Zoetrope (film)
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| Zoetrope | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Charlie Deaux |
| Produced by | Mellissa Barry |
| Written by | Charlie Deaux |
| Starring | Nigel Bonfield Michael Bradley |
| Music by | Brian Williams |
| Cinematography | James Hawkinson |
| Editing by | Lee Cowan |
| Distributed by | Soleilmoon Recordings (DVD) |
| Release date(s) | 1999 |
| Running time | 18 min. |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Zoetrope is an experimental avant-garde short film by music-video director Charlie Deaux (director of music videos for System of a Down and Mortiis). It presents a haunting, apocalyptic story of man's metaphysical existence.
"The story of Zoetrope is about a man trapped inside a prison," Deaux explains. "But a constant topic of discussion is turning the short film into a feature. Then I would like to get back to the original story of a man who goes to a surrealist prison to witness his own execution." "Within the darkness there is mystery and imagination," Deaux adds, "It's what fuels my madness."
The stunning visuals are the work of renowned music video cinematographer James Hawkinson (previous work includes music videos for Aphex Twin, Tool, Missy Elliot, Lincoln Park, Gwen Stefani, Velvet Revolver and System of a Down ). The 3D animation for the film was created by Robert Beebe (Student Academy Award winner for his animated short film In the Aquarium).
Shot in 35mm grainy black and white, the film features spectacular, dark visuals similar to the work of David Lynch (Eraserhead), E. Elias Merhige (Begotten), Shinya Tsukamoto (Tetsuo), the Brothers Quay (Street Of Crocodiles, Institute Benjamenta), Darren Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem for a Dream), Jem Cohen or the early work of Lars von Trier (Dancer in the Dark). The movie is in some ways similar to Rammstein's video clip Mein Teil, Judas Priest's Painkiller, Chris Cunningham's Rubber Johnny and Brad Andersson's The machinist.
Inspired by Franz Kafka's story In the Penal Colony, the film is a highly successful attempt at transferring Kafka's dark, nightmarish vision and gloomy atmosphere to celluloid. Thematically, Zoetrope is similar to the sinister visions of the future portrayed in Chris Marker’s La Jetee, Mamoru Oshii’s Avalon, Alex Proyas's Dark City or James Wan's Saw.
This eighteen-minute work features a dark ambient soundscape by musician and sound designer Lustmord (also known as Brian Williams), who worked on such titles as Underworld, The Crow, From Dusk Till Dawn and Basketball Diaries. Released on DVD [1] in 2005 by Soleilmoon Recordings.
The trailer for the movie is available here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLe3P0xYd50
| Adaptations of works by Franz Kafka |
|---|
| Feature Films: The Trial (1962) • Kafka (1991) • The Trial(1993) • The Castle (1997)
Short Films: Metamorphosis (Germany, 1975) • Metamorphosis (Sweden, 1976) • The Metamorphosis of Mr. Samsa (Canada, 1977) • Metamorphosis (UK, 1987) • Franz Kafka (Poland, 1992) • Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life (USA, 1993) • Zoetrope (adaptation of In the Penal Colony, USA, 1999) • The Hunger Artist (USA, 2002) • Metamorphosis (Russia, 2002) • Human Body (adaptation of A Country Doctor, Germany, 2004) Literature: Kafka Americana Graphic Novels and Comics: Give It Up! • The Metamorphosis • Introducing Kafka |
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