Can't break the fourth wall if you don't see it.
Everyone seems to make the Truman Show comparison and it is easy to see why. But the philosophy is different. I love Truman – it's one of maybe ten Constitutive Movies that have guided my path in understanding what cinematic storytelling can do at its best. But right now I have to say that I find it sort of safe, albeit still biting. Apart from the unlikely and over-the-top scenario…
Ruiz chronologically encounters a well-known three-episode TV series.
Imagine showing this to a kid. That kid would either be really pissed off or just intuitively vibe with it, becoming one heck of a surrealist when they grow up.
It seems to me that so far, this would be the most accessible entry point to Ruiz, as long as one is accustomed to certain traditions of reality-bending fiction. In fact – and I'm not saying that Manoel's Destinies isn't unique and…
(as seen on Vimeo, since I was a contributor)
Well, was it worth paying 25$ years ago? Yeah. Surely ‘Insect’ is a unique vision by a unique mind, and it is sad to see that this is where it all ends. But see we must.
What happens here is Svankmajer simultaneously reaching inside and out of ‘art’. The inner mechanics are simple enough, and they have often been employed: we are shown an act within an act. A sort of…
