FM4 - Spectatorship - 'A' Grade Exam Response: Experimental and Expanded Film/Video

'Experimental and Expanded Film/Video works are often perceived as being 'difficult'. As a spectator, how far has this been your experience with the films you have studied for this topic?'

I found, throughout the time on studying experimental film it became increasingly difficult to communicate with and watch. However, this varies with the films that I have studied and watch. I am going to discuss my views on two Maya Deren films, The Quay Brothers, Kenneth Anger, Chris Cunningham, and Le Jetee.

I feel that I am quite a creative student in terms of film and art so I was surprised when I was faced with different types of experimental films, as I thought (naively) they would be easy viewing, but more abstract. After watching ‘Meshes of the Afternoon’ I realized I was clearly wrong. I found it difficult to watch, I wouldn’t use the word boring to describe the experience, but I definitely wasn’t interested in the film. However, I did like the challenge of being able to take jumbled up bits of narrative, and quirky eerie shots and try to figure out my own perspective of the film. There is a boy shown in the film, which I feel is her boyfriend, so I think that Maya Deren had to find herself again in order to conform to the femininity a woman is faced with when she meets a man. I don’t think this is a feminist video, but I definitely think the narrative has underlying issues of feeling lost, and self reflection (through the use of mirror) and trying to find who you really are. I found Maya Deren’s ‘At Land’ much easier to watch, as I liked the artiness of the framing, and the shots. I didn’t enjoy ‘Meshes of the Afternoon’, and although it was Maya Deren’s most successful film, I feel ‘At Land’ was better in terms of framing, narrative and just general feeling.

However, I found ‘La Jetee’ easy to view and thoroughly enjoyed the 30 minutes it was on and I feel I could have watched it for longer. ‘La Jetee’ is confusing, but at the end reveals a clear narrative along with aesthetically pleasing framing and cinematography. I enjoyed the film more than any other experimental film as it had narrative and a structure, which after studying these films I found out these two qualities are what I look for and crave. I feel that if there is not a clear message that is conveyed and presented through narrative, or intertextually, then there isn’t much point in the film, as I think, ‘why make a film’ if only the creator/director understands it? Experimental film I feel isn’t about being told what it’s about or the deeper meaning; it’s about self-realization and discovery, that’s the beauty of it.

I feel that the before point relates deeply to Kenneth Anger’s ‘Fireworks’ I didn’t enjoy viewing this film, and as a spectator feel that the messages conveyed within the film (Anger’s hidden sexuality) could have been made much clearer within the scenes, and mise-en-scene used to represent the underlying issues of the film, and his life.

I love the idea of Experimental Cinema. I like the fact that it doesn’t conform to Hollywood, or blockbuster cinema, and the influences of it have such a flamboyant and wide range, you never know what you are going to end up watching, as it’s like there is no filter. Experimental film is a representation of what’s in someone’s mind, whether it be surrealism, fantasy, dreams, greed or something completely different like trash cinema; which I found, despite the amateur acting and unorganized scenes, easy to watch. I feel this is because there was a narrative in the film we were following.

I find Chris Cunningham’s shocking surrealist work sometimes difficult to watch, but like the highbrow art that films like ‘Flex’ create. After watching ‘Flex’ for the first time, I wasn’t sure what I made of it, it wasn’t until the fourth or fifth time watching it that I enjoyed viewing it, without feeling the need to venture into the narrative and message conveyed within the film. The extreme close-ups of body parts stripped bare of clothes I thought would shock me, but it didn’t, I found it artistic and unique. The use of music added to the film, as I watched it once on mute, and once with the music, and enjoyed it more in silence. The film definitely belongs in an art gallery, or at an art house as I feel the shots and framing are unlike anything I have ever seen.

Watching experimental/extended film for hours on must be difficult. Some films are over five hours long, and would have to have a very devoted audience to sit and take in the film for that amount of time. I know after five minutes of confusion I would likely become frustrated and distracted from the film and eventually turn it off. However, I would like to be able to watch a film without feeling the need for narrative and enjoy/take in the art and experiments made within the film and realize what makes it unique.

I found that The Quay Brothers films gave me the biggest problem of all. They use a lot of stop motion animation, which I find extremely difficult to watch any way. I respond better to film and relate stop-motion to cartoons, which I do find boring.

All in all, I think that some films can be ‘difficult’ to understand, but ultimately depends on the person as well as the film. Those with a greater a attention span may feel the need to take more in, and by doing that understand the film better as they’ve given it a fair chance. Experimental film has been around for decades and although the market and budgets for these films are low, I feel they will grow in popularity as Hollywood/high budget films will one day become too ‘samey’. High budget films such as ‘Science of Sleep’ represent surrealism and dreams. Also Chris Cunningham works frequently on adverts creating his own unique style.