So crazy seeing a Warner Brothers logo at the head of a film this structurally daring and visually murky. Looking into the fairly limited amount of trivia about this wonderful movie, I discovered that Stanley Kubrick was quite the fan, and it makes perfect sense. Though it has little in common with the aesthetics and themes Stanley trafficked in, Vicki Polon's structure is very Kubrick.
Rather than telling a conventional story, Girlfriends is a collection of moments that build upon one another. Long spans of time elapse between scenes and the audience is trusted to figure out where we are. Each scene builds upon the last while also being its own contained moment. The ending is cumulative and satisfying without that contrived/inevitable feeling that accompanies most traditionally structured screenplays. While there certainly isn't a straight line between 2001 and Girlfriends, you can see a circuitous kinship.
No comments:
Post a Comment