1960's Daisies

I have to say that even though I thoroughly enjoy strange enigmatic movies, Daisies is not one that I could truly get in too, I think that even though it is amazing, I am one of those people that need a story line to follow, regardless of how strange that plotline may be, I definitely need one. I love films with bright colors and interesting scenery, and its ok if the movie moves in a strange pace, such movies as Amelie, which happens to be one of my favorite movies of all time. Many find Amelie strange and hard to follow, which is the way I felt about Daisies. But even though it is not exactly my cut of tea, I do have to admit that it is indeed a fantastic work of art. The way it shifts from color, to black and white, to some slashes of color, and the overall the scenery is incredible.

At first glance Daisies could be played off as a disembodied comedy, girls running around like crazy from set to set, falling into different colored world. They run around stuffing their faces with everything they can find, even magazine pages with food printed on them, cutting limbs of each other’s bodies, we get glimpses of an arm, and a head. They run around in a wild rampage of child like delight, but doing rather “stupid” things. When you just watch it and not think of it too hard as to why they do what they do, it feels just like a strange episode of a cartoon. But when you stop and ponder as to why? Then that’s when Chytilova’s intent comes into fruition. She meant for it to be thought off, she wants the audience to wonder, “why are they doing all of this?” that is what she wanted. Her visual strategy was to be provocative, she wanted for people to question their antics, to wonder, why are they cutting sausages, what does that mean?

It is rather brilliant to think that she in a way hid these intense thoughts behind silly cartoon-like antics. And once again even though Daisies is not something I will be watching again, I do have to appreciate its brilliance.