Holy Motors: Man Without a Movie Camera - Brows Held High
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- Опубликовано: 20 окт 2016
- Why this piece of French insanity is the best movie of the last decade.
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I could listen to that accordion segment forever.
I felt incredibly nice when accidentally came across this video and saw that my little creativity really liked though a small group of people.
Thank you very much :)
oh, I just realized that you may talk about the very ending which comes from the movie. xD
Nvm
@@gethiox was looking for your piece of creativity maybe linked in the comments , looked up at you incidentally. Amazing work dude!
It's a cover of 'Let My Baby Ride' by R. L. Burnside, a legendary blues musician!!
That accordian scene though
That alone is worth the price of admission.
And it's just the interval!
At the end when you said 'if even for the one moment of pure creative joy.' I almost cried.
The accordion scene is one of my favourites in all of cinema.
I know you don't want to give away spoilers, but there's one thing about the end of the movie that I think a lot of people are missing.
SPOILERS!
At the beginning of the film, it seems as if M. Oscar is a banker who is going for business meetings. Then it appears that he isn't a banker, but an actor---but we the audience might believe that he is a very well-paid actor. In other words, the banker's house is his home when he is no longer doing assignments. This idea gets thrown away when M. Oscar kills the banker character two-thirds of the way through the film. But at the very end, just about midnight, he goes to his last assignment. To our surprise, Céline gives Oscar his money for the day, keys, and that she will pick him up the same time tomorrow morning. In other words, he is not going to do his last assignment and then go "home"----he is ALWAYS on assignment and Oscar HAS no home.
the feels when no more Shakespeare Summer
Not just the most astute analysis of Holy Motors, but one of the best pieces of film criticism on RUclips. I hope Leo Carax has seen it! You may appreciate this anecdote...
I first saw Holy Motors at my friend Adrien's flat in Paris. There was me, Adie, Louise and Clémence, all film fans in search of something to watch that evening. He was scrolling away at random on some streaming site and (thank you God) he chose HM, which none of us had seen despite being into Carax. So...we watch, jaws progressively dropping as one unbelievable scene follows another. After it came to an end we sat in silence for a moment and then Adrien said "Again?" Me: "Absolutely. But we'd better get some more beers in." So we go out into the Rue Henri Barbusse and make for the late-night grocery store, Le Proxi on the Boulevard St Michel. We're both babbling away about this incredible film we've just seen which is like nothing we've experienced before, when all of a sudden Adrien grabs my arm. "LOOK!" Coming out of the store is an elegant-looking man with a shock of white hair, wearing a long Burberry-style cream overcoat. It's Denis Lavant. Adrien's a quicker thinker than me in these circumstances and next thing you know the three of us are posing on the pavement for a selfie - quite a few selfies actually. Once we'd explained about the coincidence, Denis was as amazed as we are, and couldn't have been more patient and charming. He declined our invitation to a private viewing of Holy Motors, holding up the bottle of wine he'd just bought - "I have someone waiting for me" - but very kindly put us on the guest list for a theatre performance he was giving next week before disappearing with a swish of his raincoat down the boulevard. What a man! What a film! And what a brilliant evening! (We watched it twice more. Our girlfriends threw in the towel about fifteen minutes into the second viewing. Mine still hasn't forgiven me for meeting Denis Lavant without her.)
What a wonderful surprise, I personally think lavant is the greatest living actor.
Agreed. Saw him on stage doing an interpretation of Josef K in Kafka's The Trial and the whole audience was transfixed. Incredible presence.
If I could see every movie in a theater I'd do it but I only get mainstream stuff near me
😔
I actually was able to see holy motors in a theater-like setting. It was my freshman year, my friends were in a film appreciation cast and invited me to a screening they had to go to for extra credit. I didn't know what to make of this film, many of the digressions didn't make sense, I felt as though a secret was being kept from me, though I soon picked up on the metanarrative of the death of cinema. Though because I was stuck with a bunch of students who were taking the class for easy college credit, a lot of their dismissal rubbed off on me. They considered it pretentious, unstructured and many of them weren't even able to pick up on the metaphor. While I still appreciate this film, I can't really say that I am much of a fan. I think that because this is such a personal story and includes so many references to French cinema and Carax's work, I don't think many people will be able to appreciate this movie for all it brings to the table. I don't think I will know every secret of this film, though I appreciate you enlightening me to some of this film's ideas.
(Though seriously, what was with the cars at the end?)
See comment above yours…
A brilliant film and an even better analysis, this is superior content great job.
I knew that the talking cars symbolized the fear of obsolescence. I just didn't know whose fear until I saw this video. They represent the filmmaker's fear of obsolescence.
So it's kinda like a film comparing new and old cinema techniques, that DOESN'T turn into an hour-long rant about hw much new media and modern technology is evil?... Holy crap that's rare.
This did get me thinking though: Maybe in future, people might not just experiment with subject matter in film, but maybe even in presentation and distribution? LIke, say, filming and creating a feature length film, but releasing it in 6-second chunks on Vine, but done so in a way that they can still stand on their own as little 6-second Vine videos? Kinda like the opposite of an anthology movie: instead of a bunch of smaller stories released as a single movie, it's a single movie released as a bunch of smaller stories.
Ever played Her Story?
I've watched something called Her Story, but never played a game called that
Seconding Her Story.
You basically described my half-baked idea for a "Damn Daniel" horror parody. I was able to successfully pitch it to my drunk friends, and then I realized I preferred drinking and not making films to not drinking and making films, so it stayed on the proverbial drawing board.
If anyone feels like stealing my idea, I wish you the best of luck!
You *can* drink *and* make films. Lots of very good directors do you know. And very bad but entertaining ones. ;-) Dooo eeet.
6:19 "It's a scene about reunited former lovers" - indeed ! And the link is clear when you see the Pont-Neuf from the roof of the magasin La Samaritaine!
Despite not liking the actual film very much, I like what you have to say about it a lot.
Have you re-watched it since commenting this?
I too watched it in cinema. I always thought he wanted to force the audience to wake up with a piece that was out of the ordinary, out of the comfortable cinema that the audience was used to. I never thought they might be dead. Great insight.
Also, accordions. Because accordions rule.
That's all well and good Kyle, but how do you explain the talking cars?
Siri
GPS
Autobots, clearly.
I always thought of them as a metaphorical image for producers and agents. In the digital age, there is no middle man. Death of cinema and the embracing of the digital age also means that the artist is usually doing every themselves; a diy effort. Social media provides the platform to reach the artist directly. There’s no more need for the motors, which is why they speak of their incoming death
It took me a bit to remember where is saw the main actor before. He was the indestructible man in the video for UNKLE's Rabbit in the Headlights
I was just going to throw Holy Motors on my "to watch" list, but when you talked about figuring it out I figured I should see how far I got on my own. Plus I can relate to wanting people to go in blind.
I got that he was an actor but I spent the movie trying to guess who he was acting _for_. Like what service his agency provides. Besides being a vehicle for the movie itself. Going by that line about invisible cameras Oscar isn't aware he's performing for Carax's Red Epic. Maybe in-universe nobody knows where their assignments come from. Maybe they don't know that their universe is the movie Holy Motors.
As for the death/transformation of cinema, I'm fascinated by the ephemeral nature of pre-home media cinema. Movies that existed only for their theatrical run. That's so at odds with how we do movies now, on so many levels, I can't really wrap my head around it. Maybe pre-internet cinema will seem just as alien at some point.
beautifully done. thank you.
You’re the only critic I’ve seen point out the headstones! Thanks for this awesome piece.
thank you so much kyle; you always make my favorite videos. it's a miserable day outside, and i really needed a treat
Kyle is such a soft, sweet boy.
I am a good good video essay boy, yes.
KyleKallgrenBHH yes you are daddy
I am so grateful for this video. I didn't have the intelligence to understand Holy Motors. All I knew was that I loved it and I felt bad cause I thought I was being a snob of some sort.
Perhaps the audience is asleep. And DREAMING. The man has just woken up, and it appears he is within a dream himself. Being in a theatre and watching a movie is kind of like a dream that you share with other people
Reminded me that I met in Paris, AT THE SAME TRAIN STATION, and two weeks apart : Lavant and then Carax and his daughter.
Btw I watched it twice in the theater, and the at home, and still didn't know what to think about it, and whether to like it or not.
the accordion section mike drop moment is why I keep coming back to this channel
I love that you included monster factory in the montage of RUclips videos. And by the comment over that section it sounds like you listen to MBMBAM.
Mahn, oh Man! You nailed it. Couldn't get a better explanation to this film. I also felt things in bits and pieces of what you said, and this is all I wished to see. Thanks mate. Subscribed!
oh yes I saw this film on it's first week in a theater knowing nothing about it (a friend had read a short article and dragged me with her) Still one of the most magical cinema experiences I've had.
Kyle, this is brilliant! Holy Motors are one of my favorite movies of all time.
I saw this movie in theaters and, although I enjoyed it, I had absolutely no idea what to make of it. I was hoping you'd do a video on it. This was so helpful!
this film caused me great animosity and frustration
This is the best review I’ve ever seen of the film
Best thing I've ever seen/read on "Holy Motors."
I first watched this movie, without even realizing I was watching it. At least, I think that's what happened. As you opened, I realized that it looked very familiar. And indeed, I have seen Holy Motors, and loved it. But I have no memory of how. Did I see it on Netflix, by choice? Or was it just on a premium cable channel at some point, when I was visiting family, and I stumbled into it? I do not know. And after hearing your critique, I now feel that that adds to the experience. Thanks.
I must be old. I still watch DVDs.
Great video. This is my favorite movie. I always love hearing people talk about it.
Also...was not expecting Borth Samson to show up!
Hey Kyle. I was lucky enough to see Holy Motors for the 1st time in a movie theatre (specifically the art house in the Regina Public Library in Regina, Saskatchewan) and I had a similar reaction. It took me a little bit longer to realize the actor thread (mostly the clip of Krusty The a Clown going "What the Hell was THAT!" was playing through my head), but when I got it, the film clicked for me. Or at least it clicked enough for me to love what Carax was doing. Thanks for pointing out that the driver was the same woman from Eyes Without A Face. I only saw the film after Holy Motors, so I didn't make that connection. Also, every time I hear the Kongos song "Come With Me Now" on FM stations, I immediately think "Oh that's the Holy Motors song", even though it only ever shows up in the trailer.
Bless you Kyle, for this is by far the best piece of analysis done on this film. Keep it up !
I don't think it would be an overstatement to say that this is your best written video as of today. You really outdid yourself on this one Kyle, thank you!
God, I saw this in the village based on the trailer. I didn't know what to expect but then it just clicked where there isn't a flowing narrative, just an actor playing different roles for different scenes and he going from job to job. The accordion scene was probably the most left field scene because it has no story, no narrative but it was like an intermission, much like movies of old.
Finally! I've been waiting for that one since...since you were on blip, I think? It's great you managed to get around to it.
one of the best reviews I've ever seen !!! great editing, great voice over and explanation
! keep up :)
Oh my, yes! I found this film on Netflix by way of the documentary on Carax also on Netflix. Absolutely loved it, and was disappointed Netflix took it down before I could see it again. Would be amazing to see in the theatre but definitely will be buying the Blu-ray to share with likeminded cinephile friends & family. Excellent analysis, btw! 👍👍
This film is so special, I love it so much.
Great essay! I appreciate your thoughts and deconstruction process. I believe there is more and you didn't cover it all, but that's a beauty of it. Thank you!
Thank you so much for this video!!
I first saw this film after you recommended it in the 'Mr. Lonely' review. The line that struck me most was Lavant's line, "The beauty of the act.' Romantically, it sums up what all actors seek, even if no one else sees it in their work, but there's also the subtext of seeking catharsis in the act, a lonely and tragic thought.
I love how the film dances with duality throughout. Brilliant cinema!
I never thought we were in the death of film making but its rebirth, the art its self is like matter it can not be destroyed it can only be changed. You still have cameras, sets, lighting, things like that what has been replaced is the major studios, now anyone can pick up a camera or even use the one on their phones. Film will never die it will just change so the scene where he sees all those people dead in the cinema isn't correct they are just consuming film through another means
i am such a fan of BHH and kyle seems like a great guy. ive always wanted to pursue a career in film and every time i watch of his videos i get reminded of that. Keep up the good work Owen
Oh man, I've been looking forward to this!
My interpretation of the film was that it presented the ways in which we act out different roles at different times of our lives. The people Oscar portrays are based on how he sees himself, how others see him, or how he believes others are supposed to see him: it's about a man's connection with the world around him. His first role is a beggar because we all begin life dependent on the adults around us, begging for food. His next role is in the CGI room, where he plays a teenager, surrounded with the aggression (the gun), the furiously increasing pace of life (treadmill) and sexuality (the girl in pink). Life turns him into different people, and he must constantly obscure his true self (his soul) to fit into the roles that other people have shaped for him (and his relation to the daughter figure is central to this). At the end of the film, he is an old man who looks with bitterness on the world around him; he sees humans as no better than chimpanzees, yet he is forced to live and continue to interact with them. Regardless, I think that a reflection on the future of film is also a very central element to the movie, but I'm not sure I entirely agree with every aspect of your interpretation. The important thing is this: neither of us can explain the talking cars.
congratulations for this review, thank you, beautifully and smartly built. I 've been lucky to watch Holy Motors just yesterday in a cinema for only three euros and was a devastating experience! Beauty beauty beauty!
I love when you do videos that deal with RUclips and RUclipsrs. Like you're a RUclipsr but came to it from the outside and don't fit it's stereotypical mold, so you always have a unique perspective between outsider and insider.
Great video, very thoughtful and thought provoking, thank you Kyle!
if you told me to go watch it, I'd just keep the video rolling.
Fantastic video essay. Thank you for this.
I'm not sure I'll go out of my way to see this film, but I am glad to have come across this video. It is an interesting thing to be sure, the evolving of media and its consumption. I hoard my VHS, DVD, and only recently started getting blu-rays because I have a PS4 now. I'm in favor of the tangible. In a documentary called "Adjust Your Tracking" about VHS collecting, one person stated pretty well that you don't 'own' digital media, you rent it. So I understand that with an ever progressing world that looks to digitize everything how that might sting a little to the more nostalgic (like myself). In general, this was a well done/thoughtful video and I'm glad to have watched it.
I have to be honest. When I watched Holy Motors, I hated it. I watched it on laptop in a bus, and the only thing I knew about the films was that it was supposed to be good. I had seen Mauvais Sang, which I absolutely loved. After watching your video-essay I can appreciate this film a lot more, so thank you for pointing things out. You've earned yourself a new subscriber!
Flipping beautiful movie and beautiful critique.
I first saw this movie as a result of a different review. I stopped about 30 seconds in and hunted down the movie on RUclips in French with Spanish subtitles which I can't read
I mostly agree with this interpretation. An important omission though: the fact that Oscar is in different roles BEFORE he's picked up by the limo for his "FIRST assignment" and at the end of the work day when he's dropped off for the night seems to be commentary on how in real life we're also acting, assuming different roles depending on who we are with. But at the same time, the scene with apes, who are promised bright future, may still be commentary on the developmental level of contemporary movie audiences, as well as Carax becoming at peace with that, and prepared to continue making movies for them :D
Also, I believe the man in a suit who appears out of nowhere inside the moving limo and disappears similarly is likely a representation of actor's own "inner voice". It's just a voice of self-boubt: "Why I am I still doing this? Do I still enjoy this now that things aren't what they used to be when I first started?" I think, this scene may be a condensed version of the inner dialogue within Carax's own mind which led to him returning to the feature film format after so many years.
Oh the joy in seeing Bart Simpson in BHH.
One of the very best accompaniments to any "weird" film out there.
WONDERFUL interpretation
Wow that was a great analysis, I really liked Holy Motors, but I missed most of these points. Great work!
Okay. That's a great video. I think I understand the ending a little better now.
So this movie is like an inversion of the Oscar(award). Instead of being awarded to an actor for great acting, Oscar forever plays out great acting roles one would win an Oscar for. Brilliant 😂
Great as usual, Kyle! I like to compare this movie with another film about films by a french director: Francois Truffaut's Day For Night. Forty years ago the crew, the producers, the FX, the full cast and the director were important when you want to show how the "magic of cinema" was create. Now we only see this actor, almost like a factory worker making his job in different sets. A lonely creator working for lonely viewers, the way like almost all internet video is make.
this is the best analysis video i’ve ever seen….
Kyle you're a monster factory fan, oh my gosh! That's great.
I'd seen this the first week it played at my theatre. It sparked so many conversations between us employees as to what it meant. We all loved it 'though. I (already having seen the Monsieur Merde short in Tokyo) figured the film was about being an actor and the emotional toll taken on him as he takes role after role. I'll shut up now and watch beyond the first minute of your view.
that video is more touching than I guessed it would be.
I feel like there never were massive amounts of passionate people about anything. There's always those 1-5% who really care and move the craft forward.
They did not disappear. Their conditions did not become worse. They are - in every field - scattered and embedded in society. And once in a while, when stars align - magic happens. Sometimes realised only 50 years after the author's death
Just wanted to say, Thankyou! :)
Great video! Great job!!
Thanks for the video. Helped a lot for my interpretation of the movie.
This is a great companion piece to anyone who has seen the movie, really helps add some logic to all the seamingly absurd moments of this film.
I saw it on netflix eventually. But the first time I saw it, it was missing subtitles and what a way to see that movie. It made just as much sense with subs than without them. But upon the second viewing i did like it a lot better. As always your analysis makes me appreciate a lot of these movies I saw in film school more than i did.
I purchased this movie , and the first time I tried watching it I could't finish it. Then I tried again and understood it slightly better and it seemed pretty good.
You are the voice of a generation, sir.
Great video Kyle, I didn't know anything about Carax and I barely recognized Levant, I pretty much just liked that trailer with the Kongos song in it and downloaded first chance I got. It was my favorite film that year and fortunately I also had the chance to see it about 3 times in the theatre about 8 months later when it had a limited release in my country.
can't watch more weird shit, gotta save my energy for my October slender marathoning.
Absolutely brilliant assessment
Dude what a weird coincidence! I literally just watched this yesterday for the first time!
"Holly Motors" și "Entertainment" sunt unele dintre cele mai bune filme dintotdeauna.
It's interesting. I'm from a small town and attend college in another small town. At home, the closest cinema that would show artistic films is 2 and a half hours away. At school, it's 1 and a half.
Without new media I would have no clue these things existed or any way to watch them. Which is why I take issue with filmmakers constantly describing the negatives of new media.
It is understandable that filmmakers would have a degree of fear and trepidation regarding the new way of doing things, but new media allows them to reach people who would otherwise never hear of their work. People like me who rely on people like you.
Denis Lavant was also in the Jonathan Glazer directed UNKLE video "Rabbit in Your Headlights".
THAT WAS GLAZER?! Wow, I love that man all the more now.
Honestly my interpretation is that it was the french birdman
The one part I still don't get though was why it chose the monkey family as its last stop. It just felt jarring to leave off on such a goofy note after the most moving scene in the picture.
I saw it as a critique towards underdeveloped characters. His "movie" family is not important at all for the plot or him, may as well be chimps. For the placement in the film, I think they wanted to alienate the audience a la Brecht, especially because the former moving scenes were about to lul the audience into normal consumation.
Best explanation among all, thanks man.
Dude I watched this hole fucking thing with no subtitles
Yay! Monster Factory!
Interestingly enough, I saw this on a "for your consideration" movie screening disk that I got secondhand from a dear friend of mine who works as a secretary for Allen Hughes (From Hell, Dead Presidents), along with am entire stack of movies that I would never likely have seen otherwise.
Holy Motors was one of my favorites, though I didnt know what to make of it. And I'd seen it long before I'd realized I had any interest in looking past the initial viewing of any movie to read its subtext. I'm glad I'm not the only one who enjoyed it, even if at the time I didnt know why.
And I will likely watch the accordion scene until I die.
Thanks a lot! Very informative.
I saw this movie in a theatre, at my uni, as part of a series of screenings for a class I wasn't in, where it wasn't the planned movie, the teacher was sick, and me and one other person were the only ones there. So, I mean, that's one way to see it.
Love your stuff. Been going back through the youtube to catch up on your older videos while I wait for videos to load at my editing job. Curious have you seen the legend of 1900 and if so consider an episode on it. If not, i recommend it. Slow at times, but amazing visuals and music make for an overall good story. I think you'd enjoy. Looking forward to the next video, hope we get one soon.
Great analysis!
Kyle this is beautiful as always! I cant help but ask if you're familiar with Lav Diaz's work? I read that MUBI made a year-long retrospective of all his rarely-seen works. He's a polarizing figure in cinema, he rarely takes close ups, his characters have the tendency to have long (and sometimes pretentious) monologues, sometimes a viewer needs to read about Philippine history to understand his themes, scenes can run for 10 minutes straight with no cuts, and his movies runs between 5-11 hours. It would be cool to see you talk about one of his work and slow cinema as a whole one day!
Could you possibly recommend a good place to start with this filmmaker? I'd like to check him out. What you describe in terms of pacing and editing sounds a bit like Bela Tarr, whom I love.
He does get a lot of comparisons with Bela Tarr which I think is the reason why people warmed up to his style. I highly suggest Norte the End of History, its one of the 2 films he made in color. Its his "shortest" at 4 hours and loosely adapted from crime and punishment. Its also very well received and made a lot of "best of 2014 films" lists. After that I recommend The Woman Who Left, also around 4 hours, that just won at Venice but it just came out, if your lucky and in Europe you're most likely to see it since a lot of film festivals will show it. If you're in America I doubt it because it has no U.S. distributor yet. Both these films posess unviersal humanist themes.
I will also say I don't recommend Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery (clocking in at 8 hours) because people who aren't familiar with Philippine history may get really confused. For me his best long works are Melancholia, Florentina Hubaldo CTE, From What is Before and Century of Birthing. Just visit MUBI to keept updated for which Lav Diaz film they will be releasing each month. Sorry this post was long, he just gave my country's cinema a huge surge of hope in indie digital films.
Marga Esperanza
Hey, thanks for the info and recommendations. I didn't even know MUBI existed until just now so this is something of an education for me. Seems like a great website and initiative.
I love Dostoyevsky so I think I'll start with Norte the End of History.
No problem glad I could help! I honestly use MUBI more than Netflix at this point because they hold a lot more obscure international movies. Of course nothing beats seeing them in a theater but still, very much worth it!
La he visto dos veces y gracias a esta publicación, tengo una perspectiva más clara sobre la visión del director. No había tenido las mismas sensaciones desde que vi Mullholland Drive. Y por ahí está Mr. Nobody que también la recomiendo.
This video enticed me into watching Tokyo! and now that I've seen it I'd love to see a BHH episode on it. It's such a beautiful movie with a lot to analyze, and I'm interested in seeing what your interpretation of it is, particularly the third part (Shaking Tokyo).
i saw this in the theaters it was great