Meat Factory Ear Worms 200 word responce

Meat Factory Ear Worms (Beirne, 2011) tells the narrator's story of when he worked in a meat factory in Ireland, using narration, music and diegetic sounds. Repetition of sounds is used to express the repetitive, monotonous nature of the narrator’s lifestyle in the factory. The music helps express this, as well as express a sense of nostalgia. Repeating the music causes the music to potentially become an earworm for the listener too, which helps the audience relate to the narrator.

The piece uses a mix of contrasting sounds, such as music and horrifying sounds of the factory to shock the audience. The narration is also oxymoronic in places (‘sweet smell of a backbone being sawed in half’) which is shocking in it’s desensitised description of a visceral event. The documentary focuses on the narrator’s desensitisation and mental state heavily, making the audience question his sanity through the jumbled editing of sounds. The documentary allows us to hear the mind of the narrator, using sounds from his memory as he remembers them.

The documentary aims to express the difficulty and monotony of the narrator’s life, as well as shock and unnerve the audience, and is successful; the repetition of music causes the documentary to remain in the minds of the listener for a long time after.

http://www.rte.ie/radio1/doconone/2011/0312/646650-the-curious-ear-doconone-meat-factory-ear-worms/

Salaryman 6 (Knight, 2002) responce

Salaryman 6 (Jake Knight, 2002) is a short film that explores overworking, depression and repetition of life in a Japanese city. The film is unique it’s use of an extremely wide aspect ratio, which compresses the window through which we watch the protagonist, Shiode’s story unfold. This limitation mirrors his own disability to understand his life. The cinematography by Jacques Nuit is iconic in it’s measured static camerawork and dull colour scheme that matches the pace of Shiode’s life as well as the architecture of the environment. The blues and greys establish the protagonist’s depressed mental state. Long shots show Shiode’s insignificance in the city, and the repetitive patterns of the apartments continue the theme of repetition. Repetition is also shown through editing; the same shots and scenes are repeated to show how Shiode’s life repeats every day. There is no music; only diegetic sound is used - This helps establish the narrative as realistic. The narrative is cyclical; it ends as it begins, with the closing shot mirroring the first. While the style and form of the film is unique and creative, the amnesia narrative seemed very formulaic, and is not thoroughly explored. In conclusion, the film is an interesting and unique vignette into a busy city life, but it’s use of amnesia and the camera to give the narrative depth seems an unnecessary gimmick.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otWl3Zu1Mr4