The Seashell and the Clergyman (1928)
"La coquille et le clergyman" (original title)

Obsessed with a general's woman, a clergyman has strange visions of death and lust, struggling against his own eroticism.

Director:

Germaine Dulac

Writer:

Antonin Artaud

Stars:

Alex Allin, Genica Athanasiou, Lucien Bataille

Cast

Credited cast:
Alex Allin	...	Le clergyman
Genica Athanasiou	...	La femme du général
Lucien Bataille	...	Le général

Storyline

Obsessed with a general's woman, a clergyman has strange visions of death and lust, struggling against his own eroticism.

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Plot Keywords:

lust | nudity | experimental film | priest | obsession | 

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Genres:

Short

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Details

Country:

France

Release Date:

16 February 1933 (Japan)

Also Known As:

A kagyló és a lelkész

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Délia Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

28 min 41 min (restored)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the film's premier, writer Antonin Artaud, who was obviously not pleased by what director Germaine Dulac did to his screenplay, shouted at the screen, calling her a cow.

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Connections

Featured in Cinema Europe: The Other Hollywood: The Music of Light (1995)

User Reviews

A good companion piece to Un Chien Andalou

If you are looking for a twin movie to go alongside Luis Buñuel's surrealist head-scratcher Un Chien Andalou, then look no further than this film. The Seashell and the Clergyman shares that famous movie's bizarre, often indecipherable, imagery as well as anti-clerical subversion and frank sexuality. I can't say I understood what was going on. I'm not sure if I was even supposed to. But like Buñuel's film this movie is all about surrealism, it doesn't always have logical meaning. An image such as the clergyman crawling through the streets of Paris is something that is not easily forgotten and the film in general operates in the same way as a dream. The best way to appreciate a film such as this is to sit back and take in the imaginative visuals and dream-like ambiance that is specific to these ancient silent movies. If you are at all interested in 20's surrealist cinema then this is a film I would definitely recommend. Also, the fact that a woman made such a provocative film all those years ago is especially surprising seeing as female artists have always struggled with having their voice heard.