Chapter two :
The hill of desire

The imagery of a decaying donkey and a piano originates from “Un Chien Andalou” (English: “An Andalusian Dog”), a 16-minute silent surrealist short film from France. It was co-created by Spanish director Luis Buñuel and artist Salvador Dalí. Filmed in 1928, it marked Luis Buñuel’s directorial debut. In the first half of the 20th century, Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theories gained popularity in Europe and America. The film follows this theory in its construction, presenting absurd and bizarre events and actions in its plot, characterized by disorder and hallucination. The emphasis lies on the sensory stimulation derived from dreamlike imagery rather than logical consistency in the plot.

Using animals such as ants, moths, and a donkey (noticeably, no actual dog), the film explores repressed desires, hidden violence, and sexuality. Interestingly, the two directors refrained from offering rational explanations for the film after its release, as they believed attempting to uncover the hidden symbolism in a surrealist work was futile. 

In the short film, a man attempts to violate a woman, his expression gradually eroded by desire. At the peak of intense arousal, the man’s desires seem to reach a climax. However, in an instant, the woman starts to flee. Suddenly, the man drags forth a heavy object composed of a piano, a donkey, and what appears to be two clergy figures (perhaps symbolic of religious authorities). The woman cowers in a corner as the man, seemingly engaged in a tug-of-war with his own rationality, slowly approaches her. The man is both unable to control his desires and burdened by societal morality and various external factors