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France Spain Surrealism

L'Age D'Or Is a classic Surrealist film that was made way back when Surrealism was in full bloom. The movie begins with a small sequence about the scorpion: a bit of information and some footage of the little darlings as they cavort and play in the sand. Cut to a man with a rifle on a rocky hilltop. From his vantage point he watches as several members of the Roman Catholic Clergy pray atop a similar hillside. The man quickly stumbles away and we cut to several poorly dressed men as they play with pitchforks and twine. Our guy from the hilltop stumbles in and tells of his run in with the Majorcans. This causes the others to take up arms, exchange a bit of Surrealist dialogue and rush back to the hilltop.

Along the way everyone dies. Cut to a small flotilla of boats as they land on a rocky shoreline and stream onto the land: businessmen, soldiers, politicians and so on. On the same hillside they find the skeletons of our previous heroes and break up a strange and muddy sexual tryst. They take the woman away then we cut to a bizarre little dream-like sequence featuring lava, stockings and the toilet. The man is taken away as well but manages to make time to kick a small dog and stomp a bug along the way. Cut to Imperial Rome and a tour of the city in then modern times. Our man from the past is led through a surreal city then we cut to his lover of long ago as she reclines on a couch and smiles.

Mother tells her to get a move on because the Majorcans are on their way. In her bedroom she chases the cow from her bed and buffs her nails. Through the window she catches sight of her ex lover and begins to reminisce. Our man finally pulls his papers from his pocket and explains to his captors just who he is. He even tosses in a flashback to the time of his appointment to who he is to prove it. After identifying himself he hails a taxi, beats up a blind man and rolls away down the road in search of the object of his affections. At the Marquis of X's society soiree things get pretty strange.

I've omitted a lot of the bizarre details that make this film fun: men kicking violins down the street, sucking the toe of the statue, Jesus, etc. I'm not sure that this will appeal to folk that aren't enamored of film or Surrealist art and its history. It is very weird and very experimental and is a perfect example of Surrealist film. If that interests you there's a good chance that you'll like this. Amongst other things it does feature Max Ernst as a performer.

L'Age D'Or doesn't have the sort of performances, soundtrack, film quality or narrative that modern audiences have come to expect but it is a pretty important historical document. The grade is given in light of what it represents rather than for what entertainment value it might offer to today's audiences. The movie's for pretty specific tastes. I'd never promise that anyone will like it.