I watched backrooms (spoilers)
I just watched backrooms for the first time and I did love it. The sound design, art direction and direction was amazing. That's also not mentioning the acting. I will be buying a physical copy when I get the chance.
I couldn't/didn't catch it in cinemas because I was either working or I wasn't too interested. But I heard people were saying it was good so I decided to watch it.
It was a half decent rip. The bittrate was bad in some sections and early in the film there was some weird motion blurring. But not enough issues to ruin the film for me. At some points I did have to question whether it was intentional or not but it was generally pretty obvious. I am excited to buy the dvd so I can see it properly in a cinema screen or such.
However, I feel like I've not seen anyone mention the horror of watching this film at home. You watch it in a cinema, you walk directly out into a usually well lit space with music, the smell of popcorn, cinema employees (unless it's a late night screening, then they might be doing bins, which might cause a similar effect. I would know, I work in a cinema, often alone. It can be "liminal" but most of the time I wouldn't say so). Then you walk out into the world, you see cars, traffic lights, cars driving by, the general noise of the world.
I watched it at home and finished it at around 2am. I went out into the garden for a cigarette. The world was silent and I heard rustling in the bushes. This happens, cats, foxes, other animals usually. I knew what it was. That was mostly just an after effect as I had only just finished watching the film and I was still feeling it.
When this uncomfortable feeling really hit was walking back into my flat. For context, my flat is one long corridor with the kitchen and the garden at one end and the entrance at the other. It was when I walked back in and saw the long dark corridor. Something I walk through daily, hourly even. It has never caused me any issues before. But suddenly, I was staring at it. It felt like being a child again and just staring at the dark, being scared and uncomfortable.
I remember as a child, whenever I slept at my grandparents house, I would sleep facing the wall. As the room I would sleep in would face directly into the hallway. At the end of this hallway was a mirror. Some nights I would just stare into the hallway. Sometimes, there was enough moonlight to see my reflection. I would just stare. I can't remember what I would think about. I know I was uncomfortable but I would still do it. I also have a phobia of dark abyss's. But it's a very specific abyss, it's always downward and isn't like megalophobia or thalassophobia. I've only really experienced twice in my life, both on roller coasters. Point being, this may have contributed.
Continuing the previous point, I think that's the point of the backrooms "culture". The cultural use of the word "liminal", a space that seems familiar but isn't quite right. They say this in the film at least three times; "It's like describing a dog to someone who has never seen a dog and then asking them to draw it". The point is quite clear. It's a very familiar type of fear. Seeing, faces and shapes in the dark.
We've all experienced it. You could also see this in sleep paralysis demons. The most popular being the hatman. This is a very interesting cultural phenomenon. Does the hatman exist because of an natural collective consciousness? Or does he exist because of the cultural phenomenon? I've even experienced it. It wasn't sleep paralysis but I remember turning over in my bed at around dawn and seeing a figure standing over my bed. But quite frankly, I was so hungover and fed up with seeing things that I just told it to "fuck off".
This is what I was thinking about during the film when I had the chance. Within the film, does the backrooms exist because of a collective consciousness? or does it exist within a single memories consciousness? I have to mention that I have no knowledge of the lore, so if there's an explanation for it, I wouldn't know it. (Nor do I plan to research it as it would affect the current thought process).
Now, lets consider the "personality" of the space. Ignoring the inaccuracies (within the worlds context), what do these spaces contain? It mirrors the real world. Why does it choose to remember what it does? (I will ignore the office theming because I believe that was for aesthetics and cultural recognition. Couldn't do without it).
I think for the most part it seems random. However, the personalities of the backrooms residents is something we know enough about to examine. At least for our main character, as that is the only example we have that we see enough of.
Clark is searching for answers, he needs resolution. But he follows the routines of daily life. Sleep, work, drink, sleep, work, drink, sleep, work, drink. He is crushed under stress but he's in a perpetuating cycle of his own creation. It's why he seeks out Mary. Now, he enters a place where none of those stresses exist nor does any judgement. This allows him to go off the deep end and become the monster he has tried to avoid. Then looking at Captain Clark. He has become the very store he hates and works at. A representation of his stress and failures. He is tall and very, very violent. He represents the monster Clark didn't want to become. It's not how the world remembers Clark, it's how Clark remembers himself.
Extreme spoilers from here.
It's established that Clark and Captain Clark are non violent or even friendly with each other. So why does Captain Clark kill Clark after his conversation with Mary? He had found resolution. Despite finding this place he loved, where his darkest desires and needs could be fostered. He still needed resolution. It's why he kidnaps Mary. He still needs her so he can find a resolution. He finds resolution. Therefore, he no longer matches Captain Clark. I think Captain Clark saw Clark as some sort of mirror. So then, once Clark finds his answers, he is no longer a reflection. So he treats himself like he treats everyone else. We never see Clark as a violent person but he does mention that he has hurt people. I think he tries his hardest to remain a productive and polite member of society but has been crushed by modern society. Whether it's actually his fault or societies fault is up to interpretation or is perhaps expanded upon in the extended cut.
This was meant to be a short post about the reaction I had toward the film, within and outside of it. However, this process is always helpful for retaining information and creating a discussion. Even if nobody reads it, I'll read it again someday.
