The Cabinet of Jan Svankmajer - by Dustin Stratton

 

Title/Year

The Cabinet of Jan Svankmajer
Director/Birth Country/Year Born

Stephen Quay, Timothy Quay/USA/1947
Budget

?
Gross

?
Synopsis

A professional puppet takes a boy as a pupil and teaches him all about how to create the illusion of movement through film.
Narrative and Visual Keywords

Stop motion, surreal, bright, playful, fun
Characterization/ Dialogue

There is no dialogue and everything is driven through music, as is most of the Brothers Quay short films. There are two main characters. The professional puppet with a book for a hat which is helpful and nurturing to the doll boy with the empty head, who is inquisitive and eager to learn.
Camera/lighting/editing technique

Even though it is stop motion, the camera is constantly moving around, which must have been tedious since each images is taken in a click at a time.  The lighting is molded and bright and the editing varies from quickly paced to slow and deliberate. There is even an instance when the puppet man-thing is teaching the boy to do stop motion and the editing  gets more choppy, I assume to show how not to do it.
 Political/ Social Commentary

As with most experimental and art films, I really didn’t see the social commentary if there was one. I saw the sickle and hammer of communism in a red start at the beginning and end as a background piece, but it wasn’t portrayed as either good or bad, just there. I see it more as a fun piece and an homage to Jan Svankmajer and a playful piece about knowledge and exploration. I’d like to remember it that way.
Historical Relevance/ Recognition

I have no idea
Notable Collaboration

None that I could find
Random fact, Etc.

The Brothers Quay are identical twins and although their films are made and take place mostly in foreign places, they were born in Philadelphia.

1.     How would you classify the visual aspects of this film in relationship to theme or mood?

a.     The scenes are mostly bright which adds a bit of playfulness to the whole thing and invites the viewer to step inside and learn with the brainless boy.

2.     Does sound play an important role in the piece? If so, what?

a.     There is no sound, only music. But it does add to the playfulness of the piece.

3.     What is your subjective take on the piece as a whole?

a.     I liked it.