The Surreal World of Jan Svankmajer's Films Quiz

Answer: stop motion

With this technique, inanimate objects seem to come to life and move across the screen. The objects are manipulated slightly between frames and when the frames are projected consecutively, the objects appear to be moving. Svankmajer also uses puppets, clay and live action in his films.

Answer: The Last Trick

Svankmajer uses life-size marionettes to represent the magicians, Mr Edgar and Mr Scharzenwald. Both of the characters have hollow heads which reveal their innermost thoughts and a live beetle.

Answer: Bach

Bach was an eighteenth century German composer who wrote numerous works for the choir, orchestra and solo instruments. Although Svankmajer has never claimed to be a political activist, living under Communism in Czechoslovakia evidently had some influence on his work, and this film uses the haunting music of Bach to great effect.

Answer: Kutna Hora

The Sedlec Ossuary is a small Christian chapel, which is decorated entirely with human bones. It proves the ideal setting for Svankmajer and the underlying themes of ageing, death and ruin are evident from the outset. The short film has been described as a 'horror documentary' and was shot soon after the Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia, in 1968.

Answer: chicken

This character makes a chicken head out of papier-mache and uses umbrellas to resemble wings. One of the protagonists, a newsreader, has a fantasy about carp and another finds sticking dough balls in her nose and ears weirdly erotic.

Answer: a tree stump

The sight of Bozena breastfeeding the tree stump, carved into the form of a baby is one of the most disturbing and grosteque scenes of the film. The stump increases rapidly in size and begins to devour anything and anybody.

Answer: Lewis Carroll

Both 'Alice' and the short film, 'Jabberwocky', were influenced by the writings of Lewis Carroll. Carroll, born Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, was a famous nineteenth century English author and mathematician, best known for his satirical children's books: 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' and 'Through the Looking Glass'. 'Alice' was Svankmajer's first feature film and it combines real-life action with puppetry and slow-motion animation.

He is quoted as describing 'Jabberwocky' as 'a Freudian record of the development of a child through all its stages: through homosexuality and Sado-Masochism to rebellion against the father.'

Answer: The Fall of the House of Usher

This short black-and-white film was released in 1981 and is a disturbing and surreal tale. A visitor arrives at the Usher mansion only to find the inhabitants, Usher and his sister, are suffering from mysterious disorders. There is no dialogue in the film but Svankmajer cleverly uses sounds to convey a sinister and unsettling atmosphere.

Answer: food

Food and eating play are a common occurrence in Svankmajer's films. You'll need a strong stomach to sit through the film, 'Food', a gastronomic nightmare and cannibals' dream. The film uses stop motion techniques along with clay prosthetics and results in the diners devouring their own body parts!

Answer: a lunatic asylum

The film, 'Lunacy', draws its inspiration from the works of Marquis de Sade and pays hommage to Edgar Allen Poe. The patients have free reign over the aslyum, after imprisioning the staff. The food theme is ever present with animated meat 'jumping about' between scenes.