Bordwell’s paper makes me think about something one of my English teachers said after someone was complaining about a spoiler- “it’s about the journey, not the destination.” Most people have probably heard something along these lines, but based on what Bordwell is saying, we will have to apply it very differently. In books and classic cinema, we always knew that the journey would lead to a destination. However, in art cinema, it sounds like the journey is more of an exploration- the characters don’t have defined desires and goals, their actions and reasons are inconsistent, and much is left to the viewer’s interpretation. Art cinema is like an adventure through the absolute wilderness, with no destination in mind. People will experience and understand it differently, and the end is not what matters. The ideas are the focus, and everyone will interpret them slightly differently. Classic cinema, on the other hand, is like going on a hike; people will experience it very similarly, and are probably going to see very similar things. The story is the focus, and it is the same no matter who sees it.
When Leos Carax said “There’s never any initial idea or intention behind a film, but rather a couple of images and feelings that I splice together,” it furthers the sense of art cinema being an exploration and encouraging viewers to explore, because Carax didn’t have a place he was journey-ing to. It sounds like he was exploring different paths to connect the concepts he had, without an end goal in mind. He even adds that he didn’t have a set actor in mind- if the actor he used said no, he had a whole list of oher options he was ready to explore. Moreover, even after the film was out, he still had room to explore it. When asked what the human’s home was, he answered the question with 3 more questions. In doing so, he encourages viewers to continue to think about the ideas represented in the film, even when the film is done.
Even though art cinema encourages the viewers to interact with and think about the film more than classic cinema, they are united by common voyeuristic tendencies. Carax mentioned that he also derived pleasure from watching his actors when he said “And when I film this body on the move, I feel the same pleasure I imagine Muybridge felt watching his galloping horse.” Most people derive some pleasure from watching classic cinema, and Carax’s quote shows that cinema art should be no different. He thinks people should enjoy the visual qualities of films as they explore the ideas and themes presented in the films. Overall, I’m kind of excited for this week’s screening. It seems like Holy Motors will be unlike anything I’ve ever seen and will force me to think about film differently (in a good way).