SydLexia.com - The Forums :: View topic - Seven movies that pushed the boundaries of storytelling.

Posted: Dec 23 2009 02:46 pm

i dont really agree that these pushed boundaries, but whatev. i have only seen 2 of these movies btw.

Quote:

Something struck me when reading Cameron's typical hubristic declarations in his conversation with Peter Jackson over at Slate. He said "Filmmaking is not going to ever fundamentally change... It's about those actors somehow saying the words and playing the moment in a way that gets in contact with the audience's hearts. I don't think that changes. I don't think that's changed in the last century... [The studios have] also lost the courage to make, frankly, a movie like 'Avatar,' which is a blockbuster-scaled movie not based on prior arc."

But just because a film's not part of a franchise doesn't mean it's a radical break with the hero-cycle past. And Cameron is way out there if he really thinks "Avatar" is all that different, when it comes to plot freshness, from the "Transformers" and "Harry Potter"s of the world. Leaving aside the avant-garde, there've been plenty of movies that re-orient how we think about narrative. Here are seven of my favorites from our waning decade:

http://www.ifc.com/blogs/indie-eye/2009/12/storytelling.php?utm_source=feedburner

"Borat" (2006)
"Code Unknown" (2000)
"Donnie Darko" (2001)
"Irreversible" (2002)
"No Rest for the Brave" (2003)
"Primer" (2004)
"Tropical Malady" (2004)

Joined: May 22 2008 Location: Goshen, VA Posts: 6544

Donnie Darko was fucking stupid. Yeah, I said it.

Posted: Dec 23 2009 04:25 pm

Borat - Mockumentaries aren't new.
Donnie Darko - Time paradoxes aren't new
Haven't even heard of the others.

Posted: Dec 23 2009 04:32 pm

Why are they all from the 21st Century?
My vote is for "Defending Your Life."

Posted: Dec 23 2009 04:41 pm

Film making is never going to change because acting as an art form is probably going to stay pretty much the same? Wtf? Because we all know that acting is the only element of film making, right? Rolling Eyes

(And frankly, with the advent of such good animation and motion capture, there might actually BE a fundamental shift in the acting world if the trend continues.)

And studios not having the "courage" to make an almost guaranteed special effects-porn hit from one of the most popular special-effects directors of all time? That took guts, all right. Good grief. Rolling Eyes

Posted: Dec 23 2009 05:06 pm

As someone who wants to get involved in the film making business, I hope it deosn't change. I'd rather indure the long process of dealing, conversating with an actor on why said line isn't working for them and whatnot.

And I think the only reason Primer is on there is because of it's low-budget.

Joined: Aug 05 2008 Location: CA Posts: 867

I would argue "The Fall" directed by Tarsem. People say it fails in its storytelling due to the seven years it took to film, and the mash up of several story telling techniques clash somewhat. It's definitely unique though, and pretty.

Waltz with Bashir also. Maybe Waking Life too.

Edit: Irreversible, is a great movie, but in my opinion it's more popular for it's cinematography and editing than story, if you can get past the rape scene and the impacted head scene. I have lent many people this movie, most of them return it to me very angry, despite my warnings.

Gallery 2 · Posted: Dec 23 2009 07:53 pm

Wait, what?

I'm sorry, but I can't help but to disagree with the entire article.

I mean, I kinda get where he's going with it, but I think he chose rather weak examples to get his point across (Borat? Seriously?)

In truth to come up with plot freshness is hard, because let's face it, everything has been told at this point (why you think people keep comparing Avatar to Dances with Wolves?).

HOWEVER.

A story's true freshness comes from being able to induce new angles to otherwise already told genres.

The thing is, American Filmography loves to play it safe, relying on formulas that work as a crutch instead of trying for new angles, whereas European Filmography loves to be avant garde to the point of forgetting what they were going with it. Of course, there are exceptions in which know how to apply storytelling properly.

Now, I'm not saying the movies mentioned in the article aren't good; they're just not the right examples...

2010 SLF Tag Champ Joined: Jun 07 2006 Posts: 12294

pans labrynith plz.

Posted: Dec 24 2009 06:18 am

"Irreversible" FTW.
I think is the only one that I watched. I do think it is really innovative narration, although I learned afterwards that there are previous works with similar ways.
Also I think I'd mention Memento in the list.

Posted: Dec 24 2009 06:52 am

Did Caleb Goellner write that shit?

Joined: May 22 2008 Location: Goshen, VA Posts: 6544

No, he probably jumped off a roof after getting pwned by our fearless leader.

Posted: Dec 25 2009 10:01 am

2 girls 1 cup pushed the limits of storytelling. The movie itself became less important than individuals' reactions to it.

Posted: Dec 31 2009 11:27 am

Spinal Tap should be in over Borat, what? Just because it didn't sicken people it shouldn't go in?

And Pulp Fiction should go in as well, I know it isn't the first non-linear movie made (and Tarantino isn't afraid to mention that, nor is it his first). But I feel like it was the first to go main-stream.

Posted: Dec 31 2009 01:05 pm

Tarantino is a total arrogant douchebag. He has no business on a list like that.

#edit: Oh, and his movies are terrible. That's an important part I left out.

Posted: Dec 31 2009 01:48 pm

FNJ wrote:

pans labrynith plz.

Having watched the movie for Spanish class last semester, I'm gonna have to agree here.

Posted: Dec 31 2009 02:30 pm

Dr. Jeebus wrote:

Tarantino is a total arrogant douchebag. He has no business on a list like that.

#edit: Oh, and his movies are terrible. That's an important part I left out.

i know you hate QT, but Reservoir Dogs is an awesome movie as well as Pulp Fiction.

Gallery 2 · Posted: Dec 31 2009 05:09 pm

For that matter, why not put Uwe Boll in the list? Taking decent to good story lines from video games and turn them into utter garbage must push some sort of storytelling boundary...

Joined: Oct 01 2009 Posts: 5316

While I laughed my ass off at Borat, I don't consider it either a good movie or contained great storytelling. I watched it again about a year ago and didn't laugh once.

And I really really hate to say it, but as far as catching people off guard in uncomfortable situations, Tom Green still did it better than Sasha has done as Ali G, Borat or Bruno.

2010 SLF Tag Champ Joined: Jun 07 2006 Posts: 12294

Dr. Jeebus wrote:

Tarantino is a total arrogant douchebag. He has no business on a list like that.

#edit: Oh, and his movies are terrible. That's an important part I left out.

kill bill is not terrible.

Joined: Oct 01 2009 Posts: 5316

FNJ wrote:

kill bill is not terrible.

Personally, I don't think it's that good either. I just see too many of the same cliches out of Tarantino anymore. While I like Reservoir Dogs and about 75% of Pulp Fiction, I don't care for much of anything else that Tarrantino has made (although I don't count True Romance or Natural Born Killers). I have yet to see Unglorious Basterds, so I can't say anything bad there.

2010 SLF Tag Champ Joined: Jun 07 2006 Posts: 12294

Doddsino wrote:

FNJ wrote:

kill bill is not terrible.

Personally, I don't think it's that good either. I just see too many of the same cliches out of Tarantino anymore. While I like Reservoir Dogs and about 75% of Pulp Fiction, I don't care for much of anything else that Tarrantino has made (although I don't count True Romance or Natural Born Killers). I have yet to see Unglorious Basterds, so I can't say anything bad there.

I think you really have to enjoy the old martial arts films and 70's blaxploitation movies to appreciate kill bill.

Posted: Jan 02 2010 01:07 am

Not a movie from the last 10 years, like the list above, but I thought "Run Lola Run" was a refreshing take on storytelling, and one of the first movies that used a video game approach of having "multiple lives" trying to complete a task.

Posted: Jan 02 2010 02:00 pm

Kill Bill was better than Pulp Fiction. Both Volumes, IMO Pulp Fiction is light years from a terrible movie, but it's not his greatest work.

What about Blair Witch Project?

Posted: Jan 03 2010 03:33 am

Blair Witch may have been an early example of viral marketing, but the only thing it pushed the boundaries of for me was falling asleep in the theater.