In Defense of a “Messy” Movie
by Amber Love, New Orleans Film Festival Programmer
There is a surprising amount of ways to say that a film is “messy.” It has a lot of ideas, it didn’t know what it was going for, it’s convoluted, inconsistent, incoherent. Being messy is equated with being confused, misdirected, and unrefined. It is the idea that a film lacks clarity of vision.
But I love a good mess.
Some of my favorite media-watching experiences are films, and television shows that others would consider trashy (again, another synonym for mess). I am unashamed to say that I adore a B-movie, particularly if it is horror-adjacent: I think Howling III: the Marsupials (1987) is a triumph, I return to American Horror Story every season without fail, and I had a simply fabulous time watching Malignant (2021). But even in reviews for a more critically appreciated film, that parts of it were “a bit of a mess” is generally seen as a flaw, not an asset. It would have been perfect, were it not so messy.
Why is that such a bad thing?
Often, for a piece of popular art like literature, television, or film to be widely considered “good,” it also needs to be legible. Things like history, culture, politics, identity, tradition and personal preference are all directly implicated in the concept of legibility. If what a filmmaker is trying to express is not considered part of the dominant culture, it is often put on the artist to mold, decipher, or simplify in the name of that legibility. To make the work palatable, if you hope for it to be considered “good.” This can be as true about horror films as it is about documentaries, dramas, animation — you name it. Though it may be clear and consistent, legibility does not always leave room for diverse experiences and diverse ways of expressing those experiences.
In a polished film, I feel I am seeing the end result of a long series of refinements. The inconsistencies have been solved, the rough edges sanded off, queries have been answered, and any lingering thoughts or questions are purposeful and sometimes uncomplicated. There is a real pleasure in watching this kind of film. I do not wish that all films were messy, just as I do not wish that all films were polished. There is just a separate joy in watching something more chaotic.
In a messy film, I often feel like I can see the hand of the artist. Like seeing brushstrokes on a painting, I feel like I am experiencing a thought process that is not my own. Though two images or ideas might feel unconnected to me, clearly there was a resonance for the filmmaker, and that begs me to ask why. How are they seeing the world in a way I am not? And, in turn, that expands my own sense of the world and what is possible. In messiness, I see a struggle to find new languages. New forms for film to take, new pathways to explore, new structures in which to share our stories. This is important and necessary work.
So, what does this mean for me as a programmer?
When I am screening films all day and into the wee hours of the morning, there are a lot of questions running through my mind. Am I staying engaged? How is the audio quality? How will our audiences receive this? Threaded through those questions about the work are also questions about myself. What are my own biases and preferences that might impede me from seeing this work on its own terms? Where might I be mistaking new ways of storytelling for a flaw?
At its best, programming is dialogue and discovery. That means not just dialogue and discovery for our audiences, but also for myself. Messiness can be challenging, but through challenges, we grow.
If you are taking a risk in the way you are telling your stories or making your work, I want to see it. If you are trying something new and you’re not sure if it is gelling yet, I want to see it. In art, we should not be afraid of being a little messy.
Are you a filmmaker? Share your film for consideration for the 2022 New Orleans Film Festival until June 18 via FilmFreeway.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amber Love is a filmmaker and festival programmer based in Chicago, IL. Her work has explored Afrofuturism, familial archives, and Black heritage, and her short films have played at festivals and community events across the country. Her forthcoming short film “Lifetimes,” about a family of Black community leaders in Lansing, MI is funded by the Firelight Homegrown: Future Visions initiative, and her upcoming feature One Another was selected for the Kartemquin 2022 Diverse Voices in Docs program. Amber is also a 2019 NeXt Doc Fellow and a 2020 Sundance Art of Editing Fellow.
As a curator, Amber has been a core member of the programming team for the New Orleans Film Festival since 2016. amberlove.org
