A man is sent back and forth and in and out of time in an experiment that attempts to unravel the fate and the solution to the problems of a post-apocalyptic world during the aftermath of WW3. The experiment results in him getting caught up in a perpetual reminiscence of past events that are recreated on an airport’s viewing pier.
14 Sep La Jetée (1962)
Thirteen Monkeys
I wish I had seen this before “Twelve Monkeys.” Except for “Fear and Loathing,” Gilliam is artless (but reflexive). This is much more clever in how its manner (single images) reflects its story (how registration of images in the memory can fold time).
Its a master stroke in storytelling. Haunting, something close to radio. The characters become internalised in our own imagination as if we were traveling in time for a visit.
This is one of the roots of the family tree of science fiction films, especially those derived from Phil Dick stories. Good science fiction is about observation and who is the observer. The cleverness in this project is that the ‘viewer’ invents most of the reality: the viewer makes a story about a viewer who views himself.
Posted in 2004
Ted’s Evaluation — 4 of 3: Every cineliterate person should experience this.
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