More surreal than symbolic?
I recently saw this film and I have to say I was pretty confused. The film seemed more inspired by the Dadaists and Surrealists than anything I've seen yet I read all these reviews about how symbolic certain images and scenes are. For instance what are the bandits doing in the first scene with that loom-like thing. Why do most of them wind up passing out on the way up the mountain? What does the trek back up the mountain represent? I've come to the conclusion that the film was solely intended to shock the bourgeouis audiences of the early 30's with the startling visual imagery. The so-called symbolism of the film escapes me, it's much more of a surrealist assault on middle-class sensibilities than anything else. Was this film an important one? Maybe. Did I enjoy it? No. Was it funny, like so many people here have commented? I suppose the whole point of the film is how each person interprets it.
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