DZ-53: Antagonists! 5 - vs Audience

Listen to turn narrative uncertainty itself into the engine that keeps viewers compelled.

It’s time. The Epic Deep Dive(TM) into Antagonists has reached its shuddering conclusion. And for this Part V - by choosing films that have no obvious singular antagonist (and in some cases no obvious narrative either) - Stu and Chas realised there was indeed a final category of antagonists: the films themselves. Where the film (and the filmmaker) are engaging directly with the audience. Where the films are... VERSUS AUDIENCE.

The films that led to this “insight” often lie to the audience; talk directly to the audience; misdirect the audience; take the audience on meandering narrative strolls; or make the central character the antagonist to all other characters. Sometimes these techniques power a single scene. Sometimes they take up the whole film. All this to keep the audience compelled in the absence of singular antagonists. And these films are - drum roll, please - OCEAN’S 8, THE SECOND, F FOR FAKE, SANS SOLEIL and FORREST GUMP.

As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.

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CHAPTERS

• 00:03:22 – Introduction: Vs Audience
• 00:20:31 – Ocean's Eight
• 00:46:53 – The Second
• 01:14:06 – F For Fake
• 01:31:46 – Sans Soleil
• 01:48:55 – Forrest Gump
• 02:15:12 – Wrap Up And Key Learnings

FILMS

• OCEAN'S EIGHT (2018) — (w) Gary Ross, Olivia Milch, Gary Ross (d) Gary Ross
• THE SECOND (2018) — (w) Stephen Lance (d) Mairi Cameron
• F FOR FAKE (1973) — (w) Orson Welles
• SANS SOLEIL (1983) — (w) Chris Marker
• FORREST GUMP (1994) — (w) Eric Roth, Winston Groom (d) Robert Zemeckis

SCRIPTS

• Study the script: OCEAN'S EIGHT (2018) — Gary Ross, Olivia Milch, Gary Ross
• Study the script: FORREST GUMP (1994) — Eric Roth, Winston Groom

LINKS

• Read: UnListenable - Gnaw Their Tongues - L'arrivée de la terne mort triomphante
• YouTube: Stan Brakhage - The Wonder Ring
• YouTube: Stan Brakhage - Mothlight
• YouTube: Manifesto - Trailer
• YouTube: YouTube

EPISODES IN THE ANTAGONISTS! SERIES

• DZ-50: Antagonists! 2 - vs Self
• DZ-51: Antagonists! 3 - vs Nature
• DZ-52: Antagonists! 4 - vs Systems
• DZ-53: Antagonists! 5 - vs Audience
• DZ-49: Antagonists! 1 - vs Humans

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Full show notes at: https://draft-zero.com/2018/dz-53/