The medium of film is such that it can outdo almost all other forms of art, because it can include them all, and mix them to boot. Anything photography can do film can do, but if it wishes, it can expand on it. It can include music, but if it wishes, it can add visuals to enrich the musical experience. It can do anything that theatre does, but without the physical restrictions that theatre has. And so on... One of the few areas where another artform is superior to film is literature (including poetry, off course). Literature can (because it DESCRIBES rather than merely SHOWS) describe the inner workings of the human mind at a depth that film can not reach. It is a current fashion in "Art Films", especially European ones, to have many long, lingering shots on characters' faces while they undergo strong emotional experiences. That's fine, but you're still just looking at an actor's face. You can try and guess on what's inside, but that's not the same as been described, in detail, on what exactly is going on inside, and why it is that the character has such or other facial expressions. So many of the best literature is literature which does just this: describes exactly what is happening in the mind and in the soul. That is, after all, one of the major accomplishments of the artist: to convey what is happening in her (or her character's) mind and soul. In other words, film is good medium for most things, but it simply is not a good medium of storytelling - literature is much better suited to storytelling. For some reason, many decades ago, someone decided that people should use the medium of film to tell stories, and that's what 99% of filmmakers have done ever since - and have left the many other possibilities of film to rot away into inexistence. However, there are a number of films which have tried to tell a story, yet overcome this inherent shortcoming of film as a storytelling medium (the films of Tarkovsky, Denis, Lynch, and Fellini's "8 1/2" spring to mind). Yet none that I have seen have succeeded as much as "Pink Floyd The Wall". No film that I have ever seen takes you for such a deep, relentess ride within the character's psyche as "Pink Floyd The Wall". Proving that dialogue is all but unneccessary, this film takes you deeper into the character's mind than perhaps you wanted to go - because it makes you so clearly understand and feel what he's going through. While watching the film, you are put almost literally in his shoes - in his mind - whether you like it or not. This is why, whether you enjoy the film or not, this film has got to be one of the greatest artistic achievements of film - you are within the character's world, as ugly and offputting as the experience might be.
And yes, the animated sequences are the best I have ever seen (perhaps not technically, but creatively speaking). (the flower sequence is phenomenal)
P.S. I am a film-maker myself, and am very interested in discussing the artistic nature and goals (and what they should be and what they should not bother being) of films. I'm open to all opinions on the matter, the more critical the better (email address provided above).
;)
And yes, the animated sequences are the best I have ever seen (perhaps not technically, but creatively speaking). (the flower sequence is phenomenal)
P.S. I am a film-maker myself, and am very interested in discussing the artistic nature and goals (and what they should be and what they should not bother being) of films. I'm open to all opinions on the matter, the more critical the better (email address provided above).
;)