Movies are an illusion.
For a short period of time, we are expected to buy in to these fictional worlds and forget
that these are actors in front of the camera….
Well, most of the time.
This is metacinema.
Metacinema is a style of filmmaking where the film deliberately informs the audience
that they are watching a movie.
While metacinema has become much more prevalent in recent times, meta instances date all the
back to the early 1900s.
The Great Train Robbery completely broke the rules of fictional cinema by having a character firing
a gun directly into the camera.
This calls attention to the fact that we are watching a film and is therefore considered meta.
The most common form of metacinema includes a character directly addressing the audience,
alerting us that they know we are watching.
In doing so and breaking the fourth wall, the characters to supply us with information
that we otherwise wouldn’t receive.
Here's Margot Robbie in a bubble bath to explain.
And even if a character isn't onscreen, they can still break the fourth wall and address
us through voiceover narration.
"That's how she got to the same party as me.
I skipped something.
Damnit!
This whole robot that I made a big deal and then like totally forgot.
This is bad narrating."
Movies like Deadpool take things a few steps further on the meta scale by actually commenting
on the making of the film.
It's a big house.
Funny I only see two of you.
It's almost like the studio couldn't afford another X-Man.
Deadpool makes us very aware that we are watching a product made for viewing and does not expect
us to buy into any of the illusion.
Movies can also call out the actual filmmaking with various visual gags.
"What the hell am I looking at!?
When does this happen in the movie!?"
"There's a sound guy, there's a script supervisor..."
"Wait a minute.
I'm not supposed to lose.
Let me see the script."
While these are all very on-the-nose examples, some movies push meta boundaries very subtly.
"We're reviving a cancelled undercover police program from the '80s and revamping it for
modern times.
You see, the guys in charge of this stuff lack creativity and are completely out of
ideas."
These movies may not obviously break the fourth wall, but they use various tongue-in-cheek
moments to comment on the film.
"Are you suggesting that someone is trying to make a real-life sequel?"
"Stab 2?
Who would want to do that?
Sequels suck."
But perhaps the biggest question surrounding metacinema is "why?"
Why do filmmakers choose to call attention to their films?
Why ruin the illusion that makes cinema so unique?
Well, sometimes direct addresses can cause us to be more invested in a film by thoughtfully
including us.
"Look, I know you're not following what I'm saying anyway, right?
That's okay.
That doesn't matter."
More often than not, it seems that filmmakers use metacinema to teach us a lesson.
Sometimes a lesson about ourselves.
This is most notable in the horror genre.
Movies like Funny Games use self-awareness in order to criticize the audience for what
they expect.
"Do you think it's enough?
I mean, you want a real ending, right?
One with plausible plot development."
And the critique isn’t always just aimed at the audience.
There are certain rules that one must abide by in order to successfully survive a horror
movie.
For instance, number one: You can never have sex."
Movies like Scream and The Cabin in the Woods brilliantly take aim at their own genre.
"The virgin's death is optional as long as it's last.
The main thing is that she suffers."
And this doesn't only apply to the horror genre.
Movies like They Came Together target romantic comedy clichés.
"Well, Joel is kind of the typical romantic comedy leading man.
You know?
He's handsome, but not in a non-threatening way."
"Yeah, I can see that."
"And Molly is the kind of cute, klutzy girl that sometimes will drive you a little bit
crazy, but you can't help but fall in love with her."
And 22 Jump Street uses key moments to attack Hollywood’s obsession with sequels and rehashed
material.
"So now this department has invested a lot of money to make sure that Jump Street keeps
going.
We've doubled their budget.
As if spending twice the money guaranteed twice the profit."
"Like that's gonna work."
Metacinema is fun and always entertaining in the way that it flips expectations and
involves us in the film.
But more importantly, it teaches us a little about cinema and even a little about ourselves.
"That's just lazy writing."
You're still here.
It's over.
Go home.