Certain films aspire to depict an interpretation of reality as faithful as possible, with non-fiction genres like documentaries and biopics. Others offer audiences an extension of reality, or in other words, an alternative medium for escapism.
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Since cinema has been pioneered in the year 1895 by theLumière Brothers, filmmakers today are constantly searching for new and innovative methods to spice up their cinematic storytelling style. Enter films told from multiple points of view. These films encourage audiences to participate in discerning fact from fiction in addition to putting together pieces of the story and seeing the complete picture.
Rashomon(1951)
The “Rashomoneffect” refers to a storytelling technique utilized in cinema where the same event is presented through multiple perspectives. And the pioneer that vanguard of this approach is none other than revolutionary directorAkira Kurosawa.
Rashomon(1951) revisits the murder of a samurai through four people’s eyes: a bandit, a wife, the samurai himself, and a woodcutter. Exploring the intricacies of humanity through an innovatively arranged plotline, it’s up to the audiences to decide who’s speaking the truth in this cinematic masterpiece.
Pulp Fiction(1994)
Deliveringone of the best monologuesand dialogues in cinematic history, the iconic status ofPulp Fictionin film buffs' hearts is indisputable and a no-brainer to this list.
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Considering its out-of-chronological order of introducing various characters with memorable quirks, the dark comedy crime drama exercises a great degree of homages and unconventional techniques to piece together multiple seemingly-unrelated storylines.Quentin Tarantino’sPulp Fictionskittishly presents audiences with the bigger picture of a crime gone wrong whilst showcasing the oddball side of traditionally menacing roles.
Magnolia(1999)
Similar toPulp Fiction,Magnoliafeatures a massive ensemble cast playing characters from different walks of life in the San Fernando Valley, grasping for a concrete idea of happiness and the true meaning of living.
At an astounding runtime of three hours, the psychological drama provides a comprehensive insight into the psyches of most characters with a poignant touch. Under the meticulous eyes of directorPaul Thomas Anderson, each character exhibits their troubles and bleak outlooks on the future as painful memories of the past soon catch up to them.
Amores Perros(2000)
Before directorAlejandro González Iñárritubewitches Hollywood with tour de force likeBirdman(2014) andThe Revenant(2015), he has already captured the attention of fellow film enthusiasts with his directorial debutAmores Perros(2000).
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The first installment of Iñárritu’sTrilogy of Death, the Mexican psychological drama features a mosaic of interrelated characters whose fate interweaves after a fatalistic car crash.Amores Perroscontains three story arcs: a young man aching to run away with his abusive brother’s wife, a supermodel with a broken leg who gets involved with a married man as well as a homeless man with a minacious double identity.
Survive Style 5+(2004)
Survive Style 5+belongs to the genre of films where it’s so bizarre that it’s entertaining. Following five peculiar stories with no apparent connection to each other at first sight, each anecdote eventually becomes intertwined and results in surreal circumstances that only exist in dreams.
From a man struggling to survive from his murderous undead wife to a father of a blissful family being hypnotized into a chicken.Survive Style 5+is no short of buffoonery and amusement, but one thing the comedy taught viewers is that if former professional footballer and actorVinnie Jonesasks: “What is your function in life?” Just run.
Snatch(2000)
Speaking of Vinnie Jones, who can forget his sensational role as bounty hunter Bullet-Tooth Tony in the crime comedySnatch. Imbued with directorGuy Ritchie’s signature style consisting of sharp, fast-paced editing with great comedic timing as well as tongue-in-cheek dialogues and narrations,Snatchis the go-to film for anyone yearning for a wise-cracking, mind-tripping gangster flick.
Containing two intertwined plots: one which involves finding a stolen diamond and the other about two boxing promoters struggling to get along with both their volatile boss and boxer. Ritchie’s second feature film invites audiences into the pulsating underground scenery, not withholding the perils and carnage that come with it.
Fallen Angels(1995)
When it comes to multi-narrative films, most cinephiles would think about Hong Kong directorWong Kar-wai’sChungking Expressabout two unconventional love stories. However,Fallen Angelsis the director’s lesser-known gem that is equally engrossing as its predecessor but with an underground quality.
The romantic crime drama comprises two separate love tales whose only similarities lie in their characters having a few casual run-ins with each other. The first story takes viewers into the violent world of a hitman who wishes to escape his daunting lifestyle whilst his partner-in-crime is secretly infatuated with him. The second story sees an eccentric mute who spends his time running closed shops at midnight. Simultaneously, he starts falling for a girl who is still vying for her ex-boyfriend.
Knives Out(2019)
Fans of the detective genre should not miss out onKnives Out. Being one of themost reviewed films on Letterboxd, its popularity of lies not only in owning a huge cast of talented actors giving 10/10 performances but its intriguing murder mystery waiting for audiences to exercise their investigative skills.
Centering on the alleged suicide of the patriarch of a wealthy, dysfunctional family, private detective Benoit Blanc is recruited through surreptitious means to investigate the matter. After interviewing the family members, each harnessing their secrets, Benoit becomes increasingly convinced that the suicide is a cover-up for something sinister.
The Handmaiden(2016)
The Handmaidenis an erotic psychological thriller by South Korean directorPark Chan-wook, which means movie-goers should expect no more than an acute inclusion of disturbing content and unanticipated plot twists.
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Set in a 1930s Korea during Japan’s invasion, a pickpocket named Soo-hee is hired by a dashing conman Count Fujiwara as a housemaid as part of his plan to seduce a wealthy and naive Japanese heiress named Lady Hideko. Holding great disdain towards Lady Hideko’s domineering uncle with a peculiar fetish, Soo-hee becomes captivated with Lady Hideko and is determined to run away with her. Unbeknownst to Soo-hee, Lady Hideko is not as angelic as she seems.
Citizen Kane(1941)
Bringing about a jigsaw-puzzle narrative matched with state-of-the-art cinematography,Citizen Kaneexamines the life of enigmatic media mogul Charles Foster Kane through various people he crossed paths with. The film not only presents highlights of Kane’s career but also paints a somber portrait of the businessman’s failures in his personal life, from illicit affairs to broken friendships.
Albeit a box office failure during its first release,Citizen Kane’sinnovative storytelling eventually ratifies its status as one of the most influential films of the last century.
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