"The Secret Cinema of Paul Bartel" is an extraordinary little low-budget/independent short film. To me it looks like the director Bartel is combining a story concept that could work on "The Twilight Zone" with the cinematic sensibilities of the French New Wave. The resulting film captures our attention and manages to wring savage humor out of the main character's horrifying situation. This is a sign of things to come from Bartel, who created several memorable satires in his later career (most memorably "Deathrace 2000" and "Eating Raoul").
Jane (Amy Vane) is a young secretary who may or may not be the subject of a "reality" film about her life. We first see her resisting the advances of her flatulent boss, all shown in silent comedy style. Soon she's being urged to go out with the man to advance her career, and hints begin to appear that erode her concept of her own privacy.
I think it's significant that the film being made about her is a comedy. Comedy is an inherently sadistic media, and being the object of humor makes Jane rather a pathetic character. Somehow Bartel manages to make US laugh at her as well, that's the real difference between this work of genius and the many lesser imitations and variations. Apparently Bartel himself remade the film as an episode of "Amazing Stories". I haven't seen it but it's hard to imagine that a slick television version of this story would have even a fraction of this version's crude power.
Jane (Amy Vane) is a young secretary who may or may not be the subject of a "reality" film about her life. We first see her resisting the advances of her flatulent boss, all shown in silent comedy style. Soon she's being urged to go out with the man to advance her career, and hints begin to appear that erode her concept of her own privacy.
I think it's significant that the film being made about her is a comedy. Comedy is an inherently sadistic media, and being the object of humor makes Jane rather a pathetic character. Somehow Bartel manages to make US laugh at her as well, that's the real difference between this work of genius and the many lesser imitations and variations. Apparently Bartel himself remade the film as an episode of "Amazing Stories". I haven't seen it but it's hard to imagine that a slick television version of this story would have even a fraction of this version's crude power.