Monday 30 April 2007

Can Dialectics Break Bricks?

As a relative novice in the world of Critical Theory, I have decided that rather than embarrass myself attempting to debate the relative merits of theorists I almost certainly have not read (that shall come later) my first post should draw on something that I actually do have some knowledge of: obscure examples of cinematic detritus which are slowly becoming available through collectors sites like 5 Minutes to Live and Shocking Videos.

One of the most fascinating films I've come across is La Dialectique Peut-Elle Casser Des Briques? (Can Dialectics Break Bricks?), a 1973 French situationist film made by director Rene Vienet. The film redubs a Chinese martial arts film, Tang shou tai quan dao (The Crush, 1972) to transform the narrative into a conflict between the proletariat and the bureaucrats within state capitalism. In many ways, the film is reminiscent of the Woody Allen film What's Up, Tiger Lily? in that it reappropriates and recontextualises a work through overdubbing a completely new narrative. Reflecting the situationist technique of detournement (defined as "the reemployment in a new entity of preexisting artistic elements"), the film is actually remarkably similar to such recent phenomena as fan films and mash-up videos. And, as with all such media, it really does need to be seen to be believed: