Rating: 4.5/5
It’s easy to see a through-line from this to the work of Jean-Pierre Jeunet or Terry Gilliam: clever visual juxtapositions, large swaths of conformity being punctured by tight closeups, darkly comedic set pieces, intricate sets and production design that enhance the surreal otherworldliness, beauty as that which awakens the desire for change
The messaging is direct: industrialization, fetishization of labor, and bourgeois decadence imprison us to a life divorced from goodness and joy. But that simplicity makes this all the easier to relate to, even 90+ years after its release
I love that in the brief moments when they feel that freedom coming on, the movie turns into a musical. I also love that, more than anything, it is the reminder of friendship that awakens joy
And of course, I love that full automation of the factory freed all of the workers to fish, play games, and sing together; it wasn’t a threat, it was freedom for everyone
It’s always so nice to watch a classic film and say “this is great” without having to add “for its time”