This essay will examine the relationship between surrealism and artist film, cinema and gallery work.
An art film is a motion picture originally created for a confined audience as opposed to a mass market. Art films provide opportunities to display unique conventions independent from mainstream film.They’re clear differences between the two movements film presents a clear purpose of action opposed to the social realism style often seen in art films where the focal points are the imagination and cognitive thoughts of characters and a prominent display of the directors’ diction.
'Dictionary: Surrealism, n. Pure psychic automatism, by which one proposes to express, either verbally, in writing, or by any other manner, the real functioning …show more content…

Both notions are conveyed by the camera effect of shooting through a sheet a glass, which emphasizes the nature of the romance which is seen as delicate and brittle. The majority of the scenes in this film are shot through textured glass or using mirror reflection. Originally a silent film, the film bears no audio and is narrated with simple text.
The lead characters first encounter one another when L'Homme passes La Femme (Qu’elle est belle – how beautiful she is) distributing newspapers which are weighted down by a starfish enclosed in glass. Throughout the story the viewer becomes aware of L’Homme staring at the starfish where we then see him return it home to examine further (Apres tout – after all). As the story unfolds the viewer becomes aware that his gaze is of a somewhat sexual desire.
The different personifictions of the starfish, the hermaphroditic creature of the sea, in terms consisitent with the Surrealists’ aims and ideals is hihglighted and dsicussed within Inez Hedges’ article, “Constellated Visions”. Focusing on the supernatural and alchemy she posists the notion that L’Homme and La Femme attempt to create the perfect partnership in the character of a distinct form.“The starfish is the androgynous symbol that lies at the end of the search, it is a combination of the feminine elements of earth and water (as fish) and the masculine air and water (as star). With its five points, it resembles the