How do you define “film”? Does it include storytelling? Does it have to?
Most people are used to going to see movies that tell stories; movies that have a beginning, a middle and end. Movies that build an emotional attachment between the viewer and the characters in the film and often result in making us laugh, cry or cheer for the good guy. The way that films tell stories is through the juxtaposition of shots that have nothing to do with one another. That’s editing. Abbas Kiarostami, an Iranian filmmaker known for many award-winning narrative films, such as “And Life Goes On” and “The Wind Will Carry Us,” has made a movie that goes against the norms of mainstream filmmaking. His film “Five” consists of five long takes, each lasting about 15 minutes. Each long take capture an aspect of nature.
The first is of a piece of driftwood on the shore. The wood is carried towards and away from the ocean with every push and pull of the waves. At times it just sits there, unmoved. After ten minutes, to the audience’s surprise (finally!), something happens: a piece breaks off of the driftwood. The audience began to get excited; I could hear some movement, a few gasps. I found myself curious, excited even, about this piece that managed to break off. I wondered if more pieces would break off or if perhaps this smaller piece would be taken away into the ocean. Now, as I sit here writing this review, I realize that this film is truly a success.
However, it is a success only if you as a viewer accept the terms of this kind of movie. You must be patient when watching this movie, you must give it time and allow it to unfold in front of you. Many people will argue that there is no story to “Five,” no narrative, no action. But if you allow yourself to believe in it, you will find that there is a story. One critic has compared the experience of viewing this film to watching clouds and I think that’s a good way to see it. Besides the driftwood take, my other favorite was the fourth take. Like the first, it takes place on the shore. In this shot, ducks walk in front of the camera. Over time more and more ducks pass by, some taking their time and others running to catch up with the rest. As the final duck passes by it calls out to the ones before it and, again, to the audience’s surprise, something happens: the ducks turn around. Then they all walk in the opposite direction. I heard many audience members chuckle as the ducks ran. And one woman in particular was laughing hysterically, though my sister (who unfortunately was sitting in front of her) claims she was insane. (Actually, as I waited in line to see the movie, I observed many crazy types on the line, fighting with the usher to be allowed into the theater early so they could sit in the seat closest to the screen.) For many viewers, this kind of film will come off as pretentious. The movie is definitely not for all audiences. But I think that it is important for people to learn to watch movies like this. The complete title of the film is “Five: Five Takes for Yasujiro Ozu.” Ozu, a Japanese filmmaker, has influenced many filmmakers of all nationalities, including the greats such as Akira Kurosawa and John Ford. On his headstone is engraved the single Japanese character Mu, which means “nothing” or “void.” Mu has been translated in film and other forms into the appreciation for silence and absence, as well as the appreciation of mundane, every-day activities. In “Five,” five seemingly mundane images of nature are transformed through the long take into often humorous, exciting and always beautiful little stories.
Leave a Reply