Once again, SBS Television pulls through for Australia, albeit on a Saturday afternoon when if anyone's watching this time of year they're usually watching football - but no ads. Thank God for that. The fluidity of this piece (underlain by the music) is essential to its enjoyment, along with the incredible lighting, staging, choreography, amazing sets and performances.
I thought about giving this an 8 or a 9, but it's honestly one of the best things I've seen in a long time, and I can't imagine having to save that 10 for something else. So why not, it's a 10 from me! In many ways it could be classified as modern dance - an area that generally holds limited interest for me - but there are so many other elements and influences infused into this masterful piece of cinematography.
I've always liked Shostakovich (and many other Russian composers - too much Bach in your youth will do that to you), and his music along with the costumes, darkness, silent movie style, bland colours (in which the subject garment stands out), industrialism... They all give this a very strong period aura of late 19th century central Europe that reminds me of the likes of Kafka and Metropolis, but also of more recent efforts - Dark City even springs to mind.
Overtly a story about a man and his jacket, this piece deals with vanity, materialism and dare I say it - office politics. The social context of our main protagonist and his unrequited aspirations, along with an unintentional turn of events, drive him to indulge himself in a manner which he can't afford, which ultimately brings him to grief.
Watch out, because you may get what you wish for - in this case, a brand new jacket.
Thanks, Canada.
I thought about giving this an 8 or a 9, but it's honestly one of the best things I've seen in a long time, and I can't imagine having to save that 10 for something else. So why not, it's a 10 from me! In many ways it could be classified as modern dance - an area that generally holds limited interest for me - but there are so many other elements and influences infused into this masterful piece of cinematography.
I've always liked Shostakovich (and many other Russian composers - too much Bach in your youth will do that to you), and his music along with the costumes, darkness, silent movie style, bland colours (in which the subject garment stands out), industrialism... They all give this a very strong period aura of late 19th century central Europe that reminds me of the likes of Kafka and Metropolis, but also of more recent efforts - Dark City even springs to mind.
Overtly a story about a man and his jacket, this piece deals with vanity, materialism and dare I say it - office politics. The social context of our main protagonist and his unrequited aspirations, along with an unintentional turn of events, drive him to indulge himself in a manner which he can't afford, which ultimately brings him to grief.
Watch out, because you may get what you wish for - in this case, a brand new jacket.
Thanks, Canada.