Robyn’s Blog

I compare the movie Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control to a patchwork-quilt.  There are all these seemingly random peices, but as you continue to weave, something really spectacular comes together.  After seeing Morris’ other films, I admit that I sort of was expecting that to happen, which probably took away slightly from the shock value of the movie that would be relevant to those watching the film who are not already familiar with Errol Morris.  But I loved the collage-like technique of the movie.  Actually, this collageness is my favorite type of book as well.  I think it takes real talent to be able to take a lot of different pieces and manage to put them together in a way that somehow makes sense, and not only makes sense, but brings out something bigger. 
I found myself wondering as I watched the movie whether each little element, each individual shot, or music change or particular angle really did mean something to Errol Morris.  I conclue now that it probably didn’t.  I felt like sometimes Morris just threw something in his patchwork movie for kicks, but it turned out okay anyway.  It just worked. 

I think we could talk potentially forever about the various themes and ideas that were going on during Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control.  The biggest one that stood out for me was the circular pattern of everything.  I began by wondering why each of these ridiculous people was so obsessed with something so random, and then at one point it clicked that whatever it was that they were obsessing about didn’t matter.  It was all the same anyway.  The mole rats, the lions, hedge-cutting, robots. English, Chemistry, Theater, Historic Preservation.  Whatever person, whatever career, whatever we do with our lives.  It all comes back to the same thing.  We can find ourselves, and anything we’d ever want to know, in the simplest of creatures, in the most mundane idea.

I’ll stop there because, as the robot guys wisely says, “If you analyze it too much it becomes meaningless.”

Unless that ship has already sailed.