For our week 2 screening session of Introduction to Cinema Studies, we were asked to watch Holy Motors, and towards it, I felt nothing. For that, I hated it, and for making me feel that, I was intrigued and loved it. After almost every movie I’ve watched, I’ve left with questions, concerns, theories, answers, as well as opinions, both positive and negative, yet for this film only two thoughts ran through my head; ‘what?’ and ‘why?’.  Everything is the movie had felt so purposely and intricately pointless that its attempts to confuse and be mysterious were lost on me, there was no reward for finding the answers of this movie
Curious about this film I had to go back and address what the story of the movie was about/its story. With the main character of Mr Oscar taking on various personalities and disguises across Paris, I couldn’t help but draw comparison to our screening last week, and the linking to the Lumière Brothers, whom were fascinated with everyday life. Could this be an Absurdist homage to them? Maybe

I then felt compelled to ask what the purpose of this was.
I believe that the sole purpose of this film was to generate curiosity via frustrated confusion. Many of us in the class exited the room hating it, but one thing I noticed was that we were all talking about it, and that was genuinely interesting to me. The movie was never explained or resolved, and so we left arguing about its ending and purpose, whereas if it were resolved, worthwhile or not, then I doubt I would ever suggest this movie to anyone nor think of it myself ever again.

Feeling it to be akin to the Truman Show, it had me wondering if this was some sort of ironic jab at entertainment; overstimulating us (the real audience) to dazzle and confuse us in absence of a cohesive plot. In having complete subjugation of reality, the audience could not bring in any preconceived notions of logic into the theater nor have any real world comparison, forcing them question and doubt every thought of the movie.

Whilst writing this I felt myself becoming carried away and then came to the realisation that this may too be an intention of the film. If a film so bizarre, inconsistent, story-lacking and abhorrent could be created without meaning, is it possible that it could be given meaning by those who watch it?…