Living In Oblivion directed by Tom DiCillo features strong scriptwriting and a solid narrative that was used effectively to create a twisted comedy. The bulk of Living In Oblivion centers around the problems of film making, specifically looking at independent films. DiCillo’s experience in the movie industry and his strange sense of humor created a fantastic narrative that is both fantastical and realistic.
When speaking about Living In Oblivion DiCillo said, “What was so surprising to me was the joy and pleasure I found in writing scenes that had originally been nightmares to me; absolutely excruciating to experience. I wrote the first half hour in 4 days.” DiCillo’s script was translated well from a production standpoint. The characters that originated on paper pull more than Nick Reve is the main protagonist of this film. This character’s dynamics and changing personally make Living In Oblivion a solid character driven piece. Reve’s personality is constantly shifting between highs and lows. When everything on the shoot goes from bad to worse, Reve becomes crestfallen and frustrated with himself. Reve as a character is easy to relate to for both those that work in the film industry and for those that work in any sort of collaborative creative medium. Reve later regains his spirits when his mother accidentally wanders onto the set gives a near perfect screen delivery which better exemplifies the joy and magic of film. Living In Oblivion features other well executed characters including the stoic Peter Dinklage playing Tito and Catherine Keener playing the emotional devastated Nicole. These characters on screen are believable while they perform the roles of distressed actors in this meta film narrative. Below is a solid example of humorous character interaction in the film.
In addition to the characters that drive the film, the visual aesthetic and changing story perspectives tie the movie together. At its heart, Living In Oblivion exists in a world of chaos. Tom DiCillo said that “I wrote Living In Oblivion in a state of mind teetering somewhere between homicide and suicide.” The first two parts of the film meander around in a universe were nothing happens as planned. The final part shares in this, with the exception of a scene being finished due to accidental brilliance. In this scene, the dream sequence, the weird, off the wall visuals of the set that they are filming transcends into the film itself. There is a malfunctioning fog machine, overly saturated colors and unsettling music. Though the audience knows that these elements are for the film sequence being shot within the film, the film itself begins to take on these qualities. By having characters dream different outcomes of the story, coupled with occurrences of strange visuals makes Living In Oblivion incredibly surreal. The film will often shift between color and black and white, which enhances its dream-like aesthetic. Below is a picture of the filming within the film, in a scene that is in black and white.
The film’s setting is also a commentary on film making itself. The poor catering service and the arguments that arise within the production team show the trials that people go through in order to create a movie. While these were shown in the film purely as story elements, they are well rooted in the real world. DiCillo himself was struggling with making another film at the time of writing Living In Oblivion. DiCillo comments on this experience when he says “After the dismissive release of Johnny Suede it was extremely difficult to get my next script, Box of Moonlight financed. And so one night, after getting plastered on martini’s at my wife’s cousin’s wedding, I stumbled into the Idea; a series of events taking place right on the set of a no-budget movie.”
The surrealism in the Living in Oblivion is anchored by well written characters which makes the entire production of the film oddly believable. DiCillo pulled from his own life and created a memorable nightmare for audiences to share in.
Source for the interview: http://www.tomdicillo.com/blog/trivia/living-in-oblivion-2/
DiCarlo's Film Blog 