Hi, Mom! The 1970s bizarre film!
Even after reading the synopsis, nothing prepared me for this film.
To me, Hi, Mom! (1970) is one of the most controversial films when dealing with politics and racism. The method could never be done now but for me, the method used is one of the most effective elements in the film. The film is complex when dealing with multiple storylines that are intertwined, camera techniques and can be argued as experimental in its choices. It gets the message across when shockingly the film is predominately a comedy. A film described on Robert Ebert’s site as: “this is a funnier and more audacious work… that needs to be seen to be believed”(2013, Sobczynski.) I agree with this statement with the film somehow balancing comedy but has an incredibly unnerving and serious feel.
This film is a sequel to De Palma's other film Greetings (1968), it follows the same character of Jon Rubin (played by Robert De Niro.) The film catches up on Jon Rubin residing in New York with an opportunity from a producer in creating pornographic films for him by peeping through the window at a block of flats across the street. When filming he spies across a group of militant black activists. From this concept alone, I knew I was going to watch this movie though nothing was going to prepare me for it.
From the first moments, we are thrown into a first-person perspective as we transverse through what will be Jon’s newly bought New York apartment. An awful apartment which contains much promise and potential due to its neighbouring flat. Towards the end of the scene, the camera is panned around to now facing Jon. De Palma excellently showcases what the rest of the film will be thus preparing the audience for a unique film. This is because the film goes on to feature many for example first-person perspectives and black & white segments.
Before the film gets uncomfortable it flits with being a comedy, again getting the audience comfortable before the unnerving final moments. As argued the comedy is not successful with Reverse Shot arguing that; “comedy is meant to diffuse the profound artistic and ideological tension at the heart of the film” (Rowan,2006.) While it’s not the most hilarious film it can be a little deadpan with moments I did chuckle at, possibly due to how awkward or bizarre some of the scenes were. If there are supposed to be jokes they don't land, for me, the moments that had me baffled are how insane the scenario is and the awkwardness of some of the scenes. After some research, I have since found that elements could have been improvised which makes sense when watching the poor acting. So it is somewhat hard not to agree with their statement as the comedy elements are a huge flop. The entire comedy element is almost a juxtaposition in the hard-hitting ‘be black baby’ segment.
Briefly, a scene that highlights my point is a moment where Jon heads to the pharmacy to ask for advice/products before heading back to Judy who has been trying to seduce Jon. This scene feels overly long, and completely pointless but certainly leads me to chuckle because of the points mentioned earlier. This could be one of the scenes that came across as improvised and it is obvious when you can clearly see when actors are just scrambling to get make it to the end, the scene length and the pointless nature of it.
This section of the film is mediocre, it is not the main draw for this film for me. It's a huge first-half chunk that was interesting and would have kept me watching but it needed what was to come for this film to make a mark on me.
When tackling the black activist group plot, a play is taking place that is directed by one of the residents in the flat (which Jon spies on in accident when peeping.) Its the pivotal point in the film where it “discard[s] the aspiring porn director plot in favour of a storyline that simultaneously mocks the Black Power movement and confrontational, experimental theatre” (2012, Seegar.) An immersive play, unlike others which demonstrates to white people what it means to be black. From finding audience members to displaying the show, this becomes the most hard-hitting element of the film. I have recently seen films like Till (2022) and Empire Of Light (2022) both are good films that deal with racism however, Hi, Mum! uses its message and ensures audiences get it almost forcefully.
When looking at these segments compared to the other scenes, they are played in black and white. From Jon watching the first segment on television and heavy use of shaky cam, De Palma here creates a sense of reality. It's almost a bizarreness of a Pseudo-documentary and a live news broadcast with the vox pops, news reporter and the ‘live filming’ of the experimental piece. To me, this was a fantastic decision as this ‘reality’ feels further emphasised to the audience that what the director is displaying is actually happening outwith the context of the film.
When it comes to the actual play it takes the notion of you will never understand how someone is feeling unless you are standing in their shoes. With an audience that is all white, they are transformed into experiencing what being black is all about. This is teased throughout the film (earlier with the poster and the naked man scene) but both audiences (the ones in the film and us the viewer) are clueless about what is about to actually entail.
This is where the film became really uncomfortable but also was the most gripping segment which was strange as this is the furthest from the ‘comedy’ aspect that the majority of the film is. There is a glimmer of the non-comedy aspect showcased from the trailers I’ve seen but this element is non-existent at the time unless you see the film. It puzzles me this choice as looking at UK/USA favourite genres, its drama with comedy below. Although with little research I can find I presume to make an advert and general advertising easier, a comedy that highlights the main stars is the best way forward. Though mentioned it could be to keep us the audience unaware like the ones in the film.
This immersive experimental piece starts off intense with the all-white audience being taught/experiencing what it means to be black. This somewhat starts subtly with the cast persuading audience members to eat ‘soul food’, exploring each other's faces before the main event starts. Though this seems tense, the audience is still spectators preparing to watch the theatre thus not fully immersed. It is not until the shoe polish and the cast appear with white faces do they truly begin to release they are part of the play. From kidnapping, stealing, ‘raping’ and more, it becomes intense fast as the film submerges the audience (with their now black faces) into the sad reality of a racist stereotyped world.
It's a sad commentary too with the all-white audience hating this experience even in the beginning when just trying the food. For the ‘performances,’ this is their life but in a key moment when the fake policeman comes to arrest the once audience, the roles are fully reversed as the cast watch. A remarkable segment that shows the issues still present in society.
In the end, Hi Mum! will be a film that will stick with me but will never watch it again. Nothing technical, acting or sound wise for example stands out but its premise with the way it's directed is unforgettable. I came in expecting something wild and got something that was crazy but also deeper than expected.
References:
Empire OF Light. (2022). UK: Searchlight Pictures.
Greetings (1968). USA: West End Films.
Hi, Mom! (1970). USA: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Micheal Joshua Rowin. (2006). Hi, Mom!. Available from: https://reverseshot.org/symposiums/entry/906/hi_mom_depalma.
Peter Sobczynski. (2013). Brian De Palma’s Films, Ranked. Available from: https://www.rogerebert.com/features/brian-de-palmas-films-ranked. [Accessed: 12/1/2023].
Till. (2023). USA: Universal Pictures.