'The Irrational Fear of Nothing' (Paul Trillo, 2016) is a short experimental drama that follows (quite literally) a neurotic and paranoid man named Terry as he walks the streets of Manhattan, as his past memories and irrational inner thoughts begin to plague his every move. Given that it explores many of the theme and ideas that we intend to for our project, I felt as though it would be a good point of research.
Primarily, I believe that the themes the film is attempting to portray are paranoia and memory; similarly to our film. Through the use of a Snorricam rig to which an Olympus OMD EM5 II was attached, the camera is always situated directly behind Terry throughout almost the entirety of the film. Subsequently, we view the world in his shadow and through his perspective; creating a disorientating effect that couples well with his neurotic and anxious inner monologues. Paranoia is primarily created though this disorientating effect, as well as multiple cases of overlapping voiceover and fast-paced editing to create a chaotic and rather uncomfortable tone that deliberately displaces the viewer.
 |
| Aside from the final shot, the entire film follows Terry, quite literally, as he undergoes his morning routine. His neurosis and paranoia is revealed through the voiceover monologue. |
I would argue that the film's main focus is to create a venture into paranoia; to provide a visual representation of a neurotic mind in a realistic setting. The film most likely aims to highlight the way in which anxieties and irrational inner thoughts seem even more irrational when expressed verbally and visually. It is common for people to experience such thoughts; though the film presents these thoughts in a tangible (or at least semi-tangible) way that encourages the viewer to perceive them as even more irrational and alien. In terms of representing the inner processes of a neurotic mind, I believe the film does so rather interestingly and effectively. The camera's fixed, unchanging position creates a disorientating and rather unnatural point of view which, when combined with a variety of editing speeds, creates visually perplexing images that successfully emulate Terry's cluttered and unfocused psychology; an effect only augmented by his intentionally jarring overlapping voiceovers.
The cinematography is undoubtedly the most innovative characteristic of the film. Though clearly done in separate takes, the camera's ever-consistent position directly behind Terry allows us to experience his anxieties directly and unequivocally. The film's complete lack of any counter shots (aside from the ending) leaves the spectator trapped within a single area of cinematic space; as if held prisoner within Terry's mind. Subsequently, it could therefore be inferred that this is the intention of the unusual cinematography: to emulate Terry's status of being a victim of his own psychology; trapped within his own convoluted, seemingly labyrinthine psyche.
In terms of sound, the most interesting or innovative feature is Terry's voiceover. On multiple occasions, his voice can be heard in numerous overlapping layers; creating a convoluted layer of words that is difficult to decipher. It is highly likely that this overlapping voiceover is used intentionally to represent Terry's inner thoughts. Not only in a literal sense in that they chronicle his anxieties, but also in that they represent the chaos of the human mind and its tendency to dart around from one thought to another with little sense of order. Moreover, it seems that the film's narrative is structured towards a similar intention; in that it has very little in terms of a linearity or consistency. Instead, the story mostly jumps back and forth alongside Terry's narration through a series of memories and flashbacks with seemingly no obvious overarching plot. Similarly to the voiceover, this irregular and unorderly narrative aims to represent the human psychology's difficulty in maintaining coherency and concentration, particularly one as neurotic as Terry's.
It is likely that 'The Irrational Fear of Nothing' as inspired by previous uses of the Snorricam in cinema. A particularly likely source of inspiration could have been 'Requiem for a Dream' (Darren Aronofsky, 2000); specifically, a scene in which Ellen Burstyn's character Sara overdoses on amphetamines and we delve into her manic delusions. Trillo could possibly have attempted to emulate this concept given that both film utilise the Snorricam in order to provide an unadulterated insight into the protagonist's cluttered psychology; granting the viewer a unique and immersive access to their inner turmoil. In terms of genre, the film mostly follows the conventions of a psychological drama, similarly to 'Requiem for a Dream'. Such conventions include analysis of the mind (the film acts a metaphor for Terry's psychology), the nature of reality (Terry undergoes frequent episodes of ontological uncertainty throughout the film and frequently suspects that elements of his life are not real or are repeating), and the subjectivity of perception (we see the filmic reality only through Terry's perspective; giving the viewer a unique insight into his state of mind). Although there are certain elements to subvert the genre or combine it with others, such as the element of time travel inclining towards supernatural fantasy, or the very loose and unstructured narrative leaning towards a rather naturalistic 'slice of life' style. Given this information, it is therefore possible that Trillo's intention for the film was for it to portray a realistic and believable premise in a rather unnatural and perplexing style. Perhaps therefore, the film could represent the idea of the complexity of the human mind; how, when expressed within a mundane and relatable setting, its bizarre and mystifying nature is far more apparent to the viewer.
The film has also undergone analysis from certain critics and commentators, many of whom have interpreted the film in a variety of ways. Chloe Leeson, founder and chief writer of the film-reviewing blog Screen Queens, has offered suggestions towards the time-travel element to the film, saying that "...the film became as foggy as [Terry]’s mind at this point. Was he a time traveller? Was he using a made up sci-fi scenario as a coping mechanism to deal with his unsatisfying life? Was his train of thought simply running away? I couldn’t pin-point it. Or maybe that was the point." (Screen Queens, 2016). The film never gives any solid answers to Leeson's questions, though as she states, this was likely the intention. The film concludes where it began, in Terry's bedroom; although this time the camera finally swings around to reveal his face (seen below).
Leeson's questions are perhaps ones that the film intends to deliberately provoke in its audience, to inundate their minds with pondering and uncertainties; very much like Terry himself. The seemingly disconnected narrative and unexplained plots points cause the film's reality to fracture and become more fluid; the film is deliberately set up so that it wanders and loses focus similarly to the mind its protagonist. The film is therefore almost undoubtedly a visual representation of a paranoid and neurotic mind; its cinematography and narrative working in combination in order to project this effect on the viewer and augment its tangibility and intensity.
In terms of the relevance 'The Irrational Fear of Nothing' has to our own film, it is mainly thematically and cinematographically that similarities are present. The film of course explores the concepts of paranoia, anxiety, and troubling memories; similarly to our film. However, it is the way in which these ideas are presented that is interesting, in that it provokes the similar feelings in the viewer. A Snorricam following our protagonist would unsurprisingly be a little too ambitious for our project, so we could instead attempt to emulate other techniques that the film utilises such as fast-paced editing, overlapping and deliberately convoluted sound design, and perhaps even an element of the supernatural with the figure's appearances. Cinematographically, it would instead be best to adopt a more traditional approach to creating paranoia and anxiety: through techniques such as handheld shots, close-ups, and POV shots which, in combination, create a disorientating image that immerses the viewer into the perspective of the protagonist; an effect very similar to the one seen here.
The cinematography is undoubtedly the most innovative characteristic of the film. Though clearly done in separate takes, the camera's ever-consistent position directly behind Terry allows us to experience his anxieties directly and unequivocally. The film's complete lack of any counter shots (aside from the ending) leaves the spectator trapped within a single area of cinematic space; as if held prisoner within Terry's mind. Subsequently, it could therefore be inferred that this is the intention of the unusual cinematography: to emulate Terry's status of being a victim of his own psychology; trapped within his own convoluted, seemingly labyrinthine psyche.
In terms of sound, the most interesting or innovative feature is Terry's voiceover. On multiple occasions, his voice can be heard in numerous overlapping layers; creating a convoluted layer of words that is difficult to decipher. It is highly likely that this overlapping voiceover is used intentionally to represent Terry's inner thoughts. Not only in a literal sense in that they chronicle his anxieties, but also in that they represent the chaos of the human mind and its tendency to dart around from one thought to another with little sense of order. Moreover, it seems that the film's narrative is structured towards a similar intention; in that it has very little in terms of a linearity or consistency. Instead, the story mostly jumps back and forth alongside Terry's narration through a series of memories and flashbacks with seemingly no obvious overarching plot. Similarly to the voiceover, this irregular and unorderly narrative aims to represent the human psychology's difficulty in maintaining coherency and concentration, particularly one as neurotic as Terry's.
 |
| This flashback shows Terry recollecting a time when he hit it off a woman at a diner; a memory brought about as he visits the diner in present day. This memory however has little to no relevance to any overall plot and is mostly a completely dead-end tangent. Seemingly completely disconnected scenes like this are used to represent the human mind's tendency to wander and lose focus when provided with the right stimuli. |
It is likely that 'The Irrational Fear of Nothing' as inspired by previous uses of the Snorricam in cinema. A particularly likely source of inspiration could have been 'Requiem for a Dream' (Darren Aronofsky, 2000); specifically, a scene in which Ellen Burstyn's character Sara overdoses on amphetamines and we delve into her manic delusions. Trillo could possibly have attempted to emulate this concept given that both film utilise the Snorricam in order to provide an unadulterated insight into the protagonist's cluttered psychology; granting the viewer a unique and immersive access to their inner turmoil. In terms of genre, the film mostly follows the conventions of a psychological drama, similarly to 'Requiem for a Dream'. Such conventions include analysis of the mind (the film acts a metaphor for Terry's psychology), the nature of reality (Terry undergoes frequent episodes of ontological uncertainty throughout the film and frequently suspects that elements of his life are not real or are repeating), and the subjectivity of perception (we see the filmic reality only through Terry's perspective; giving the viewer a unique insight into his state of mind). Although there are certain elements to subvert the genre or combine it with others, such as the element of time travel inclining towards supernatural fantasy, or the very loose and unstructured narrative leaning towards a rather naturalistic 'slice of life' style. Given this information, it is therefore possible that Trillo's intention for the film was for it to portray a realistic and believable premise in a rather unnatural and perplexing style. Perhaps therefore, the film could represent the idea of the complexity of the human mind; how, when expressed within a mundane and relatable setting, its bizarre and mystifying nature is far more apparent to the viewer.
The film has also undergone analysis from certain critics and commentators, many of whom have interpreted the film in a variety of ways. Chloe Leeson, founder and chief writer of the film-reviewing blog Screen Queens, has offered suggestions towards the time-travel element to the film, saying that "...the film became as foggy as [Terry]’s mind at this point. Was he a time traveller? Was he using a made up sci-fi scenario as a coping mechanism to deal with his unsatisfying life? Was his train of thought simply running away? I couldn’t pin-point it. Or maybe that was the point." (Screen Queens, 2016). The film never gives any solid answers to Leeson's questions, though as she states, this was likely the intention. The film concludes where it began, in Terry's bedroom; although this time the camera finally swings around to reveal his face (seen below).
 |
| The final scene's similarity to the opening, as well as Terry's narration stating "Today isn't Tuesday, it's Wednesday. It's always been Wednesday.", creates a degree of ambiguity as to whether or not this is the following day, the events of the film were merely another example of his wandering mind, his life is repeating (or seemingly so), or some combination of these. |
In terms of the relevance 'The Irrational Fear of Nothing' has to our own film, it is mainly thematically and cinematographically that similarities are present. The film of course explores the concepts of paranoia, anxiety, and troubling memories; similarly to our film. However, it is the way in which these ideas are presented that is interesting, in that it provokes the similar feelings in the viewer. A Snorricam following our protagonist would unsurprisingly be a little too ambitious for our project, so we could instead attempt to emulate other techniques that the film utilises such as fast-paced editing, overlapping and deliberately convoluted sound design, and perhaps even an element of the supernatural with the figure's appearances. Cinematographically, it would instead be best to adopt a more traditional approach to creating paranoia and anxiety: through techniques such as handheld shots, close-ups, and POV shots which, in combination, create a disorientating image that immerses the viewer into the perspective of the protagonist; an effect very similar to the one seen here.
No comments:
Post a Comment