Isn’t it funny how sometimes, life just… doesn’t make sense? We strive for logic, order, and meaning, but often find ourselves staring into a void of baffling routines and nonsensical situations. That feeling – that unsettling disconnect between our desire for reason and the chaotic reality we inhabit – is fertile ground for absurdism, and it's surprisingly rich territory in cinema.
Absurdism isn’t just about being silly or quirky (though those can certainly be elements). It's a philosophical stance arguing that existence itself is inherently meaningless. Think of it as existentialism’s cynical cousin; where existentialism urges you to create your own meaning, absurdism recognizes the futility and embraces the joke. And what a glorious joke cinema can sometimes be!
Take “Poughkeepsie Crispies,” for example. The sheer dedication of someone to an obsessive ritual surrounding a snack food might seem trivial on its face, but it’s a perfect distillation of the absurdist mindset. We search for purpose, even if that purpose is utterly ridiculous – and that searching becomes the story. It's akin to watching someone meticulously build a sandcastle while the tide relentlessly encroaches.
This notion of dismantling expectations resonates across genres. Barbet Schroeder’s “Themroc” is a particularly potent example. A man, driven by frustration with his life, abandons societal norms and essentially becomes a Neanderthal in his own apartment. It's bizarre, yes, but it also taps into that primal desire to reject the structures that confine us – even if retreating back to a simulated “primitive” state is ultimately… well, absurd!
Of course, absurdity can be wielded with sharp satire, as Stanley Kubrick brilliantly demonstrates in "Dr. Strangelove." The film's darkly comic depiction of Cold War paranoia and nuclear brinkmanship isn’t just funny; it's terrifying precisely because the situation is so ludicrously out of control. It highlights how our attempts at rationality can lead to the most irrational outcomes.
Then you have films like "The National Shotgun," which, through infidelity and social maneuvering, subtly undermines the pretensions of high society. Or even “Smokey and the Bandit,” where the sheer improbability of a beer-smuggling operation becomes hilariously magnified by the characters’ unwavering dedication to it.
And let's not forget Rene Smaal's "Re/cycle," which throws conventional narrative out the window entirely! It's an experience, a puzzle box of images and sounds that asks you to find your own meaning – or to acknowledge that there may be none at all.
Absurdism in film isn’t always comfortable viewing; it can leave you feeling disoriented, even slightly uneasy. But it is often incredibly rewarding. It encourages us to question assumptions, to laugh at the inherent chaos of existence, and maybe—just maybe—to find a strange kind of beauty within the void. Go on, embrace the ridiculous. You might be surprised by what you discover.
