The Blood of a Poet poster & wallpaper
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Lee Miller, Pauline Carton, Féral Benga, Odette Talazac, Enrique Rivero ... see more see more... , Jean Desbordes , Fernand Dichamps , Lucien Jager , Barbette , Jean Cocteau , Elizabeth Lee Miller

In the first of this film's four episodes, a tall smokestack starts to collapse. Then the scene shifts to a young poet who is sketching faces. He sees that a sketch's mouth is moving and wipes it off ... read more read more...with his hand; the mouth attaches itself to his palm. Eventually he transfers the mouth to a statue in his room. In the second episode, the statue tells the poet to enter a mirror. He falls into the darkness of the mirror's interior and finds himself at the Hotel de Folies-Dramatiques. The poet crawls along the hallway and peers into the keyholes, where he sees various bizarre situations. He reaches the end of the hallway, someone hands him a gun, and he shoots himself. The poet returns to his room and smashes the statue; then he becomes a statue himself in a courtyard. In the third episode, a group of boys engage in a snowfight in the courtyard. The statue is destroyed and one boy is left bloody and possibly dead after being hit with a snowball. In the final episode, the courtyard is revealed to be a stage on which a young woman and the poet play cards next to the boy's body, which is still lying on the ground. The woman tells the poet that he is lost without the Ace; he takes the card from the boy's jacket. The boy's guardian angel appears and covers him. He takes the Ace from the poet and leaves; the poet shoots himself in the head and the audience applauds. The woman walks away and it is revealed that she is the statue; then the film ends with the final collapse of the tall smokestack. ~ Todd Kristel, Rovi

Flixster Users

82% liked it

2,709 ratings

Critics

93% liked it

14 critics

Unrated, 55 min.

Directed by: Jean Cocteau

Release Date: January 1, 1930

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Flixster Reviews (150)

  • ScoopOnline
    December 16, 2009
    ScoopOnline
    This dialog-free film, originally presented as 33 short films, is an experimental, bizarre set of meditations and flashbacks of the grotesque
  • SirPant
    October 5, 2009
    SirPant
    Jean Cocteau?s dreamlike debut is a surreal poem and should be watched accordingly. Cocteau is one of the great pioneers of cinema although I don?t think he ever intended to be nor believed he ever was. In Blood of a Poet, he really brings to life what had only before been commun... read moreicated in word, and so realised cinema?s full potential and invented many camera techniques still used today. Although I prefer L' Âge d'Or as a surrealist piece and Chelovek s kino-apparatom is more entertaining and will always be regarded as the more inventive film of that time, it just isn?t. Only a year separates all three films, Blood of a Poet is my least favourite but is easily, technically, the greater film, a true masterpiece and a very important film.
  • arashxak
    December 23, 2008
    arashxak
    Words can't describe this masterpiece
  • littlecharmer1959
    February 6, 2008
    littlecharmer1959
    Totally surreal, but brilliant.
  • smootysveen
    April 29, 2007
    smootysveen
    Fantastic. My favorite part was the little girl being taught to fly.
  • shannylee38
    March 13, 2007
    shannylee38
    A very strange but poetic film as was the filmmaker. Not recommended for everyone!
  • jrmcm
    November 27, 2008
    jrmcm
    Excellent early incorporation of special effects. Cocteau disregards convention and challenges the audience, but the charm wears off by the end.
  • thrusz
    August 12, 2007
    thrusz
    This was like watching the videotape in the ring. I was so balls-amazed though at the visuals in this film. Cocteau has a way with the camera that is so unique that you cannot help but be mesmorized.
  • justindavis1
    June 17, 2007
    justindavis1
    This is a weird, yet enjoyable movie. It is a quite old and very bizarre French movie. I have seen it twice. The first time I sampled some of the dialog for a dub song I made. Is that a fun fact or what?

View All The Blood of a Poet Reviews

Critic Reviews

May 8, 2007
Variety

On the face of it, this film represents six reels of scraped together footage from off the cutting room floor. A more vague or hopeless mess could not have resulted. Full Review

May 8, 2007
TV Guide's Movie Guide

A haunting poem, as exciting today as it was in 1930. Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson
November 13, 2006
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

Cocteau's film contains unforgettable moments of cinematic poetry in its purest form. Full Review

Derek Adams
February 9, 2006
Derek Adams, Time Out

The honesty and robustness of the images prevents the movie from lapsing into pretension or preciousness; it remains extremely interesting as a source of Cocteau's later work. Full Review

John A. Nesbit
December 30, 2003
John A. Nesbit, Old School Reviews

Although it may seem as pretentious as the Surrealists claimed back in the 1930's, this represents one of the most sincere efforts to capture the creative process on film Full Review

Jeremy Heilman
March 5, 2002
Jeremy Heilman, MovieMartyr.com

The imagery used here is still stunning despite its low-tech nature. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
January 1, 2000
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

There has never been a film quite like Le Sang d'un Poete. Full Review

Emanuel Levy
July 1, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

Michael E. Grost
January 18, 2005
Michael E. Grost, Classic Film and Television

No review available.

Derek Smith
October 24, 2004
Derek Smith, Cinematic Reflections

No review available.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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