OUPOST/RESEARCH/Essay – Structure

I would refer firstly and briefly to the example of the short film Memento mori and to it’s feature film sibling Memento. These I have already mentioned previously but not so much with reference to isolation. The main character is extremely isolated in these stories not by his environment but by his own physical condition. A problem with his brain means that he cannot formulate new memories so every 10 minutes he forgets what he’s just learned. This complete, constantly recurring personal isolation is dealt with differently in each film. In the short film it is of version of himself, a more knowing version, narrating the story. It is completely about him and his thoughts and he is also in isolation in his room at a mental institute. This allows a lot more philosophical approach as this ulterior self ruminates on what the condition means. The film however exploits the isolation and loneliness the illness causes. Both the two other main character use it to get what they need and he has no choice to bend to their will, their memory will always be more effective that his system of lists and tattoo’s. The short and the feature eventually draw the same conclusions as to the main character’s motivations  – “how can you forget, when you can’t remember how to forget”. It’s an elegant quote, do we really forget or do we just remember new stuff, over writing the old? If the main character cannot remember new things to replace the old, he can never forget in any way the events that happened before his accident. This is a point the short can really hammer home, and emphasize with it’s story telling narrator. The feature has to has to be slightly more clever in it’s conception of getting this across. It’s uses the flash back scenes where the main character is talking to an unknown on the phone. This one directional conversation almost takes on the roll of a narrator, telling us of his condition, his isolation, whilst the rest of the film can carry out the story. It’s and effective and efficient juxtaposition of ideas towards narrative and story telling.

Still taken from the feature film Memento

The structure of Memento is meant to reflect, and is also excused by, the mental state of it’s main character. Irreversible, the next film I want to look at, doesn’t quite have the same reasons to underpin it’s detour from straightforward storytelling. It’s a crucial and influential piece of cinema and I’m inclined to agree with the magazine Dazed & Confused’s assessment of it as ‘One of the most important films in the last 20 years of movie history’. So much of this film can be derived just from the things that contain the film’s story. What you take from the way the story is told is as important as what the story itself can tell you. The narrative structure and methods used, the evolution of the camera movements – even the title work together to incase the film in something relevant. Irreversible begins at it’s own story’s end, from which point it’s scenes simply run in reverse order, each one ending where the previous one began. As certain horrific events unfold, this formula leaves the audience feeling somewhat helpless. This is a strange thing to say, as we are never in control of the events that unfold in a film. We are, however, aware of the decisions made by the characters. We can understand the reasoning behind such decisions because of what we have learnt about the characters and we can go as far as to to guess the outcomes. By running his film’s scenes backwards Noe takes all of this away from us.

Still image taken from the feature film Irreversible

While we can play around with the direction of time in a movie, we cannot ever do this in real life. Real life is “Irreversible” and Noe demonstrates this with horrible clarity, replaying events just like we do when we helplessly remember and recall. All we can do is think how things may have turned out had we made a different decision. Noe plays on this helplessness, the structure of his film makes us as naive as his characters, even though we know what the consequences of their actions. We always think cause then effect, what Irreversible demonstrates is why, knowing an outcome is no substitute for knowing it’s possible cause. If we had some information that the world was going to blow up tomorrow, but had no possible cause as to why, it would only be useful in heightening our sense of helplessness and fear. For me the same is true of the film, it is made more horrific by our lack of knowledge of preceding events. I realise this boils down to something quite obvious and simple but cinema plays on out most primal emotions first and foremost. Of course it’s then rather sickeningly ironic that the most despicable act in this film is just one of chance, a case of wrong place/wrong time. Hindsight, it seems, is only valuable when applied to the future, but even then it may be of no help at all.

So far I have talked about a film that alters it’s structure based on a character’s trait (Memento) and also one altered to help convey it’s ideology. The next film I want to look actually covers the idea of real of time travel. Where as there are many examples of films chopping and changing scenes to ‘cleverly’ come together or just to be different (I have highlighted Memento and Irreversible because because I feel doing this was essential to the film’s narrative and story), tackling a plot that involves the complicated implications of someone actually traveling in time is a whole lot different. The story in Primer is already very complicated, it tells of man intercepting his own timeline. The structure is essentially very simple, the narrative unfolds in forwards and so does the films structure. However the complexity of what going on requires this. Any further complications would disrupt the viewing experiences and leave an audience grasping at even fewer straws than they already have. I believe in films that ask an audience to question, to think a little about what they are viewing, but it’s a very thin line to tread. I wanted to highlight it here as it’s something that I may have to tackle when assessing the best way to structure my film.

Still from Primer

I have already alluded in my proposal to the likelihood of using graphics and animation in some sort of “flashback” role and I wanted to highlight a couple of example’s that I find work effectively. In Kill Bill vol.1 there is a short animated scene which tells a particularly brutal moment in a character’s past. While I question the reasons why this should be animated, one of the things this dose achieve is a heightened sense of spectacle and visual impact on the viewer. We know it’s important because it’s different and it physically separates itself from the rest of the story, we are under no illusions this is a flashback from the past. At the opposite end of the scale is the flash back in the film Belle de jour (Brunel). It’s so quick, and on the surface quite subtle, it’s easy to miss. It involves a young girl (which we can assume is the lead character) and an unknown older man acting in an uncomfortably close towards her. The idea it alludes to is a little heavy and obvious but it does go a long way to explaining the main characters personality and actions. The reason I include it here is to show the power one simple shot, a few seconds long, can have on the audience’s understanding of your work. It is often described as Brunel’s most accessible film and this is perhaps the reason for the flashback to the characters childhood but it does say a lot very short amount of time.

Still image from Kill Bill

Still taken from Belle de Jour

Looking into these films is forcing me to re-evaluate the structure which I plan to use as a framework for my work. One of the initial reasons for using a diary in the first place was that it would to cover and large amount of time more systematically. The fundamental narrative issue here is that I am trying to cover many years worth of time in a ten minute film. Even with jumping diary installments it might be hard develop a consistent narrative delivering not just the story but also the required amount character evolution. As I continue develop the project it will be something I will focus as much as possible, with only ten minutes to play with, how I manage the time within those ten minutes will affect all elements of the film.