Salvador Dalí is most famous (rightly) as a painter, one of the most important figures in the history of “surrealism.” But while surrealism is popularly known an episode in art history, its founders (such as the writer André Breton) conceived of it as a far more wide-ranging phenomenon. It was supposed to impact every aspect of day-to-day life, no matter the consequences. In the Second Surrealist Manifesto, Breton takes this to an extreme in one of his most famous, or rather infamous remarks: “The simplest Surrealist act consists of dashing down into the street, pistol in hand, and firing blindly, as fast as you can pull the trigger, into the crowd.”

Happily, surrealism did not inspire all too many acts of random violence. Its cultural impact, however, extended far beyond painting—especially into film.

Dalí himself had wide-ranging experience in the movies.

Walt Disney hoped to follow-up Fantasia (a personal favorite of his) with a work that focused on Latin, rather than classical, music. The working title was Destino. The film was never completed, but the clip above is a reconstruction of a scene Dalí proposed.

Dalí’s most famous foray into film was Un Chien Andalou, his 1929 collaboration with director Luis Bunuel. It’s pretty brutal: rotting horse carcasses; eyeballs sliced with razor blades. Watch at your own risk…

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