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| Last updated: 16 June 2003 |
| The Verisimilitude of All Literary Endeavours Part 5 Finished Product: The Verisimilitude has a lot in common with both Adomonition and The Gates of Paradise; all 3 have somewhat convoluted narratives, all 3 are heavy in symbolism, all 3 make literary references, all 3 have somewhat unresolved conclusions, all 3 feature conflict within one person rather than between people (if one considers White Man and Dark Man as the same person and if one considers Urizen and Wanker as mataphorical). However, for all their similiarities, there are some striking differences. Perhaps the most important difference is the literary foundations of The Verisimilitude. While it is possoible to get to grips with Admonition without having read Eliot's 'The Hollow Men', and to understand The Gates of Paradise without having studied the writings of William Blake, it is impossible to comprehend The Verisimilitude without some degree of understanding of the specific texts (if not the monologues themselves). If one doesn't know the psychological imperatives of John Gabriel Borkman, one will not understand why the quote from the play is relevent at the precise moment when it appears. Likewise, with The Divine Comedy reference, if one is not familiar with the context in which it is spoken in the original, its contextual meaning in The Verisimilitude will also be lost. The whole film is built upon a foundation of pre-existing literary texts, and some degree of understanding of this intertextuality is necessary to fully grasp the implications of Reader's dilemma. The film stands or falls based upon how well this integration works, and while many may criticise that as a failing, the point is precisely a test to see if the film can stand at all. There are some small moments of note for the keen viewer, such as the mid-scene changing of the books from time to time, the use of voice effects on specific quotations, and the fact that Wanker's wanker sign gets more and more tired looking at the film moves along (Martin's idea), and just like Admonition and The Gates of Paradise, repeated viewings will be rewarded. Such moments however are not as important as in the previous works, and little of any real relevance is hidden. What is truly important are the specific quotations and their context, therein lies the meaning, and while the film is logistically must simplier than both of its predecessors, it is perhaps the most symbolically ambitious project that CherryPie has yet engaged in. Critical Reaction: When the completed film was finally shown in DLIADT, it got a mixed reception. Liam Regan and his band of merry gobshites didn't understand it, wanting to know why the lead character was always reading!!! This however, was to be expected from people who probably don't understand how liquids are usually wet. They failed to see that the film was essentially poking fun at them, instead viewing it as a serious piece of self-expression, hence missing the point completely. The students reacted differently. They too missed both the mockery aimed at themselves, and the self-mockery which Stephen aimed at himself, but they responded very favourably to the comic nature of the piece. Each appearence of Wanker got a louder laugh, climaxing in the park scene, and the Cliffs Notes scene got a good reaction from those who actually knew what Cliffs Notes are (hence getting the joke). All in all then, the film has gotten a pretty good response. Most people who have seen it have responded to its comedy rather than its satire, and many seem to miss that fact that the film is essentially allegorical. Having said that however, the film is not as obviously allegorical as Admonition was, so that people should make this mistake is not entirely unexpected. Much praise has been heaped upon Martin's comic performance as Wanker, while many have responded to the voice effects in the dream sequence and the author names in the vision sequence. Overall though, it has attracted more praise than criticism. In the end, the legacy of The Verisimilitude is three fold; it led to Stephen leaving DLIADT, it laid the foundation for the reuniting of CherryPie Productions and the rejuvenation of Cassandra, and it also helped enhance and advance the thematic concerns of CherryPie Productions. The film is undoubtedly fun, however, it also has its serious side, and it can be viewed as either outright comedy or thinly veiled satire. In terms of its place within the CherryPie output, it slots in neatly with both Admonition and The Gates of Paradise, as well as standing alone. As mentioned above, the film was test to see if the use of multiple examples of pre-existing literature could be used directly as the foundation for something new, and when one considers the results, it seems as if the test was a success. back to verisimilitude page 4 back to products links page back to home |