Little Otik is a dark, twisted tale about a couple who are desperate about having there own child. However the couple being sterile meant they could not have there own. The husband whilst at work dug up a tree stump that to him looked like a baby. He took this stump home, and they began to raise it as if it was there own child. The power of the parents love for this stump is where this sick story begins to get perverse. The stump, named Otik, begins to devour everything and anything. The parents are blinded by love for the child, especially the mother. She cannot see that she is raising a monster. I believe this film is looking at how parents cannot see what there children are really like. In today’s society, many parents cannot see that there children are disobedient, disrespectful or rebellious. They cannot admit to this because it questions there parenting skills. Little Otik is a monster; he eats people and does not listen to his parents. They do not want to understand the reality of this situation. I believe one of the issues Svankmajer is tackling is parenting skills. If circumstances appear where your ability as parents occurs, you become narrow minded and shut down to anyone telling you what you should do. After all, its your child.
Reflection on The Five Obstructions
The Five Obstructions is a film about Lars Von Trier, a former student of the great film maker Jorgen Leth. Trier sets obstructions for Leth in remaking his film The Perfect Human. This film tackles the theme of being the observer. It embarks upon asking the questions how far we can be pushed by other people. Trier sets obstructions for Leth, some technological, some pushing ethics and morals. It questions how far we will go to win, to beat the person setting the challenges. If someone sets something for us to do, we must do it, but how far will we go? I believe it represents ego, and how it can confuse morals and ethics.
