Another Greenaway, this time with a much more direct artistic intention than others I've seen so far. His other films have revolved around vivid characterizations and the delicate or intense conflict that can arise between them. Zed is less about characters and more about the concept of symmetry in as many forms as possible.
The most easily recognizable form is the frame composition. Almost every set is purposefully symmetrical and the characters within these sets are themselves symmetrical, twin brothers being the protagonists. There are reoccurring shapes and words presented that have this quality, circles of various materials, the word Zoo shown both forward and backward during various sequences.
But the film goes so much deeper than being simply visual by analyzing the complementary nature of existence. The relationship between life and death is the central theme which becomes an obsession of the protagonists. After a tragic car accident that kills both of the brother's wives they seek to reconcile their loss with research attempting to find some reason behind the event. One brother becomes obsessed with the birth phase of existence from the very beginning of biological life progressively to the human condition. The other analyzes death, taking time lapse film of the decay of biological life using the same progression. Eventually they combine their efforts in what to them would be considered a masterpiece, an ambitious undertaking brought to a perfect conclusion, but to any bystander, a deeply deranged and horrifying result of madness.
However, this explanation only touches the surface of what this movie is about. Greenaway's films absolutely require more than one time through and luckily for me I look forward to revisiting them again and again because this is what the art of film is all about.
No comments:
Post a Comment