I don't even know where to start with this one. The story seems to be set in a world of "little people," but everything (buildings, cars, furniture) seems to be created for "regular-sized people." This pretty much sets the tone for the film. It takes place at one building, which is some sort of institution whose "inmates" have recently escaped. "The President" stays locked up in a room on the second floor, holding one of the "inmates" captive. Instead of fleeing the area, the "inmates" stay outside of the building and rebel until their cohort is freed. Their rebellion goes from organized to filled with rage and insanity, involving animal torture, dangerous play with vehicles, foodfights, and teasing the blind.
The movie is ostensibly a commentary on both imprisonment and rebellion, but can it just as easily be taken as an exploitative "Midgets Gone Wild"? It's debatable. For some, watching this will be like experiencing a nightmare. I think this is one of the earliest films I've seen where "little people" are used to produce a surreal effect, something that has been done regularly in the works of David Lynch and critiqued in the amusing "Living in Oblivion." It is easy to see how this movie has influenced the likes of Lynch, Harmony Korine, and even Nine Inch Nails (there is a monkey crucifixion very similar to the one in the "Closer" video.) The DVD commentary with Herzog isn't particularly informative, but is still fascinating because it is really an interview by Crispin Glover (whose recent "What Is It?" stars a cast of actors with Downs Syndrome.)
The movie is ostensibly a commentary on both imprisonment and rebellion, but can it just as easily be taken as an exploitative "Midgets Gone Wild"? It's debatable. For some, watching this will be like experiencing a nightmare. I think this is one of the earliest films I've seen where "little people" are used to produce a surreal effect, something that has been done regularly in the works of David Lynch and critiqued in the amusing "Living in Oblivion." It is easy to see how this movie has influenced the likes of Lynch, Harmony Korine, and even Nine Inch Nails (there is a monkey crucifixion very similar to the one in the "Closer" video.) The DVD commentary with Herzog isn't particularly informative, but is still fascinating because it is really an interview by Crispin Glover (whose recent "What Is It?" stars a cast of actors with Downs Syndrome.)