The Seashell and the Clergyman
Germaine Dulac · France · French Poetic Realism and Classical Cinema · French ImpressionismCast
Alex Allin Lucien Bataille Genica Athanasiou
Credits
Written by: 
Antonin Artaud Germaine Dulac
Cinematography: Paul Parguel
Music: Iris ter Schiphorst Végtam Váltan
Plot
Obsessed with a general's wife, a clergyman has strange visions of death and lust, struggling against his own eroticism.
Sinekatalog’s take
A clergyman is tormented by erotic obsession in a dreamlike silent film built from distorted images and symbolic flights. It is often cited as an early surrealist landmark. A fascinating fragment for fans of avant-garde history who don't need a linear story.Sinekatalog’s own editorial review – not a user or critic quote.
Ratings
IMDb: 7.0 / 10 (2,513 votes)
IMDb rating and vote count from the IMDb ratings dataset (October 2026). Scores change over time.
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