Five Obstructions

What are the precise rules of each of the obstructions?

• First: no single edits may be longer than 12 frames (12 frames, answers, Cuba, no set)
• Second: going to a miserable place (up to Jørgen how he defines miserable), do not show it, Jørgen Leth is the man, meal
• Third: complete freedom or back to Bombay
• Fourth: cartoon
• Fifth: Lars von Trier will make the last obstruction. (lol) Jørgen Leth does nothing except for being the director. Jørgen Leth will read scripts written by Lars von Trier.

 

How does Jørgen cope with the obstructions?

• First: The clip starts with a man smoking a cigar, changes perspective every 12 frames, some close-ups, and then shots of Jørgen, the woman, some papers, some Cuban buildings, and then shots as if the man and the woman look at each other, the man with his mouth (?) and the woman with her eyes, and then the “perfect man” dancing. Narration wise, first some words like man, woman, Cuba, and then sentences of questions and their answers. After that, the woman lies down, the man shaves, then two buildings “look at” each other.
• Second: Jørgen takes off and puts on his jacket, with Bombay people behind the transparent background, then Jørgen shaves, then Jørgen has the meal with elegant opera singing.
• Third: In Brussels, the clip starts with chairs with spotlights at night, and then the man and the woman with the screen split into halves. The narration is in English. Then the man in front of his car and a factory, and comes the woman speaks and smokes in her car. Lastly, a boat sailing in rain.
• Fourth: Jørgen produces a 3D, comic-like cartoon. Sometimes, the lines are simple and the colors are solid. However, at other times, the style becomes a bit surrealistic and even psychedelic. It also refers back to the previous versions.
• Fifth: The clip is mostly in black and white. The narration goes on with shots from the production process of previous movies and conversations between Jørgen Leth and Lars von Trier.

 

What is the effect on the movies he produces?

• First: Some cuts are so sudden and repetitive that feel inappropriate, but in general, the clip has an interesting, lively, stop-motion-animation-like effect.
• Second: Jørgen’s exquisite outfits and meals create a contrast with the local Bombay people.
• Third: The split screen captures the physical and psychological movements of the man and the woman.
• Fourth: The images seem to be flowing, and they resonate well with various placements of texts. The frames seem to be intentionally noticeable.
• Fifth: The third person perspective narration and shooting make the movie feel like a documentary.

 

Other thoughts crossing your mind while watching.

• (the part where they watch The Perfect Human) Watching people from 2001 watching movies from even earlier times, already a sense of age, and then an even stronger sense of age.
• (the part where Jørgen gets up early) How is this movie shooted? Is this a documentary movie? Are Jørgen’s reactions his actual reactions or is he an actor with pre-written scripts? (after watching the fifth movie) I do feel like the entire movie is a documentary movie itself.
• (about the first obstruction) How long is 12 frames? It is like blinking once.
• (the part where Jørgen is in Bombay) The sounds (for example, shaving) seem abrupt compared to “actual” background sounds.
• (the part where Jørgen crosses some scripts on the wall) At least Danish, English, and French. (and the woman in the third movie speaks French)