Primer
The movie “Primer” was recommended to me as a film which not only showed the best of what indie could do (2004 Sundance winner) but also as an example of filmmaking from a self-professing Christian. Writer/director/producer/actor/composer/editor/etc. Shane Carruth developed his script over a period of three years after leaving his career in engineering. Wanting to tell stories, he initially began writing but gradually decided upon telling stories through images—at which point he taught himself the art of filmmaking by reading, observing, and asking questions.
The story revolves around two friends who discover a way to travel back in time. The conflict comes from what they do with that power and what develops, or devolves, because of it.
“Primer” is remarkable for a number of reasons. First, the entire movie was produced for $7000—as one critic pointed out, less than the price of the bottled water budget for most films. Despite the limited price tag, the film greatly succeeds in its task and effectively utilizes any stylistic limitations as part of the story telling.
Second, the story is intriguing, involved, complicated, thought provoking, and invokes endless permutations and discussions. Carruth has been accused of being too demanding on an audience, but that is part of the non-Hollywood element of the film. The complexity of the story involves multiple viewings, but at a run time of around 80 minutes, that is fairly easily accomplished.
Third, Carruth is successful in asking pointed, moral questions. He expressed his intent in an interview by saying, “First thing, I saw these guys as scientifically accomplished but ethically, morons. They never had any reasons before to have ethical questions. So when they’re hit with this device they’re blindsided by it. The first thing they do is make money with it. They’re not talking about the ethics of altering your former self. So to me, they’re kids…”
I would hate to give anything more away about the story. I look forward to seeing what Shane Carruth does from here with his new found opportunities. Charlie, thanks for the heads up on this film.
The story revolves around two friends who discover a way to travel back in time. The conflict comes from what they do with that power and what develops, or devolves, because of it.
“Primer” is remarkable for a number of reasons. First, the entire movie was produced for $7000—as one critic pointed out, less than the price of the bottled water budget for most films. Despite the limited price tag, the film greatly succeeds in its task and effectively utilizes any stylistic limitations as part of the story telling.
Second, the story is intriguing, involved, complicated, thought provoking, and invokes endless permutations and discussions. Carruth has been accused of being too demanding on an audience, but that is part of the non-Hollywood element of the film. The complexity of the story involves multiple viewings, but at a run time of around 80 minutes, that is fairly easily accomplished.
Third, Carruth is successful in asking pointed, moral questions. He expressed his intent in an interview by saying, “First thing, I saw these guys as scientifically accomplished but ethically, morons. They never had any reasons before to have ethical questions. So when they’re hit with this device they’re blindsided by it. The first thing they do is make money with it. They’re not talking about the ethics of altering your former self. So to me, they’re kids…”
I would hate to give anything more away about the story. I look forward to seeing what Shane Carruth does from here with his new found opportunities. Charlie, thanks for the heads up on this film.
5 Comments:
Greg,
Where can you see this film? Is it available on DVD?
Mike
Mike:
Yes, Primer was relased on DVD this spring.
Word. I'm glad you got a chance to see it. Oh, that we lived closer, so I could watch movies and discuss with you in real time.
My husband and I enjoyed our first viewing of Primer just a few days ago.
It reminds me somewhat of Paul Auster's writing --perhaps because I was in the middle of Oracle Night-- in that you can't always tell what plane of time you are in and that just when you figure out what is happening, you find that you had it all wrong. Both Auster and Carruth leave loose ends for the audience to chew on.
Unfortunately, Auster's characters operate within a hopeless worldview that says, "God turned his eyes away from us and left the world forever." Ethical issues arise and guilt is even experienced, but in the end, there is no intention to resolve problems beyond what is necessary for a level of personal comfort.
Though the Primer characters themselves come close to despairing as they get deeper and deeper into trouble, their is an urgency, at least on one charater's part, to restore time and events to their right order.
We are looking forward to watching the film again, both on its own and with the commentary tracks, in hopes of enjoying it more and understanding it better.
Oops! I typed a "their" when I should have typed a "there". Forgive me, Buckley, for this and any other undetected grammatical or syntactical errors.
Kelli
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