Review of 71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance (1995) by Chris M — 16 Mar 2008
On parle, on parle mais on ne communique pas" (we speak, we speak, but we do not speak to each other) said Michael Haneke when discussing "71 fragments". Like "the Seventh Continent", Haneke's 1994 film is yet another study of alienation in post-industrial, media-heavy Western countries.
Through a static camera, "71 fragments" gives us snapshots of the mundane lives of seemingly unrelated and mostly faceless protagonists. The lack of an obvious narrative thread should also be read as a metaphor for the disconnected, empty lives of people in modern societies.
More than any other contemporary director, Haneke excels at aestheticizing nihilism: as the viewer, we are never encouraged to empathize with the characters, but this is also how we realize how similar are to theirs.
Like Sartre or Heidegger, Haneke believes that the duty of the artist is to tell the Truth - whatever the price. Existentialism on the screen, at its best here. Swallow your Prozac pills prior to watching.
This review of 71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance (1995) was written by Chris M on 16 Mar 2008.
71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance has generally received positive reviews.
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