counter

DVD: Screaming Masterpiece

« Alternative Love Songs
Odawas: The Raven and the White Night »

By: Charbarred | in: Movies, Music |

Screaming Masterpiece is a film that attempts to profile Iceland’s fertile music scene. Hurdling through clubs, arenas and desolate locations, it showcases talents such as Bjork and Sigur Ros as well as lesser known acts at various stages of their development.

Screaming Masterpiece

As a film it is greatly uneven. For a little over an hour I was struggling to find a cohesive narrative. While some modern docs such as “Dig!” or “Spend an Evening with Saddle Creek” tell a straight forward story, Screaming Masterpiece will take you on a very puzzling musical ride.
The first half of the film tries to establish the essence of Icelandic music. Tribalism and history play a great role, which leads you to understand the fundamental nature of bands like Sigur Ros and Mum. This initial journey constantly introduces you to new acts through various live scenes, which always look like they are taking place at the final 2 minutes of the show.

Bjork

Forty minutes in, you realize you will not meet most of these bands again in the movie, and are taken back to the 80’s. You get to see what seems like a 12 year old Bjork singing in her first band. You get a short overview of pioneering Icelandic punk bands and learn how the Icelandic youth’s fascination with surrealism slowly created what would become Iceland’s distinct sound.
After a short introduction to The Sugarcubes, the film cuts straight to present day with a Linkin Park wannabe. A few words about hip hop and we’re back to an aimless showcase of bands. At any given point I thought it was going to end, eventually it did.
What the film lacks in direction, it more than makes up for with amazing music. Bjork weighs in with her talent as well as her wisdom. Sigur Ros are never interviewed, but set the tone for the entire film. But the main drawing point is the lesser known artists. 
Strange instruments is the name of the game for many of the artists. The musicianship is unbelievable. While current bands like The Arcade Fire all play at once, all the time, their Icelandic counterparts are incredibly restrained, slowly layering sounds that eventually reach a beautiful climax. I feel lucky to have discovered such gems as Bang Gang, Mugison and Slowblow.
The film really tried to pack in as many acts as possible. Although somewhat heavy handed in its approach to editing things out, it did manage to paint a realistic picture. For every Mum, you had a heavy metal act, or a bunch of kids forming a band and ending up as the support act for the Foo Fighters.

Sigur Ros

Some key questions are never answered. Why do most male singers have such high pitched voices? Why do the girls sing so unusually? What did a drunk Damon Albarn telling about Icelandic beaches have to do with anything? How can gluing a bull-horn on a violin benefit you?
Although it’s flawed, Screaming Masterpiece is still a great watch. If you are a fan of Icelandic music, this will get you closer to your heroes. If you want to experience something new and be inspired, this is the right film for the job.

Movie Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SI_EMQe957k

[Buy Screaming Masterpiece on Amazon]

Sigur Ros - Untitled #4

Sugarcubes - Birthday


[Subscribe to this feed]



Posted on February 15, 2007

Comments

2 Responses to “DVD: Screaming Masterpiece”

  1. Emon on February 16th, 2007 7:17 am

    Men singing with high-pitched voices and women singing unusually seems to be a mainstream trend these days. If I’m not mistaken, traditional Chinese opera have always had men singing with high pitch voices and women sing unusually. But Robin Thicke in ‘Farewell, My Concubine: The Broadway Musical”? Yikes! Re: the guy with the bullhorn on violin. Did he actually play that thing?


  2. Charbarred on February 16th, 2007 9:27 am

    It was a girl…and yes she played it, it sounded like a violin. I guess it’s like eating frog legs or rabbit…it all tastes like chicken in the end of the day.


Leave a Reply