Jay Rosenblatt: Masterpieces of Ascendency

The films of Jay Rosenblatt are constructed so that they maintain universal appeal, and a sense of earnest sincerity, even while using found footage to construct the visual components of his work. He does this through carefully calculated choices in the construction of his films. These choices are evident in his usage of audio and other tools of expression to evoke a certain metaphor or audience reaction. All of these elements of Rosenblatt’s approach contribute to the creation films which are at a base level intended to challenge and inform the perceptions and assumptions of his audience.

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One of the most remarkable things about Rosenblatt’s films is their sincere usage of found footage. Often, recombinant films tend toward a satirical or parodic approach, and indeed, it often seems that the usage of found footage lends itself to a humorous and insincere style. In Phantom Limb and The Smell of Burning Ants, Rosenblatt uses a variety of footage from 1950s educational films, and still succeeds in creating emotionally poignant and intellectually challenging explorations of psychological issues.

One of the main reasons that Rosenblatt’s films avoid delving into parody of the visual material he works with, in addition to his manipulations of the visual material by cutting, looping, speed-shifting &c., is his use of sound. In The Smell of Burning Ants, the vast majority of the sounds are nondiegetic(1) in the context of the original footage. The original sounds are replaced with Rosenblatt’s own scripted voiceover and subtly emotive music. This technique allows the audience to detach themselves from their own associations of insincerity, humor, or absurdity that they might have with the original footage, and comprehend it as a contributing rather than distracting element in the success of the film.

In Phantom Limb, Rosenblatt plays more with the addition of what appear to be original sounds from the footage he is recombining. This is evident not only in the inclusion of synch-sound interview footage, but in his usage of sounds from older film-originated material as well. In section 6, “shock,” there is what appears to be a home-movie of a boy being told to sit in a chair as he screams and cries. Rosenblatt’s calculated and deliberate approach is apparent here as well. The inclusion of the original sound in this case does not draw the viewer away, but rather serves to punctuate and draw sincerity to the idea of loss which the film is addressing. The sincerity of this shot could be contributed to also by the possibility of this being one of the 8mm home movies that Rosenblatt’s parents donated for use in the film(2). Rosenblatt seems to be less distant and impassive in his presence in this film, compared to The Smell of Burning Ants. By utilizing techniques of controlling the audience’s perception of sound, Rosenblatt thus achieves authenticity even while working in the medium of reproduction(3) .

An admirable attribute of the cinema of Jay Rosenblatt is his ability to create films which are intensely personal in content, yet do not alienate and even work to engage, challenge, and educate the audience. As Rosenblatt is quoted as saying in Mark Athitakis’ article, “if [the film] stimulates some good, healthy debate, then I feel like I’ve done my job” (Athitakis par. 33). This explains to some extent the exactingly intentional and intelligent formal construction of the films; in order to break down the societal and psychological issues that Rosenblatt attacks, in a way that can challenge and possibly redefine the preconceptions of viewers, the presentation must be logically reasoned out and carefully considered.

The most inspiring aspect of Rosenblatt’s work to me is his ability to challenge an audience to look at an issue in a new way. This could easily be done in a way which was alienating or exclusive because of the specificity of the subject matter, but he manages to posit a logical, objective, and thus appealing argument. I think this discursive, even somewhat scientific or academic approach is a useful when you want the subject matter of your films to be seriously considered, as Rosenblatt obviously does(4). I hope to one day have the ability to construct a film as cogently and intentionally as Rosenblatt has done.

Works Cited:
The Smell of Burning Ants. Jay Rosenblatt.
Phantom Limb. Jay Rosenblatt.
Athitakis, Mark. “The 10-Minute Masterpiece.”

Footnotes:
01 – “A Short List of Film Terms for Beginning Students in Film Courses.”
02 – This was mentioned in the credits of the film.
03 – see Practices of Looking, pg 123
04 – See, for example, the extended and involved discussion of the significance of The Smell of Burning Ants in the Study Guide on Rosenblatt’s website.