Three Billboards is a
meta film, the style of which McDonagh has made his trademark. It is a self-referential
world that audiences appear to enjoy, a phenomenon Barthes spoke about decades
ago in Mythologies, where he explored
the idea that we take pleasure from knowing what is coming next as it provides
a sense of safety. An unpredictable world makes audiences feel uncomfortable,
unsure about what to expect from characters, which is why First Reformed is not a summer blockbuster and every Marvel film
is.
We see this meta filmmaking in Three billboards’ characters who are
both a part of the diegetic world as well as commenting on it, as if they
occupy the position of audience too. As an example, McDormand’s patriarch
screaming to her soon to be raped daughter, “I hope you get raped.” This
creates an uncertain expectation of them. One where we assume they can see
their fates yet also be surprised be the outcomes. Like all McDonagh’s films
they reference their own selves as well as many others in a manner which
fosters inconsistency. And because of this these characters are only sporadically
interesting. Capable of, at times, powerful emotion and at others, broadly
drawn stereotypical gestures which feel lazy and dumbed down. We get them and
we don’t and too often is the mark missed for us to buy into the narrative
fully. Yet the filmmaking is competent enough for individual scenes to carry
great power and the overall effect is inexact filmmaking.
The balance of comedy and tragedy
is often off, rendering scenes farcical. The cereal fight/knife/cry for example
- with the bimbo stereotype thrown in for good confusion. There is genuine
humour in the film (and genuine tragedy) but it comes from jokes that stand
alone and aren’t character driven. Funny lines that are funny anywhere. It is sub-par
Coen brothers. There is full commitment with the Coens, where characters are
built into a reality that is then stretched to its extremes, but maintaining
always, commitment to character.
It isn’t that Three Billboards is bad, it is just too busy distracting us with
some humour that is loud and bellowed but really says nothing. A film that does
the opposite of this, and therefore received less press attention, but still
awards recognition, is Spielberg’s The
Post.
The Post works as a
prequel to All the President’s Men
(1976) and ends where Pakula’s classic begins. The newsroom is the same as are
some of the characters and the world of political conspiracy remains unchanged.
Unlike Three Billboards, The Post establishes its world and the
characters that live in it and never deviates from it, creating the suspension
of disbelief that is the mainstream filmmakers goal. The Post is solid storytelling end to end, it does not miss a beat
and while it may be criticised for being scared to experiment or old fashioned,
when placed next to a film like Three
Billboards it helps reveal the latter’s flaws in character and story.
The Post will also
serve as an early addition the canon of protest films about the Trump
administration, taking aim at his attacks against the fourth estate, the press.
There are many lines that, while not being anachronistic to the word created,
are squarely aimed at Trump. Interestingly, Three
Billboards may also find itself in the same canon as it attempts to address
race in a post-President Trump world.
There is nothing really wrong with The Post and the added effect of
Spielberg placing it against All the
President’s Men feels respectful and not cheap and a fun nod to film lovers
in the audience. To create a piece of work that is critical of contemporary
issues, yet a period piece that references and enriches a classic of the conspiracy
genre is a sign that Spielberg remains a class above many filmmakers today.
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