Pipe Dream
This film was captivating from the start. It almost appeared like a musical prayer as the main character looked up at the organ pipes in a plea to release his thoughts. Once the dramatic playing started it gave the film an over the top edge with a slight Phantom of the Opera feel. Normann Bjorvand, the director, spiced it up even more with quick and energetic shots of the organ and the player, making it seem irresistible. If you don’t already know how to play the organ, you will want to learn after watching this!
I have to be honest however, I did get a little bored around the minute mark because I thought that the entire video would be the same. Then popped in the random choir singers. Musically, the harmonies blended well with the song, but I was not a fan of the singers standing so close to the organ. Plus, they arose without order. Maybe it’s the perfectionist in me, but I would rather have seen them come up together and have the same hand holding the music books. One girl noticeably fixed her hair in the shot and even if it was approved by the director, I found it to be very distracting. To me, the focus should be on the organ player.
Now here comes the spoiler for those of you who may not have had the chance to view this film yet. Halfway through you see the organ player in an asylum. He is sitting on a chair in the middle of a stage, practically punching the keys off a mini toy keyboard. That’s right, you find out that he is mentally unstable. Workers are seen on the stage, bored out of their minds and fixed to their cell phones. Also captured by film are the other mental attendees in the audience. It’s clear that the organ scene from earlier is what this protagonist is creating in his head, hence the title “Pipe Dream.” Admittedly, it was quite a surprise, but makes complete sense with how fluidly Bjorvand combined the two. After realizing that the suit, organ, and choir were all a dream, you then understand why the camera angles and shots were so disorderly and chaotic.
It quickly becomes apparent that our Beethoven has been playing for too long unfortunately and the asylum workers struggle to pull him out of the chair. The words “nothing can contain me” ring out in unison with the ever increasing music in his mind. Tempo and volume both increase the more he battles to continue playing. Alas, he is finally pried from the chair and his magical instrument. Leaving the audience unsure whether to feel relief or sadness, a worker comes to the microphone and in her sweet Swedish accent introduces the next performer. The sequence repeats and ends as the new performer plays out her dream.
Simple put, the film portrays the dreams of mentally disabled persons in a musical style. Most people would shy away from this difficult subject, but Bjorvand went in head first and came out a champion. The camera shots were wonderful in helping to move the story along, wild in the dream and stagnant in the asylum, and the music was beautiful as well. Nonetheless, I believe the acting could have been better. Specifically speaking, the choir members and asylum workers needed more motivation in regards to why they were in the scene. Other than the few actors I thought the film was pleasant. It makes one wonder, what would your musical dream look like?
