"The Amateur"

In relation to the filmwork screened in class "The Amateur" (by Miranda July), there were several different issues to look at and really struck my curiousity. Firstly the film appeared as "Freud" has stated to be over-all a bit subjective in nature.

If you look at the foundation of the work it seems with the mise en scene of the main character (the professional) is enforcing the humor always commenting on the action taking place and really dictating the direction of the piece. My thoughts and observations were naturally drawn to the the actions on the screen of the amateur, but the comedy or humor, if you will came mostly from the narration of the professional. If you take for instance the posing of numbers and explanation of the process, we the viewers would remain in question and not fully comprehend all the motion and supposed underlying humor involved.

Now, if you were to think about the categories of performance, intervention, and experimental work in this area, I would be pressed to say that they all apply to "the amateur." In first view, the perfomance of the characters consume us with spontaneity and action. Just the fact that the professional has to describe everything in detail and does it in a way of peculiar emotion and nerve displays a very unique element of a dark, morbid humor.

The intervention between "the professional" and "the amateur" presents a keen sense of confusion but maintains the humor and connection to the other character. Lastly, the experimentation comes with the surrealness and unexpeted outcome, sense of wonder that is projected with such continuity and structure.

The use of similar backgrounds and little to no music adds to the eerie quality, but also speaks very metaphorically in addition to the stellar acting within the picture. The allegory comes with the wonderment of "who are these people, really?" Are they the same...is one character symbolic of the other?" these were all questions I asked myself during the viewing...mostly from an excellent contrast in both presentations of the character that are so confined within a very small rigid body of space...and that in itself is both experimental and very oddly entertaining.