Part Three

Not all the three films have a basic storyline. The Girl Chewing Gum, in this case, doesn’t have a beginning, middle and end, it has however a complex structure. It is set entirely on a London street corner and it is being watched and observed every second. The observer in this situation is the man you can hear in the background narrating. It is a giveaway at what he is doing. The first few moments, we as the audience believe he is doing a running commentary then the next moment, he is directing everyone and everything that “appears to be around him.” However we later discover that he isn’t behind the camera after all. We know that it is all recorded and was rehearsed time and time again so everyone on that set that set that walked past the camera was well aware that they are being film because, of course, they accepted the permission to be filmed.
So for example, he says “the man walking past is going to put his hand in his pocket.” It’s not being psychic it’s just recorded beforehand or the footage could be recorded and the man records himself in a studio. He later explains that he is not there but he is apparently in a field several miles away. He gives the illusion of this simply by switching from one location on the busy street corner to a deserted field, he is however still not seen and this field may not be several miles away in fact it might not be very far at all.

He not only directs and commentates, in between he gives a history about certain aspects of the street corner and at one moment, bizarrely asks for the town clock to move towards him even though it is very unlikely to happen.
Similarly, 1001 Nights doesn’t have a basic storyline either. Five women are placed in a dark room and the lighting is focused on them, they all have their eyes shut and one by one speak only when their eyes are open, alas, the rest don't make any sound or movement when someone is speaking. They talk about their traumatic past involving war and violence, at that moment we beleive that this is a true to life documentary when really these women are acting as victims and are given a monologue. The audience becomes engaged in what they are saying, until the film shows off its element of surreality. The story of one of the women strangely and randomly involves a rhino and then that bond between the audience and the victims is broken.

On the other hand Koyaanisqatsi is completly different in which is does use a basic storyline but only through the music. It starts of slow at beginning, fast throughout the middle then slows down again at the end. The opening begins with images of cave sketchings and a rocket explosion, then moves on to fast forward images relating to the environment and at the end goes back to the rocket, before it blew up.