Week 3

“Symbiopsychotaxiplasm” and “I am Curious (Yellow)” came out around the same time and both explore similiar themes in their exploration of metacinema. They are both pretty direct in their presentation of being films about the creation of a film, though they differ in the techniques used to convey the underlying philosophy. Because of difference in techniques, the emotional and philosophical response becomes different for the viewer.

In “I am Curious (Yellow),” the film is about a director’s (Vilgot’s) relationship with the lead actress (Lena) in his film and Lena’s relationship with Bill, an actor portraying a salesman. The film has a very autobiographical feel to it and the plot of the film is disrupted with documentary footage of Lena on the street asking the public difficult questions obout politics and ethics, as well as footage featuring Martin Luther King, Jr. in an actual interview that was conducted by Vilgot Sjöman. The film purposely blurs which parts of the line are documentary and which parts are staged. Some parts seem like part of the “real world” of the film only to have the shot pull back and reveal the Vilgot and a crew filming the scene. The only truly honest reactions that are illicited from subjects are the answers provided during the “person on the street” interviews. Even those feel effected by the presense of a camera though, particularly the scenes in which people are asked about Francisco Franco, the dictator of Spain at the time. It seems as though they are afraid to answer honestly when their reactions will be made public through distribution of the film. At the heart of “I am Curious” is a statement about the effect film making has on relationships and politics. How the act of making a film influences one’s behaviour and dictates one’s actions.

“Symbiopsychotaxiplasm” is also about the effect making a film has on those involved, but is a more direct and experimental approach to that basic idea. In the film, director William Greaves hires a cast and crew to shoot some footage for a film he is making. He then hires a crew to document the making of the film and a thirrd crew to document everything that’s happening including the other two crews and the public in Central Park. William takes on a character as stupid and confused director. The project becomes unhinged as the crews begin to get fed up with William’s behavior on set, almost to the point of mutiny. Even during the scene where the crew is apparently plotting a mutiny, it’s not clear wether this is a legitamit meeting or if Greaves put them up to this, which is something one of the crew members references to the camera. “Symbiopsychotaxiplasm” does a great job at capturing seemingly authentic conversations and interactions from the participants of the film. With so many cameras rolling, it seems like those involved sometimes forget that the camera is there.

While both films comment on the effect that filmmaking has on all those involved, “I am Curious (Yellow)” does so through a more nuanced and poetic script while “Symbiopsychotaxiplasm” goes for an experimental approach.