The Way Things Go

The course of events is the title of a film by the Swiss media artists Peter Fischli and David Weiss in 1987 with a duration of 29m 45s. Responsible for the camera was Pio Corradi.

Action

The course of events is an art film, reflecting the continuous flow of a kind of Rube Goldberg apparatus with a few cuts. This linear over a length of 20 to 30 meters constructed in a warehouse sequence of improvised devices for generating flames movement chemical reactions, foam and the like is set at the start of the film in motion, and then runs like a chain reaction from, an element each a motion pulse to the next passes. To use this coming inclined planes, cans, tires, plastic bottles, fireworks, balloons filled with gas or to burst, and more.

An important role is played by the concatenation of basic physical principles, such as, among others, the use of gravity, the centripetal force, the moment of inertia of the third Newtonian axiom and the lever rule. In addition, various chemical reactions can be used to trigger the next action. For this example, different liquids are mixed, which expand, generate gases dissolve plastics or ignite.

The repeated questioning how and if it continues, and by the time delaying the individual events the observer has an ebb and flow of tension, relaxation, expectations, unanticipated events and effects. Each end of an event is the beginning of a new one.

Dissemination

The film was a popular success at the documenta 8; he is part of the Collection: Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, a permanent exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Museum Wiesbaden. It has been shown, among other things on 3sat.

Criticism

The British newspaper The Independent compared the film in its effect with Hitchcock:

"Watching, The Way Things Go ' is like watching a Hitchcock movie by objects instead of people. "

Effects

The form and content of the film found numerous imitators in advertising and in music videos. The Japanese car manufacturer Honda in 2003 produced a commercial called Cog, initially vorgingen legal action against the Fischli & Weiss. The music video for Honest Mistake of the American rock band The Bravery also shows a chain reaction, reminiscent of the way of things. There are also several computer games based on the construction of similar structures, such as The Incredible Machine.

Publications

• " The Way Things Go ", PAL DVD, Total Film / Editions à voir, 2005