Analysing experimental film (TBC)

Analysing experimental film

As part of the research for this project we have been told analyze two experimental films, I have chosen to cover two of my favorites from the collection we watched during class.

Fisticuffs by Miranda Pennell – 2004 – 11 minutes

http://www.mirandapennell.com/films.html

An unusual piece revolving around a man walking in to a pub and getting in to a fight, which then escalates to a fully fledged bar brawl, described as being in the style of a western.
True to films of old the actors involved all seem impervious to pain despite amount of punishment they dish out on one another, the only difference in the piece is that its transported from that of an old, dusty tavern to a modern, British social club, OAP’s and all.

I found this piece massively entertaining! Up to this point my brief encounters with experimental film were yet to make me laugh, giving me the impression the majority of films labeled experimental were all very stern faced, serious sometimes confusingly artistic.
It was refreshing to view a piece that didn’t take its self to seriously, but was still artistic.

The editing of the piece is impressive, beginning with similar situations playing out briefly at the beginning and building up in length until escalated to the point the actors fighting often appear on screen in multiple places at once, all the while each shot harmoniously focus’s not only on the action but on that of the elderly in the foreground and background, oblivious to the carnage around them, they knit, chat and peacefully sit enjoying a drink.
For me this pokes fun at the British culture and how we are desensitized to drunken violence, accepting it as part of our every day routine and something we are far too comfortable with in our day-to-day lives.
This also goes hand in hand with the emergence of shots showing line dancing classes going on next door, keeping to the western theme, despite the smashing of glasses going on around the vicinity.
I also found the ending of the film particularly humorous with the bell at bar being rung, signaling not only last orders but also being used as a boxing style K.O bell as one actor receives a nasty, finishing blow.


Telling Lies by Simon Ellis – 2000 – 4 minutes

Another humorous piece, this time being told through the use of animated captions.
The piece tells the tale of a number of characters the morning after an eventful night out, with each character telling lies of some sort to cover up what they truly did or how they feel.
Each caption depicts what is being said over the phone by various characters, displaying what they are saying out aloud and what is truly being thought in their heads.
Each character is given personality through the color of their specific text.

It’s a simple piece but I find it to be effective, Like ‘Fisticuffs’ it is a socially realistic piece and I find it highly relatable, which again is something I found to be rare with in this genre of film making so far.

The use of sound and voice actors is spectacular, nothing special or obvious but you can really feel the emotions and deceit in their tones of voice, the shrill ringing of the phone also impressed me, piercing the ears, whilst expressing the sounds of oncoming and inevitable doom in a the hung over, fragile state of our protagonist.