Stray Dog Stray Dog
Oct
16
2005

Zoetrope Review

Posted by Todd Brown at 9:58am.

Posted in Film & DVD Reviews , Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, USA & Canada.

zoetrope.jpg

The knock on music video directors working outside the video arena is that their work tends to be all style and no substance. But what if the style is the substance? What if, for instance, you are adapting a piece of literature whose primary aim was to evoke a mood, to create a sensation? Well, then … being heavy on style is just what is necessary to create a masterpiece. This is the case with Charlie Deaux’s Zoetrope, an eighteen minute short film based on Franz Kafka’s In the Penal Colony. Collaborating with Lustmord’s Brian Williams, cinematographer James Hawkinson and animator Robert Beebe, Deaux has created an impeccable, nightmarish vision of a man crushed and destroyed by the mechanistic devices of science, politics and bureaucracy.

As is the case with almost all of Kafka’s short fiction – much of his long work, as well – Zoetrope is entirely a mood piece. There is no narrative to speak of. A man, naked, is held in a decaying cell for unspecified reasons and left to go mad as a man in military uniform spouts high sounding philosophy of nothingness while working his elaborate machinery. The machine is everything, the man nothing. It is an oppressive world, dank and soulless, entirely cold and uncaring. Not only does the prisoner not know why he is being held, he never will know and has only a life of isolation and torture to look forward to.

The world of Zoetrope is absolutely impeccable. Deaux works in sharply contrasted black and white and, along with his impressive list of collaborators, has created a sharply detailed world. The film is beautifully shot and edited, the sound design – I hesitate to call it a score – bolsters the mood perfectly, and Beebe’s animation fuses flawlessly with the live action elements. The tech elements are built around found elements, a sort of retro-tech that will seem familiar to fans of Chris Marker’s La Jetee or Mamoru Oshii’s Avalon. Indeed, though Deaux quickly establishes a visual style purely his own fans of David Lynch or Shinya Tsukamoto will find a lot to love here.

Beautiful in its brutality, poetic despite being so unrelentingly grim, Zoetrope is a must see in the world of post-apocalyptic film that marks Deaux as a significant talent, a man who needs to be watched. The DVD – released by dark indie music label Soleilmoon – is sparse and non-anamorphic but it features a pristine transfer and gorgeous packaging. Simply stunning stuff.

  • Digg This
  • Stumble It!
  • Reddit
 

Reader Comments

  1. Daniel J. Winclechter 10/16/2005 @ 1:10pm

    This is why I love this site. It’s the references to more obscure projects that I surely wouldn’t hear about from mainstream sources, nor are they the sort that I would be likely to pursue and discover on my own. I’m definitely going to send an order in for this. Cheers.

  2. EW 10/16/2005 @ 11:08pm

    I’m a bit surprised by the number of ambient artists that do not contribute to film on a regular basis. Especially in the Lustmored specturm of dark ambient, which sounds more horror score than dark ambient—this only being my personal opinion of Brian Williams’ music. Maybe I am just unaware of these sort-of projects in general.

    I was surprised when I saw this review, since I wasn’t aware of the project, and promptly dropped the cash to pick it up from Soleilmoon. Very cool beans.

  3. GR Hale 10/17/2005 @ 12:56pm

    I’ve had the pleasure of seeing this amazing short film and I think the above review nails it. DEFINITELY worth going to the effort to check it out.

  4. DarkmanPoe 10/19/2005 @ 9:20am

    ‘Already pre-ordered the DVD...very much looking forward to it, as I’m a huge fan of Kafka and experimental cinema. Does anyone know of or have a link to the film’s poster, if it even has one?

  5. Don Hill 10/26/2005 @ 3:58pm

    Just got it a couple days ago (Thanks, Todd!). Have watched it twice; once w/ headphones, once on my 27&” through my stereo. VERY dark. VERY cool.

    I, however, would argue Todd’s interpretation of the events. I see the prisoner in front of the torturer in a sensory-deprivation unit (the rubber-sheeted “table&”. When we see the prisoner in his cell, we are “seeing&” his spiritual/mental experience, kind of like ‘Incident on a Bridge’.

    Otherwise, the review is right on.

  6. Keegan 10/31/2005 @ 6:40pm

    Saw Zoetrope at a Halloween party. What a bizarre, twisted, psycho film. i mean that in a good way. totally happening in style and sound. Advice - watch it while eating black licorice.

  7. carlos 11/03/2005 @ 1:54pm

    Agree completley!Spooky haunted and very disturbingly awesome! Very Kubrick. So much so, that I will recommend this to my friends. A rare occurance as I am incredibly cynical.  Nice packaging to boot, I might add. Thanks twitch! You guys really do find the finest in the unknown and bring it out into the light. Keep it up guys ! Much appreciated.

  8. Peter 05/20/2006 @ 3:49pm

    After seeing the trailer, I ordered the DVD. Was a bit disappointed finding that the movie itself is sort of an extended trailer. In fact, this is the first move I know of where the trailer tells the story more effective than the movie.

    That said, it’s a great & creepy atmosphere!! The Lustmord CD has stretched the soundtrack and is one of the best I’ve heard recently.
    -----

Post Your Comments

You must be a registered member to post comments.

If you have a Twitch account, click here to sign in.

If you don't have a Twitch account, click here to register. Don't worry, it's free!

Launch The Twitch Video Player

Stuff We Like

Shop at our affiliated sites and support Twitch while feeding your pop-culture addiction.

Our Latest Film & DVD Reviews

More Film & DVD Reviews...

Our Latest Interviews

More Interviews...

Recent Contests & Featured Content

Recent Comments