A Year in Shorts Day 343: "Mona Lisa Descending a Staircase"

Artsy films are hit and miss for me, and I assume it’s like that with everyone. But what about an artsy film that’s about art? Wouldn’t that be interesting? Well I think it is at any rate. Look, introductions are hard to do, alright? You try coming up with a new one every day for 343 days in a row! Anyway, we’re looking at Joan C. Grantz’s 1992 short, Mona Lisa Descending a Staircase.


(via TV Tropes)


Light on plot but heavy on style, Mona Lisa Descending a Staircase is another one of those shorts made mostly to highlight the animator's talent more than anything. And when you've got talent like this, why not show it off? The film is mostly just a series of recreations of famous works of art, from the titular Mona Lisa to the works of such luminaries as Vincent Van Gogh and Andy Warhol. That might not sound like much at first glance, but it is pretty remarkable to see come to life, watching as the various pieces transform into one another. What makes this film especially impressive is the medium used, a sort of hybrid of claymation with the paint-on-glass technique, which gives the film a remarkable sense of depth while also maintaining an uncommon amount of fluid movement for a stop-motion short. The result is a film that's bewitching, beautiful and just silly enough to let you know it's not taking itself too seriously. That's a tricky balancing act to pull off, but Gratz makes it look easy!



A common theme for many of the shorts we've covered this month has been films which seem to mostly exist for their own sake. And while that certainly wasn't intentional, it has been interesting watching so many of those types of films in quick succession. While experimental films typically don't fare too well at the Oscars, it seems fair to say they do pretty well in the shorts categories; Mona Lisa Descending a Staircase won the Oscar that year, so clearly a lot of people responded well to it. And really, isn't the short the ideal form for the experimental film? Less pressure to financially deliver, more freedom for the artists, and- best of all- less of a chance to overstay their welcome! Mona Lisa Descending a Staircase may not be my favorite of these types of films, but it's certainly not the worst. It's a quirky, well-made film that affords its creator the opportunity to flex her skills, and an opportunity for us to get lost in the world of art for seven minutes. Can't ask for much more than that!


Keep up with the Oscar Baiting here on Letterboxd!


The Great Oscar Baiter is a not-for-profit work of criticism. All images herein are property of their respective owners and are protected under Fair Use.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Song of the Week #15: "Take My Breath Away"

Image
I’ll put myself on a consistent schedule for these things one day, I promise. In my defense, there are a lot of movies to catch up on, and isn’t that what Oscar Baiting is all about? For instance- until recently, I’d never seen the original Top Gun! But with Top Gun: Maverick holding its spot as the biggest hit of the year (probably only to be dethroned by Black Panther or Avatar ) and even potentially soaring into the obligatory crowd pleaser Best Picture slot, I figured it was time to see where things began. Because while the Oscars Top Gun: Maverick may win have yet to be decided, the first Top Gun only went home with one- for the love theme, “Take My Breath Away.” (via Wikipedia) Love themes for films have gone a bit out of style these days, although for a long time it seemed to be a surefire way to nab a Best Song nomination. Seriously, look through the Wikipedia article and count how many times you see "Title Seemingly Chosen at Random (Love Theme from Movie You Didn
Read more

A Year in Shorts Day 182: "Munro"

Image
Once again, and completely by accident, we’ve found ourselves producing a little bit of a themed run in our Year in Shorts. This current theme, combined with yesterday’s short from Chuck Jones, seems to be “People Who Directed Tom and Jerry, Even Though They Shouldn’t Have.” But while I have said and will continue to say horrible things about Gene Deitch’s tenure with everyone’s favorite cartoon cat and mouse, I want to make it clear that, just like Chuck Jones, he was a tremendous artist with a unique style and considerable skill. If anything, the fact that their runs on Tom and Jerry weren’t very good is a testament to that; they tried to bend their vision to someone else’s, and it just didn’t pan out. And while Gene Deitch isn’t a household name in the way Chuck Jones is, films like Munro make a pretty solid argument for why he ought to be. (via TV Tropes) First released in 1960, but shown to American audiences prior to screenings of Breakfast at Tiffany's in 1961 ( after i
Read more

Song of the Week #6: "The Ballad of High Noon"

Image
I was finally able to catch Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast this weekend, and I have to say it certainly lived up to the hype. There’s a lot to love about this movie, from the gorgeous black-and-white cinematography, the exquisite performances from both the seasoned veterans and newcomers in the cast, to a script that’s brimming with heart and humor. But one aspect of the film I don’t see a lot of people mention is the way it incorporates footage from other films- most notably Fred Zinnemann’s High Noon, using not only a scene from the movie itself but scoring two pivotal scenes with the film’s theme song, the aptly-named (and Oscar-winning) “The Ballad of High Noon.” It was a bold choice to be sure, but who could blame Branagh? It’s a great movie, and a great song- and the subject for today’s installment in Song of the Week. (via Wikipedia) For those of you haven't seen High Noon... well, you really should get on that, it's a classic! Aside from being a taut, tightly edited thril
Read more