Title: River of Fundament
Circulation and Creation:The 2014 speculative movie "River of Fundament" was developed by Matthew Barney and Jonathan Bepler. Distributed by Gladstone Gallery and Laurenz Foundation, the movie takes the audience on a comprehensive nearly six-hour-long abstract journey.
Setting and Basic Plot:The movie centers around 3 consecutive efficiencies embeded in Los Angeles, Detroit, and New York. It draws inspiration from the death parlor in Norman Mailer's novel "Ancient Evenings", and revisits styles of reincarnation and change observed in Mailer's work. Barney envisions 3 versions of author Norman Mailer's spirit, set against the backdrop of the disappearing American commercial landscape.
Artistic Influence & Framework:The story is constructed on a complex conceptual framework. Ancient Egyptian mythology links with the history of American production, presenting a sophisticated visual story depicting Mailer's passage through the underworld. Misconception, music, sculpture, and efficiency all contribute to creating this surreal cinematic spectacle. The narrative structure is influenced by a mix of opera and theatre, making it a special piece of visual art that does not strictly adhere to traditional filmic conventions.
Meaning:Vehicles are a repeating concept in the movie and are presented symbolically as the incarnations of Mailer's soul. Barney and Bepler repurpose degrading vehicles as the shell or container for the soul's transformation. The reanimated automobiles signify Mailer's spirit reborn and the cyclic nature of life and death, decay, and regeneration. Barney and Bepler's vision further intensifies when they integrate noteworthy skills including literature, music, and art, turning the work into an intertextual cornucopia.
Performances:"River of Fundament" includes a lineup of distinct entertainers. It includes Paul Giamatti as Ptah-Nem-Hotep, Elaine Stritch as the ghost of Mailer's third better half, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Ellen Burstyn as characters based upon Mailer's real and fictional partners, and Jonas Mekas as Mailer's literary executor. The movie also includes appearances from Salman Rushdie, Jeffrey Eugenides, Fran Lebowitz, and Dick Cavett, highlighting the film's intertwining of the literary world with its mythology.
Vital Reception:While the movie has been praised for its imaginative ambition, some critics have described "River of Fundament" as self-indulgent, and polarizing due to the fact that of its unapologetic absence of concession to commercial or conventional narrative requirements. It is, however, admired for its innovation, its fusion of different art types, and the philosophical inquiries and debates it prompts. The movie's intricate staging, detailed sound design, and the mesmerizing visuals make up for its tough, abstract story.
Conclusion:"River of Fundament" is a special blend of movie, sculpture, and opera. Its abstract narrative and artistic allure set it apart, creating an immersive experience for the audience. Watchers are invited to ponder the secrets of life, death, and the afterlife in a phenomenon of sound and image. Barney provides a decadent review of American industrial decrease, blended with a creative recasting of Mailer's "Ancient Evenings", placing "River of Fundament" as a work of adventurous cinematic ambition.
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