Movies that break down the 4th wall.

[Pat AKA mustski]

I would think an omniscient "other" narrator would not be breaking the fourth wall. But a character in the movie narrating would be - just like if they turned to the camera and spoke.

Now a character in the movie narrating from a different point in time, as though they are reminiscing, might not be breaking it. I guess that's actually the conceit in A Christmas Story. Hmm...

Right. That is the conundrum - this one is a grey area onstage even.

35 posts and no Richard III?

Nope - it's just bad directing. This is a soliloquy and is written to be a thinking aloud - the character is thinking to himself. Having the actor look into the camera was just bad a bad directorial decision as it changes the entire feeling of the soliloquy. It's like when children's theater does "hippy Shakespeare" or some other such blasphemy.

ETA: I reskimmed the play Richard III and @cantunamunch is correct. The use of the pronoun "our" is clearly including the audience in the thought process along with the character. When I'm wrong, I admit it! I knew other characters broke the fourth wall, but I hadn't really looked closely at this soliloquy before. His soliloquies later in the play are more conventional "thinking aloud" type of moments. But it is still bad directing!

 

[Mendieta]

Theater teacher hat on: The difference in narration determines whether or not the 4th wall is broken. Picture it as someone's living room. The 4th wall is glass so you (the audience) are permitted to peek into their most intimate lives. The fictional characters are unaware that you can see in. The 4th wall is broken - not by a thinking aloud type of narration but it is by an explaining or amplifying type of narration. House of Cards -the tv series- is typical of this type of narration as are a number of the old style hard boiled detective movies. Also, looking towards the audience or the camera is not a breaking of the 4th wall unless the look is somehow "knowingly" communicating with the audience as in the "wink and nod" type of behavior. Theater teacher hat off.

Ok, can you put that hat on one more time for me?

How about The Truman Show. The 4th wall is broken inside the movie. Do I get to use the micdrop on this one?

 

[Pat AKA mustski]

Ok, can you put that hat on one more time for me?

How about The Truman Show. The 4th wall is broken inside the movie. Do I get to use the micdrop on this one?

I haven't seen the movie so I'll take your word for it. Go ahead and micdrop!

 

[fatbob]

Had 2 things going for it.
1. Young Lady Olenna Tyrell
2. This one line at 6 minutes...

Harsh.

Best theme tune of a movie ever.
The Schiltorn and Lauterbrunnen valley plus lots of skiing on screen.

Don't deny Ms Rigg was at height of her Avengers foxiness.

Had forgotten the line but it seems anachronistic for a movie which is quite po faced as Bond movies go.

 

[dbostedo]

I haven't seen the movie

See it! It's one of my favorites...

Though I do like high/clever concept stuff - The Truman Show, Pleasantville, most Charlie Kaufman (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Being John Malkovich, Adaptation).

 

[James]

Ok, can you put that hat on one more time for me?

How about The Truman Show. The 4th wall is broken inside the movie. Do I get to use the micdrop on this one?

No, you don't. There's no breaking of the fourth wall in that since everyone but Truman knows they're in a tv show. More importantly, afair, they don't talk to the audience. It's a pretty straight 3 walls.

I do like when he's on the boat in the fake storm, real to him, nearly dies then comes to the end of the dome and runs the boat into it.

 

[Mendieta]

I do like when he's on the boat in the fake storm, real to him, nearly dies then comes to the end of the dome and runs the boat into it.

I was certainly referring to the end, yes. I watched the movie long ago and my recollection was that the wall was indeed broken towards the end, but then again, I'm known to be oblivious. And I definitely don't want to spoil it for @Pat AKA mustski

 

[dbostedo]

I was certainly referring to the end, yes. I watched the movie long ago and my recollection was that the wall was indeed broken towards the end, but then again, I'm known to be oblivious. And I definitely don't want to spoil it for @Pat AKA mustski

I agree that the fourth wall is broken inside the movie, for the audience in the movie that's watching Truman, not for the audience in the real world watching it.

At least I believe that's the intent, though you could possibly also read it as a wink to the real world audience too. I don't read it that way, but you could.

 

[Seldomski]

Stranger than Fiction (Will Ferrell) is a good movie. But not sure what wall is being broken there exactly...