Surrealissimo: The Trial of Salvador Dali

The film centres on the trial of Salvador Dalí by Andre Breton, the founder of Surrealism, and other key members of the movement.

After which, Dalí left for America to become arguably the world’s first celebrity artist. It was not until later, that he was expelled from the movement. Surrealissimo’s impressive cast includes Ewen Bremner as Dalí, Stephen Fry at Breton, Katrin Cartlidge as Gala Dalí, Vic Reeves, Mark Gatiss and Ben Miller.

Flashing between the night of the trial and the episodes which lead to it, Dalí addresses the viewer, laying out his ten point plan which must be followed to the letter to become the world’s greatest artist. As the trial progresses, Dalí’s arrival in Paris, his deviant and often highly comic relationship with Gala, and his inexorable rise to fame are played out.

The simmering tensions among the Surrealists are brought to the fore as they stand by helpless as they watch their protégé grow to become the leading figure of the movement; a leader whose outrageous politics were very much at odds with a movement increasingly enamoured with the politics of Communism. The day following the trial, riots broke out between the Fascists and Communists on the streets of Paris. —BBC