Review of Rubber (1936) by Julian T — 01 Sep 2014

As far as unique films go, this has to be right up there at the top. I went into this thinking the plot was simply about a tire with the power to blow things up with its mind. Strangely enough, that is probably the least bizarre part of the story. From the opening scene, you quickly become aware that you are in for one seriously wacky adventure.

As far as the plot is concerned, I don't really know if I can do justice trying to explain it here, but its backbone is essentially a mocking of modern film and audiences total willingness to suspend their disbelief even about mundane details. It is a totally and literally self-aware film, in which there are basically two different plains of existence: The film and its viewers. Eventually, the two somehow intermix, and it becomes nearly impossible to make any sense of what is what. This is a major selling point of the film however, as it tells you straight up in the beginning that nothing is going to make any sense. It almost boarders on surrealism at times in this regard, and it is seriously enjoyable to see a film try something so experimental.

I found the films bizarre qualities extremely funny and very refreshing. Movies strive so hard to follow a certain path of expectations, be it literally or figuratively, and 'Rubber' decides to go down the complete opposite route. There is no rhyme, reason, explanation or overlying theme to speak of and it pretty much does what it wants.

The script is very minimal, as the films major character is a tire. What we do get though is extremely clever and very well delievered by the actors. Despite the strange tone and story, the cast really goes all in, delivering serious and often overly serious performances. These serious performances are perfect in the backdrop of such a ridiculous plot, giving it a tangible feeling of irony. In addition to the script and acting, the cinematography, special effects and overall direction are very strong, adding to this feeling of a fake real movie.

This is one of those movies that I have a really hard time reviewing because it is just so darn out there. You're either going to love it or hate it, and you will know almost immediately. Personally, I thought it was the most original and outlandish film I've seen in quite a while, and I seriously enjoyed it. Its just too darn bizarre to not like.