Film is a constant war between the forces of narrative. On one side are the forces of personality: we simply like to think in terms of characters in situations. Few things are as rich as the human face, and nothing as compelling as curiosity about people. But this is something that transcends film. In fact it is so common that film leverage of this narrative compulsion must be slight. These kinds of films, even the ones that capture me, aren't really films. They are illustrated books or recorded plays.
On the other side, we have an emerging visual grammar, one that speaks more directly to the imagination through that part of the brain that comprehends without reasoning. This is where great films are grounded, in mining and extending this grammar. Cheap films exploit the old form; art invents.
The Quays were solidly in the second category. Their short 'Are We Still Married' is on my list of best films of all time. In their work prior to this (not counting music videos), they eschewed personality, even excoriated it. The films were densely visual with the narrative completely imbued in a diffuse visual environment. Pretty good stuff, plus puzzling and often disturbing.
Now they cross the line. Now they enter the world of theater with real people, a linear story, sex as normally read. Sure, the environment is 'dark,' and the staging is highly stylized. But the characters are pretty familiar, even to the point that we get swept up in the erotic tragedy.
This is still worth watching because of the camera eye and the animated lighting. (Oh, that hidden implication of a shifting animator behind the scenes is sweet, and just below the surface. The 'Svankmejer' doors are nice. But otherwise, this just isn't in the class with their other films. Those are art, This is a lost battle, in fact the battle depicted (between obsessive sense and the monotonous commitment of their prior animation).
On the other side, we have an emerging visual grammar, one that speaks more directly to the imagination through that part of the brain that comprehends without reasoning. This is where great films are grounded, in mining and extending this grammar. Cheap films exploit the old form; art invents.
The Quays were solidly in the second category. Their short 'Are We Still Married' is on my list of best films of all time. In their work prior to this (not counting music videos), they eschewed personality, even excoriated it. The films were densely visual with the narrative completely imbued in a diffuse visual environment. Pretty good stuff, plus puzzling and often disturbing.
Now they cross the line. Now they enter the world of theater with real people, a linear story, sex as normally read. Sure, the environment is 'dark,' and the staging is highly stylized. But the characters are pretty familiar, even to the point that we get swept up in the erotic tragedy.
This is still worth watching because of the camera eye and the animated lighting. (Oh, that hidden implication of a shifting animator behind the scenes is sweet, and just below the surface. The 'Svankmejer' doors are nice. But otherwise, this just isn't in the class with their other films. Those are art, This is a lost battle, in fact the battle depicted (between obsessive sense and the monotonous commitment of their prior animation).