Films & Dreams - Game Script Four directors talk about the dream scenes in their films

Background

Jane Freud, the tireless editor of the magazine, "Movies and Dreams", managed to do something otherwise thought of as almost impossible. She managed to get four well-known movie directors in the same room in order to discuss the dream scenes in their films.

Since you've always dreamed of becoming a famous director - you now have the opportunity to play the role of your life!

So why did you decide to include a dream scene in your movie?

These are the main questions that Jane Freud asks:

How does the dream scene contribute to the movie plot?
What role does the dream scene play in the protagonist's psychological characterization of the film?
What is the main theme of the film (subject ideological, philosophical, ideological) and how it is expressed in a dream sequence?
What is the connection between surrealism and your dream scene?

Characters

Alfred Hitchcock Films director

Hitchcock was born to a poor Catholic family who believed that man was born in sin and therefore is guilty by nature ... At the age of five, as a punishment, his father sent him to the local police station, where he was locked up for five minutes...

By the age of 26, he had already started making films - and became known as the suspense film master. When he was 40, he moved to the United States and began working for the well-known producer Selznik.

In 1945, Hitchcock created Spellbound, including a special dream scene designed by surrealist artist Salvador Daly.

Your Task

Dear Hitchcock,

Viewers and critics repeatedly ask: Why did you bother to put a dream scene into "spellbound"? And why did you ask to work with Salvador Dali?

Presumably, there were many reasons ...

Resources

Scene - 01

Films and Dreams - Curry, Robert, Journal of Aesthetics & Art Criticism Date: September 1, 1974
DREAMS IN FILMS AND FILMS AS DREAMS: SURREALISM AND POPULAR AMERICAN CINEMA. - STEPHEN SHAROT, Canadian Journal of Film Studies Date: March 1, 2015
Hitchcock’s Conscious Use of Freud’s Unconscious - Constantine Sandis, Oxford Brookes University and NYU in London

Ari Folman Films director

Ari Folman is a respected Israeli screenwriter and film director. He started his career as a documentary director and later achieved great success in his feature films. His best-known film is "Waltz with Bashir".

Your Task

Dear Ari,

The first scene in your film "Waltz with Bashir" is a dream scene - or more accurately: a nightmare scene. Why did you choose to open your film like this? What is the contribution of this scene to the entire film and its overall meaning? Is there something ideological here? national? Is it related to the movie's animation technique?

Resources

Scene - 01

Films and Dreams - Curry, Robert, Journal of Aesthetics & Art Criticism Date: September 1, 1974
DREAMS IN FILMS AND FILMS AS DREAMS: SURREALISM AND POPULAR AMERICAN CINEMA. - STEPHEN SHAROT, Canadian Journal of Film Studies Date: March 1, 2015
WAR FANTASIES: MEMORY, TRAUMA AND ETHICS IN ARI FOLMAN'S - Journal of Modern Jewish Studies

Ingmar Bergman Films director

Ingmar Bergman, a theater and film director, was born in Sweden to a religious Lutheran family.

Bergman's films deal primarily with the human psyche and its internal conflicts. He was influenced by Freud's theory of psychoanalysis and his treatment methods.

Your Task

Ingmar,

One of your best-known films, Wild Strawberries, depicts an old man's mental and psychological journey. At the beginning of the movie, a dream appears ... why? What is the role of this scene?

Please help us understand ...

Resources

Scene - 01

Films and Dreams - Curry, Robert, Journal of Aesthetics & Art Criticism Date: September 1, 1974
DREAMS IN FILMS AND FILMS AS DREAMS: SURREALISM AND POPULAR AMERICAN CINEMA. - STEPHEN SHAROT, Canadian Journal of Film Studies Date: March 1, 2015
From Freud to Klein, and Wild Strawberries - Dan Williams,

David Lynch Films director

David Lynch is an American director. His movie "Blue Velvet" became a cult movie.

His films are characterized by many surrealist elements and seem like a dream or a hallucination

Your Task

Dear Lynch,

You really enjoy showing the dark soul of men. For you, the gap between the subconscious and conscious is almost non-existent. You are greatly influenced by Freud's theories, though you enjoy having fun denying it ...

Your mission is to explain what is the role of the dream in your film "Mulholland Drive" - and, more importantly, why did you mislead viewers so that they don't realize they're actually watching the dream ...

Resources

Scene - 01

Films and Dreams - Curry, Robert, Journal of Aesthetics & Art Criticism Date: September 1, 1974
DREAMS IN FILMS AND FILMS AS DREAMS: SURREALISM AND POPULAR AMERICAN CINEMA. - STEPHEN SHAROT, Canadian Journal of Film Studies Date: March 1, 2015
This is Not the Film: Narrative Frustration, Indeterminacy, and Silence in David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive - Georg Nöffke, Narrative Frustration, Indeterminacy, and Silence in David Lynch’s MulhollandDrive, English Studies in Africa, 61:1

Scene 1: 4 films, 4 dreams

1. Public Message

Dear directors,

How does the dream scene help to characterize the protagonist of your film?

2. Private (a while after previous message)

Alfred Hitchcock:

Viewers and critics repeatedly ask: Why did you bother to put a dream scene into "spellbound"? And why did you ask to work with Salvador Dali?

Presumably, there were many reasons ...

Ari Folman:

Ingmar Bergman:

One of your best-known films, Wild Strawberries, depicts an old man's mental and psychological journey. At the beginning of the movie, a dream appears ... why? What is the role of this scene?

Please help us understand ...

David Lynch:

3. Public Message (a while after previous message)

Dear guests,

How does the dream scene contribute to the plot in your film?

4. Public Message (a while after previous message)

Dear Directors,

Please Take five minutes to read and respond to what others have written. It's also a good time to upload photos or videos if you have ...

5. Public Message (a while after previous message)

Dear directors,

Please tell us what is the connection between surrealism and your dream scene?

6. Public Message (a while after previous message)

Dear Directors,

Please take another five minutes to read and respond to what others have written. Everybody wants to hear from you

Vote

It's time to vote: What is the best dream scene, in your opinion?

Option 1
Spellbound by Hitchcok

Option 2
Waltz with Bashir by Ari Folman

Option 3
Wild Strawberries by Bergman

Option 4
Mulholland Drive by Lynch

Ending message for when most people voted for option

Option 1

Your favorite dream scene is: Spellbound by Hitchcok

Option 2

Your favorite dream scene is: Waltz with Bashir by Ari Folman

Option 3

Your favorite dream scene is: Wild Strawberries by Bergman

Option 4

Your favorite dream scene is: Mulholland Drive by Lynch

Discussion Points

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Films & Dreams - Game Script Four directors talk about the dream scenes in their films

Background

Characters

Alfred Hitchcock Films director

Your Task

Resources

Ari Folman Films director

Your Task

Resources

Ingmar Bergman Films director

Your Task

Resources

David Lynch Films director

Your Task

Resources

Scene 1: 4 films, 4 dreams

1.

Public Message

2.

Private (a while after previous message)

3.

Public Message (a while after previous message)

4.

Public Message (a while after previous message)

5.

Public Message (a while after previous message)

6.

Public Message (a while after previous message)

Vote

Ending message for when most people voted for option

Discussion Points

So far 20745 teachers, 28545 Debates, 408349 Posts...and counting!