An Avant Garde Critique
Year 12 Film and Television
A Touch of Avant-Garde - Film Critique
Avant Garde is often defined as a new expression that deviates from the cultural ‘norm,’ but that doesn’t tell us quite why we appreciate it. Avant Garde is a bit like poetry. It uses aesthetic, symbolic, artistic, or ambiguous content to evoke and signify meanings and feelings in addition to what is ostensibly interpreted. For example, in the case of films, rather than having information handed to the viewer on a platter of dialogue, the narrative is often delivered in a way that is not immediately apparent, but ultimately more meaningful. This symbolism is one Avant Garde technique amongst many. Two films, Being John Malkovich and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, will be critiqued and the Avant Garde sensibilities of both will be analysed.
Directed by Spike Jonze and written by Charlie Kaufman, Being John Malkovich is a comedy –drama film that revolves around the filmic technique of characterization and identity. Craig Schwartz, an unemployed puppeteer, whose wife Lotte does not return his affections, gains a file clerk job in the 7½ floor of a New York office building. Soon enough, in his office, Craig discovers a modern-day rabbit hole, and inside, he gains the ability to experience life through actor John Malkovich’s mind. It’s a surreal, subversive, and wonderfully original premise, the execution of which encourages our minds to ponder how our lives would change if this fantasy element existed. Throughout Being John Malkovich’s later acts, the strange fantastical portal to the mind of Malkovich is explored in a very complex manner; it leads us to question what is right and wrong, our own morals, and life itself. Some viewers may find the whole idea of the film consistently questionable and, though it requires some suspension of disbelief, the execution of the character arcs is beautifully weaved into the narrative. The arc of Craig, especially, undergoes a significant evolution from a
A Touch of Avant-Garde - Film Critique
Avant Garde is often defined as a new expression that deviates from the cultural ‘norm,’ but that doesn’t tell us quite why we appreciate it. Avant Garde is a bit like poetry. It uses aesthetic, symbolic, artistic, or ambiguous content to evoke and signify meanings and feelings in addition to what is ostensibly interpreted. For example, in the case of films, rather than having information handed to the viewer on a platter of dialogue, the narrative is often delivered in a way that is not immediately apparent, but ultimately more meaningful. This symbolism is one Avant Garde technique amongst many. Two films, Being John Malkovich and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, will be critiqued and the Avant Garde sensibilities of both will be analysed.
Directed by Spike Jonze and written by Charlie Kaufman, Being John Malkovich is a comedy –drama film that revolves around the filmic technique of characterization and identity. Craig Schwartz, an unemployed puppeteer, whose wife Lotte does not return his affections, gains a file clerk job in the 7½ floor of a New York office building. Soon enough, in his office, Craig discovers a modern-day rabbit hole, and inside, he gains the ability to experience life through actor John Malkovich’s mind. It’s a surreal, subversive, and wonderfully original premise, the execution of which encourages our minds to ponder how our lives would change if this fantasy element existed. Throughout Being John Malkovich’s later acts, the strange fantastical portal to the mind of Malkovich is explored in a very complex manner; it leads us to question what is right and wrong, our own morals, and life itself. Some viewers may find the whole idea of the film consistently questionable and, though it requires some suspension of disbelief, the execution of the character arcs is beautifully weaved into the narrative. The arc of Craig, especially, undergoes a significant evolution from a