Analysis Of Darkness, Light, Darkness

Darkness, Light, Darkness directed by Jan Svankmajer is an interesting, thrilling, and impressive short film. While only seven minutes long, Svankmajer is able to project creative yet disturbing images that many critics struggle to give single meaning. The short is full of attractions created with stop-motion editing that creates a strong narrative on humanity. The film begins with darkness just as the title suggest. A door creaks and suddenly a light appears that is shown to be turned on by a clay hand flipping a switch on the wall. The camera pans out to reveal the set is a small room with two doors on each side of the room. As the scene progresses, various body parts made of clay begin to enter the room including eyes, ears, and eventually …show more content…
Not only is the film quite odd, there are several different messages that could be taken from the short. I believe Svankmajer’s work is his perception of human life. Beginning with the title, Darkness, Light, Darkness, this is similar to the idea of the human lifespan. Life starts in darkness while inside the womb then transforms into light once we are birthed. However, life will inevitably end in darkness that is death. While the film depicts these three stages, it also displays what happens in the “light” of life. I think Svankmajer is showing that we discover ourselves through experimentation. However, while we are figuring out what our purpose is in life, we can forget to truly live. As time progresses and we finally figure out who we are and our purposes, it is time for the darkness again that signals the …show more content…
In the beginning, it is easy to observe the desperation for life to start in the darkness. Once the light is switched on, curiosity takes over the clay limbs. The childlike nature of the limbs putting themselves displays the optimism and hope as he gets his senses which is associated with learning what he is supposed to be in life. It is important to note that Svankmajer interjects moments of comical relief throughout the film to show the humorous comments that happen in life. As the film comes to a close, the once enthusiastic aura plummets back into darkness as he realizes that he is trapped in a tiny environment that cannot accommodate his size or intelligence. In the end, while Darkness, Light, Darkness was difficult to watch, it shed Svankmajer’s opinion on the human life. I think the film provided a self-searching construction of the human body and mind with the boundaries of light and darkness. While the short contained several grotesque images, I think they were needed to prove the main point that humanity is equal parts beauty and