The Hourglass Sanatorium - Wojciech J. Has - Witold Sobocinski

As may be apparent by now I adore surreal, oneiric films, which hypnotise the viewer into a dreamlike state. The Hourglass Sanatorium may be the best example of this I have seen. Scenes and locations don't exist in this film as concrete objects edited together, they flow in and out of each other. Our protagonist may be in a busy market square, only to turn and find himself in front of a mysterious walled garden with no explanation.

 Besides the editing, set design and cinematography are utilised to create a dreamlike effect. The camera drifts lazily over the cluttered, bizzare settings, emphasising the alien imagery and expressionistic colours.

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The colour and composition of this image is wonderful, with the beautiful arches leading to an ominous graveyard. Who puts a restaurant next to a graveyard?

More crazy set design. A godlike figure sits on a raised bed in a room filled with birds and luggage.

I like the sparseness of this image compared to the rest of this film.

The rest: