Originally played as an intermission with no sound, this film is now a must for any fan/historian of fine art. Featuring cameos by Man Ray, Marcel Duchamp, and other notables, Clair and Picabia's dada collage of different narratives, experimental use of the camera, and surrealist and absurdist images is the best example of experimental or dadaist films from the period. As unusual as it is to watch a film with no sound, the images created by the artists provide an extremely unique experience for the viewer. Fun for anyone, and especially interesting for those acquainted with the artists or the art movements themselves.
20 Reviews
The Beginning of Surrealist Cinema?
Eumenides_026 February 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Surrealism was officially born in 1924, with the publishing of André Breton's Surrealist Manifesto. So it's quite possibly that René Clair's short movie of the same year may be the first cinematic expression of surrealism, preceding Luis Buñuel's An Andaluzian Dog by a few years.
Working with a screenplay by Francis Picabia, a Dada/surrealist artist, Clair's movie is much in line with Buñuel's future movie. At times it's a collage and juxtaposition of disconnected images; but it has a story in it, about a coffin that runs away from a procession, forcing a mob to chase it.
It's an entertainment, but for me it's not a great work of cinema. It's not as good as Clair's next movie, The Imaginary Voyage, for instance. Perhaps it has value for scholars of film history, but I don't see it as a movie that has stood the test of time, like Fritz Lang's 1921 movie, Destiny, which seems fresh and engaging still.
Working with a screenplay by Francis Picabia, a Dada/surrealist artist, Clair's movie is much in line with Buñuel's future movie. At times it's a collage and juxtaposition of disconnected images; but it has a story in it, about a coffin that runs away from a procession, forcing a mob to chase it.
It's an entertainment, but for me it's not a great work of cinema. It's not as good as Clair's next movie, The Imaginary Voyage, for instance. Perhaps it has value for scholars of film history, but I don't see it as a movie that has stood the test of time, like Fritz Lang's 1921 movie, Destiny, which seems fresh and engaging still.
Theatre of the Absurd
rozklad2 January 2011
This short film was conceived (hence the title) by René Clair as a diversion for the interval of the absurdist-Dadaist ballet "Relâche", with screenplay by Francis Picabia and music by Erik Satie, both artists at the forefront of the contemporary Parisian avant-garde. At the supposed first night performance in 1924, expectant patrons were greeted by locked doors and a notice bearing the single word "Relâche", which is the French word for "No Show". How absurd! Oh what fun!
To accompany the film, Satie composed a striking piece of orchestral music (arguably more significant than that for the ballet itself), and as expected the remastered film now has this added as its soundtrack, and a pretty good job has been made of editing the music to the action on the screen. This latter consists of a medley of surrealist sequences, culminating in a funeral procession, led by a camel, which escalates into a manic chase, intercut with footage from a big dipper. At the end, all the mourners disappear into thin air one by one; the corpse lives on. How significant all this is, as a narrative itself, as well as in the history of cinema as a whole, I am not qualified to comment, but it must have been seen as groundbreaking at the time, as well as good absurdist fun.
At the start of the film is a short sequence of two men firing a cannon from the roof of the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées and jumping up and down, which was shown separately at the opening of the ballet, not as part of Entr'acte. The two men are Picabia and Satie themselves. This footage is especially poignant, as Satie himself was dead within a year.
For Region 2 viewers, Entr'acte is included as a bonus with Clair's much later masterpiece "Les Grandes Manoeuvres".
To accompany the film, Satie composed a striking piece of orchestral music (arguably more significant than that for the ballet itself), and as expected the remastered film now has this added as its soundtrack, and a pretty good job has been made of editing the music to the action on the screen. This latter consists of a medley of surrealist sequences, culminating in a funeral procession, led by a camel, which escalates into a manic chase, intercut with footage from a big dipper. At the end, all the mourners disappear into thin air one by one; the corpse lives on. How significant all this is, as a narrative itself, as well as in the history of cinema as a whole, I am not qualified to comment, but it must have been seen as groundbreaking at the time, as well as good absurdist fun.
At the start of the film is a short sequence of two men firing a cannon from the roof of the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées and jumping up and down, which was shown separately at the opening of the ballet, not as part of Entr'acte. The two men are Picabia and Satie themselves. This footage is especially poignant, as Satie himself was dead within a year.
For Region 2 viewers, Entr'acte is included as a bonus with Clair's much later masterpiece "Les Grandes Manoeuvres".
Follow that coffin!
F Gwynplaine MacIntyre1 June 2008
Rene Clair and the Marx Brothers once decided to make a movie together: it's a shame that it never happened. Maybe that movie exists in some alternate universe, and I'll bet it's hilarious. I enjoyed "Entr'acte", but I'd gladly trade this film for a chance to see Rene Clair's Marx Brothers movie.
Another IMDb reviewer has synopsised the plot, such as it is: a man apparently dies. After his funeral, his coffin escapes from its hearse, and then the man returns to life. The title "Entr'acte" (an interval between theatrical acts, or an intermission) is never explained; maybe it refers to the interval between that man's two lives. I prefer to think that Clair meant this somewhat amateurish film as a mere intermission: an amusing bit of fun between the acts of his 'real' films; the ones with coherent story lines.
Some of the content in this film truly does seem to be unintentional. After the central character's funeral, there's a stiff wind blowing outside the chapel. The women in this movie wear elaborate long dresses, and the wind animates their clothing in a way that's distracting rather than funny, and surely not meant to be symbolic.
Much of the imagery in this movie seems to be pure Dada rather than signifying anything. The man's funeral cortege is led by a camel. If there's any underlying significance there, I doubt that it amounts to much. Earlier on, I was intrigued by one sequence featuring Parisian chess players. While the camera focuses on the chessboard, a shot of Parisian traffic is superimposed: suggesting that all humanity are pawns in some cosmic chess game.
Don't look for too much meaning in "Entr'acte". It's an amusing experiment, but might have been more effective at a shorter length.
Another IMDb reviewer has synopsised the plot, such as it is: a man apparently dies. After his funeral, his coffin escapes from its hearse, and then the man returns to life. The title "Entr'acte" (an interval between theatrical acts, or an intermission) is never explained; maybe it refers to the interval between that man's two lives. I prefer to think that Clair meant this somewhat amateurish film as a mere intermission: an amusing bit of fun between the acts of his 'real' films; the ones with coherent story lines.
Some of the content in this film truly does seem to be unintentional. After the central character's funeral, there's a stiff wind blowing outside the chapel. The women in this movie wear elaborate long dresses, and the wind animates their clothing in a way that's distracting rather than funny, and surely not meant to be symbolic.
Much of the imagery in this movie seems to be pure Dada rather than signifying anything. The man's funeral cortege is led by a camel. If there's any underlying significance there, I doubt that it amounts to much. Earlier on, I was intrigued by one sequence featuring Parisian chess players. While the camera focuses on the chessboard, a shot of Parisian traffic is superimposed: suggesting that all humanity are pawns in some cosmic chess game.
Don't look for too much meaning in "Entr'acte". It's an amusing experiment, but might have been more effective at a shorter length.
Entr'acte review
JoeytheBrit30 June 2020
Absurd and bewildering montage of images and effects featuring a bevy of notables from the avant-garde Dada movement of the 1920s. No plot to speak of, but it is clear that director Rene Clair derived great enjoyment from exploring the limits of the medium.
an eccentric, successfully experimental film, doing anything worth doing technically
Quinoa19847 February 2006
We were shown this film in a class where at least once during each class, I start to nod off to sleep. Maybe it's the time of day, or the too-dark lights, but even during one of the Jean Vigo films we saw it didn't grab me. This one did, however, as it is one of the best short films of the 20's, or at least one of the more ambitious ones of the time. There are plenty of Freudian symbols, or maybe spoofs and in-jokes on the symbols (i.e. phallic imagery, cannons, guns, balls, and obsessions with looking up women's skirts).
But more importantly there is an almost need to break through anything expectable. Unlike Bunuel's Un Chien Andalou, however, Entr'acte even goes for the manic and cartoon-like. Like Bunuel's film, there COULD be a certain thread of a story in the proceeding, if you try to take one to mind- here the story could be the unexpected tragedy of death turned up on its own head. However there is also the latter part of the film, which involves a large group running after (in trademark, hilarious fast-motion film) a hearse running down a road. It's a kind of peak of stimulating silent-film cinema, where everything being done can now be just as easily done- and is- on a daily basis by music video directors.
Yet Clair is so inventive with his techniques, of pushing a speed and tempo with his style, that it works well despite making no sense on the surface. It's a film made in the heights of French impressionism and surrealism, and the almost sheer confidence of the filmmaker here propels it into being unforgettable in a way. Most will seek out the Bunuel early works first, of course, but along the way this is worth a shot. At the least, you'll have your own interpretation once its done, not shoved down your throat.
But more importantly there is an almost need to break through anything expectable. Unlike Bunuel's Un Chien Andalou, however, Entr'acte even goes for the manic and cartoon-like. Like Bunuel's film, there COULD be a certain thread of a story in the proceeding, if you try to take one to mind- here the story could be the unexpected tragedy of death turned up on its own head. However there is also the latter part of the film, which involves a large group running after (in trademark, hilarious fast-motion film) a hearse running down a road. It's a kind of peak of stimulating silent-film cinema, where everything being done can now be just as easily done- and is- on a daily basis by music video directors.
Yet Clair is so inventive with his techniques, of pushing a speed and tempo with his style, that it works well despite making no sense on the surface. It's a film made in the heights of French impressionism and surrealism, and the almost sheer confidence of the filmmaker here propels it into being unforgettable in a way. Most will seek out the Bunuel early works first, of course, but along the way this is worth a shot. At the least, you'll have your own interpretation once its done, not shoved down your throat.
Surrealism and Dada as comedy cinema
Red-Barracuda14 September 2010
Entr'acte is a light-hearted example of Dada cinema of the 1920's. The tone is consistently playful and silly and you can just tell that the film-makers are having a laugh throughout. I'm certainly not too convinced that there is any particular message here. The emphasis of the film is using the cinematic medium to showcase inventive and surreal imagery in an amusing way. The narrative, such as it is, has us follow a funeral march. Although seeing as this is a Dada film, it's not exactly an ordinary march. For one thing it's led by a camel, and for another, the people in the procession bound around in slow motion for no discernible reason other than it looks funny.
The film itself was conceived as something to be shown in an intermission between other films. It clearly was never meant to be taken too seriously, and it's quite obvious that it was made in a way that allowed some of the leading proponents of the Dada/Surrealist movement to have fun and go for laughs. Surrealism was often an art-form with a sense of humour in any case, as anyone familiar with Salvador Dali's work could attest. Like most art films from the 20's Entr'acte has aged remarkably well and like others displays a sensibility that would be replicated many decades later in avant-garde cinema of the 60's and pop videos of the 80's and beyond. All-in-all a fun film to see.
The film itself was conceived as something to be shown in an intermission between other films. It clearly was never meant to be taken too seriously, and it's quite obvious that it was made in a way that allowed some of the leading proponents of the Dada/Surrealist movement to have fun and go for laughs. Surrealism was often an art-form with a sense of humour in any case, as anyone familiar with Salvador Dali's work could attest. Like most art films from the 20's Entr'acte has aged remarkably well and like others displays a sensibility that would be replicated many decades later in avant-garde cinema of the 60's and pop videos of the 80's and beyond. All-in-all a fun film to see.
Stop making sense!
m6716523 November 2005
This is it, for me! Absolute pure cinematic fun! This movie is not trying to tell you a story, although there is a plot about a funeral that ends up transforming into some unexpected events. I just had to laugh, and also marvel at some images that are simply beautiful, like some sort of silent visual music.
What the director does is basically a collage of absurd images and some camera tricks. These involve some artists of the time. I must say I am quite surprised by its freshness even today. Now I know where musical video clips come from! The first time I saw it, I was going to see some old silent movies, and this one was shown first, and I had no idea what it was all about. In a way, I still don't, and that's even better! Stop making sense for a while and start the fun!
What the director does is basically a collage of absurd images and some camera tricks. These involve some artists of the time. I must say I am quite surprised by its freshness even today. Now I know where musical video clips come from! The first time I saw it, I was going to see some old silent movies, and this one was shown first, and I had no idea what it was all about. In a way, I still don't, and that's even better! Stop making sense for a while and start the fun!
Excellent example of the French avant-garde
PWNYCNY5 May 2012
This is an avant-garde movie and as such it's theme and plot are unclear, which is as intended because the movie is ore about special effects than about telling an actual story. This movie directs the audiences' attention to such everyday occurrences as movement, personal interactions, dancing, and running. People are part of some kind of funeral procession, but what catches the attention is the various actions that take place as the procession proceeds. Mourning is replaced by an almost frenetic need to stay active, and the movie shows this through the use of some innovative techniques, including slow-motion, use of montage, and multiple superimposed exposures, all of which convey the sense that something intense is happening. This movie is an excellent example of the French avant-garde genre which had a major influenced on cinematic styles in Europe and the United States.
The Beauty and Innovation of the Early Avant-Garde
zacknabo30 September 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Entr'acte aka "In Between Acts" is a Dadaist, surrealist staple of early filmmaking. Garnering its name simply enough from being a short film made to show during the intermission of one of Eric Satie's surrealist ballets. This early avant-garde work does not rise to the level of Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali's Un Chien Andalou (1929) and L'Age d'Or (1930) or some of Man Ray's early stuff, but probably more entertaining than Ray. 92 years removed from this work and it is still an amazement to watch. The film begins with two foolish men jumping around a canon which is placed on top of a building overlooking Paris, appearing to argue which way to fire it or whether they should fire it at all. Finally, the cannon fires in slow motion effect directly toward the camera, one of the first of many Freudian phallic symbols in this 22 minute short. Next, there is the ballerina, mostly shot from below the glass she is elegantly dancing upon. These shots are also slowed. This our first psychoanalytic vaginal image (not as many as the phalli). The ballet sequences are some of the finest and inventive. The idea to have her dance on some sort of strong transparent material and have the camera below to make the appearance of the ballerina dancing on top of you is brilliant. Shooting up through transparent floor can be seen done masterfully 60 years later in Bela Tarr's Almanac of Fall. The dancing and the way in which it is filmed is majestic and ethereally and would be seen mastered a decade later by Nazi film propagandist and sports film innovator, Leni Riefenstahl, in Triumph of the Will and in the methods she used in filming Olympia, which was the 1938 Olympics. So why is this film still relevant? Because it has substantial influence in the history of cinema. Whatever your opinion may be the experimentation of early film is at the very least respectable and should be of interest. Entr'acte is an easily watchable early experimental film. The disorienting way in which Clair over-imposes images, specifically of building in the city to make it appear as if the world is at a tilt, upside down, or jutting separate ways all at once, is still fascinating today. The principles of those particular shots are the same camera tricks and editing techniques that can be seen today at major sporting events when before the game they impose images onto the basketball court and make it appear as if the floor is falling into some void or that the court is piece by piece falling apart while the logo at center court appears to rise and shift—it's the same principle, only 92 years ago and LeBron James isn't walking out afterwards for tip-off. Cinematic history should be studied, celebrated and truly appreciated for its bold inventiveness. All of this being said while in the final half of the film the narrative adventure begins. A man is killed and during the funeral procession his coffin, which is in the carriage mysteriously gets out of control and races through the city away from the mourners who have to chase it down in a wonderful comedic farce ala Keystone Cops. Finally the carriage gets outside the city and runs into an open field where the coffin slides out and bounces around the dirt. The mourners stand over the casket as magician pops out and methodically—with his wand—makes all of the mourners disappear. It is a Dadaist film. It could easily be read as a commentary on the absurdity of life and death. By allowing the coffin to get away and have the mourners turn to comedy, Clair effectively turns the idea of death on its head, illuminating the absurdity of death, as well as how often we encounter absurdity in life. And the ballerina keeps dancing and 92 years later she is still dancing, but only in between acts.
Ineffective, indulgent short
Fredalba Road15 January 2003
This short, which is appended to Criterion's DVD release of A Nous la Liberte, is hardly the shining example of surrealist film that its proponents would have you believe. Ultimately, it is by turns overly indulgent and downright boring. Lacking the artistry of L'Age d'Or, the suspense and intrigue of La Jetee or Meshes of the Afternoon, and the joy and spontaneity of Running, Jumping and Standing Still, Entr'acte simply never takes off. Even as a curiosity, it's not all that interesting...
Understand the movement, understand the movie
StevePulaski7 April 2014
René Clair's "Entr'acte" is one of the pioneering films of the surrealist genre in cinema, which, from what I gather, is the attempt at bending reality and twisting all that we've come to know into something deeply strange but entirely mesmerizing. Heavy on its use of perverse or unique imagery and juxtaposition of images and sequences and frequently rejecting the conventions of linear, dramatic filmmaking, such surrealist filmmakers today, such as Quentin Dupieux and Terry Gilliam, focus on a wide-range or visual styles in addition to wacky, out-there humor that is sometimes funny because it doesn't make a bit of sense (otherwise known as "anti-humor").
When it comes to "Entr'acte," however, we have an intriguing piece of film on our hands, one that serves as an early film of the "dadaism" movement in art, where European artists, writers, poets, filmmakers, and theorists began to reject commonly- utilized devices in art of the time in favor of a more radical approach to their mediums. These often included the injection of leftist policies and believes, most specifically anti-war policies that began hitting their stride as World War II neared.
Just by watching the first few minutes of "Entr'acte," one can see that it has no desire at all to try and fit in with conventional artistic standards. It serves as a conglomerate of visuals from the dadaist period, many of which not making very much sense, but each provoking a genre-bending fascination amongst the audience. The opening scene itself is something to marvel at, showing two people firing a cannon from the top of a large building, while strangely-calming and infectious music is played in the background.
The film persists on, with numerous different visuals that were likely never before seen outside of this particular work. What's remarkable is that despite the film's age, scenes involving characters running in slow motion and then being sped up into running in fast-motion after a vehicle still hold a certain kind of power to them. Overall, there's a mesmerizing quality "Entr'acte" bears that is surprising to note seeing as it perfectly defines a film that was "the first of its kind."
Directed by: René Clair.
When it comes to "Entr'acte," however, we have an intriguing piece of film on our hands, one that serves as an early film of the "dadaism" movement in art, where European artists, writers, poets, filmmakers, and theorists began to reject commonly- utilized devices in art of the time in favor of a more radical approach to their mediums. These often included the injection of leftist policies and believes, most specifically anti-war policies that began hitting their stride as World War II neared.
Just by watching the first few minutes of "Entr'acte," one can see that it has no desire at all to try and fit in with conventional artistic standards. It serves as a conglomerate of visuals from the dadaist period, many of which not making very much sense, but each provoking a genre-bending fascination amongst the audience. The opening scene itself is something to marvel at, showing two people firing a cannon from the top of a large building, while strangely-calming and infectious music is played in the background.
The film persists on, with numerous different visuals that were likely never before seen outside of this particular work. What's remarkable is that despite the film's age, scenes involving characters running in slow motion and then being sped up into running in fast-motion after a vehicle still hold a certain kind of power to them. Overall, there's a mesmerizing quality "Entr'acte" bears that is surprising to note seeing as it perfectly defines a film that was "the first of its kind."
Directed by: René Clair.
the meaning of Entr'acte in my eyes
mrdonleone29 April 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I just saw Entr'acte another time and I kept asking myself what was the meaning of this picture? I couldn't find any meaning in it: men running in slow motion, a roller-coaster ride, a lot of unclear images with movement, ... so maybe it is about movement? maybe there isn't any meaning at all, with the only meaning that life goes slow fast and normal at the same time, it depends on how you look at things. and how you look at things, is influenced by the feeling that you have on that particular moment. so maybe, if there is any meaning in the film, it's the message that we experience life as we want it to be. if we have fun, it goes fast. if we are bored, it goes slow. if we don't care, it goes on at a normal tempo.
A Dadaists collaboration
maripattinson19 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is a piece of experiment. A really beautiful frames.
20 minutes watching people run over a funeral in a slow motion, action happens in reverse, a ballet dancer from underneath, an egg floating over a water fountain and then being shot turns miraculously into a bird. Even the end ''Fin'' is a masterpiece.
Avant-garde madness
MissSimonetta19 January 2016
Entr-acte (1924) is probably as fun as 1920s cinematic surrealism gets, with its humorous situations, giddy experimentation with filmmaking techniques, and kinetic excitement.
It's best to not try to make sense of the bizarre plot, which involves a funeral procession gone hilariously awry. I've read it described as possessing the feel of a Monty Python sketch and that description is spot on as far as I'm concerned. The Erik Satie score also adds much to the proceedings, with its bounciness and repetition. Really, the whole film feels like a zany dream you never want to forget. I saw it two days ago and still it haunts me.
Befitting of the term "pure cinema."
It's best to not try to make sense of the bizarre plot, which involves a funeral procession gone hilariously awry. I've read it described as possessing the feel of a Monty Python sketch and that description is spot on as far as I'm concerned. The Erik Satie score also adds much to the proceedings, with its bounciness and repetition. Really, the whole film feels like a zany dream you never want to forget. I saw it two days ago and still it haunts me.
Befitting of the term "pure cinema."
As experimentalist as it gets
Horst_In_Translation10 July 2015
Warning: Spoilers
This 20-minute black-and-white film from over 90 years ago is a perfect example of what experimentalism is about. It does not make sense, there is no real story and all the character's actions are unrealistic. Now, if I would like this type of film, I certainly would have enjoyed it, but unfortunately this is not my cup of tea. Some moments are entertaining admittedly, but as a whole I was not impressed at all. This French film is certainly among the most known short films from the 1920s that do not include one of the masters of silent film in their cast, such as Keaton, Lloyd, Chaplin etc. It was the first and maybe most famous film by writer and director René Clair, in his 20s here, who had a long career afterward and made movies until the 1960s. Also his first performance here gives Man Ray who is probably a name to most people with a deeper interest in early experimental movies. I am not one of these, therefore I was not wowed and cannot recommend "Entr'acte".
classic movie, but also free on youtube.
mehobulls16 February 2021
René Clair picks up the gauntlet thrown down by Méliès and runs with it-literally, in two separate and memorable sequences. Clair shows that the surrealists (Man Ray and Marcel Duchamp are in the credits) had excellent senses of humor. He also seems to have a blast playing as he invents cinema.
innovate, aesthetically confrontational and certainly avant-garde
guiletissot12 October 2023
I watched Entr'acte (1924) during my first encounter with underground films, specifically in its avant-garde subgenre from the 1920s. This film, along with Buñuel-Dali's Un Chien Andalou (1927), immediately captivated me. Concurrently, I was studying Maya Dere's films, which inspired me to start creating my own underground/amateur/experimental short films between 2012 and 2015.
In Sheldon Renan's book on Underground Film, Entr'acte is considered one of the most impressive avant-garde films ever made. Renan labels it a "predecessor" of the underground film movement, which was then categorized as avant-garde. Entr'acte truly deserves this recognition because, considering the etymology of the term, it was undoubtedly a film ahead of its time. It stood apart from the mainstream Hollywood productions that dominated the era. René Clair, Man Ray, and Marcel Duchamp were acutely aware of the offerings to the strict bourgeois elite in Paris during a ballet concert. In the interlude between acts, they courageously introduced surrealist and dadaist ideas in film, challenging the norms of the time. This act demonstrated that Europe, particularly France, could also pioneer something revolutionary in this art form, breaking away from the conventions of Hollywood and mainstream cinema.
I would like to point out a particular scene in Entr'acte that could be interpreted as a metaphor for this subtle opposition to mainstream Hollywood and commercial films. In this scene, a man in Entr'acte fires a bullet from a shotgun directly at a balloon, which releases a dove. This imagery serves as a metaphor for liberation from the rigidity of standards not only within hegemonic Hollywood but also in cinema at large. It symbolizes the beginning of a new era, marked by the freedom to experiment with various forms and aesthetics. This period reached its peak in the 1960s, embracing a wide range of films that, while diverse in aesthetics, shared the spirit of freedom to explore cinematic possibilities. These filmmakers and artists, along with their successors, played a crucial role in advancing film techniques, many of which were developed specifically for their unconventional creations.
In Sheldon Renan's book on Underground Film, Entr'acte is considered one of the most impressive avant-garde films ever made. Renan labels it a "predecessor" of the underground film movement, which was then categorized as avant-garde. Entr'acte truly deserves this recognition because, considering the etymology of the term, it was undoubtedly a film ahead of its time. It stood apart from the mainstream Hollywood productions that dominated the era. René Clair, Man Ray, and Marcel Duchamp were acutely aware of the offerings to the strict bourgeois elite in Paris during a ballet concert. In the interlude between acts, they courageously introduced surrealist and dadaist ideas in film, challenging the norms of the time. This act demonstrated that Europe, particularly France, could also pioneer something revolutionary in this art form, breaking away from the conventions of Hollywood and mainstream cinema.
I would like to point out a particular scene in Entr'acte that could be interpreted as a metaphor for this subtle opposition to mainstream Hollywood and commercial films. In this scene, a man in Entr'acte fires a bullet from a shotgun directly at a balloon, which releases a dove. This imagery serves as a metaphor for liberation from the rigidity of standards not only within hegemonic Hollywood but also in cinema at large. It symbolizes the beginning of a new era, marked by the freedom to experiment with various forms and aesthetics. This period reached its peak in the 1960s, embracing a wide range of films that, while diverse in aesthetics, shared the spirit of freedom to explore cinematic possibilities. These filmmakers and artists, along with their successors, played a crucial role in advancing film techniques, many of which were developed specifically for their unconventional creations.
Dadaism style
luigicavaliere25 February 2019
René Clair and Erik Satie jump near a cannon which is aimed at the spectator and fires a cannon shot. Followed by images from all angles, of all framing cuts juxtaposed in Dadaist style, so with the rejection of a logic. The superimposition of eyes on the sea in an inverse image to reality stands out. Against all expectations, the participants in a funeral procession begin to jump behind a camel-driven hearse. The cart comes off and everyone tries to chase him until the coffin falls to the ground, the dead comes out and makes the coffin disappear with the magic wand and all vanish, taking up some tricks of Meliès. René Clair passes through the sign of the end, falls to the ground, receives a kick and returns back.
Early Attempt at Dadaism
Tornado_Sam23 June 2019
While not nearly as well-recognized or well-remembered as the Luis Bunuel classic "Un Chien Andalous" (1929), "Entr'acte" is a fairly known work in Dadaism of the 1920's, possibly one of the earliest shorts to focus on the avant-garde rather then attempt a story. Intended as an "entr'acte" (so the title suggests) for the French ballet "Relâche", the film appears to be a mere experimentation with effects while crafting a rather odd plot in the process--and more of a plot than most of the surrealistic works contain. Quite sadly, it was Rene Clair's only attempt at such a form of filmmaking, and had he gone on to lead the movement further he may have come up with even crazier material.
The image most of us remember when we think of this movie (if we do think of this movie, which many may not) is the shot of the bearded ballet dancer, reportedly played by Clair himself. This is a rather odd sight to see in a movie, and one you wouldn't normally see--likewise the rest of the short. Experimenting with slow motion, reverse motion, upside-down and side-to-side camera angles, and a number of dizzying double-exposures, the film's narrative is a rather odd one of a man shooting at a large egg only to be murdered by another man afterwards. This sets up the strange premise and the rest of the film is largely a crazy chase as the mourners of the man pursue his coffin after the hearse gets out of control. The ending, not to be spoiled, (although already spoiled by IMDb's summary) is a weird one to boot.
As others have commented, this short is hardly dark and is more of a comedy to watch than the later surrealist efforts. Plus, the opening sequences (such as the balloon dolls) hardly have anything to do with the rest of the short and the ballet dancer is entirely unconnected to the rest of it. It feels as though they were taking the first few minutes to experiment with other visuals before progressing with the true 'narrative', if one could call it that. Not to be considered a surrealist film, however; the wonderfully dizzying use of exposures is pure Dada all the way. A very creditable early effort in its exceedingly memorable imagery, and every bit as deserving to be a landmark classic as "Un Chien Andalou".
The image most of us remember when we think of this movie (if we do think of this movie, which many may not) is the shot of the bearded ballet dancer, reportedly played by Clair himself. This is a rather odd sight to see in a movie, and one you wouldn't normally see--likewise the rest of the short. Experimenting with slow motion, reverse motion, upside-down and side-to-side camera angles, and a number of dizzying double-exposures, the film's narrative is a rather odd one of a man shooting at a large egg only to be murdered by another man afterwards. This sets up the strange premise and the rest of the film is largely a crazy chase as the mourners of the man pursue his coffin after the hearse gets out of control. The ending, not to be spoiled, (although already spoiled by IMDb's summary) is a weird one to boot.
As others have commented, this short is hardly dark and is more of a comedy to watch than the later surrealist efforts. Plus, the opening sequences (such as the balloon dolls) hardly have anything to do with the rest of the short and the ballet dancer is entirely unconnected to the rest of it. It feels as though they were taking the first few minutes to experiment with other visuals before progressing with the true 'narrative', if one could call it that. Not to be considered a surrealist film, however; the wonderfully dizzying use of exposures is pure Dada all the way. A very creditable early effort in its exceedingly memorable imagery, and every bit as deserving to be a landmark classic as "Un Chien Andalou".
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