Normally Odd Characters

Often times for a film to be seen or felt as similar to another film, the two will share major thematic elements, whether that be plot points, story structure, character developments, or even more broadly, genre. Having these core similarities help draw out more minor connections that could be missed otherwise. Yet somehow, despite Holy Motors and Man Bites Dog sharing very little in the characteristics mentioned, the two films succeed in being very similar to each other.

The plot lines for Holy Motors and Man Bites Dog are fairly removed from each other, the former being a mockumentary about a serial killer and the latter being a collection of performances being acted out by a man whose life seems to have been consumed by them. While the plot of these films vary quite a bit, the structure that the two are told in are very similar. In both films the audience is thrown into the life of a character they know nothing about but are quickly given looks into their bizarre lives. In Man Bites Dog, a unsuspecting man, Ben, stands riding on a train who then strangles a woman to death within the first minute of the film. The same man is then sitting next to a river, explaining how he is disposing of the body in detail to the camera.

Similarly in Holy Motors, the first introduction we have to Mr Oscar is that he is an apparently rich banker walking towards a stretch limosine, escorted by guards. Once he enters the limo, it is quickly revealed that he is in a costume and continues to change into a different costume and persona, and does so regularly throughout the film. Despite not knowing this trait initially for either character, and not having any sort of exposition as to why the characters are doing what they are, both are clearly laid out and have there far from ordinary lives establish.




The parallels between Ben and Mr. Oscar continue on throughout both films. Both are shown as very established and comfortable in performing the duties that they are required in doing. Neither show and sort of discomfort in their work and complete in as through it is something that they have been doing their entire lives, and also as something that is not at all out of the ordinary. Ben effortlessly kills people throughout the entire film while casually explaining his process to the camera as he does so. Mr. Oscar weaves through different characters both visually and emotionally, showing no attachment to a previous character within an scene through most of the film.

In addition to the character introductions and styles being structurally similar, both films overall structure are very similar in presentation. In both a world is presented that is far from ordinary for most viewers. While in the case of Holy Motors this world is changing dramatically from scene to scene, it still maintains a feeling of strage-ness. Despite having these abnormal tasks and events happening, the supporting characters around the main character never do anything to impede on the events taking place and actually take part in promoting them. In Holy Motors the limo driver is the vehicle for the mans oddities(no pun intended); she drives him to and from his "appointments" and also provides him with briefings on what is to be done at said appointments. The same can be said for the camera crew in Man Bites Dog. They are not only documenting what the serial killer is doing, but are eventually taking part in and assisting in his actions. While the influence of the camera crew on the events created by the main character are far greater towards the end of the film than that of the limo driver, they both carry essentially the same responsibility within the contexts of their story.