Not examples, but some thoughts: I'd be tempted to make a distinction between those films which are incomprehensible intentionally, and those that are incomprehensible in part as a result of a production process that doesn't focuse on coherence, but rather on a series of gimmicks strung together. In the former category one would certainly put surrealist film (chien andalou, other bunuel...Momento, Mulholland Drive)...IN the latter, I'd put movies like Mission Impossible, Swordfish, and other such gimmick movies that aren't deliberately incomprehensible, but have subordinated things like comprehensible plots to other imperatives: getting the next set of stunt/effect scenes laid out. with a bit of effort, movies in the latter category can be sorted out: we can figure out what the scriptwriters were thinking the plot was supposed to be; the former movies are deliberately indeterminate. -----Original Message----- From: jane mills [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Wednesday, March 13, 2002 2:22 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Understanding the plot Understanding the plot. Apologies for cross-listing Un chien Andalou, The Big Sleep, Seven, The Usual Suspects, The Matrix, Velvet Goldmine, Gummo, Mulholland Drive – all films that have incoherent or, to some, incomprehensible plots and storylines. (For some reason I am always completely baffled by films about counter espionage.) Does it matter? Do we need to understand the plot of a movie to enjoy it? Could you let me know more titles of incomprehensible films, any academic articles on the subject , and your views on the subject? Jane Mills Honorary Associate, The University of Sydney; Senior Research Associate, Australian Film,Television & Radio School 27 Dudley Street, Bondi, 2026 Tel: 9300 8836 [log in to unmask] ---- Screen-L is sponsored by the Telecommunication & Film Dept., the University of Alabama: http://www.tcf.ua.edu ---- Screen-L is sponsored by the Telecommunication & Film Dept., the University of Alabama: http://www.tcf.ua.edu