Chaotic Narratives

There shouldn't even be a discussion on whether or not Duck Soup and The Way Things Go are more than just a series of jokes and stunts. The Way Things Go is a bit less obvious with it, but it is easy to see the story behind Duck Soup. Now, whether or not it was what we the viewer are meant to see is questionable. If we are judging it based on Frampton's idea of what we see the most is what the film is about, then Duck Soup is about the jokes. That is what we see most often and that is what we are most drawn to in the film. The same for The Way Things Go, what we see most is the stunts, so that is what the film would be about. That doesn't mean that there can't also be a story intertwined with the main idea. That is what both of the films do. They have a plot, but it's not what needs to be seen. It may not be there intentionally, maybe the creators never intended for there to be such a story behind a string of gags and stunts. That is more the viewers mind that creates that. It's the action that draws your attention and I think that the fact that it is going somewhere is what keeps it. So while Frampton may say it's all about the gags and stunts, I say that without the story, fabricated by the viewers or not, the films would not work as well as they do.