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Flashbacks and The Wonderful World of Invisible Walls

posted 14 years ago by Sproketer
3 replies | jump to latest

Interesting idea for the flashbacks -- the walls of the houses disappear when the lights shining on the them are faded down, so you can see characters as they pass from the interior to the exterior. While this has a dreamlike quality best reserved for a flashback or dream, in my opinion it still comes off as a gimmick best left for the stage or a live TV production of the 1950's. All it did was bring me out of the story and focused my attention on the gimmick and how it was accomplished. The walls must have been made of some painted nylon sheets. If you look closely you can see the seams. Imaginative idea, but too artificial. The only good thing it managed to accomplish was it helped me quickly figure out if I was watching a flashback or a present day scene.

[–] dlevy1201 13 years ago

I very much liked the idea of invisible walls. I don't recall seeing this technique in film before. Yes, my attention was shifted, like watching a magician and looking for the strings, but I was able to rewind so I didn't miss anything.

I wonder what other films used techniques more typically found on the stage.

[–] laura-magnus 13 years ago

Just saw the film, and was also struck by the technique. At first I thought it was somewhat theatrical, and maybe better suited for a fantasy-type film, rather than a Moral Tale like this. After a while, however, I got caught up in the dreamlike atmosphere this convention creates, and it did kinda work for me.

The only other film I can think of, dlevy1201, where I saw something very similar (and where it DEFINTELY doesn't work) is Coppola's One From the Heart

[–] dlevy1201 13 years ago

Thanks for the suggestion. My library just ordered the new DVD so I will check it.