Stenobird

Episode

The Twentieth Century (2019)

Podcast
gibop
Published
Apr 27, 2026
Duration seconds
5428
Processing state
processed
Canonical source
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/chill-phil/episodes/The-Twentieth-Century-2019-e3dqult
Audio
https://anchor.fm/s/6157478c/podcast/play/114178173/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-0-18%2F4707b388-fa28-bbc6-1fb5-08dc58548f74.mp3
JSON
/v1/public/podcasts/gibop-4683696/episodes/the-twentieth-century-2019-2
Markdown
/podcast/gibop-4683696/the-twentieth-century-2019-2.md

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Summary

Director Matthew Rankin and actor Dan Beirne provide a behind-the-scenes commentary on the surrealist Canadian film 'The Twentieth Century'. They explore the production's experimental approach to casting, set design, and historical myth-making.

Topics

  • Canadian Cinema
  • Surrealism
  • Film Production
  • Mackenzie King
  • Experimental Filmmaking
  • Costume Design
  • Cinematography
  • Historical Drama

Highlights

  • Main idea: The film utilizes a 'school play' approach to casting, prioritizing spiritual fit over gender or ethnic binaries
  • Practical takeaway: Shooting in chronological sequence helped the lead actor manage the heavy workload of appearing in nearly every scene
  • Failure mode: Overly complex costume pieces, like a specific medallion, can create significant continuity challenges for the crew
  • Creative insight: The production embraced 'raw and impure' aesthetics, intentionally abandoning cinematic gloss for a more visceral texture
  • Historical context: Many elements of the film, including specific character inspirations, are rooted in the real-life eccentricities of Mackenzie King

Chapters

  1. 1:00 Setting the Tone: The creators discuss the unusual decision to shoot the film's opening scene first and the historical basis for the character of Charlotte.
  2. 8:00 The Art of the Set: A look at the highly stylized set design and the technical challenges of executing complex tracking shots.
  3. 21:00 Experimental Casting: The discussion of 'intergender casting' and the philosophy of casting for character essence rather than physical stereotypes.
  4. 41:00 Surrealist Elements: Exploring the use of mirrors, rollerblades, and the integration of absurd visual motifs into the narrative.
  5. 55:00 Sound and Atmosphere: How radical, metaphoric sound design serves to bridge the gap between reality and surrealism.
  6. 1:08:00 Cinematography and Chaos: The difficulties of filming without large monitors and the 'daredevil' nature of the cinematography.
  7. 1:21:00 Identity and Reflection: Reflecting on the film's themes of identity through the use of mirrors and the physical toll of the production.