« Coming of age ». Around these three words develops a cinematographic genre in its own right, populated by young people who are approaching adulthood. Going against the grain of conventional narratives, filmmaker Andrea Arnold offers an innovative perspective on an early transition to adulthood.
His latest feature film, Birdis an opportunity for the director to reconnect with her favorite themes and her native England. The plot follows Bailey (Nykiya Adams)a twelve-year-old girl, whose encounter with an unusual character named Bird (Franz Rogowski) disrupts his daily life. Between family conflicts et search for independencethe themes recall previous works by the director, such as Fish Tank (2009) and the short film Wasp (2003).
Bailey (Nykiya Adams)
Bird (Franz Rogowski)
Throughout the film, Bailey seeks to free herself from an environment that suffocates her. This claustrophobic feeling is brilliantly established through the use ofa * ratio 4/3 and an omnipresence of close-ups. His escape develops through the gaze, through videography. By projecting videos taken with her phone onto her bedroom wall, the protagonist creates an abyss of the cinematographic device. Many ** champs-contrechamps show Bailey filming the world around him, mixing “amateur” digital images with the film’s “professional” photography, on 35mm film.
Bailey and his father Bug (Barry Keoghan)
Infusing fantasy into Bird is a surprising gesture on the part of Andrea Arnold, since her filmography East well anchored in social realism. The figure of the animal, very present in his workgains agency here, to the point of interacting with humans. Through his human transformations, Bird thus saves Bailey from his vulnerable condition. It then becomes a sort of guardian angel for the young woman. This mixture of genres allows the filmmaker to avoid miserabilism, by pulling her characters out of misfortune in a moment of grace. Like a tale where everything ends well, the audience is led towards a sweeter outcome, if they agree to believe it.
Lilou RICHARD.
Bird by Andrea Arnold, in theaters January 1, 2025. Duration: 1h59.
*Ratio 4/3 : Format de projection
** Champs-Contrechamps: cinematographic process which consists of filming a scene from a given angle, then filming the same scene from an opposite angle
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