The Best Surrealist Filmmaker You've Never Heard of - Quentin Dupieux (Video Essay) 

He's one of my favourite directors. It's nice to see someone outside of France do an essay on him :)

Just watched “Rubber” and was surprised that it wasn’t just a killer tire movie. As a cinephile, I appreciated what Dupieux was trying to do with his homage to “No reason.” Wanted to learn more about him, so here I am. Thanks for shedding some light on his work.

It’s so cool to see others who ‘get’ his art. I always feel like a bit of a weirdo with the movies and music that I like. Everyone I know irl don’t appreciate the weird and absurd as I do. It’s just nice to know others love this stuff too 😊

He has got a lot of artistic traction in France, a lot of the actors in his films are A-grade actors both on an artistic and financial level - Alain Chabat, Benoit Poelvoorde, Jean Dujardin,…

Dood, thank you for sharing your thoughts on filmmaking. I've never felt so understood in my career as a director. Quentin is doing something extraordinary and brave, no one seems to appreciate it - but we do!

I kinda discovered him when I watched 'Deerskin' a couple of years ago, by chance. Binge-watched most of his films immediately after that, and he's become one of my most favorite directors ever. To me, his works are surreal and soothing at the same time. Thanks for this video essay.

Absolutely perfect review. I have not heard anyone with brains in RU-vid in a while. This is going to be a movie weekend thanks to flat Eric. Thank you very much sir.

All his movies are wonderful, with the added bonus that his music is fabulous, and his music videos are perfection.

Hell yeah, love this guy's work. Especially Wrong. He needs far more recognition. Great work on the vid!

He’s also an excellent musician and won a truckload of awards for his music videos he directed and filmed too. And he’s also quite skilled with a pen and a brush, its truly fucked how genial he is, unfortunate that french cinema today lacks more people like him

I saw 'Incredible But True' a couple of months back and that was excellent. I think he's gotten better at introducing his ideas in a more accessible way.

Great overview! Dupieux is awesome. Just saw Smoking Causes Coughing tonight and it was absolutely fantastic. His use of Mort Garson's music throughout the film was a nice touch.

If the majority are wrong, then so be it. This was a brilliant explanation and a testament to the supremely important meaning that lies within the apparent meaninglessness of his films.

Steak is my favorite movie of all time (seen it around 40 times) and I never hear anyone talk about it except those really really into french touch. It's so underrated, even among Oizo fans, so it's nice to see it included in a video! For anyone who hasn't seen, the whole thing is up on RU-vid with english subtitles, check it out!

Great stuff and great essay too. Cannot recommend his works enough

I never heard of this director till I saw "Fumer fait Tousser" by chance in a festival. It was stupidly hilarious and haven't seen such an incredible absurd/surreal humor in a while. Also: WTF THIS DUDE IS MR OIZO? BEEN HEARING THIS GUYS WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING IT WAS HIM Now the Mort Granson's Plantasia as soundtrack makes a lot of sense.

thnx so much, finally saw this fir the first time before Halloween. It was utterly breath taking and hyper real as well, I felt sucked right into those drafty institutons and bleak realism as well. Thank you for delving further into his wellspring of consciousness.

Deer Skin is great. Can't wait to see his other movies

Dupieux is great. Only film of his that I didn't like was RUBBER, whose premise alone got me interested in checking out his other work and thus becoming a fan. It's incredible to watch him hit out one film after another experimenting what illogical, nonsensensical or simply rule-breaking ideas in need of realisation he can stuff into a film or better said: can make a film about. Especially his recent works feel like they are getting increasingly more 'normal', but only the film is about Jean Dujardin declaring war on other jackets, nothing wrong about that. In the best moments of his films you completely forget you are watching something that doesn't really add up to common sense film logic and end up feeling caught that you took his hitchcokian premise almost more serious than him. Just a shame that the international distribution and accesibility of his films outside of festivals is extremely inconsistent. Both DEERSKIN and AU POSTE for example got regular theatrical releases in Austria and Germany, while MANDIBULES is about to come out this december exclusively in an expensive mediabook. However, I'm hopeful that this could change soon and maybe even normal people besides pretentious film buffs and French will notice that name. Even though his films may have not entered the realm of big and high budgeted cinema yet, make no mistake! If you have the opportunity to watch them on the BIG SCREEN, go for it. No matter if the film plays in a small local arthouse theatre where you are alone with two middle-aged women and a sleeping homeless man, or you experience it with a very responsive festival crowd of 700+ people right after BONES AND ALL, it's worth it. Seriously, if you have some love left for the bizarre or just for a French man not shying away from realising his ideas that actually don't sound like they are supposed to happen in a motion-picture, then look no further. P.S. both INCREDIBLE BUT TRUE and SMOKING CAUSES COUGHING are wonderful and watching them on the Viennale with a whole lot of other people was a revelatory experience, as in more people like this, they just don't know it yet.

Excellent presentation. I am also huge fan of his works, both music and films. Also just discovered that he directed one music video for Metronomy which I just listened/watched not long ago.

I was wondering when I was going to find an essay on the guy's filmography!

One of my favorite underrated directors for sure!

Funny enough I found out about Quentin Dupieux through his music first. Very underrated gem that the world needs more of. Can’t wait until his newest films are available in the US

I wish he made a surrealist dark comedy series with Fabrice Eboue and Bruno Dumont!

I looooooooooove his music. It’s fascinating to me anything by Mr. Oizo!!!

I never thought Dupieux would be known outside of France

The absurd thing is that my AI friend suggested me Quentin Dupieux and exactly pin pointed my taste.

Great vid I saw a video one day, doing the comparison between M. Haneke and Q. Dupieux. Apparently Dupieux picked up a lot of Haneke's works and turned it into something absurd.

Perfect video! Take a look at Steak one of my favorite (writing, music), Rubber is so underrated too!

Dupieux's movies are only ~1h long but he can make two of them every year 😁

I'm so happy I clicked on this video!

insisting i've not seen rubber or wrong is such a Quentin Dupieux move

I've watched Rubber twice so far and each time I have a delightful time. Its smart, hilarious, and wonderfully satirical.Thanks for your vid.... now I must find MORE.

Totally agree with your analysis ( and I'm not saying this because I'm french, Quentin Dupieux's movies are not popular amongst the french average audience either).I can't wait to see his latest work, who's soon to be released in France, and should be his take on the super-heros team movies: "Fumer fait tousser" (smoking make you cough).

I fucking love his albums, he's one hell of an artist

I am french and I really love his work (wrong cop is one his best I think....)

Smoking Causes Coughing funniest movie of 2023

mandibles is one of my fav movies

Finally i find someone who appreciates him as much as i do.

💗

Mr oizo is a legend !!!

I think this kind of surrealism works best when it's done in complete earnestness (as Dupieux does). Whenever absurdity appears in popular art, it's almost always used as a comedic device. We're expected to laugh at it. But personally, I think this is the least interesting response. Dupieux presents absurdity in a very neutral way. We can laugh, or cry, or be irritated, enlightened - whatever. He leaves it entirely up to the audience. I think this artistic approach is quite admirable. It's very honest, and unpretentious, and probably requires significant courage. If you disagree with me, I will write your name seven times on a piece of paper, which I will then shoot into the heart of the sun. Years from now, my descendants will gather to commemorate this event by holding a midnight vigil somewhere in the Peruvian mountains. A stranger will arrive at this event, who will declare themselves to be your appointed agent. They will request to join the proceedings, and the question of whether or not to grant this request will become the subject of passionate debate. The question will in fact cause a rift between the members of the group, with 7 of the group being in favor of granting the request, and 5 being opposed to it. Your appointed agent will suggest flipping a coin to resolve the matter. This plan will be accepted by the majority of the group, with only 2 of the 12 group members being opposed. However, when they attempt to put the plan into action, they discover that nobody present actually has a coin. At that point, a heavy silence descends upon the scene. Somewhere in the distance, a coyote barks at the night sky. Your agent then farts, but everyone pretends not to notice. There is no smell.

We talk about him alot. Reminds me of a modern Buñuel.

Have you seen any films by Rick Alverson?

Wrong Cops ❤

OMG Shurik'n Chang Ti!

I recall being a bit let down by Rubber back then, as I was expecting a much more over the top comedy and instead it...sorta felt flat. I saw it a few years ago again, and oddly, it felt too weirdly self-pretentious to even be a bit entertaining. The thing that amuses me the most about it is that Courtenay Taylor of OK K.O. Let's Be Heroes fame is in it.

I loved the film 'Rubber'

Quentin DePew, pew pew pew

I really like Dupieux's work but one downside of those surrealist movies is that they are easily forgettable (since there is not much story in it)

Can we get the man back on analog synths please

Where can i check out the making of Wrong?

I've heard of him

Flat fuggin Eric

Probably the pioneer of French electro in addition. This guy is a living god. Period. Just saying... Now I'll go back smoking my sausage with Eric. I feel a bit FLAT without it.

Toro.

Mr. Ozio is the man

Even in France he is not very famous and appreciate. Lot of people think his movies are for movies’ nerds and are ununderstandable. Even if there are a lot of bancable actors in his movies, those are never been really successfull even in France

S/O Mr. Ozio.

never heard of (I will check him). It seams a lot like Atlanta type shit tho

He is very comparable to Anders Thomas Jensen

check out Igorrr, you might like it as well

So he directed Halloween 3?

You mean Mr Oizo? I've heard of him

Need a glass of water?

Is your throat okay ?

Sadly this guy is a massive NFT fan boy...

I suggest channel owner to rewatch Rubber cuz there's a clarification about that "telepathy"

Im gonna jump in to my cardboard box ufo..who has a slight odor of none green salad..to check this Dude Dupieux out.. I dont like using verb´s when a deal with adverb´s

Your voice or the mic or a combination of the two make it difficult for me to focus on what you're saying

Naw dude nah. I watched rubber, I was so ready to like it. It didn't make itself enjoyable at all. I was hoping for surreal funny, it was surreal boring as shit.

You want to talk pretentiousness? S. Craig Zahler has entered the chat