An Andalusian Dog (1929)

An Andalusian Dog Review

An Andalusian Dog is a 1929 surrealist short film directed by Luis Bunuel. It is a famous movie that I admire more than I love.

It is a surrealist film meaning that it doesn’t have a typical plot or structure. It has a disjointed, dream-like narrative and it has scenes that are unconnected and all of them bizarre in nature. Now, I have to admit that I usually dislike these kinds of films that are weird and with no solid narrative or point to them. And yes, An Andalusian Dog bothered me as well, but I still liked it for the most part as it truly is original in its vision and so spectacular in its imagery.

Some of the imagery here is too disgusting with the eye slicing scene being the worst offender of that, but some of the other imagery is fantastic and just unforgettable with the ants crawling out of the hand scene being so memorable. The scene with the moth is the highlight to me as it benefits from some spectacular special effects, terrific visuals and such unexpected, revolutionary developments with the moment where whatever the girl does to her face influences the face of a man being so incredible. It is because of those scenes that the movie succeeds.

An Andalusian Dog is confusing and it lacks any plot or cohesion, but it is also an iconic, very memorable, groundbreaking, notorious, audacious and even intense mix of unrelated images and sequences which are confusing, but which will get stuck in your head due to their originality, boldness and artistry. It is probably the most iconic short film for a reason – it is a revolutionary, engaging, artistic and disturbing trip that does not make sense, but is an entirely authentic and glorious feast for the eyes.

My Rating – 4