10 Movies Every Film Buff Should Have Seen Already

1. Un Chien Andalou (1929)

The number one film on this list also happens to both be the strangest and the shortest. Running at only seventeen minutes long, Un Chien Andalou is the brainchild of Spanish director Luis Bunel and artist Salvador Dali, who aimed to shock the intellectual bourgeoisie with their surreal masterpiece. Unlike conventional cinema, Bunel's silent movie has no traditional plot and is disjointed throughout, using dream logic to connect seemingly unrelated shots to create meaning. The bizarre imagery is designed to shock, disturb and surprise in equal measure, encouraging viewers to impose their own interpretation on the random events unfolding. This chaotic approach has led critics to believe that Un Chien Andalou is paradoxically about the concept of meaning itself and whether art can be created without meaning. Among all the surreal shots Bunel uses in the film, there is one moment in particular which is impossible to forget once seen and that is the eyeball slitting sequence. Few are able to watch the scene in its entirety without wincing, which is made all the more remarkable by the fact that Un Chien Andalou was made all the way back in 1929. Some have suggested that the razor represents the film itself, cutting through the audiences perception of reality with its surreal imagery, but it's hard to say whether Bunel would have intentionally included meaning of any kind in his most famous work. The editing style and unique use of montage in Un Chien Andalou has since paved the way for everything from low budget independent film making to modern music videos, making it the most important short film ever made. Who would have thought that a seventeen minute long film from almost a century ago would create such an impact, generating a wave of imitators that continues to this very day? In many ways, the experimental nature of Un Chien Andalou represents the very essence of cinema itself and deserves to be watched by anyone with even a passing interest in movies, especially if you like to think of yourself as a film buff. If you haven't seen Un Chien Andalou yet, prepare for some seriously messed up stuff. Further Recommendations: The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920), Battleship Potemkin (1925), Mulholland Drive (2001) Undoubtedly, omissions from this list will cause outrage, but that's what the comments section is for, so remember to share your thoughts below!