导演:史蒂芬·奎/狄莫瑞ccc
类型:短片
官方网站:http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/498178
制片国家/地区:英国
语言:英语
上映日期:2003-10-10
片长:21分钟
IMDb链接:tt0079636
人工夜的剧情简介······
Aswithmuchoftheirlaterwork,it‘simpossibletoprovideacoherentsynopsisoftheearliestsurvivingfilmbytheBrothersQuay,asNocturnaArtificialiadefiesattemptsatverbalencapsulationateveryturn.TheQuaysthemselvesacknowledgedthiswhentheysaid"asforwhatiscalledthescenario,atmostwehaveonlyalimitedmusicalsenseofitstrajectory,andwetendtobepermanentlyopentovastuncertainties,mistakes,disorientations,asthoughlyinginwaittotraptheslightestfugitive‘encounter‘."
Itconsistsofimpressionsofaman,atramandanunidentifiedcityatnight(theopeningtitlesidentifyaspecificBrusselsstreet,buttheambienceseemsEastEuropean).Muchofitseemstobetheman‘sdream,derivingfromafixationwithspecificobjectsrelatingtothetram(notablyitspantograph)andamoregeneralevocationofthestreetsatnight,butevenwhenheappearstoawakenattheendafterexperiencingasomekindofrevelation,hefindstramlinesrunningthroughthemiddleofhisroom.
Everythingisglimpsedorhalf-heard:lightandshadeseemastangibleasthemoresolidifiedreality(aspellbindingsequenceseeshisarmcaressedbypassingshadows,abriefBartókianmusicalmotifsoundingastheytouch).Tensioniscreatednotthroughnarrativebutthroughmovement(bytramandcamera,inparallelorinopposition),shiftingfocus,shadowsmovingacrossinanimateobjectstobringthembrieflyintoeerielife.
There‘soccasionalrecoursetoreligiousimagery:atonepointthetrampassesthroughtheinteriorofacathedral,andthendownastreetnamedaftertheCrucifixion,buttheseelementsseemashalf-awakeandhalf-rememberedaseverythingelse.Despitebeingpresentedinmultiplelanguages,theeightintertitlesarecalculatedlycryptic("Throughgraduallytighteningavenues,Ifelttheecstasyofsomethingnameless").It‘saSurrealistfilmintheterm‘soriginalsense-inthatitsimaginarylandscapeisequallypopulatedbyconsciousandunconsciouselementsandlittledistinctionisdrawnbetweenthem.
Shoton16mmandfundedbytheBritishFilmInstitute‘sProductionBoard,NocturnaArtificialiaisaremarkablyconfidentpieceofwork,theQuayssurmountingobvioustechnicalandbudgetarylimitationstocreateaprivateuniverseentirelyoutoftheirownrecurringobsessions.Theirlaterfilmsmaybemoreassured,buttheirrootsareclearlyvisiblehere.