Week 16: Sans Soleil ("Sunless") – 5/14 Saahith Veeramaneni
Week 16
Sans Soleil ("Sunless") – 5/14 [9:55 PM]
On my off days where I don’t worry so much about the upcoming AP tests that wrack my mind and
soul, I find myself wandering into the dreamscape of human thought in art films. Just last week, I
finished Stalker (1979) by Andrei Tarkovsky, and I thought it was a really interesting piece on desire
and the human psyche. At the time, it was revolutionary in its usage of perspective and light, making
it feel that the narrative was being told in a series of paintings. I had a lot of fun with the narrative,
and I had developed a mild interest in 70s and 80s art films. That was when I discovered “Sans Soleil”
earlier this week.
It was something of a documentary, a series of footage from quaint settings of rural Europe and Japan
during the 70s. There was a narrator with a nice voice. There was footage overlaid of contemporary
documentary clips, home videos, newsreel footage, and some fictional scenes as well. I recognized the
mighty volcanoes and green grassy fields of Iceland. The contrasting desert and savannahs of Africa,
and the iridescent, earthy tones of Japanese architecture.
As I continued my journey through "Sans Soleil," its exploration of memory and human experience
was interesting to me, because I found lots of familiar topics in this film, having written about them
before. Here are 3 major takeaways from the documentary that I found interesting:
"Sans Soleil" presents the subjective nature of memory by showcasing the interplay between personal experiences, emotions, and perceptions in the synthesis of a memory. It builds this idea up throughout the runtime of the documentary by swapping focuses between narratives, stories, and articles at a rapid pace, and placing these opinions and ideas on common ground, going back to a motif of a scale fairly often, “balancing” the validity of these memories and the impacts of choosing to believe them.
The film provocatively examines how advancements in technology, particularly film and photography, shape our perceptions of reality and influence the way we remember. Director Chris Marker couldn’t have imagined the scale of the dominance of technology in all aspects of life, including memory in the 21st century. In today's digital age smartphones and social media platforms serve as extensions of our living memory. The constant documentation of our lives through photographs, videos, and online posts not only alters our perceptions of reality but also affects the way we construct and recall memories. Clearly, Marker was onto something.
Although I have posted an article criticizing nostalgia earlier last month, Marker's treatment of the subject offers a more nuanced perspective. He acknowledges the bittersweet nature of nostalgia, recognizing its power to evoke both joy and sadness. In doing so, "Sans Soleil" encourages us to embrace nostalgia not as a form of escapism, but as a testament to the richness of human experience and the enduring significance of memory.
This was a wordier article than most and I want to thank you for reading it all the way. I would definitely recommend checking “Sans Soleil” out in your free time and I can’t wait to hear what you think!
Hey Saahith! I always appreciate a movie review, because I love getting new film recommendations, especially with an increase in free time due to AP exams finally concluding. I was convinced I should watch the film simply from your second paragraph when you start to discuss the film "Sans Soleil". The vivid imagery, including the descriptions of "the mighty volcanoes and green grassy fields of Iceland," captivated me into wanting to experience the environments that the film depicts. I also found the point about how film and photography "shape our perception of reality and influence the way we remember," to be notable. because it has always been something I have observed in the back of my mind, when I look at old photos, but I have never been solidify it into words. I feel as if our brain creates an alternate reality through the lenses of our camera, that shapes the truth into something a little easier to process. Another interjection you made about nostalgia was really interesting for me because the concept of nostalgia is split down the middle in terms of how people percieve it, but I believe Marker's point of view offers a persepective that appeals more to a larger group of people, and creates a new, useful functionality for the beloved emotion. Overall, I think your review was incredibly powerful, and definitely persuaded me to watch the film!
ReplyDeleteHi Saahith! As always, you a indeed a man of culture. It is very mysterious how you keep on finding all these deep movies, websites, and concepts to explore. Meanwhile, I am inundated with the internet phenomenon "Skibidi toilet," or "Ohio rizzler," and rant about Collegeboard. Topics aside, you certainly piqued my interest with this one. I find that there is a nice contrast between your previous topic about criticizing the usage of nostalgia to drive sales, or as a selling point, but in this blog, you praise this movie for being a great portrayal of nostalgia (as you mention), even though technically, its whole selling point is indeed nostalgia. Perhaps it is not wether or not they feed on nostalgia that is the problem, but the quality of the portrayal that truly matters. I sort of discovered this topic while researching certain concepts for my spring play extra-credit essay, but I came across some very interesting commentary about the quality of media. When it comes to entertainment, really, it is only wether or not you enjoyed the entertainment that truly matters, and not if you reached some sort of enlightenment from it or not. I also liked that you went very in depth and wordy about the movie without actually describing what is in it, certainly evoking a sense of interest within me. Thank you for the recommendation! I will certainly check this one out.
ReplyDeleteHi Saahith! I'm always intrigued when people recommend artsy films because in my experience they are often pretty hit or miss. It's difficult to make a pretty art-dominant film in an industry where artsiness is becoming more and more expected, so the fact that this movie, having been made in 1983, still holds up today in terms of artsiness is very reassuring. Based on your description, "Sans Soleil" sounds really interesting and I'll definitely try to give it a watch when I get the chance. I found it interesting that his take on nostalgia is different from others in that it uses it as a celebration of humanity instead of a tool to prevent progress. It's a different and unique perspective that I hadn't considered before and would like to see in action in this film. Thanks so much for the recommendation!
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