Time Out of Mind – A neo-realist treat

There has never been a universal agreement on exactly what “neo-realism” is or was.  Generally, its emphasis has been on contemporary subjects in a real environment and a focus on the poor workers. Film historians Thompson and Bordwell point out that  “Another position emphasized the moral dimension of the films, suggesting that the movement’s importance lay in its ability to make characters’ personal problems gain universal significance.”  Neo-realist film “dedramatized” movies eschewing plot for a viewing of the natural order of things as they happen in real life.

Time Out of Mind starring Richard Gere as George, a homeless man with mental difficulties, uses a neo-realistic approach as it lets the viewer look into the real life experiences of the homeless in New York City streets and shelters.  Screenwriter/Director Oren Moverman has stated that “The movie is designed to be about the stories that we don’t really pay attention to in our busy lives. Not in any judgmental way. Just in the way we live in the city.”  The manner in which the film was shot and the placement of the camera “also allowed us … to kind of let actors blend into the reality of New York and sort of see almost what happens when somebody like Richard Gere, who looks like an unshaven Richard Gere with shorter hair, is completely being ignored because of the clothes that he’s wearing” he explained.

This is a film in which the story is told through the unusual dramatic cinematography.  Early on in the film I noticed that the majority if not all of the shots were using a long lens.  The camera does not move-people and objects do.  There is the occasional zoom of the lens and a pan or tilt of the camera.  Rarely have I felt the power and energy emanating from the mis-en-scène as exudes from Moverman’s shots.  Moverman explains that the camera is never on a dolly or a steadicam.  Shots are taken from various angles and the movement swirls around the characters.  In one scene I recall two characters are walking in the city toward us and as they do they keep getting larger until they fill the whole screen.

Another technique used is the shooting through windows.  Sometimes looking out, sometimes looking in but always being an intentional observer.  No attempt is made to avoid or remove the natural reflections of the people and city.  These shots are accompanied by the natural sounds of the city – traffic, construction music and people.  All occur off camera with other peoples discussions or arguments clearly heard.  The camera placement is often far away from the characters almost as if we are spies trailing them while keeping a safe distance.  Sometimes it takes a second to focus and find George through the crowd or traffic. The point conveyed here is the way most people keep themselves isolated from the poor or disabled.

Often the sounds are very loud, pulling our attention away from the shown visual and making us strain to listen or look for the source.  The music also comes from natural off camera sources, restaurants, bars, the street, cars  and even the subway.  The big difference is that we, the viewers, hear it while George does not seem to notice it at all.  The music is often used as a bridge starting at the end of one shot and the film moves to a different location.

At times George seems to be able to communicate rationally but at other moments he seems to either be having difficulty getting the synapses of his mind to synch or perhaps be hallucinating.  Sometimes he outright lies and sometimes there seems to be a memory problem although one is left to wonder if this is an intentional device to forget or self-denial.  The one thing he conveys with his facial expressions is his pain.

As the movie progresses we can see George begin to try and pull things together.  He wants to try and reestablish some sort of relationship with his daughter whom he has accidentally found.  The turning point seems to occur when he and his homeless friend, Dixon, are walking and George stops and asks Dixon which one of them is stupid.  He tells him that over the past ten years he has been thinking that “I’m one stupid, fucking loser of an idiot.  But I’m not so sure any more.”  George finally admits that he is homeless, something he has verbally denied throughout the film.  “I’m homeless. I’m nobody. I don’t exist.”  After Dixon protests, George continues, “They think we’re clowns, we’re cartoons.”  A powerful message of how the homeless might be considered or worse feel.

Time Out of Mind is a wonderful cinematic experience.  The viewer cannot help but have a visceral, mental and emotional reaction to the images and sounds reaching them.  It is indeed a film where the acting and what little story might exist are overshadowed by the film elements – cinematography, music, sound, editing and directing.  The art of film and reality is on show.  As Walter Cronkite used to say “You Are There.”