Watch Dreams That Money Can Buy: Classic Award-Winning Avant-Garde Movie

Dreams That Money Can Buy is a classic, avant-garde movie from 1947. It was created by a group of artists and filmmakers, including Hans Richter, Max Ernst, Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray, Alexander Calder, and Fernand Léger. The film is a rare example of collaborative experimentation in cinema and showcases the style and philosophies of the surrealism, dadaism, and modern art movements.

The plot of the movie centers on a young man named Joe, who possesses the ability to enter people's dreams and sell them to others for money. He sets up a business in his apartment, where he creates a waiting room and a prototype of a dream machine. His clients include a miserly business tycoon, a lonely dame, a hypochondriac, a visionary artist, and a dreamer who seeks to be the first person to fall asleep on the moon.

The film is divided into six different dream sequences, each designed and directed by one of the artists involved in the production. Each sequence is distinct in style, tone, and theme but is seamlessly woven together with Joe's narrative. The dreams are surreal, fantastical, and at times, disturbing. They feature elements such as moving sculptures, dancing disembodied heads, a woman trapped in a spiderweb, a man with a camera for a head, and a room filled with broken mirrors.

Dreams That Money Can Buy is a visual and aural feast. The set design, cinematography, and music are all at the forefront of the film's artistic achievements. The sets often feature paintings and sculptures by the artists involved, and the camera work makes use of innovative techniques, such as tracking shots and negative film. The music, composed by Louis Applebaum, is experimental and dissonant, adding to the film's dreamlike atmosphere.

The movie's themes are wide-ranging, but all center around the concept of dreams and the selling of them. The film explores the commercialization of art, the power of the imagination, and the psychological impact of dreams. It calls into question the nature of reality and challenges the viewer to question their own perception of the world. The film also includes commentary on gender roles, capitalist society, and the futility of the pursuit of material wealth.

Dreams That Money Can Buy was ahead of its time in many ways. It was made during a period of great experimentation in cinema, but it also stood out for its avant-garde nature. The film was not initially well received and struggled to find distribution upon its release. It was eventually purchased by the Museum of Modern Art in New York, where it was screened regularly, and it has since become a cult classic.

The movie's legacy lives on in its impact on the world of cinema. It influenced later works by filmmakers such as David Lynch, Terry Gilliam, and Alejandro Jodorowsky. The film also helped to establish the idea of a collaborative, multimodal approach to filmmaking, which has since become an important aspect of experimental cinema.

In conclusion, Dreams That Money Can Buy is a masterpiece of avant-garde cinema, showcasing a collective effort by some of the most innovative artists of the 20th century. It is a visually stunning, intellectually stimulating, and emotionally engaging work that challenges the viewer to question their perception of reality. It is a film for lovers of the surreal, the artistic, and the experimental, and stands as a testament to the power of collaboration in cinema.