Primer (2004)

In an attempt to be innovative, four friends invent something beyond their wildest dreams.

I remember watching Primer coming out of the army. As much as I was into films, I couldn’t “read” them the way I do now. Of course, the physics behind it meant nothing to me then, and, respectively, without asking much, I accept it now. Consequently, I cannot comment on it but speak of the filmmaking itself.

The voice-over indicates that what we are watching has already happened and that, for some reason, their story is worth telling, even though the first act indicates the opposite. So far, it looks like a mockumentary to a bunch of guys working on something that they don’t even know, much less the viewer.

Half an hour into it, the first plot point comes in strong. The main characters and the viewer know they invented a time machine. Narrative-wise, I will not reveal anything else. What has already been established is that composer / actor / sound designer / editor / producer / writer / director Shane Carruth, since the opening sequence, has remained meticulous with his writing on both character and story development. By the way, I have never seen anyone taking on so many different roles. Anyway…

What would you do if you knew you could travel in time? What would your thoughts be? What would you be afraid of? What would your reservations be? How far back would you go? Would you acknowledge causality’s dangers? Carruth does an amazing job perplexing even further his low-budget sci-fi narrative, and, at the same time, he maintains the dialogue more realistic than any could develop it.

I do not understand certain people’s choices. Why isn’t Carruth a household name? Why show so much talent and then let go? Just do another film ten years later, and that’s it? I know he struggled, but the guy made Primer with… $7,000. This is the most impressive and tiniest nano-budget mind-bending feature that ever existed.

Ultimately, I am convinced that the film itself is a greater achievement than its invention.

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