I have chosen to analyse the 2013 Korsakow film ‘Scatology’, which is a film that explores the interests people have in preoccupation with excrement and excretion; that is, what a person believes to be their worst habit and they’re favourite swear word. The film comes across as a study by the filmmakers themselves, as they seem to adopt a documentary style through the use of the interview convention, though the interviewer is absent from the film. The filmmakers thus appear observational, in that the film depends on the viewer’s neglect of his or her actual situation, in front of a movie screen, interpreting a film. This pattern of granting the audience a subjective study into the lives of it’s subjects is perpetual, as it seems that the filmmakers seek to find a dichotomy between the habits and vulgar preferences of males and females. This is highlighted in the interface, where the male and female bathroom symbols are separated, allowing the audience to pick the sex of the subject. The connection between the subject and the events is however disconnected. This is also a maintained pattern, as we never actually meet the subjects themselves, we only hear them, and they’re answers are played over specific pieces of imagery, evident on the film’s interface. The imagery is predominantly of sacred Asian rituals or of people celebrating some Australian event in Federation square, and the subjects are either Asian or Australian, as we gather through their tone. Thus, through this pattern of voice and imagery, and the way the film’s interface is constructed (a large box with imagery, with the addition of voice, and the options to pick female or male subjects after each episode), we see a deeper message inherent in the film: that in terms of manners and etiquette, there is a cultural dichotomy. This is because the imagery that encapsulates the film is a reflection of Asian culture in Australia; we see many clips of Asian people celebrating an Australian event by eating Asian cuisine like soup or partaking in Asian rituals like yoga. Over this we hear the responses of the subjects, and it seems that the extremities of each habit differs across culture; for example, we see an asian woman peacefully looking at flowers in a market, and the subject speaks about her worst habit being her compulsion to keep objects and herself clean. Moreover, when stating her favourite swear word, she alters from English to Cantanese, in an effort to politely address the question. On the other hand, we see imagery of elderly caucasian people waving Australian flags at a ceremony, and we hear an Australian woman, a stereotype we hope would have etiquette, declaring a bunch of swear words in English with a proud tone, before imitating an Asian swearing in a foreign language. This juxtaposition directly reflects the intention of the filmmakers: that they are conducting their own study of scatology, trying to separate the etiquette of cultures and sexes, and attempting to satiricise the entire concept of swearing and bad habits. In effect, they debunk the view that women are more civil than men, and they suggest that Asian individuals are more refined than Australians. We hear an Australian male subject talk about ‘farting on the train ride home’, as we watch an Asian woman delicately clean her mouth after finishing a cupcake. We hear Australian subjects declaring their favourite swear words vigorously, or their favourite habits with pride, such as picking their nose, in culturally sacred places, such as in church or as people wave the Australian flag at a ceremony. It seems that the relationship between each distinctly toned voice and each piece of sacred imagery reflects the simple pattern of the film, and this is emphasised by the minimalistic interface, allowing the audience to uncover the content succinctly, through their own exploration of sex and culture in terms of scatology by simply clicking on a male or female symbol, and by analysing the photos inherent in the symbol to see if they are reflective of Asian rituals, such as the woman practicing yoga, or Australian pride, such as the Australian police during the celebration.
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notes:
http://vogmae.net.au/classworks/media/2013/kfilms/scatology/
begins with a definition
Celebration of australia day at fed square
explores a person in an ironic institution- religious place, such as Asian woman practicing meditation or some sort of mind practice on mat, or praying
interface is minimalistic; reflection of their simple concept
different extremities in terms of habits, such as girl with ocd who just wants things to be clean;
theres also the girl whos worst habit is not washing her hands after she goes to the toilet
different emotion conveyed, such as subject who screams SHIT
We see old people and aussie flags and a girl expressing vulgar words in three different languages
as a couple walks by, a subjet talks about her favourite swear word being fuck and her worst habit being that she picks her nose
cultural difference; asians speak in english but when it comes to swear words, they alter language
people talking about disgusting habits like sucking snot through mouth while we see someone eating at a nice restaurant
‘farting on the train ride home’ asian woman delicately cleanign mouth after eating cupcake
we see a woman calm as she does yoga while we hear people swearing, discussing things they cannot help about themselves
exploring asian culture on australia day, showcasing asian habits and australian habits–‘masturbating to photos of children’– aussies want to declare swear words loudly, asians alter into languages like cantonese, habits are usually minor, and sometimes good, like being clean
my worst habit is picking my nose, my favourite swear word is fuck–in state library
settings like church
they are conducting their on study of scatology, trying to separate cultures, and satiricise the entire concept of swearing and bad habits