Battery Film

Starring: N/A
Directed by: Franklin Backus, Richard Provotin
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Short, Animation
Length: 9 minutes
1985

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: An art film set in Battery Park, NYC.

Review:

Tim: This is an experimental art film- not exactly the type of film I tend to gravitate towards. I have to admit that I don't understand it at all. If someone asked me to give them one reason to watch Battery Film, I honestly don't know if I could come up with a single reason (I'm sure I could, but you get the point). That's not to say this is necessarily a bad movie. It's simply a short film that I had to shrug at, agree that it's experimental filmmaking, and move on.

The short is a blend of live action shots and animation. You'll see a view of a park (sometimes in different seasons), and then the same image, but in animated form, that moves around a bit. It's hard to explain, but it's hard to understand while watching it, too. What's interesting is that I found the live shots fascinating. They show parts of New York as they were in the 1980s. In several shots, you actually see the World Trade Center Twin Towers still standing. There is haunting beauty about the landscapes, frozen in time. I loved those moments. Unfortunately, the real life shots are very short, before the film switches over to the animated ones. I wasn't a fan of the animation at all. I simply wanted it to end to see more of the real New York.

There's no narrative, no real "point" to the film. The best advice I can give is to sit back and let the images wash over you. Besides the poignancy of seeing the towers still standing, there's little else that impacts you while watching this film.

I watched Battery Film to expand my horizons as a movie lover. I suppose it worked, but I won't be immediately searching out a whole lot of additional short experimental art films. I'm ready for some explosions or some recycled fart jokes now, please.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: N/A



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: N/A