored in Britain. Mário Peixoto's 'Limite' (1931) has a storied history: it was restored and added to Martin Scorsese's World Cinema Project and the Criterion Collection. Jean Cocteau's 'The Blood of a Poet' (1932) was funded by Charles, Vicomte de Noailles for 1 million francs. Joseph Cornell's 'Rose Hobart' (1936) re-edited the film 'East of Borneo' to focus on actress Rose Hobart; Salvador Dalí accused Cornell of stealing from his subconscious at its premiere. Maya Deren's 'Meshes of the Afternoon' (1943) was made for about $250 and later scored by Teiji Ito. Alfred Hitchcock's 'Spellbound' (1945) features a dream sequence painted by Dalí, originally 20 minutes but cut to two. Alain Resnais' 'Last Year at Marienbad' (1961) won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. Věra Chytilová's 'Daisies' (1966) was censored by the Soviet government and led to a six-year ban on the director. Luís Buñuel's 'The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie' (1972) critiques bourgeois institutions. David Lynch's 'Mulholland Drive' (2001) incorporates elements from a rejected TV pilot.