Paperjam

Primer

Film // Jim // 11th September 2005

I wanted to see Primer (which has won all sorts of acclaim at various film festivals) at the ICA in a double bill with famous French sci-fi short La Jetee, but typically I completely screwed up the times and all appeared to be lost. Fortunately it was also on at the UGC cinema at the Trocadero, so a rapid dash on the tube later I was there. A quick word on the cinema, the screens are really big, even in the smaller auditoriums and the seats are very comfortable. On the negative side the place did not have a particularly pleasant smell to it and the staff were appalling, leaving me to help some disabled chap up the escalators while they stood vacantly staring onwards.

Onto the film… Exposition is a word that gets used a lot in film magazines and conversations involving pretentious wankers (such as me), but what does it mean?
The dictionary defines it as “A clear and full explanation of an idea or theory”. In a novel, the author can take plenty of time and detail building up such supporting information for the plot and characters. In the shorter, sharper and primarily visual medium of cinema it can be much harder to work in the exposition of the plot while still maintaining some kind of suspension of disbelief.

As the majority of mainstream films feature plots and stories as a framework for beautiful people to look beautiful while shooting guns, driving cars and blowing things up, the quality and efficiency of exposition is usually fairly painful. Film makers no longer seem to credit the audience with any intelligence at all preferring to spell out every explicit point rather than leaving any room for interpretation.

The Sarge:
“Jonesy, in my office now, goddammit!”

Jonesy (walking in and sitting down):
“Something you wanted, Sarge?”

The Sarge:
“Don’t play the wise guy with me. After that bullet festival at the Mall, we’re taking you off the Tambini Case. You’re on suspension - now give me your badge and gun”

Jonesy (handing them over):
“I can’t believe you’re doing this. I’ve spent two years undercover getting close to that guinea bastard, it’s already cost me three teeth, half a finger, the respect of every cop in this division and my marriage.”

The Sarge:
“How are Beth and the kids?”

Jonesy:
“I wouldn’t know, she moved backed to her parents place out west and took Stevie and Kelly-Sue with her. I got the papers from her lawyer this morning.”

The Sarge:
“Divorce? I can’t believe it”

Jonesy:
“I guess me being a former special forces undercover cop with a drinking problem didn’t fit in with her career as an expert in de-fusing tactical nuclear devices”

The Sarge:
“I guess so.”

THE PHONE RINGS , THE SARGE ANSWERS AND HAS A BRIEF CONVERSION

The Sarge (hanging up):
“That was the chief, some of Tambini’s goons have stolen a nuclear warhead from the air force base on the edge of town. The DA has been informed that the device will be set off in two hours unless ten million in cash is delivered to the Tambini salami factory. You know the one next to the deserted theme park where your ex-partner was found dead.”

Jonesy:
“Jesus H.Christ, Sarge! That guinea rat bastard is just mad enough to do it”

The Sarge (throwing back badge and gun):
“Looks like you’re back on the case” (opening a filing cabinet to pull out a big gun) “and I’m coming with you”

Jonesy:
“No way Sarge,it’s only two weeks ‘til your retirement, plus what about your heart condition?”

The Sarge:
“No problem, as long as I have these pills with me” (Holds up incredibly fragile looking bottle of pills)

Jonesy: (charging out of the office)
“OK then, lets roll”

The Sarge:
“Oh, did I mention that I have a potentially fatal aversion to salami?”

Anyway, Primer avoids such problems by completely doing away with any direct exposition or plot hints at all. Even the voice-over is incredibly vague, mysterious and frankly unhelpful.

Primer really is hard work, in a stark, documentary style the story of some part time inventors cooking up something amazing in their garage plays out in a downbeat and rather neutral way. For a while I was wondering what all the fuss was about then gradually Primer moves into complex, interesting and very challenging territory.

As the main thrust of the film is never really explicitly named (*i** *r**e*) I am not going to ruin things here. Suffice to say that there is all sort of discussion surrounding electronics, engineering and theoretical physics that had a number of my fellow viewers heading for the doors after half an hour or so.

Primer: Grey collar, challenging

The low budget feel of the film, with no big stars or bundles of special effects suits the plot exactly. This is a grey-collar science fiction movie based in a stark grainy world so the look afforded to it by being blown up to 35mm fits very nicely indeed. The actors are spot-on throughout which is particularly impressive when you consider that main man Shane Carruth was also directing, doing the music and presumably handling catering issues too.

If you get the chance I would definitely recommend checking Primer out, be prepared to sit down with a pen and paper afterwards to work out exactly what was going on though, if you can suss the whole thing out after only one viewing, phone Mensa immediately. Primer isn’t a film that credits its audience with intelligence, it assumes you’ve got a PHD or two as well.

Primer Links

Primer Official Site

Loads of info and a message board where all manner of theories are discussed

Primer IMDB Page

You know the drill