The Face Of Another

Hiroshi Teshigahara - 1966
Again, a difficult film to talk about. Perhaps a little easier than 'Pitfall'. We have the great variety of shots, perhaps constructed in a slightly less ecletic way. What Teshigahara seems to be doing is breaking up space, by constantly disorientating us; going from overhead, to close-ups, varying angles. The use of false frames, mirrors, cutting up perspectives with screens and glass boards, takes us into this modernism. Perhaps not quite as systematic as Antonioni's incredible stock-market scene in 'L'Eclisse', is is though more varied. It is also extremely effective and conveying some of our Antnioni-like themes.
These are enhanced by the slow pace, the low key acting, the way people fail to connect up, and the idea of the kind of floating mass, obviously here without an identity. The story again jumps, with the side non-story of the girl seemingly taking us out of the diegetic world. The actual make up of the images is very hard to generalise about, but it is certainly modernist before classical. Backs of heads, disembodied body parts are often used.
Teshigahara uses zooms and other techniques to also mark out the constant alterity from our expectations. His use of freeze-frames, often in montage, creates some startling sequences. This film deserves to be called fascinating, and deeply enigmatic. I look forward to being able to have another look at it.