As a viewer of today’s film screening, I would just like to say that my initial thoughts after the film ended was “what the hell did Professor Zinman just have us watch.” This film was full of unexpected twists. To begin I still (as I am writing this) do not understand the beginning scenes of the movie before Oscar wakes up in the hotel bed. There were cuts of a naked boy or man just doing random things. I really did not understand what that was about, but I noticed it did it again at the end of the film as well.
As a whole though, I really enjoyed the movie. Even though I did not really understand what was happening I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I think my main reason for liking this film is because of the randomness of it. I mean there were certain times where I was like “what is even happening right now.” This film truly had my mind racing and since there was not really any linearity to it I was just on the edge of my seat guessing and plotting on what was going to happen next.
I really enjoyed this idea of his “appointments” mainly because when discussing it in class I never really expected his appointments to be this bizarre. I think my favorite part of the film was when he went to his third appointment as the crazy sewer man, that is what I called him in my notes, and he submerges from the sewer and into the cemetery and he is just going around eating the flowers off of peoples tomb stones. I was genuinely in shock, but not as in shock as the upcoming scene. I never expected him to BITE off that lady’s fingers and then proceed to lick the models armpit and then to take it even further kidnap her. What took my by surprise the most out of that whole sequence was that the model seemed totally unfazed by the situation. It was as if this was normal for her and she was expecting it to happen.
Overall I think that this was an amazing film, and a great example of Experimental Film. I am eager to hear other people’s thoughts in class on Thursday and hopefully gain some clarity of the “meaning” of this film. I would also like to gain insight on why Oscar’s driver decided to put on a mask at the end of the film and make a secrete call that was very cryptic because we as the audience don’t know who she was talking to, and we did not get to find out. I was also very shocked to see that Oscar was not the only person doing this job and that Holy Motors was a business that somehow has talking Limos? Again, as aforementioned, it is still hard for me to wrap my brain around the entire film, but I enjoyed watching it.
I liked your response and honestly about the confusion with the film. Holy Motors can be interpreted in many different ways and is filled with confusion. I think that the film’s lack of a clear narrative can leave viewers with more questions than answers. The film doesn’t follow a typical story and often feels random and I believe this disorienting structure is part of the experience. The film’s strange beginning, which you mentioned with the naked boy or man doing odd things, does a good job of demonstrating the film’s odd style. These sequences don’t really make sense on their own and this is intentional. I think that the point isn’t to explain everything to the audience but rather create a world where the usual rules of time and narrative don’t really apply. Also, these scenes are at the start and the end of the film and this could suggest that Oscar’s world doesn’t have a clear beginning or end. You’re also right to point out the randomness of the film. Oscar’s “appointments” put him in weird situations where he plays different roles: this could be a businessman, a strange person living in the sewer, or even an assassin. The randomness of these roles might hint to the audience that identity is not fixed. As mentioned in class, different people have different perceptions of who you are. Some may see you as athletic, outgoing, shy, etc. depending on what environment you’re in which proves that different people simply have different perceptions of who we are based on what they see. Similarly, in the film Oscar’s changing roles represent how our identities can shift depending on the situation. I was also intrigued by the scene you mentioned with the “crazy sewer man” and think it’s a good example of the film’s mix of ugly and surreal. Oscar’s behavior is super shocking since he eats flowers off gravestones, bites a woman’s fingers, and licks her armpit. I agree that it was very odd that the model he kidnaps seems completely unfazed. This lack of surprise could emphasize the film’s theme of emotional detachment where things that were shocking for me to watch don’t really seem to cause a reaction with the characters in the film. One thing that personally confused me was the end with the talking limos and it might suggest that Oscar is part of some secret society or strange system that plays with different identities. Overall, I agree with your thoughts on the film and thought the film’s strangeness is what made it fun to watch.
Hi Patrick,
To your comment “what the hell did Professor Zinman just have us watch.”, I definitely thought along similar lines after watching this film. I found myself lost and confused during several parts, but I also found the film oddly enjoyable. I couldn’t stop laughing at some of the random, almost absurd outbursts from Oscar. Like you, I was constantly trying to predict what was going to happen next, but I couldn’t find a clear connection between any of the scenes, and the whole film just felt like a string of disconnected moments.
The part that really threw me off was also the third “appointment,” when Oscar bites the photographer’s assistant’s fingers off and then seemingly kidnaps the model. I was just as shocked as you by how bizarre and extreme the situation became. As you mentioned, it was hard to understand why the model was so passive and went along with it all without reacting, which only added to the film’s surreal, dreamlike quality.
I remember reading that experimental films often break away from the classical Hollywood narrative structure, but I don’t think I expected such a radical departure from what we usually see in mainstream films. I was left wondering if there was any sort of deeper meaning or structure to the film, or if it was more of an exploration of random, chaotic moments designed to provoke a reaction.
I too look forward to hearing other people’s thoughts in class on Thursday in hopes of maybe gaining some insight into what was actually happening in this film. I also have the same question about Oscar’s driver at the end. The mask, the cryptic phone call—it left me with so many questions about what exactly was going on.
In any case, as perplexing as it was, I also found the experience of watching “Holy Motors” fascinating. It’s a unique film, and I agree with you that it’s a great example of experimental cinema.
I agree with much of the sentiment that you expressed in your blog post about Holy Motors, and was left on the edge of my seat throughout its entirety. While professor Zinman had prefaced the movie with a warning that we should not try to find meaning in every aspect of the film for it is far from easily explainable, so many elements in the film felt so random that I couldn’t help but reason that there was some ulterior motive in their placement. Despite much of the film making no sense, I also thoroughly enjoyed the movie, and was excited to discover what twists Leos Carax was gonna throw in front of me to further disorient me. While you reflected on the scene with the model in the graveyard, I agree that this was one of the most perplexing points in the film, and it felt like at no point I had a grasp on what the ensuing scene would bring. The way that Carax was able to mix up pace, making some scenes sped-up and drawn out and others quick and seemingly meaningless made me pay attention to everything and nothing at once. My favorite aspect of the film was that I truly had no idea what was going to happen next, what appointment he was going to, how he was going to disguise himself, and how anything was connected. By forcing me to be so present and keeping me in suspense, I believe that Leos Carax did a perfect job executing the experimental film, and I would love to watch it again to look for elements that I hadn’t seen during my first watch.