What this documentary does is strange. It equates three forms of expression - performance art, bodybuilding, and meditation. Those first two are closely related, and while prior to this doc I'd have said the latter was incredibly distant, this proved me wrong, at least to myself. The arts they practice are specifically designed to help them deal with themselves, their experiences. The Bodybuilder is only trying to improve on his yesterday, the meditator is trying to deal with the negativity of her life, the performance artist is trying to deal with a world that is, perhaps, not her own. The clarity of presentation, mixed with incredibly smart editing, makes this a mental and a visual treat. The film is obviously influenced by 1970s documentary concepts (Woodstock came to mind almost instantly) and the way the focus flowed reminded me of works like Errol Morris' Fast, Cheap, and Out-of-Control. The piece moves through these three people, and it is more an internalist documentary than an externalist. This is not a story of what they do, but rather, who they are that do these things. That makes this a powerful documentary, and the precision of the piece makes it a great film. |
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Klaus at GunpointA Film Journal dedicated to all film.A segment of Office Supply Publishing. Archives
March 2021
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