Whilst I’m no stranger to blogging, attempting to write something coherent which I deem worthy enough to be examined by persons that I know ‘IRL’ is proving to be rather challenging. I’m finding it unusual to limit myself to using actual words, and not simply describing how I feel about something as ‘anguiagnakljgn’. Although I’ve been informed I may write the blog in any tone or structure I desire, I feel that perhaps posting a 300 word essay written entirely by keyboard mashing may not suffice.



I found the lack of crosscutting in Porter’s ‘Life of an American Fireman’ to be particularly interesting. Though it demonstrated the idea of crosscutting, it fell a little short as it failed to parallel the action. However, it was actually the result of this ill-timed cutting that got me thinking. The audience is first presented with a scenario from one persons perspective – the interior shots – only to then be shown the exact same situation but from yet another perspective – exterior. Whilst the film is clearly classical in nature, I found that it leant towards being non-linear, though only very slightly. The narrative would proceed forward, as is standard, only to then backtrack and show part of the same narrative over, then proceed forward again. Am I making sense? Probably not. It left me thinking about how showing the two sides of the story separately could be explored. In particular it reminded me of the upcoming film ‘The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby’. This film, or rather, films, has not just taken the idea of presenting the same story separately, but has exaggerated it to the scope of two films titled ‘His’ and ‘Hers’. Each film is set to tell the same story, but from the perspective of two different people. Whilst the concept isn’t new, I don’t believe I’ve seen it used in this manner. And I’m going off on a tangent…



Now, as for Brakhage‘s ‘Mothlight’ (ah yes, that inevitable discussion of that one film that made everyone feel really conflicted). Since there is no overruling, and definite structure, I believe it can only be considered a classical narrative by an individual if the individual chooses to impose such a structure onto it – either consciously or subconsciously. Personally, I think that Brakhage is just having a laugh. I imagine him having a great old time imagining the film students of tomorrow trying to discover the deep, profound meaning behind his projection of a moth’s graveyard.

That being said, in spite of my cheerful interpretation, Brakhage himself seems to have a much more solemn insight:

“Over the lightbulbs there’s all these dead moth wings, and I ... hate that. Such a sadness; there must surely be something to do with that. I tenderly picked them out and start pasting them onto a strip of film, to try to... give them life again, to animate them again, to try to put them into some sort of life through the motion picture machine." 

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