Contrasting Cinematic Norm And Expectations

In this era when there are more prequels, sequels and re-hashes of old and familiar features that necessitates a pre-response of audiences grumbling in disgruntlement, finding a film and a director that is entirely original is hard to come across. For sure, we do have the likes of Wes Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, Tim Burton and a few more auteurs who grace us with their own unique and stylised array of films that feels refreshing to witness. However, the abundance of studios and film-makers who opt to saturate this precious art-medium with spin-off’s and follow-ups of franchises that eventually get swept aside by similar constructs, can leave the modern cinema-goer feeling stagnant and uninspired due to the lack of imagination that many film-makers don’t fully uphold. Thankfully, within a year that has had an amalgamation of ingenuity and duds, Swiss Army Man, directed by both Daniel Scheinert & Daniel Kwan, definitely fills the void of being the most original, clever and dumbest film of the year. Despite it’s overblown controversy that it received unnecessarily by an assemble of ‘critics’, Swiss Army Man is a clear reminder to many, that film is first-and-foremost an art form, not just an entertainments platform…

Circulating itself with eccentric and unconventional formal and contextual aesthetics, Swiss Army Man tells the story of Hank (Paul Dano), a broken man who attempts to kill himself on a deserted island. However, suddenly notices a corpse washed up on the beach. In trying to resuscitate this dead-body (Daniel Radcliffe), Hank not only becomes bemused by the corpse’s flatulence and be-friends it, he notices that he can manipulate the cadaver like a multi-purpose tool and ends up slowly reanimating him from the dead; teaching him the various concepts of life whilst trying to get back home…

Brought to you by the same people who constructed the zany ‘Turn Down For What’ music video, Swiss Army Man goes down the same eccentric route in a similar vain; becoming a prime example of when studios set film-makers free with their active imagination. Indeed, from the very first act, Swiss Army Man doesn’t hesitate to be outlandish; as the dead-corpse, portrayed by Daniel Radcliffe, interrupts Hank’s attempt of committing suicide by audaciously farting which subsequently leads into an extraordinarily off-centre sequence that places Hank immediately mounting/riding the corpse like a jet-ski across the ocean. There’s no denying that from what was just said, and the trailers that many of you might have caught a glimpse of, that Swiss Army Man consistently meddles with the peculiar notions of Hank manipulating Manny’s body as a multi-functional tool and the dead-corpse often farting and re-animating itself. What’s annoying to see is not the idiosyncratic aesthetics that contribute to the main contextual motif of this film, which I will briefly discuss, but it is the way in which many ‘critics’ and ‘reviewers’ have down-played the significance of what the Daniels directors are trying to permit. It is simply absurd to disregard this films bizarre premise. Sure, it may take patience for the ordinary film-viewer to fully acknowledge what this film is trying to metaphorically emphasise. However, since the film does take itself some time to get to the main point through flatulence, it doesn’t necessitate the need to discount what the film has to deliver on the silver-screen. On top of its silly-nous, Swiss Army Man in a subtle manner embarks on a contextual theme that contrasts the socially-awkward/weird notions with normality. This is very much expressed through the many odd-ball reactions that Hank has with Manny when he teaches him the many concepts of life; from the enjoyment of partying, to the awkwardness of approaching “the person you want to spend the rest of your life with.” Individually, each of them embody this ‘contrast’. While Hank, when teaching Manny of these social-status aspects, represents ‘normality’, it is Manny who is seen as the opposite, who childishly mutes these interpretations that Hank considers socially acceptable behaviour (which is also ironic considering Hank’s life before-hand differs from the many teachings that he himself spouts out). It’s rare to find a film that is unpredictable in an engaging way and because Swiss Army Man begins with ‘ridiculous’ tropes which continually develop through the course of the narrative, it allows for limitless ideas to be conjured up in regards to the narrative and what subsequently happens to both Hank and Manny. 

Alongside this contextual theme of ‘normality vs. the abnormal’ that both the Daniel directors show in an effortless fashion, another implementation that Swiss Army Man adopts within its wonderfully weird plot, is the subtle effectiveness of the setting and how it manifests an inter-duality between Paul Dano’s character and the mise-en scene of the Forrest environment. Throughout the most notable features in film history, many of the best auteurs have been able to harness the expressive potential of space and setting to enrich their stories. One of the many way’s in which film-makers have been able to use the setting as an expressionate tool, is the cinematic means of metaphorically using mise-en scene to replicate a characters embodiment. Commonly, this is thoroughly utilised in Horrors/Thrillers which help to bring the harrowing characteristics to life. A good example of this would be within David Fincher’s Seven when we see John Doe’s dingy and claustrophobic apartment that is overflowing with disturbing detail. It’s the space that mirrors John Doe’s psychological prowess; offering the viewer an unsettling insight into this murderer’s depraved mind. While Swiss Army Man doesn’t exploit the setting minutely as what Fincher does with his film, there still remains this inclination that Hank is linked with his surroundings in a psychological way. Upon knowing throughout the film that Hank suffers from being socially-competent, which is also ironic considering he teaches Manny how to enjoy life, you can make this claim that the backdrop in which Hank resides in parallels his conflicted and deranged mental state. While at first the baron Forrest resembles Hank’s primitive disposition of being alone with no one left to care for him, the construction of Manny and the set-pieces that Hank fabricates himself, imitates Paul Dano’s characters willingness to be socially-proficient and not be self-ridiculed for the things that he truly wants to do. If there was one reservation that Swiss Army Man inhabited, it would be the ending. Yes, the story delivers in giving us a wonderfully weird and heartfelt story that leads into an ending that can go down different routes. However, once we get to the penultimate stage, the narrative doesn’t quite make its mind up as to which direction it wants to go. Without spoiling much, it neatly grounds itself into an ending that burrows down on Hank’s being, but then swiftly changes which doesn’t quite make sense.

Quite, the themes and editing tactics that the film-makers employ make Swiss Army Man one of the more original films to watch this year. However, it would be immoral if I didn’t mention the performances of both Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe as they contribute to this films whimsical outlay. Fully immersed in the vision of Daniels, Dano and Radcliffe throughout its entirety share a unique and zeal chemistry that contributes towards the bizarre nature which Swiss Army Man embraces in. Even though credit does have to go to Paul Dano for his depiction of a character that is complex and driven with feelings of self-deprivation, the portrayal that Daniel Radcliffe displays of Manny, the dead-corpse, is just as crucial to the film as the many motifs that Daniels get across. For sure, there’s no questioning that puppetry (and animatronics?) moulded a partial amount of what we see of the dead-corpse character. However, ever since his dispatch from the ever lauded Harry Potter filmic franchise of which people will always remember him for, it has to be said that Daniel Radcliffe is consistently showing his versatility in every film he’s been involved in. It’s not just the comedic gestures of Manny that makes Radcliffe so noticeable, it is his physicality, when Manny is re-learning his self-being, that really impresses here. What is even more accountable to notice of Dano and Radcliffe other than their chemistry with one-another, is their contribution to the unusual soundtrack. Filled with melancholic and rambunctious music, the soundtrack that Dano and Radcliffe contribute towards is just as wonderful and as surreal as the films narrative events. It’s really hard to compare it to anything else.

Under the direction of Daniels, Swiss Army Man conjures up a heartfelt yet knowingly and wonderfully-weird filmic tale that is original, innovative and abnormal for the silver-screen. Indeed, for many, this is a film that will divide opinion, due to its outlandish comedic tools and the fact that the ending doesn’t full-right deliver a satisfactory substance that the film was cleverly building up to from the peculiar beginning. However, it’s truly ignorant to disregard this film as just your typically different art piece. Similar to what was mentioned in the introduction of this review, Swiss Army Man, through its use formal and contextual aesthetics, is a film that reminds us that film isn’t just an entertainments platform, it’s an art form that intricately delves into creativity and emotion. Let’s just hope that from this feature, we can support film-makers who are aiming to provide a difference in saturated industry…

On that note, I think it’s time for me to end. As always everyone, thank you for reading my latest film review of Swiss Army Man and I hope you’ve enjoyed the read. If anyone has an opinion on either my review or on the film itself, please feel free to drop a comment down below. I’m not going to lie, it felt good reviewing a film that has been recently released. I hope I can bring you more reviews of new film in the coming weeks!! Next week will be a big week as I’ll be finishing of my Harry Potter Film Review Series with The Deathly Hallows Part 2 and thoughts on said series. I can’t wait to share with you my thoughts on that film and the series as a whole!! Until then however, I want to thank you once again for reading my latest film review. I’ll see you all next week!! Have a good day/weekend!! 🙂

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ – Alex Rabbitte