Ever since the invention of motion pictures in the 1890s, watching movies has been a favorite pastime of people all over the world. Knowing this, one should find it surprising that the average person knows little to nothing about what actually goes on during the production of a movie, nor does he or she understand how much backbreaking work is put into even the most abysmal features. For the uninitiated, Tom DiCillo's 1995 feature Living in Oblivion will serve as a both an education in filmmaking and a wake-up call to better appreciate an art form many of us take for granted. It can also be seen as a light-hearted warning to those who are considering a career in the movie industry, or as a refreshing, close-to-home satire to those already involved.
To briefly summarize, Living in Oblivion is a film about the making of a film--an independent, low-budget drama with the same title. Steve Buscemi plays Nick Reve, the film's hopelessly frustrated, strung-out director who's just trying to make it through the shoot in one piece. The many hurdles--both technical and personal--that come with the territory of shooting a low-budget picture are depicted in a way that is unnervingly realistic, yet absolutely hilarious at the same time. We learn right from the get-go that filmmaking is one of those ventures where anything that can go wrong will, and Nick Reve's movie is certainly no exception.
Aside from just being well-acted, the characters in Living in Oblivion are very original and complex. I found such depth in character to actually be somewhat surprising, since the movie's premise is relatively simple, and much of the character development isn't really needed for the jokes to work. But the fact that DiCillo has incorporated a distinct personality and back-story into all of the main parts really helps add to not only the believability of the characters and their actions, but to the viewer's emotional attachment to them as well. Even though we're laughing, we can feel Nick's aggravation as take after take is blown by one minor difficulty or another, and by the time he finally cracks and vows not to finish the production, the audience shares in the disappointment of the onscreen crew, who have been giving their all to make sure that this film makes it to completion. As viewers, we can see that Nick's production is really nothing more than a tacky romantic drama, but because it is a labor of love, we develop a relationship with it anyway, and are therefore genuinely saddened during those few moments when all hope is lost.
Living in Oblivion is also rife with imagery and visual effects that help to punctuate its mood as well as the characters' relationships with one another and with Nick's movie itself. The first third of Oblivion (Nick's dream sequence) is in black and white, while the scenes of his production are shown in color. To me, this represents Nick's total devotion to the project. This movie is everything to him (it is `the light', so to speak), and showing its scenes in color juxtaposed with the stark black and white shots to represent reality help illustrate his passion for his work. Conversely, Nicole's (the lead actress, played by Catherine Keener) dream sequence uses the exact opposite technique, showing the movie's scenes as black and white, while reality is in color. Again, this helps to justify her relationship with the picture-reluctant and detached.
Living in Oblivion may appear simple and unremarkable on the surface, but appearances can be deceptive! Hidden within the film's straightforward storyline and seemingly pessimistic humor lies a very clever look at the human need for involvement, power, passion, and triumph. It may be difficult to pick up at first, but repeated viewings will tell you that this is undoubtedly more than just a `movie about a movie'.
To briefly summarize, Living in Oblivion is a film about the making of a film--an independent, low-budget drama with the same title. Steve Buscemi plays Nick Reve, the film's hopelessly frustrated, strung-out director who's just trying to make it through the shoot in one piece. The many hurdles--both technical and personal--that come with the territory of shooting a low-budget picture are depicted in a way that is unnervingly realistic, yet absolutely hilarious at the same time. We learn right from the get-go that filmmaking is one of those ventures where anything that can go wrong will, and Nick Reve's movie is certainly no exception.
Aside from just being well-acted, the characters in Living in Oblivion are very original and complex. I found such depth in character to actually be somewhat surprising, since the movie's premise is relatively simple, and much of the character development isn't really needed for the jokes to work. But the fact that DiCillo has incorporated a distinct personality and back-story into all of the main parts really helps add to not only the believability of the characters and their actions, but to the viewer's emotional attachment to them as well. Even though we're laughing, we can feel Nick's aggravation as take after take is blown by one minor difficulty or another, and by the time he finally cracks and vows not to finish the production, the audience shares in the disappointment of the onscreen crew, who have been giving their all to make sure that this film makes it to completion. As viewers, we can see that Nick's production is really nothing more than a tacky romantic drama, but because it is a labor of love, we develop a relationship with it anyway, and are therefore genuinely saddened during those few moments when all hope is lost.
Living in Oblivion is also rife with imagery and visual effects that help to punctuate its mood as well as the characters' relationships with one another and with Nick's movie itself. The first third of Oblivion (Nick's dream sequence) is in black and white, while the scenes of his production are shown in color. To me, this represents Nick's total devotion to the project. This movie is everything to him (it is `the light', so to speak), and showing its scenes in color juxtaposed with the stark black and white shots to represent reality help illustrate his passion for his work. Conversely, Nicole's (the lead actress, played by Catherine Keener) dream sequence uses the exact opposite technique, showing the movie's scenes as black and white, while reality is in color. Again, this helps to justify her relationship with the picture-reluctant and detached.
Living in Oblivion may appear simple and unremarkable on the surface, but appearances can be deceptive! Hidden within the film's straightforward storyline and seemingly pessimistic humor lies a very clever look at the human need for involvement, power, passion, and triumph. It may be difficult to pick up at first, but repeated viewings will tell you that this is undoubtedly more than just a `movie about a movie'.