The Seashell and the Clergyman (1928)
0h 41m | PG-13
Obsessed with a general's wife, a clergyman has strange visions of death and lust, struggling against his own eroticism.
Director: Germaine Dulac
Studio: Délia Film
Genre: Fantasy, Drama
Video: 720p
Cast
Alex Allin
as Le clergyman
Genica Athanasiou
as La femme du général
Lucien Bataille
as Le général
Reviews
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....