Is Banksy's movie "Exit Through the Gift Shop" a new (sub)genre?
When looking at the film Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010) and possibly disregarding if the main character is fictitious or not, then it's not entirely clear what genre or subgenre this film would be classified as.
Some options could be:
- Classic film with script and acting
- Documentary
- Mockumentary
- Docufiction/Docudrama
- Other?
Or is Banksy's movie a new (sub)genre?
And what would this /sub)genre be called? Some possibilities would be:
- Street art disaster film
- Prankumentary
- Other?
Are there more examples of movies that belong to this genre of film and could help to define it?
More food for thought: Maybe the type of movie is dependent on the first premise that we disregarded, if the main character is ficticious or not.
Best Answer
tl,dr: NO.
Banksy's movie is not a totally unique snowflake, nor genre.
Other related proposals
Some, or plenty, movies have tried to question what art is, and even to play around the idea that what is presented on screen may or may not be real: what is important is the consequences of the ideas presented. In this sense the documentary is about the ideas velving around a theme and how people, in the film (and the public on the other side of the screen as well), can fiddle with the concepts pitched by the creator.
A recent film that defies the spectator in that sense, has been suggested to be Catfish (2010). (Haven't seen it yet.)
A previous movie that asks where is the value in art is a classic by Orson Welles: F for Fake (1973). In this sense it could be said that this work can serve as an antecedent for Bansky's movie: this appliable even if Banksy intendedly did think of the prior film or not.
Nota bene: Both, Welles and Banksy, autodefine at some point their movie as a disaster film.
On Banksy's position in street-art (and film making)
Some words of criticism on Banksy from Wiki:
In his column for The Guardian, satirist Charlie Brooker wrote of Banksy "...his work looks dazzlingly clever to idiots."
criticised for copying the work of Blek le Rat, [who says:] "It's difficult to find a technique and style in art so when you have a style and you see someone else is taking it and reproducing it, you don't like that."
Some have criticised the "obviousness" of Banksy's work, and accused it of being "anarchy-lite" geared towards a middle class "hipster" audience.
Personal opinion on criticisms to ponder in between of his street-art and film:
His movie is probably pretty well and widely aclaimed, and not only to idiots.
Copying alone a work or style is not the central matter of the movie, but rather the center could be closer to how an artist handles context of what he produces to resignify the meaning of his art.
Some of Banksy's street-work may be too "obvious" to some, but not the movie: it rules in subtlety, nuances and levels of meaning. And keeps it fun. The "anarchy-lite" geared for a "hipster" audience might rather be a new thing of recent years; but this is not something the artist can handle. Or perhaps he does? ...
Pictures about "Is Banksy's movie "Exit Through the Gift Shop" a new (sub)genre?"
What kind of documentary is exit through the gift shop?
Movie Review - 'Exit Through The Gift Shop' - A Rich Satire About Street Art, Or Is It A Hoax? Exit Through the Gift Shop is the sardonic title of a new art-world documentary about street artists whose renegade work has ended up selling for lot and lots of money.What is the moral of exit through the gift shop?
Exit through the Gift Shop follows an eccentric man on his way from being a shopkeeper to an amateur film maker and finally to a known street artist. The film makes the audience think about the authenticity of art, the purpose of street art and the process of becoming an artist.What is the name of the documentary Banksy created?
Exit Through the Gift Shop: A Banksy Film is a 2010 British documentary film, directed by street artist Banksy.What did Guetta title his documentary?
But Levy says that between 2003 and 2006, he helped organize, label, log and edit the tapes into a documentary called \u201cLIFE REMOTE CONTROL,\u201d with Guetta as its credited director.Who is Banksy?
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Angela Roma, Skylar Kang, Monstera, Erik Mclean