| Jurij Meden on ARTEMIS 81 - for the 26th anniversary of the original broadcast |
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| Saturday, 29 December 2007 | |
 Considering the fact that Neil Young has already, in his review, attempted to deal with the plot of Artemis 81 - our mysterious object of scrutiny here - and has described the specific context and conditions from which this piece of cinematic novum sprang from, this gives us the liberty to ponder upon the more formalistic, extraneous aspects of this truly unique entry into the Stranger Than Fiction (absolutely no pun intended) chapter of film history. Matters have to become personal at this moment, since it appeared to me that all the internet buzz and high expectations aroused by the announcement of the DVD release of Artemis 81 sometime in 2007 were mostly a result of strong impressions the film left on people when they first saw it on TV in December 1981. What existed for welll over two decades only wrapped in a haze of lasting (if puzzling) impressions was now about to materialize again, most likely to restore itself in all its irrational glory. Lacking that context myself, the irrational logic and devastating (yet almost entirely inexplicable) emotional impact of Artemis 81 rhymed perfectly with another strange cinematic creature of 2007, David Lynch's much-praised INLAND EMPIRE. Both films exist in a shape of more or less randomly organised pieces of concentrated nonsense, designed to provide an intensive emotional experience while disturbing the very foundations of the widespread mainstream perception of cinema as merely an (often mind-numbing) storytelling device and story as something coherent and sensible. I should perhaps add at this point that, while Lynch simply did nothing for me in terms of the above-described modus operandi, Artemis 81 accomplishes its missions perfectly; it is indeed rare to encounter a three-hour long film which makes one push the play button again instantly after the end credits roll over. Major difference between the two titles in my opinion (and experience) is the fact that pieces of Artemis 81 are not small self-standing, self-sustaining chapters very roughly linked together with a very rough narrative (or at least thematic) thread (as is the case with INLAND EMPIRE) but actual pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that fit together perfectly but end up forming this completely abstract image (unlike how jigsaw puzzles are supposed to award you for your patience). Artemis 81 thus makes exactly as much sense as a painting by Pollock; none whatsoever on its own (apart from its sheer beauty and impact) and all the sense in the world provided one takes a step back and starts thinking about the painting within the contexts of its space and time (both specific and historical). Getting to the bottom of Artemis 81 before reaching bottom yourself is therefore possible only by circling around it and describing its reflections in other cultural references. One clear signal that reasoning - as a way of travelling along with (and within) Artemis 81 - should be retired for the time of the actual experience is the lengthy mid-sequence film which take place in a mysterious (very possibly extraterrestrial) nocturnal urban landscape. This sequence's completely irrational and inexplicable mood, plotting and mechanics uncannily resemble the Interzone as described by William S. Burroughs and as visualised by David Cronenberg in Naked Lunch, another prime example of logic clearly suspended in favour of feverish impressions. But is abstract disorder really all we are left with after stumbling through Artemis 81? John Carpenter, another champion of placing primal instincts (fears) over neat rationality, is credited with saying that filmmaking is all about creating order in the universe. Viewed from this perspective Artemis 81 at first glance does nothing but create disorder in its own universe; it even seems that its sole purpose for existence is the creation of disorder. Universe of Artemis 81 is even a plural notion; the chances and the possibilities of disorder thus multiply. So persistent is this chaotic behaviour that one can clearly sense a very strict, uncompromising order in creating all the disorder. And there we have it. It is the consistent methodical creation of disorder that represents logic and thus order in the universe of Artemis 81. An obvious point: it is precisely about restoring order in the universe that the nightmarish plot of Artemis 81 is all about; its strange form in this case only a tweaked and negative reflection of its strange content, a reason why it all appears to be so strangely perfect all the time. The universe does, after all, tend to unfold as it should. Jurij Meden January 1st, 2008 |
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