Film Review
I used to tell everyone I met to be an artist
I don't do that any more
(Banksy)
The film “Exit Through the Gift Shop: A Banksy Film” narrates about a start-up of street art, and about how art can turn into a business, thanks to people like Thierry Guetta. Guetta, who from an ordinary bystander and narrator of street art has turned into an ambitious businessman "Mr. Brainwash".
At the start, in the very focus there is an off-stage life of street artists, captured by Thierry Guetta, who attained commitment of Banksy – a well-known figure in the world of street art. Thierry`s goal – is to capture how a desire of urban residents to show themselves to the world grew into a passion for graffiti. However, involved in the world of street art, the operator himself becomes one of its representatives. Thereafter and till the end, shooting of the film is taken up by Banksy.
The movie highlights the perennial problem of the choice of people of art: either to work for the sake of aesthetic feelings or for money. When you work for soul satisfaction, then enjoyment from your own creative work, your dedication are in the highest flight. You simply introduce yourself to the world, without imposing anything on anyone. That did Banksy, who went long way towards success and achieved it thanks to his talent. Thierry, on the contrary, having penetrated into the off-stage life of artists, sees art exclusively as a means to satisfy his vanity and ambition. What he does – is difficult to be named as art. The “Exit Through the Gift Shop” shows how mediocrity and desire to achieve fame are able to tarnish the very best intentions.
With great irony Banksy talks about strong people's faith in advertising. Being informed everywhere that Thierry Guetta, or "Mr. Brainwash", is a great artist, people, without long hesitation, start to believe it. Thierry dedicates his works of street art to the problem of public propaganda, but, at the same time, in his own way he manages to play on the gullibility of slightly aware masses, which for the first time saw the popularized street art and start to adore it, though such examples of it have got no any cultural value. It turns out that for good reputation as street artist it is not important at all to have talent, when it is only needed to appear at the right time and in the right place. We can praise Thierry as a businessman, but not as an artist (although he considers himself to be the one), because "Mr. Brainwash" cannot surprise true connoisseurs with conventional works created within a few minutes by his team of handy-men.
Good cinematic work that has no analogues. It is difficult to talk about the performance of the actors due to the naturalness which is the main advantage of all documentaries, and this in particular. An interesting is the idea of the film, created by Banksy, – perhaps there is not so many directors, which we cannot see in person. It's great to see all the behind-the-scenes work of graffiti artists, as well as the fate of the operator. The "Exit Through the Gift Shop" – is one of the proofs of Banksy`s genius who really managed to brainwash my consciousness and highlighted with spotlights some of the criminals from the world of kitsch.
