marwencol (2010) & Small Towns

 

    From the most uptight to the most laidback people you’d ever meet, control is something we are all desperately seeking in our lives. The 2010 documentary ‘Marwencol’ centers on a young man named Mark who, due to one unfortunate night, had a large part of his life put off course by strangers in a bar. Since then, Mark has gone on a journey to create a world he has complete control over, in an attempt to wrestle some control back into his life. 

    Navigating feelings and grief have always been an integral part of the human condition as dissected through art, but in the last couple of years, these topics have burst and rose in mainstream entertainment and have been highly noted and discussed by people in the industry for its representation; numerous arguments on what is represented well and what is not. When watching ‘Marwencol’, we’re watching an event that feels completely separate from all discourse. This is art made for one’s self, therapy designed for one’s own therapeutic journey. Mark even states as much in the film, saying ‘...This was supposed to be therapy for me.’ and then alludes to it becoming a form of therapy for others during his art installation. This situation of creating something that is not tainted by any ulterior motive except to create something for yourself is such a wondrous and joyful thing that completely enraptured me throughout watching. As much as I hope to be making art more so for art’s sake than for an economical perspective or something else, I know that it can never be so binary to have one without the other, yet here we have a living and breathing example. 

    Another reason for the film to feel so attributing and supportive of Mark was to use his own stills throughout the film. This allows the film to not be a story about Mark, but a story told by Mark which is a huge ethical distinction for documentaries. To champion someone over exploiting someone is an essential part of documentary. This fraught connection is why ‘Grey Gardens’ was so divisive within our class. 

    As the film starts to close, it leaves us pondering what’s in store for Mark now that his nirvana has been discovered and in a way, monetized. This opens up a tear in the fabric of Mark’s life that’s perfectly sized to intrigue and entice the audience to follow up on Mark and examine the art industry as a whole. Is there space for someone so innocently occupied with actual emotions to exist in the cutthroat and facile art industry? Like following a breadcrumb trail, the film leaves just enough to force you to follow. 

All these points converge in the cathartic ending of Mark donning high heels in a personal act of liberation and self-expression. This is a moment of great exhilaration but is bookended up New York City not being the prejudice-free environment Mark dreams of and returning to his small town (and to his other, small town). This is a perfect rhyme with all the other points made throughout the picture, creating what I believe to be a fantastic documentary.