A man wanders around a room in an old-fashioned natural history museum, a chamber containing a dinosaur skeleton and stuffed birds perched inside glass cabinets. Although he peers intently at each exhibit, he displays not one flicker of insight. A woman companion looks on without interest. They shuffle off to the next room (apparently learning nothing) at the end of the opening scene in Roy Andersson’s oblique, droll, oddly moving film, A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence.
The title of this Swedish film might allude to our inability to see beyond our limited perspectives—not unlike the man in the museum. Our vision carries only so far and our ability to understand what we see is circumscribed by our nature. Still, Anderson’s film is shot through with hope that we can make the best of our circumstances.
A Pigeon is arranged as a sequence of tableaux-in-motion, like little stage plays in settings that suggest the iconography of certain esteemed painters. Edward Hopper is the most striking visual reference in scenes of people together yet alone. Pieter Bruegel the Elder comes to mind for Anderson’s sly satire of the folly of humankind, especially the dying woman in a hospital bed, grasping tightly on a bag of jewels as one of her unkind children tries to take it from her. She believes she can bring the jewels with her to heaven.
There are several recurring characters, especially the deadpan novelty product salesmen with the leitmotif line: “We are in the entertainment business. We want to help people have fun.” Looking as fun-deprived as imaginable, they peddle vampire teeth “with extra-long fangs,” whoopee cushions and “a new item we have a lot of faith in”—a scary mask of an old man with one tooth. They are caught in the bind of small businesses everywhere. The novelty shop they sell to can’t afford to pay them and the producer of their wares is pressing hard for payment.
A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence illustrates the tragedy and comedy of life. It is pointedly absurd, nudging us to wonder about where we are, where we’re headed and how we’ll even know where we are once we arrive.
Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence shows Sept. 11-13 at the UWM Union Cinema, 2200 E. Kenwood Boulevard, second floor.
A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence
3 and a half stars
Holger Andersson
Nils Westblom
Directed by Roy Andersson
Rated PG-13
