The Hart of London (1970)

A surreal sequence of images of nature and London, Ontario, life and death.

Director:

Jack Chambers

Storyline

A surreal sequence of images of nature and London, Ontario, life and death.

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Plot Keywords:

london ontario | death | animal slaughter | deer | experimental film | 

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Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Color:

Black and White Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in Keepers of the Frame (1999)

User Reviews

Beautifully confusing film

I've decided that I like to be confused. When you don't know what you're seeing, you can no longer rely on your preconceptions because they're of no help. You end up seeing things from a much newer and fresher perspective than films which are easier to watch with clearly designated beginnings, middles, and ends.

*The Hart of London* is a deeply confusing film. That's its strength. I found that I couldn't even guess at a meaning for what I was watching until a third of the way into the film. Then my hypothesis was challenged and revised at least three times more throughout the film. By the end, I came up with a theory for what I had just seen, but no definite conclusions. Of course, the best films are ones which leave you pondering long after the theater.

What starts out as a nature=good and city=bad film ends up exploring the difficult but somewhat hidden nature of life in both city and forest. The "heart" of the film actually ends up being quite a spiritual one (at least for me) with something profound to say about man's relationship to the world around him which is at once both beautiful and foreboding. The last third of the film was one of the most difficult but rewarding experiences I've had to sit through in a theater.

If you love to be confused as a way of experiencing something new, see this film.