Entr'acte

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.