Dreams That Money Can Buy

The Avant Garde movement is not one that I follow, or know too much about, though I had seen some work by Duchamp at an exhibition in London once. However, I'll try very nearly anything and so when Dreams that Money Can Buy came up on Film 4 very late at night, I had to give it a go.

I could not find a separate listing as to which director did which part on the IMDb, but I have to say that I only really enjoyed two segments - Duchamp's 'Discs' and the last one, 'Narcissus' by Hans Richter. I really liked the geometric patterns and shadows of the masks and things in Duchamp's and the overall operatic, Gothic feel of Richter's, which had some great visual flair.

I persevered with the others and whilst I could see definite skill and talent in many pieces, they weren't really "me". My score is probably nearer the 5.5 mark than 6, but I'm rounding up slightly. Apologies to all who love this work, but with an alternative and rare film such as this, it's always going to divide opinion - and I did give it a go!

Wow! For a film that was made in 1947, this was way ahead of it's time. 7 different surreal artists, including Duchamp; teamed up to create the dreams within the story. This is a rare film and if you can track down a copy, you won't be disappointed. The story is about a guy who starts a business selling people his dreams. People who need excitement come to him for a bizarre dream experience. Surreal images and at times crazy stream of conscious dialog follow. My favorite scene is later in the film, when the guy is walking up the ladder, and every time he takes a step, the step before disappears. Of course I wish the film would be remastered, since many of the scenes are faded. I'm glad to know that the British Film institute has it on video, I hope they digitally restore it and release it on DVD, or even better would be a Criterion release! 10/10

The British Film Institute have re-mastered the film from an original print and have released it on DVD with some Richter shorts, a very good booklet and an alternative soundtrack by the band The Real Tuesday Weld who have been performing live to it for the last three years.

It looks amazing but remains one of the most underrated art films of the last century. It's difficult to know whether its imperfections (particularly in the editing and soundtrack) are a result of a low budget or carelessness or were intended / happily included by the director. Proclaimed by David Lynch as his favourite film (He pinched the title 'Ruth Roses and Revolvers from it), it is not an easy watch and sadly is probably destined to always be for the cognoscenti. This is a film - not a movie - and whilst not completely successful as a piece of art, it pushes the boundary of film and narrative.

Hans Richter and some of his friends in the old time surreal avant-garde gang; Man Ray, Marcel Duchamp, John Cage, Max Ernst, decide to get together and direct a surprisingly accessible (for these guys this is Oceans 11), film about a man who sets up a business selling dreams to people, who cant' have any of there own. After all, as our narrator Joe, informs us, "If you can look inside yourself, other people shouldn't be any problem".

Assorted "characters" come into the Dream shop, a gangster, a repressed banker, an overzealous pamphleteer, a blind man, a bored housewife, etc, and all are given dreams, each one directed by a different surrealist; Ernst, Duchamp, Ray, etc. Which alternately, delight, offend, disturb, and annoy there patrons.

In that respect it's a little like an anthology film, with each dream, a story in the story, the best of which is a satire of conventional(1940's) relationships, staring two mannequins who fall in love and get married. It's a surprisingly charming and funny little feminist music video (I want the soundtrack, just for this sequence). Though the rest of the music is handled by experimental composer John Cage, who gives the film both a traditional comedic tone and one of ambiguous drones and general avant-garishness.

The narrative of the framing tale, that is the story of Joe, owner and dream weaver of the business, is also distinct in that, none of the characters mouths move, and when dialog does take place on screen it comes as voice over, usually with one characters monologues followed by the others...most of which is spoken in a kind of Beat style rhyming (this is also a decade before any of the big Beat writers Keroac, Ginsberg, etc, start publishing.). That though a bit silly at first, actually enriches the story, really quite beyond, any individual dream sequence.

If you like early avant-garde films or the artists involved, this is an absolute must see, but if your also just interested in early comic fantasy, stories about dreams, poetry, or just watching something visually different, that doesn't just dismiss narrative as a nuisance, it's worth the price of admission. Few films see the relationship of dream, cinema, and audience this clearly or distantly.

It's the feel good avant-garde comedy of the 40s! If only it would get released on DVD already...

A strange attempt to bring the work of surrealist artists to a wider public. The plot is than an average Joe (Jack Bittner) can conjure up dreams that will improve peoples lives. This gives an excuse to view sequences created by several artists, most of whom were living in the US to avoid World War II.

Of most interest for those wishing to seeing the various artist's work, such as Alexander Calder' Circus being animated. I saw the Museum of Modern Art Print and the colors were in poor shape - the blue was almost gone.