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We could call it his first narrative picture, although its certainly not a conventional one.
The story feels like a fever dream you might have after binging theBook of Genesisand the Greek myths.
Theres Mother Muse, a singing tree with, in Reggios words, its roots in hell.
Were humanandanimal we forget that.
Were like Perdue chickens, and were on the feedlot of Apple and Google and TikTok.
Even Philip Glasss moving score has a carnivalesque quality to it this time.
You start a fire to fight a fire, he tells me.
This is a viral anti-technology film using technology, embracing the contradictions of this notorthat, but thisandthat.
(Yes, this is how Godfrey Reggio speaks.
Its one of the reasons why Ive always loved talking to him.)
And then theres … Mike Tyson?
Reggio tells me that he was drawn to the former boxers charisma and innate brightness.
Hes perspicacious, Reggio says.
Everybody wanted to meet him.
Tyson is another of those expressive performers that Reggio clearly loves.
You didnt need to direct him, he says.
You just had to give him an idea.
Children show up often in Reggios films.
I find, with great sadness, that most kids are becoming socialized to the world, he says.
(Gizmo, by the way, is Reggios preferred term for mobile phones.)
He embraces contradiction and aggressive ambiguity.
He wants to overwhelm us so that well feel the need to find the meaning ourselves.
In the Old Testament, the Jews didnt use the magic vowels, he says.
Everything was commentary by rabbi this and rabbi that and rabbi the other.
It was an autodidactic experience because it was subjective.Youare the vowel.Youcomplete the story.
But when its over, you feel like youve seen the world.
