Five Obstructions Notes

Obstruction 1

Rules

Rule 1: Not a single edit may be longer than 12 frames.

Rule 2: Leth must answer the questions in the narration.

Rule 3: The film should be shot in Cuba, where Leth had never been before. 

Rule 4: Not allowed to build a set.

Solutions

Solution 1: make the film with fragments and quick flashing.

Solution 2: Leth uses assertive sentences to describe the man’s and woman’s movements.

Solution 3: The film includes Cuban elements such as the landmarks and the music. Besides, the actor and actresses are from Cuba and could not speak fluent English. Therefore Leth eliminates the speech of the man from the plot.

Solution 4: the film is shot in local rooms without complicated equipment.

Effects

          Compared with the original film, the remade version exhibits a more colorful tone and a faster speed. In this way, the remade film conveys a sense of urgency and grounds us in reality. However, since the boundless room is replaced by the real-life scene, the messages of emptiness are not effectively aired. Also, the expressions and movements of the actor and actress didn’t show emptiness as much as those in the original film. If the aim of the remade film is the same as the original, I, personally, think that the remade one fails to deliver the messages precisely because of the new elements (color, Cuban traditions, rooms in the real-life) Leth had added into the film. But the fragmented effect and the frequent repeating of some of the fragments somehow reduce the concreteness, making up the lost sense of nothingness. It objectifies the movements of man and woman, making them puppets controlled by the lens of the director.

Obstruction 2

Rules

Rule 1: The film must be shot in the most miserable place in the world.

Rule 2: The place must not be shown on the screen.

Rule 3: Leth should play “the man” (Claus Nissen).

Rule 4: The meal should be included in the film.

Rule 5: The woman should be excluded from the film.

Solutions

Solution 1: Leth shot the film in Bombay, India, a red light area where prostitutes are everywhere.

Solution 2: Leth stretched out a half-transparent screen to provide an image area that is both concrete and subtle. Behind the screen, he gathered up the local people and used the human body to hide the landmarks of the place.

Solution 3: Leth dressed up exactly as the man did but avoid some movements (falling and taking off clothes to expose his naked body).

Solution 4: Leth restored the meal scene before the half-transparent screen and a bunch of children.

Solution 5: The only protagonist was Leth himself.

Effects

          The remade film, instead of showcasing the emptiness, seems to be focusing on the irony. Leth created a sharp contrast between the scene in front of the half-transparent screen and that behind the screen: the crowdedness versus the emptiness; the cheap clothes of poor quality versus the luxury suits; the hungry and curious faces of the children and Leth’s enjoyment of delicate western cuisine, etc. I’m confused at Von’s criticism that Leth failed to meet his requirement. I think Leth had done a perfect job in challenging “the ethics of the observer” and showcasing “dramas from real life that people refrain from filming”. He was to be burdened by the conscience and humanity when he was playing the role and shooting the film.

Obstruction 3

Rules

Option 1: Have complete freedom over how he shot the film and what to shot.

Option 2: Go back to Bombay and reshoot the second obstruction.

Solutions

          Leth chose option 1 and shot the film in Brussels. He “isolated places and things that he wanted to examine precisely” and “framed them precisely”. He “waited for the right moment”. In some scenes, he also separated the screen into two to create contrasts or comparisons. The woman speaks instead of the man and the meal is excluded from the film.

Effects

          The remade film showed the “inclinations” of Leth through his filming techniques. By specifying the things and places he wanted to emphasized, Leth extended his topic of the “perfect human” further. The “observation” is even more objective and detailed.

Obstruction 4

Rules

Rule 1: make the film into a cartoon.

Rule 2: Not allowed to use any clever artistic device.

Solutions

          Leth didn’t draw the cartoon himself but cooperated with Bob Sabiston, who is specialized in the rotoscoping technique. With his help, he created a series of animated shots from the original film. 

Effects

          The animated version of “the perfect human” enhanced the sense of emptiness through the exact portray and coloring. The artistic elements in the animated film stay consistent with the theme, while the sentences and words shown in the patterns of human figures created a fabled feeling.

Obstruction 5

Rules

Rule 1: Von will make the last obstruction.

Rule 2: Leth will be credited as director.

Rule 3: Leth will read a text written by Von.

Solutions

          Leth tries to gain as much authority as possible over Von’s written script and text by emphasizing certain words. For example, he stressed the phrase “take wing” instead of “himself” when reading the text “because he hadn’t the gut to take wing for him”. He also documented the process of his film remaking under the guidance of Von. 

Effects

          The texts of the remade film were documenting the game between two artists, as well as their perceptions. “My hands shook less, obstructions by obstructions. I grew more sure of myself as we recorded, from the person my first film was really about to anybody but you.” Leth was on the defending side while Von, the attacker. And the attacker who tried to obstruct the defender and expose him, was instead obstructed by the defender and exposed himself. The final obstruction is thought-provoking and inspiring, serving as an open-ended conclusion for the whole game.

Additional Thoughts

          I was deeply impressed by the devotion of Leth to the “five obstructions”. A lot of shoots showcases Leth struggling to come up with a solution to the challenges Von had posted for him. He was sleepless and he forced himself to perform movements that were so difficult at his age. He also tried his best to break the limit of filming and morality. But as Leth said after the fourth obstruction, there “were no reasons to make a big deal out of what they’d done”. The efforts and devotion would not bring Leth any utilitarian influences or benefits. It was just a game between two artists. Nevertheless, he took it seriously and pushed himself hard to accomplish the challenge. I was amazed at the spirit of both Leth and Von, and I think they are the true artists in the world.