It is no surprise that Leos Carax’s masterpiece in the avant-garde, Holy Motors, is anything but conventional. In the movie, we are taken on a nonsensical day of “Mr. Oscar”, a man who completes a set of 9 appointments for a mysterious group known as “The Agency”. These appointments vary in purpose and severity, adding a layer of discomfort and confusion for the average viewer. First, our main character, referred to as Mr. Oscar, changes in appearance throughout the film. In one moment, he appears as a wealthy banker, another he is an elderly woman begging on the side of the street. These tasks dramatically change in severity too. In one appointment, he plays a motion capture actor who is helping animate a sexual encounter between two creatures. In a later scene, he assumes the role of a mob boss who stabs a man identical to him in the neck.
Throughout this film, the questions of authenticity (what is true about Mr. Oscar and the roles he assumes) and reality (is what we are watching real or staged) shrouds these various appointments in mystery. At times, the viewer is unable to tell if the scene is another appointment or merely an unplanned event. Even after Mr. Oscar is stabbed in the neck or gunned down after murdering the banker he appeared as in the beginning, he is able to get up and move on to the next appointment, blurring the lines between reality and fiction. Is a death really death? If so, does that affect our viewing experience?
Perhaps one of the only scenes of clarity come from a conversation within the limousine that transports Mr. Oscar to each appointment. Appearing completely recovered after the stabbing, a mysterious man questions Mr. Oscar’s decision to continue doing this work, remarking that Oscar appears more tired. Here, we begin to learn of the “cameras” that are growing smaller, something that frustrates Mr. Oscar. It appears that “The Agency” that creates these appointments have some goal, some enforcer to check in with Mr. Oscar and verify the work is done. The viewer is now able to pose a possible explanation of some of the events: maybe these scenes are performed and filmed by some audience. However, who is this audience? Who do the people we learn also do appointments play for? Does it matter? The mysterious man in the limousine poses, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” In response, Mr. Oscar retorts, “and if there is no beholder?” I believe this film serves to distort the generic discussion of humanity and the various characters we play in our daily lives. There is no reason for Mr. Oscar to specifically do any of these scenes. There is no point to the house of monkeys that Mr. Oscar retires to, there is point of the cars talking in the final shot. All that is real is what we make real, what facades we choose to indulge in. However, to quote Mr. Oscar, we do it for “the beauty of the act.”
I’m curious if anyone had any other interpretations of the movie or who the audience they are seemingly performing for is?
Hi Logan, I really like your commentary on the ideas of authenticity/inauthenticity and the moment of clarity within the film when Mr. Oscar and the man are in the limousine. Specifically, I found your questioning of the reality within the death scenes to be quite interesting. As I was watching the film I too was very confused by how Mr. Oscar basically escaped from death not one, but two times. I don’t think I am alone in this as this is a very unconventional event in film. Usually a person is shot or stabbed and actually dies. I really like when you write “is death really death” because in this film our idea of death is bent. In fact, our idea of reality while watching this movie is bent entirely. How is Mr. Oscar able to drop in on different families as if he has been there the entire time? How does Mr. Oscar know everything about the roles he plays such as where to go and what to do from just one little file? And of course, how can Mr. Oscar escape death twice? Many questions are left unanswered within this film which although is odd and we aren’t used to, is also quite interesting and makes me curious about other art films.
The film, Holy Motors, challenges conventional storytelling and blurs the boundaries between authenticity and performance, reality and fiction. The film invites viewers to contemplate various layers of meaning and consider multiple interpretations.
One compelling aspect of Holy Motors is its exploration of identity and the roles people assume in their lives. Mr. Oscar embodies this notion as he transforms into various characters, suggesting that our identities are multifaceted and often performative. The film raises questions about the authenticity of these roles and the nature of one’s self, prompting viewers to ponder the fluidity of identity.
Regarding the question of the audience, I believe it deliberately remains ambiguous in the film, and this ambiguity can be seen as an invitation for viewers to engage in their interpretations. The lack of a clear answer encourages viewers to think critically about the nature of performance, identity, and the role of the observer in our lives. It’s a thought-provoking commentary on the subjective nature of reality and the way we construct and perceive our own truths.