Anthology Film Archives showing of "The Blood of a Poet" (1930) directed by Jean Cocteau - Review by Andrew Davis

The Blood Of a Poet, a  surrealist film, presumably set in 1930s paris, surrounds an artist's struggle to control his creation, a mouth which torments him to the point of suicide. Although the film is dreamlike and difficult to understand, the symbolism (often but not always) conveys a meaningful message which allows for the sharp viewer to follow along. The narrative of the film is meant to symbolise the relationship that artists have with their art. This is shown through the development of the drawing of a mouth that progresses from lines, to a real mouth, to a statue, to a person who beats out the artist at a game of cards because the artist doesn't have the ace of hearts, forcing him to commit suicide which allows for the artwork to become mythological by surpassing the artist. Cocteau's use of dramatic, sometimes traumatic scenes such as death and suicide is gripping,  however the film is interspersed with bits of well done comedic absurdities which allows the viewer to relax themselves back into the narrative.

Although many of the scenes of the movie go without clear answer, at first seeming as a ploy to create a dreamlike atmosphere, when the senses are examined like a Freudian psychologist examining a patient's dreams, one finds that a meaning can be assigned to most, if not all scenes. What I believe Cocteau does here is allow for his film to become mythological in the same way that the work of the artist in the film becomes mythological where the works meaning or voice no longer depends on the artist to control what it says, instead relying on the viewer.

Although the cinematography of the film is surely dated and sometimes takes the viewer out of it, there is still aesthetic and artistic appeal which allows for a modern audience member to appreciate the film. Some parts of the film are risque or violent even by todays standards, such as the transvestite scene, and the suicide.

After watching the film, I was curious to see how the following two films in the trilogy (the group is entitled "the orphic trilogy) add onto this one, and wish to watch them at some point in the future.