What Is The Five Obstructions?

Categorizing films into different genres allows viewers to anticipate patterns and themes interwoven throughout the end product. Film scholars David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson exclaim, “Audiences expect the genre film to offer something familiar but also demand fresh variations on it” (Friedman 5). Audiences can use genres to form expectations before viewing a film. With horror movies we expect to be scared, and comedies we expect to laugh. However, what causes a film to be identified within a certain genre? There is a simple definition that explains how in an identified art form, there is certain criterion that is met and relates to other subjects in the field to be categorized within the same “genre”. To the general audience, there
Trier took his idol director, Jørgen Leth, and had him recreate a short film he made called The Perfect Human(1967) five times with different guidelines. First, we can immediately classify this as a film about film due to the film relying largely on the concept of film making and seeing a character having his imagination challenged. Each time, the obstructions that Trier proposed were meant to hinder or constrain Leth from recreating the film successfully. In a movie review, The New York Times states, “His goal is clearly to shatter Mr. Leth's nearly superhuman composure, to wrench him out of longstanding habits and techniques and to break down his aesthetic and psychological defenses.” The audience is seeing first hand a person facing mental obstacles that must be overcome. Interestingly enough, these obstructions do the opposite of the expected causing Leth’s creativity to flourish. Similar to The Cameraman, is we view these films from a profound level we can see characters over coming hardships to create an art form. Trier’s intent of this project is to help his friend expand his thinking and self-meaning. Leth was able to take his already original cinema and make it more and more unique with each
From flying to different countries, to being “punished”, Leth does not quit. One obstruction forced Leth to create a cartoon or animation form of The Perfect Human. Leth explicitly states that he hates cartoons and does not know where to begin. Fascinatingly, Leth creates a beautiful version of his short film with smooth and graceful animated motion pictures. The obstruction he disliked the most was formed into an outstanding work of art. That is why this film about film acts as such a special example of this genre. The plot is not only centered around film, but also a man who faces mental adversity that challenges his own work previously created. It is for sure a “fresh variation” of this genre. Overall, by analyzing films about film it is evident that these types of films are a legitimate genre that deserves to be studied. These films are produced in different languages, cultures, and from a variety of differently styled directors. They focus on the simple art of filmmaking and how boundaries of creativity are only set by our minds. It is not easy to make something fulfilling, but with determination it can be done. In the film Day for Night(1973) we have a stressed out director who has to deal with his main actor dying, a heartbroken supporting actor, and an alcoholic mess of a supporting actress. Nonetheless, the film is made and any conflict is either dealt with, or