WHO WANTS TO KILL JESSIE? (1966) Directed by Václav Vorlícek
Facets DVD
THE FILM
I've been immersed in Wendy Carlos's "Switched On Bach" for the past three weeks. With each listen, I get further away from understanding how someone could actualize a work which is immune to explanation. A space is defined, it overwhelms with detachment, and you're left with a sense of awe and disbelief.
Of course, cheap dixieland jazz, big boobs, and a cow sleeping in a hammock are far cries from the elegance of baroque, multi-tracked Moog synthesizers. Or are they?
Who Wants To Kill Jessie? deserves to have fifteen exclamation points after its title. Part of the eclectic and vitalizing Czechoslovak New Wave, the film excels at duality. On one hand, it's a work of visual and comedic art. On the other, it's sub-Playboy fantasy. Put both hands together and you get kryptonite for critics. So where does that leave us? Awe. Disbelief. And Jessie. And a roomful of beer.
Professor Henry is stuck in a rut. Seeking escape from his routine marriage to fellow scientist Rose, Hank finds himself transfixed by the comic book "Who Wants To Kill Jessie?". "Jessie" features the exploits of the sexy, Bill Ward-esque title character, who invents anti-gravity gloves whilst evading the clutches of villains "Superman" (duh) and Pistolnik (a cowboy). Naturally, Rose has invented a machine which can monitor dreams. Subsequently, she has also invented a substance which enables said dreams to enter reality. A cow dreams of serenity. A man dreams of beer. Henry dreams of...wake up, Henry! Your subconscious is calling. Literally.
No matter how you slice it, Who Wants To Kill Jessie? is an astonishing film to witness. It's like a head-on, overtly mid-60s collision between William Klein's Who Are You, Polly Maggoo? and Harvey Kurtzman's fledging magazine "HELP!", though far more discerning (and fun) than either of those experiments. It's shot well. The sets are stylish. It runs 80 nimble minutes. There's the foundation. Now, the exceptions.
As you've most likely gathered, Henry's dreams breathe life into the "Who Wants To Kill Jessie?" comic book. Therefore, Jessie, Superman, Pistolnik, and the anti-gravity gloves are unleashed upon the world. And the results are wonderful. Communication is achieved through ambient noises and actual word balloons, complete with keen 1960s typography. Visual effects, such as Superman's feats of destruction and flight, are crude, yet quite apropos. Characters in the film address the comic book absurdities as if they were everyday occurrences, enabling the subtle comedic elements to breathe, rather than bog. Throw in some bubbling sexuality and free-for-all action and you arrive at a film which is much more "experience" than "film".
That is to say, watching Jessie is like listening to "Switched On Bach". You know not where it came from, or how its creation was even possible, but it exists. And that's enough.
AUDIO AND VIDEO
Facets releases usually catch flak for high prices and less-than-optimal presentations. Since I don't care about any of that, be assured that this DVD's burned-in subtitles and occasional moments of compression will not deter you from a lovely, 2.35:1 widescreen experience. Unless you're crazy.
EXTRAS
Not a single thing. I like that, though. The more mystery concerning this film, the better.
FINAL THOUGHTS
"Freedom to dreams!" Who Wants To Kill Jessie? is a quick, peculiar experiment that gushes with mid-60s pomp. And it does so with calculation, loads of charm, and very little excess. I can't wait to watch it again.
— Joseph A. Ziemba, 02.25.10 | 
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