Being John Malkovich: Introduction

Being John Malkovich is a highly philosophical film, as well as a surreal one. The basic plot is that there is a portal into the head of John Malkovich, acclaimed actor, and there are several characters whose lives are complicated by their desire to "be John Malkovich". The film deals with aspects of the human condition, such as Cartesian dualism and the nature of the self. It also deals with aspects of Freudian psychology, in that it addressed the issue of repression and the subconcious. But most importantly, the film carries a moral message. That message is that you cannot be someone else. Even if you are someone inside someone else, you are still you. You cannot escape your problems by "becoming John Malkovich", no matter how hard you try.

Adaptation: Introduction

Adaptation is a mind-blowingly bizarre and confusing film. It is a true story within a story based on a book. One is never quite sure what is part of Charlie's (the protagonist) screenplay, and what is based off of his actual experience writing the play. Not to mention that the entire thing is actually based off off the screenwriter of Adaptation's experiences! The whole concept is incredibly hard to conceive, yet somehow the viewer experiences an "A-ha!" moment at the conclusion of the film, where one realizes that the entire film is semi-self-referential. There is a definite split between the rational and the irrational two-thirds of the way through the film, but other than that it is up to the viewer's interpretation of it.

Mulholland Drive: Introduction

David Lynch is, of course, the master of surrealistic film. Beginning with Eraserhead, he has maintained a large cult following. His films are strange, his narratives twisted and convoluted and always exhilarating. Mulholland Drive is no different in these aspects. It is two and a half hours of macabre thrills, highly charged erotica, and indelible, shocking, often frightening images. Truly, if thriller could by defined by any single film, this would unquestionably be it. But, like all Lynch films, it is confusing. There is barely any semblance of plot, and two-thirds of the way through the movie there is an incomprehensible plot twist that twists your gut right along with it. Not to mention the three or four completely disparate story lines that are seemingly unrelated. But rest assured, in the end, all is made clear to the perceptive viewer.

Fear and Loathing: Raoul Duke

What Fear and Loathing mainly tries to convey is it's perception of the 1960's hippie era, and how it affected an entire generation of young people. The narrator, Raoul Duke, an alter-ego of Hunter S. Thompson, described the hippie generation as a generation of broken souls and lost dreams. He came to the conclusion that the flower-power, peace movement was admirable, noble and ultimately doomed to failure. He blames much of this failure on the use of drugs. While he himself is a heavy drug user, his use is more of a reaction to the enlightenment principles that were espoused by the hippies. His drug use isn't meant to enlighten him, but to intentionally render him a mess. Raoul Duke is a grand figure in that he is a product of enlightened hedonism. He is aware of the consequences, but simply doesn't care about them. While this path is not meant for everyone, he is an exemplary figure in that he lives as a product of human waste, an outcast, yet could care less about his status in the world.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: Intro

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a strange and wild film. It is the saga of two men crashing down on the city of Las Vegas in search of the American Dream. They manage to destroy nearly everything they touch in their drug-fueled rampage, going through two cars and hotel rooms. They commit various acts of fraud, consume ungodly amounts of illegal drugs, and in general have a good time while wreaking havoc on the citizens of Las Vegas. The viewer sees the film through the distorted lenses of these drug-addled maniacs, and it goes without saying that it is a very entertaining ride.

Topic

For my topic for film discussion, I have chosen the subject of avant-garde films. Experimental film is one of the most interesting mediums that humans have produced. It challenges many of the senses, and it covers a broad range of genres, while being a genre in and of itself. Almost since the advent of film itself, there have been certain artists who have experimented with the medium, such as Salvador Dali. Over time, the genre of avant-garde and the genre of horror have mixed, and the two has a certain relationship. Since avant-garde film pushes the very limit of the human psyche, it can frighten some people, thus the connection. I have selected ten films that I believe best represent the genre, from various parts of the twentieth and twenty-first century.

1) Metropolis
2) Eraserhead
3) Being John Malkovich
4) Adaption
5) Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
6) Brazil
7) Muholland Drive
8) Time Bandits
9) Inland Empire
10) Koyaanisqatsi