Guy Maddin has
called My Winnipeg a “docu-fantasia,”
an invented term for a unique type of pseudo documentary. Although the style is
still distinctly Madden, I would argue that there was a precedent for this type
of film prior to My Winnipeg. It was
set by another trailblazer in 1973, with Orson Welles’ F is for Fake. Both films use staged sequences within a film meant
to be about facts. By the end of both films, however, it becomes clear that the
lines between fact and fiction have become blurred along the way.
In part, Maddin
achieves this by making the construction of the documentary part of the film
itself. Maddin narrates explanation of his decision to cast actors to play his
family for the recreation sequences, including Darcy Fehr to play himself and
classic B-Film star Ann Savage (Detour)
as his mother. This footage is intermixed with real archival footage of Maddin
and his family, along with a variety of other footage that could be archival
and/or filmed for the filmmaker’s unique vision. If only stylistically, My Winnipeg shares a great deal with the
rest of Maddin’s filmography.
The storyline in
My Winnipeg is virtually
indecipherable, though that seems to be the point. Plot gets lost amidst the
strange collection of footage cut together, all with Maddin rambling in what
feels like a stream-of-consciousness recollection of childhood memories. The
film literally becomes about Maddin’s Winnipeg
The Blu-ray
release includes a new high-definition digital film transfer, supervised and
approved by Maddin and director of photography Jody Shapiro, with a 2.0
surround sound DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. All new in the special features
is a conversation between Maddin and art critic Robert Enright. Also included
are five Maddin short films which have been previously released, but three
include new introductions from the Canadian filmmaker. The shorts included are Spanky: To the Pier and Back (2008), Sinclair (2010), Only Dream Things (2012), The
Hall Runner (2014), and Louis Riel
for Dinner (2014). There is also a 2008 featurette, and four cine-essays
from 2014 by Maddin and Evan Johnson.
Entertainment Value:
7/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 8.5/10
Historical
Significance: 8/10
Special Features: 9/10
No comments:
Post a Comment