Passionate Discourse: A Stop Motion Analysis

What does it mean to be in love? One hell of a question off the bat, I know. Chances are, you have your unique definition of being in love. Some may say things that include sacrifice, passion, sex, acts of service and so much more. Love is one of the forces that has been consistent since our inception. Artists have attempted to explore the complexities of love since before the Romantic period. If you’re looking for media on love, you could practically sit still and something will fall in your lap, it’s a very oversaturated topic but is forever relatable. I want to point your attention to a lesser-known short film that navigates the corners of love in a disgustingly beautiful way.

Dimensions of Dialogue is a stop motion short film from director Jan Švankmajer, released in 1983 out of Czechoslovakia. The 11-minute is divided into 3 parts that all follow different amalgamations of characters. The 3 parts are titled “Eternal conversation”, “Exhaustive discussion” and the one I want to talk about “Passionate discourse”. This last one is placed in the middle of the 3 shorts, serving as the climax of the entire film. Which feels appropriate as to me at least, it is the most powerful and pivotal moment in the runtime. 

Passionate discourse opens with a clay man and clay woman as they stare at each other across a table. The man breaks a smile and the woman closes her eyes, almost in an act of reluctance (this part will become more important later.) The man reaches across the table, laying his hand on hers, she turns her hand over accepting him. The man leans in for a kiss and the woman follows. The two then begin to intertwine in an amalgamation of clay flesh, their bodies becoming one in an act of love and sex. In between the mounds of clay, we see flashes of sexual acts, all being done to the woman. When they finish, they go back to their original places, however, there is something more. In between both of them lies a lone pile of clay. While looking at discussions of the scene online, there are several interpretations of this pile. The most common and the one I agree with the most is that this is their child, born from their clay adultery. The baby comes to life, going to its mother. It begs to be lifted, to be acknowledged, but is then promptly brushed away by the woman. The child is rolled to the man, who savagely shoos them off the table, where they barely hold on to the edge. The child gets back up and tries the mother again who begins to swat at them, banging the table causing the baby to run to its father who lures them. The man rolls the clay child in his hands and then squeezes it in his hand, launching it at the woman, and hitting her in the chest. The woman retaliates and throws the clay back at the man's face, shocking him. The woman smiles, but then is hit in the head by the man, she attacks back and scratches his face. The two begin to maul each other, peeling off their flesh, and packing themselves into one another. They soon turn into one big pile of clay, constantly pushing it back into itself, and the scene ends.

Now, if you’re someone who is not used to contemporary art forms, this may gross you out or even make you feel sick. I can’t say I wasn’t shocked the first time I watched this. The scenes of the clay warping, being manipulated in such realistic ways made me feel uneasy, feeling the contortions in my skin. However, the more I watched and the more I incorporated the meaning, its beauty became more apparent. This story of the man and the woman holds an emotional weight that reveals itself when you peel back the clay layers.

From the very beginning of the short, there is an underlying story. The man smiles as the one reluctantly looks down. With the context of what happens next, I see what is all too common in many relationships. The man pushes for sex, but when it is apparent that the woman doesn’t feel up for it, he persists, putting his hand on top of her until she accepts. When she does accept, the two intertwine, becoming one entity. To make love is to give a part of yourself to the other, the entanglement of souls in its purest form. However, there is something wrong with this instance. There aren't mutual interests. Resulting from this comes the baby in what I believe represents a pregnancy. The baby is the physical representation of the two of them, like I said, the entanglement of their souls, they have part of them in this child. The child who resulted from their actions, and the man's wants, seeks its mother. Unfortunately, the woman never wanted any of this, her rejection of the child is a rejection of the actions of the man. She gave in when she didn’t want to and now they must both deal with the consequences. When she rejects the child, passing them to the man, as a sort of “this is your fault, take care of it.” When the man won’t take responsibility, he tosses the child to the side, possibly an attempt at an abortion. As the child holds on, he survives, coming back to the mother once more. Now, as for the next part where she tries to swat the child, I have two theories. One where this is her attempting a self-abortion, i.e. a coat hanger. And one where the baby is born and she isn’t quite assaulting them physically but bringing them down mentally. A situation where the mother never wanted a child, so they take out their frustrations on them, verbally/possibly physically abusing the child. For both theories, the short plays out differently.

As for the first situation, the unborn baby continues to evade its mother's attempts, it seeks protection from the father. When the father tricks the child, I don’t think he is killing the baby. One could interpret it as the man killing the baby and the mother consequently, but I feel it isn’t THAT dark. I see it as the man throwing the idea of her being pregnant back at her, she then retaliates, and the two quarrel, starting a perpetual cycle of toxicity, that the baby will be born into.

Now, for the second situation, and the one I think works better. The baby is born, surviving the abortion. Being oblivious to the circumstances of its birth, the baby seeks love, and when they do they are met with abuse. The mother tries her best to tear down the child from a young age. When they no longer want their mother’s attention they are comforted by the father, which turns out to be a lie. The father squeezes the child, throwing their existence at the heart of the woman. She then throws it back in his face, neither of them claiming responsibility for their child. The child then grows up in this house of toxicity, the parents quarrel, continuing their arguing and consuming the child with them. The child grows up not knowing love, they are destined to become the man and the woman, to become their parents. 

Passionate discourse serves as a representation of not only what love can be, but what can come from sexual coercion and unplanned pregnancy. The score and cinematography all assist the stop-motion animation in its storytelling. The work of Jan Švankmajer is some of the most pivotal in the Czech surrealism movement and is worth checking out if you’re interested. Check out the full film if you can, and form your own thoughts and opinions. Go find more cool shit, feel things, and see Infrared.