Entr'acte

Entr'acte is a classic avant-garde short film directed by René Clair that premiered in 1924. As an exemplification of the Dadaist movement, this film smartly takes advantage of its cinematographic capabilities to rebel against the conventional narrative and thematic norms of cinema.

The movie is predominantly silent, aside from the consistent musical accompaniment scored by Erik Satie. Clair's decision to pair his visuals with Satie's music enhances the film's extravagant surrealism, offering an audacious and lively experience for the audience. This combination of striking visuals and monotonous-yet-mesmerizing music creates a tangible connection between the sensual reception and intellectual understanding of surrealism, which is a film experience quite unlike any other.

Quite remarkably, Entr'acte doesn't follow a traditional narrative arc, uniform structure, or clear plot. Instead, it contains a series of seemingly unconnected vignettes that unfold into a surrealistic jigsaw of ivory-tower folly. Rather than identifying a specific ground of reason or logic, the film's structure is characterized by illogical flashes of imagery that the viewers are left to make sense of.

Packed with engaging, revolutionary visual gimmicks and effects, Entr'acte is considered a pioneering work in the arena of experimental film. Clair has seemingly designed this film as a cinematic playground where reality can be reconfigured and reshaped with an added touch of surrealism. The film employed many innovative techniques, including slow motion, fast motion, and stop-motion animation, all of which were relatively new to the cinema at that time. It signifies Clair's deep understanding of film as an art form, where he has utilized unconventional techniques to overcome the narrative limitations.

Shot in black and white, the film features famed artists of the 1920s, including artists Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray, and Dadaist poet Francis Picabia, who also shared screenwriting credits for the film. Their appearance, as well as their artistic contributions to the film, reinforces the Dadaist sentimentality that it embodies.

One of the most characteristic elements of Entr'acte is its humor. Surreal, illogical, and sometimes absurd scenes are permeated with a sense of amusement that lends a unique and idiosyncratic brand of comedy to the film. The film doesn't shy away from unorthodox portrayals, be they eccentric characters or bizarre sequences of events. Instead, it embraces them with a childlike fascination and turns them into indelible frames of absurd humor.

Along with visual unpredictability and playful absurdity, the film also displays a deep interest in duality, blurring the lines between life and death, man and woman, artist and art, and animation and stillness. The way the film approaches these contrasting themes mirrors the spirit of Dadaism: a call to overthrow established norms and reinvigorate a sense of free-spirited artistic ingenuity.

However, the film is not just mere flashy experimentation. Amid its whimsical approach, it boasts a discourse on the dynamic nature of life and art. Despite its manifold idiosyncrasies, it manages to reflect upon the idea of constant change and transformation, whether it be in life or art, which is a very relevant discussion even in contemporary times.

Ultimately, Entr'acte is a film that refuses to be constrained by the conventional structure, plot, and sense of cinema. It’s a fascinating study of Dadaist ideals expressed through the medium of film, and its importance in the broader realm of avant-garde cinema can't be overlooked. For anyone interested in experimental and avant-garde cinema, watching Entr'acte presents a unique aesthetic adventure.

By stretching the boundaries of the cinematic form, René Clair's Entr'acte subverts expectations, challenges norms and offers a groundbreaking cinematic experience that continues to be relished by discerning film aficionados even almost a century after its release.