Mysterious Object at Noon Film Difficulty Ranking: 4
Why Watch Mysterious Object at Noon?
- Have you seen a Thai film before? If you have, great to hear, here’s another one, if you haven’t hears something interesting to start you off!
- To see the parts of Thailand that you probably won’t see from the tourist resorts
- To see the debut from innovative Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul
- Explore the world of storytelling through a wide range of arts: music, theatre, sign language, writing, and spoken word.
- Did you know after the war
The Breakdown
Once upon a time… Mysterious Object at Noon starts with the famous four letter opening. It marks the fine division between non-fiction and fiction that the film will follow. The camera starts at the front of a vehicle driving along a highway in the Thai capital, Bangkok. Whilst Thai music blares through the radio, the driver takes an exit and within a few turns is in what could be the country. We hear a voice on the loudspeaker:
“Fish sauce for your curry…Tuna fish is coming…steamed of salted”
The camera then cuts to a woman sitting in the back of the fish sales truck and the director starts interviewing her. We learn that her father sold her to her Aunt and Uncle for the price of a bus fare! She never went home again. The shots of the lady telling the story are cut with shots of election posters with men in smart suits. Is Apichatpong implying this hardship was the fault of the government?
After she tells her story, Apichatpong asks the lady if she has any other stories to tell us, true or fake. This question sets up the game of Exquisite Corpse that Apichatpong plays for the rest of the film. He travels around the country asking the next person or group of people he meets to add a few more lines to the story he starts with. We hear parts added from kids at a school, from a theatre production, an old woman, and more. In this regard it is a celebration of the creative process, and the imagination of people. However, the myth/story they create is a mess. As put by one lady:
“My story is not really connected. I just made it up in an instant”
Conclusion
Once you realise that Apichatpong is playing a game of Exquisite Corpse the film gains meaning. It is a puzzle of stories from across the country. It is also a puzzle of images collected from his tour of Thailand, introducing us to a country that isn’t obvious from the guide books. Film needs innovators like Apichatpong to show others what is possible with this artistic medium. Film also needs viewers open to innovation, so go watch this!
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