Le Cirque du Destin

[tinhuviel]

The third review. I would have had both completed, if I hadn't been preoccupied with Smidgen. Of the three I've written so far, I think I'm proudest of this one, although I may have outdone myself on my yappiness in that this review may be longer than the actual film itself. Ha.

Le Cirque du Destin

It has been said that one of the most honest faces on Earth is that of a clown’s. It has also been said that the face of madness can most often be found behind a mask of laughter. In The Circus of Destiny, the viewer is introduced to this myriad of emotions via Scott McClure’s subtle understanding of the medium of silent film.

Le Cirque du Destin tells the story of a young Parisian mime whose talent at knife-throwing is legendary, in that he never misses his mark. But his is a tragic tale which is told in a series of retrospectives as seen through the mime’s blade-sharp memory. As the ringmaster introduces the mime to the audience, the mime introduces his backstory to the viewer. We see him transform from a foolish youth to a young fool in a mere handful of minutes, and at the hands of his devious and selfish childhood friend Etiénne. As the story and backstory merge, the viewer is left with one little question: who gets the last laugh?

Written and directed by Scott McClure the plot is told almost exclusively in the players’ faces. McClure’s mime in particular carries the viewer through every emotion the character feels, every slight he suffers and, inevitably, every nuance of anger and madness to which he succumbs. The story is told in just over ten minutes and is certain to haunt even the most jaded viewer as one wonders where exactly that last blade lands and what happens to our tragic mime once it does? Repeated viewings will only serve to do two things: provide the viewer with even more questions as layers of the story one may have missed on initial viewing are imparted, and reveal the complex beauty that’s often overlooked, yet can only be found in silent film.

Comments

[tinhuviel.livejournal.com]

Ah thanks. I've decided to pass on 'The Patient,' though. I'm still not sure if any of these are any good or even passable, so I've finally reached my stopping point. I'm sure Kanike will do a fine job reviewing 'The Patient' for them and I'm certain she'll get all the feedback she needs in order to make it the best it can be.

I do appreciate the input though. It's good to know that I don't completely suck at this, considering I've never done movie reviews before. Writing these certainly made me realise one thing: I should stick to music! LOL