Decasia (2003)
A work of experimental cinema that features a procession of scratched, blistered and otherwise ruined strips of film while a minimalist score drones behind the imagery. At times, recalls Ballet Mechanique, Man Ray's Return to Reason and much of Brakhage's work... except those films all had the distinct advantage of being very, very short. This film is 70 minutes long, which strikes me as simply too long for this kind of emulsion-fuckery; consequently, a tendency towards repetition mars the film. But there's several striking images (my favorites being the merry-go-round threatened by water damage and the boxer fighting a large scratch) and the score has many interesting sections. Funny thing, actually... when the images are boring, the score is great and when the score is boring the images are great. Some synchronicity would have been nice. Still, fans of the avant-garde can put up with things like this. I think I liked enough of it to recommend anyway.
Grade: B-
A work of experimental cinema that features a procession of scratched, blistered and otherwise ruined strips of film while a minimalist score drones behind the imagery. At times, recalls Ballet Mechanique, Man Ray's Return to Reason and much of Brakhage's work... except those films all had the distinct advantage of being very, very short. This film is 70 minutes long, which strikes me as simply too long for this kind of emulsion-fuckery; consequently, a tendency towards repetition mars the film. But there's several striking images (my favorites being the merry-go-round threatened by water damage and the boxer fighting a large scratch) and the score has many interesting sections. Funny thing, actually... when the images are boring, the score is great and when the score is boring the images are great. Some synchronicity would have been nice. Still, fans of the avant-garde can put up with things like this. I think I liked enough of it to recommend anyway.
Grade: B-
<< Home