Chris Marker Meets Werner Herzog In Brilliant, Quirky Rodent Documentary ‘Rat Film’ — Locarno Review
“Before the world became the world, it was an egg. Inside the egg was dark. The rat nibbled the egg and let the light in. And the world began.” That opening stanza in Theo Anthony’s remarkable non-fiction endeavor “Rat Film” sets the stage for a movie that brilliantly defies categorization. Anthony’s feature-length debut careens from scientific observation and historical overview to spiritual inquiry with a freewheeling approach that never ceases to surprise, even as it maintains a cogent thesis. Both a chronicle of the rat infestation plaguing the city of Baltimore and a broader assessment of the class problems plaguing its development, “Rat Film” manages to say something real and immediate in a fresh and inventive voice.
At the same time, Anthony’s approach falls in line with established documentary traditions. The eccentric, wandering reflections throughout the film, offered in a monotonous female voiceover narration, recall Werner Herzog’s discursive technique.
At the same time, Anthony’s approach falls in line with established documentary traditions. The eccentric, wandering reflections throughout the film, offered in a monotonous female voiceover narration, recall Werner Herzog’s discursive technique.
- 8/11/2016
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
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