Absurdity with a little Lack of Empathy

Phuthita Dokput | 58 407161 22

Together with absurdity, Roy Andersson’s latest film “A Pigeon

Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence” will journey you
through series of melancholy and misfortune, leading by a
couple of miserable salesmen on the move. This Scandinavian
deadpan comedy, recently won a “Golden Lion for Best Film” in
2014, flawlessly serves as a conclusion to Andersson’s “Living
Trilogy”, which also includes his preceding productions “You,
the Living” (2007) and “Songs from the Second Floor” (2000).

Holding on to his distinguished style, every scene of “A

Pigeon..” is neatly fabricated into an anachronistic sequences of
surrealist painting-like footages. The setting, inspired by the
Swedish welfare society in the 50s, with a color range of a
rotten bread, deepens the low spirits of the story in a classy way.
Another impressive feature is the enhanced details and lucidity
at every inches of the scenes, or so called deep-focus technique.
Either the furthest corner of the street, or a window at the very
end of the hallway will keep the watchful eyes wander. Fixed
and wide shots are present throughout the film as if we are
observing the characters’ existence from the pigeon’s
perspective. In some scenes, like the one where a woman is
playing with a baby in a park, a pigeon sound can also be heard.
Although seeming dry and bleak, the design tones with the
grotesque characters to perfection.

The story begins with three encounters of death: a man died

while opening a wine bottle as his wife, unnoticed, merrily
humming the theme song in the kitchen; a slouching-toward-
mortality woman on a hospital bed wanted to bring jewels with
her to heaven; and a dead man on-board who had just paid for a
meal, which was then given to others for free. People in those
scenes are surprisingly indifferent to death. The story hops
around with very loose relation tied by a character, a location, a
phrase or sometimes a melody of “The Battle Hymn of the
Republic” sang with different lyrics. In most parts, the scenes
are lead by two main characters, Sam (Nils Westblom) and
Jonathan (Holger Andersson), who sell novelty joke items and
aspire to help people have fun in spite of their pale joyless faces.
Amidst a financial crisis they travel around to meet several not-
so-interested customers.

Despite the grim atmosphere throughout the story, the absurdity

occasionally brings humour. Suddenly, Charles XII’s army
marching to Russia stopped by at a modern-day bar in the
outskirt, for the king was thirsty. All of the women were chased
out, then came the king on his enormous horse that almost filled
the bar. He demanded sparkling water served by a young
bartender, referred by the king as young and handsome, after
that invited him to come along and sleep in his tent. The other
scene when they returned from the battle torn and wounded was
pretty tragic, they stopped at the same bar, however the women
became weeping widows.

“You have no messages” scenes emphasises how humans are

deeply lonely animals. A man looking through the window of a
restaurant, coming for an appointment but never actually
meeting anyone, keeps checking his phone disappointedly and
assumes the has mistaken the date and time, while a group of
men inside the restaurant burst out sets of sarcastic laugh to their
jokes. These scenes really stir me up. Think of how we have
grown so connected to each other today and simultaneously
drifted apart by the one same thing.

The last part of the film was introduced as “Homo Sapiens”.

“I’m happy to hear you’re doing fine” was restated again by a
old miserable billionaire holding a gun in one hand and a
scientist ignoring a screaming monkey tortured in an on-going
experiment. The film shifts from mundane living moments into
a grandeur scene during Jonathan’s nightmare. A row of black
slaves chained together were beaten and chased into a gigantic
metal cylinder. When the door is closed, fire was lit under the
machine. The weird figure seems to be an instrument creating
sounds from the screams of sufferers inside. As the sorrowful
song played, the audiences, old elites in evening gowns, were
leisurely sipping wine. This is really obvious how Andersson
attempts to convey how malicious “Homo Sapiens” are, to both
of their own kind and others. Human and animal exploitation, a
long lasting issue in out society, is delicately projected. All in
all, other than evoking one’s heartache, the vignettes delivered
us a tangy reminder to our excessive desire.

Situated in an ordinary bus stop on the city, some passengers

were waiting for the ride, some cheerfully some half a sleep. An
argument started when a man asked if it was Thursday when it
was actually Wednesday. It feels just like waking up from a
sleep. After all the journey Andersson has taken us around his
dream-like stories it ends here.

This movie is a must for those who enjoys trivial things in life,
looking at painting and listening to solemn jokes. Certainly the
film will leave something on the corner of your mind to think of
for days.“Is it right using people for your own pleasure?”
repeatedly said by Jonathan at the almost end of the film, the
phrase was still echoed in my head after finishing the film.