Sigmund Freud's 'On Dreams' is a clear demonstration of the surrealist world presented in Un Chien Andalou. "The physical material of the dream-thoughts habitually includes recollections of impressive experiences" (Freud, 21). I would say this quote summarizes the concept of this film altogether. For a 1929 film, Un Chien Andalou features some creepy images that are so graphic they seem real. More interesting enough, the theme of desire is easily expressed in the film and this is where I would mainly like to focus. These examples of desire are used through displacement, condensation, and pictorial images.

Sigmund Freud explains the need or urge of a human in real life and the film Un Chien Andalou provides a realistic feeling but is clearly in a surrealist world. However, this idea of displacement is easy to spot in the short, 16 minute film. A few examples of urge can be explained such as the man who stares at the woman frequently seen in the film. He looks her down with those bold, hawk eyes and slowly moves toward her. She seems frightened at first with a face that reads confusion. He begins to walk even closer to her and attempts to grab her breasts in a very disturbing manner. His intention to grab her sexually is an urge, but the surrealist aspect begins to take affect as she resists at first, but then her facial expression implies that she is not disgusted, but interested. This face she has reads that she is also interested and has an urge for this rather creepy man to continue these disgusting antics.

Condensation in the mind of Freud is the many emotions or feelings condensed into one major image. In this case, the entire film is an example of condensation as there is obviously no real plot, but many different short stories without words condensed into an entire 16 minute film. Very close to the opening of the film the moon is shown to demonstrate a darkness of the film. This is immediately followed by the desire concept as a man holds a razor and proceeds to slit a woman’s eye ball with personal pleasure as she does not resist and does not show pleasure, but just lets it happen. She doesn’t seem displeased and this disturbing scene is followed by another odd clip with no relation whatsoever to the infamous eye ball scene. The entire film is condensed with odd images and Freud is noting that we don’t know why or how these dreams are related but they simply follow one another. In my opinion, dreams are surreal just as this film and none of our dreams seem to be related to one following another.

I personally can have a good or bad day that is then brought back into my dreams. Hopefully this is not weird and happens to everyone, but the importance is this is the pictorial dream concept that Freud writes about. The other night I watched a basketball game on television in which I had an urge to play myself. Later this exact night my dreams led me to play basketball with a random friend I had not seen in forever. I can’t explain the friend but this game was a desire I had that was followed in my dream. In Un Chien Andalou, the woman looks out her window and sees a man on his bike. She makes a face that seems questionable in terms of what she prefers. Immediately following the close up on her face, the man crashes on his bicycle. Her face begins to turn into a smile as this dream like feeling demonstrated her emotion of desire. Un Chien Andalou is a film that can take these dream like feelings of surrealism and relate them to a condensed reality that is similar to a dream world. Freud’s concept of dream like feelings relate very much to the film.