I have just finished viewing Holy Motors, a film that certainly left many viewers puzzled and genuinely confused about the story, characters and narrative structure. From my interpretation of the highly complex film I believe Holy Motors is an agency who employs very highly experienced and trained actors and actresses who pose as similar looking citizens and invade their lives, for in some circumstances staged publicity. Are they actors and actresses really or are they highly trained con artists or could they possibly be directed assassins who are instructed to assume the roles of the ones they’ve eliminated?

Devis Lavant’s character takes many forms in one day as an ‘assignment’ for him is to be someone else. The obscurity of the film takes its form through dark, gloomy, mysterious settings, which are accompanied by a reflective soundtrack that acts as expressive to the characters plight and the story’s progression.

But I dug deeper into the meaning of the film and wondered whether amongst all the on screen chaos if there was some reasons behind the obscurity. I think the reason why the film is so highly rated is because in order to truly engage and appreciate it, we must almost stop questioning the madness and just accept it for what it is and acknowledge the creativity. But more personally I believe Devis Lavant’s character is living a dream sequence which includes he’s emotional insecurities and more so reflects the characters subconscious which continues to search for meaning. Therefore his subconscious embodies qualities of a man who has had a difficult life and has issues with his emotions. Each ‘assignment’ Lavant’s character is dealing with a different singular emotion, which does explain the vastness in characters he plays. In many respects each character could represent the characters desire to be something or a regret of being something. This could also explain the conundrum when Lavant’s character is murdered on numerous occasions, because perhaps the experiences are a part of his subconscious and therefore they don’t exist therefore he comes to the limousine unscathed.

What I found very intriguing was when Lavant’s character dressed as a repulsive ‘weird’ flower eating model stealing grave stalker, all the tombstones instead of containing the names of the deceased persons it contained a website address. This is of course intentional by the director as I believe the message he’s preaching to the audience is that people are coupled with products, as it outlines that although they are deceased they are still trying to be successful and self promote.

Overall the film is very unique, it has left an impression on me and I think although the film rejects explicit meaning it maintains a pattern of ever changing identities or facets of one’s identity or yearning to be someone else. I think the best example of this is when Lavant plays the accordion with an entire ensemble of accordion players and back-up musicians. It is executed perfectly in harmony, which makes you feel like its what the character dreams of but cant physically achieve. It demonstrates the sense of togetherness and high static energy generated by the artists, maybe something Lavant’s character can’t achieve in real life but in his subconscious he can achieve.

Where the line between reality and Lavant’s subconscious is, is a mystery and I would question whether there is one after the final talking limousine scene. The film is surreal, brilliant and darkly funny but equally the film is a cinematic joy which although left field I enjoyed watching.

Michael Serpell