The Seashell and the Clergyman (1928)
Obsessed with a general's wife, a clergyman has strange visions of death and lust, struggling against his own eroticism.
- Germaine Dulac
- Antonin Artaud
- Germaine Dulac
Rating: 6.7/10 by 65 users
Alternative Title:
El clérigo y la caracola - AR
Die Muschel und der Kleriker - DE
A kagyló és a lelkész - HU
Muszelka i pastor - PL
Country:
France
Language:
No Language
Runtime: 00 hour 41 minutes
Budget: $0
Revenue: $0
Plot Keyword: sexual obsession, sexual frustration, surrealism, lust, avant-garde, silent film, catholic priest, woman director, french impressionism, experimental film
Germaine Dulac has created a monster here... Not in any kaiju sense, but by taking a surreal swipe at just about every element of the masculine-driven, religiously flawed environment of the world in the 1920s. The eponymous priest - Alex Allin harbours none too subtle desires about the mistress of "le général" (Lucien Bataille) - the beautiful Genica Athanasiou, and the next half hour illustrates some of the complex ramifications of this infatuation. Now I have watched this many times, each time thinking as I get older, that the penny may drop and that I shall discover a deeper meaning... Each time, I thoroughly enjoy the intimate, creative imagery and the truly characterful performances, but am still really none the wiser. I think that's what is enthralling about this short enigma of a feature. It stimulates questions, but doesn't answer any of them... Clearly, the director has an agenda, and a political point to make - but we are left to imagine a healthy amount of what this might be about. Is it erotic? Is it about frustration, excess...? I still don't really know....
