You walk into a movie theatre, settle into your seat, and the film begins. Everything feels familiar – until a character looks directly at you and starts talking to you. If that weren’t enough, they pretty much admit they are in a movie. As absurd as it sounds, metafiction can be a compelling cinematic device that, if leveraged well, can be thoroughly enjoyable. Who doesn’t like unconventional storytelling that blurs a few boundaries and also actively engages your mind in figuring out what is going on? Let’s dive into metafiction, unravel its magic, and explore some of the finest examples in cinema. What Is Metafiction? Metafiction is a storytelling technique in which a film or a TV show purposefully draws attention to its fictional nature. It breaks the illusion of cinema and invites viewers into a character’s world in a manner that they are not particularly used to. A common metafictional device is that of “breaking the fourth wall”. As I’m sure many of you are aware, this is a storytelling technique in which a character directly addresses the audience. This itself can be leveraged in many different ways. Sometimes, a character could bring the audience into their plans, or they can mock or comment on everything going on around them. They could confide in the audience or even lie to them. Metafiction can transform a movie or a TV show into a playful puzzle in which an audience engages with the work on multiple levels. Let's take a look...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Thursday, 13 November