Breaking the fourth wall: The art of engaging and alienating audiences in cinema

Spoiler alert The article contains spoilers for Deadpool and Wolverine read with discretionDeadpool and Wolverine hit the screens later in July and the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe presentation took the theatres by storm It evoked a sense of nostalgia with the revival of LoganWolverine and other significant superheroes from the MCU and Ryan Reynolds Wade WilsonDeadpool returns with his wry humourReynolds who has cowritten and coproduced the film has made sure to include a lot of digs at Disney alongside his classic snarky commentary and akin to his previous stints as Deadpool ever so often breaks the fourth wall while narrating the story of how he got the lsquoworst versionrsquo of Wolverine back to life and saved his universeWhile some cinemagoers enjoyed the constant breaking of the fourth wall with Deadpool and Wolverine some opined that Reynolds went overboard with the breaking of fourth wall in this stintlsquoBreaking the fourth wallrsquo is an interesting narrative technique that yields the power to either make or break the film for the audience MidDay reached out to filmmakers writers and scholars to discuss the methodAdnan Ali a filmmaker and writer told midday that lsquoBreaking the fourth wallrsquo is a storytelling device that allows storytellers to break an invisible fourth wall between the audience and the performersldquoBreaking the fourth wall allows storytellers to blur the lines between fiction and reality involve the audience more directly in the narrative and add layers of humour or introspection to their work This technique involves characters speaking directly to the audience or acknowledging their existence as part of a fictional worldrdquo said Ali when asked about the conceptOrigins and evolutionThe theatre is where the idea of breaking the fourth wall first appeared There an imaginary barrier between the audience and the actors is referred to as the fourth wall This method has undergone a great deal of development in the film industry emerging as a distinguishing feature for films that aim to break with conventional storytelling conventionsThe first examples of this approach in film date back to the silent era but the technique did not become widely used until the middle of the 20th century It was employed to great advantage by directors such as Alfred Hitchcock and subsequently Woody Allen who established a closer relationship between his characters and the audienceThe global cinematic techniques also influenced Indian filmmakers who initially adhered to conventional narrative structures The breaking of the fourth wall began to find its place with the larger overhaul of Indian filmmakingDirectors from the 70s and 80s like Manmohan Desai who made several Bollywood films including Amar Akbar Anthony and Kundan Shah the director of cult classic Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro broke the fourth wallMore recently directors like Anurag Kashyap and Farhan Akhtar have used this technique in films like Dil Chahta Hai and Gangs of Wasseypur blending it with the narrative to enhance storytellingUma Vangal a filmmaker and film professor said that one of the reasons the fourth wall is broken is when the actor wants the audience to connect with them Vangal pointed out that it is evident in the films of superstarsldquoIn Bollywood I think breaking of the fourth wall begins with Rajesh Khanna who was once a superstar The head tilt he gave looking at the audience struck a chord with them Similarly Amitabh Bachchan established a relationship with the audience as an angry young man Down south Rajinikanth was one actor who broke the fourth wall to reach the audience while remaining in the cinematic story Challenges for him were manifold since he was a Marathispeaking lad when he first began who was from Karnataka and working in Tamil film industryrdquo said Uma VangalShe opined that actors Salman Khan and Chiranjeevi still largely have the element of lsquobreaking the fourth wallrsquo in their movies even todayVangal further added that Hollywood rarely employed the technique because therersquos a disruption in the storytelling She noted ldquoThe Westerns used this technique often and similar things appear in Christopher Nolanrsquos filmmakingrdquoldquoNolan breaks the auteur agreement while breaking the fourth wall His films have the essence as if hersquos inviting the audience to look into his mind Nolan believes that the audience is his cocollaborator however he does not fully open up to the audience He is very selfconscious the filmmaker gives control to the audience and thus his stories are open for interpretationrdquo said VangalThe directorrsquos visionWhen asked about the motivations behind the usage of this technique filmmaker Ronak Kamat said the primary reason the technique is used is to tell what a character is thinking He said voiceover and narrations are ldquooldschool techniquesrdquo of relaying to the audience what a character thinksThe Goabased filmmaker told midday ldquoDifferent filmmakers do it for different reasons For instance Annie Hall did it for comedic effect while in The House of Cards the fourth wall was broken to build more thrill and intrigue The same technique was also used in Fight Club to make the audience understand the whole split personality thing that they were trying to play atrdquoKamat added that the filmmaker has to ensure the execution of the breaking of the fourth wall is precise He said that many filmmakers previously have done so in a very specific way and executed it well thus making it difficult to break the fourth wall uniquelyldquoWhat are you offering other than just talking to the audience Are you offering something different Is there a reason why the character is doing thatrdquoDeciding when to break the fourth wallResponding to a question about the appropriate time to break the fourth wall Adnan said ldquoThe decision to break the fourth wall is determined by the narratives needs Its a tool that can improve storytelling by making it more interactive and lively Breaking the fourth wall might be useful when a character is presenting a story or giving intimate ideas that would not normally be relayed to other charactersrdquoIn my view everything boils down to the narratives necessities A character may occasionally turn to the camera and pose a rhetorical question to the audience adding an interactive element to the plot It is a flexible tool but it should be used with caution to avoid disrupting the narrative flow he addedMeanwhile Uma Vangal opined that it is a ldquocrucial choicerdquo a filmmaker has to make as to when to break the fourth wallldquoWe reveal information in little packets throughout the film instead of giving out all the information It is essential as to when do the filmmakers break the fourth wall It has to however come once the audiencersquos relationship with the character has formedrdquo said VangalShe added that it is easier to break the fourth wall in certain genres like horror or in films with themes of good versus badldquoFor instance Akshay Kumarrsquos films are tanking these days because he has been essaying similar roles so often that he is struggling to get the audience to connect with his characters A similar scene can be seen with Rajinikanth in the Southrdquo added VangalCharacter development and breaking the fourth wallWhen asked whether lsquobreaking of the fourth wallrsquo can be used to develop a characterrsquos depth Adnan said that the technique does not deal with developmentCharacter development is typically achieved through interactions with other characters conflicts and journeys through the plot Breaking the fourth wall is more of a cinematic strategy to keep the story interesting than a way to develop character depth Adnan pointed outBalancing narrative and audience engagementBreaking the fourth wall can increase audience involvement but it must be done carefully to minimise distraction When overdone or badly executed it has the potential to break immersion and disrupt narrative flow For example if a character repeats information already delivered in the scene it feels repetitive Instead the technique should provide novel ideas or viewpoints said KamatHe added ldquoSubtlety is crucial In House of Cards Frank Underwood does not always speak directly to the camera often a simple glance or grin is enough to convey his ideas preserving the storys nuance and depthrdquoChallenges and considerationsDespite its potential breaking the fourth wall comes with risks Directors and writers must ensure it serves the story rather than detracts from itldquoThis approach breaking the fourth wall has several obstacles The actors performance is critical they must strike a distinct tone when addressing the audience Additionally ensemble staging is essential When one character breaks the fourth wall the other characters in the scene must act normally to maintain the appearance of normalcyrdquo Ronak told middayHe added ldquoFilmmakers must also innovate to differentiate their usage of the method With so many legendary instances providing a fresh perspective is critical For example in Wolf of Wall Street Jordan Belfort addresses the viewer on a hectic trading floor with the background actors completely unaware of his aside resulting in a dramatic visual effectrdquoIn movies breaking the fourth wall is still a daring and powerful move The films triumph depends on the directors vision the writers talent and the audiences openness to participating in a story that recognises them Breaking the fourth wall will surely remain an intriguing and controversial weapon in cinematic evolution one that has the power to make or break the very films it attempts to improve