Fourth Wall Breaks (Vice Feature)

For as long as movies have been a thing, cinema audiences still take great pleasure in being addressed directly by characters on the big screen; whether it be from loveable, cheeky characters such as Ferris Bueller, or the downright creepy and detestable Frank Underwood in House of Cards. In anticipation of Adam McKay’s upcoming UK release of Vice, we have a look at some of cinema’s most iconic instances of disregarding the fourth wall.

Of course, entertainers have been directly addressing their audiences for as long as entertainers and audiences have been around. Consequently, audience-addressing movie characters have been around for as long as cinema has. People love to feel involved in whatever they find enjoyable- Shakespeare, comedies, tragedies, Margot Robbie explaining mortgage-backed securities, sub-prime loans and tranches in a bathtub etc.

Perhaps one of the most literal examples of a film taking the magic

DEADPOOL 1 & 2

It would be hard to discuss the breaking of the fourth wall and not talk about the merc with a mouth himself. Right from the ‘leaked’ footage of Deadpool jumping off a bridge and dismembering generic bad guys to DMX’s ‘X Gon’ Give it to Ya’, all the way through to the recent PG-rated Once Upon a Deadpool, it has been made clear to audiences that there are no boundaries or barriers between Wade Wilson and his viewers. With an abundance of references to all sorts of comic book movies throughout the two Deadpool movies, the intended effect is when viewers think “damn, are they allowed to say that?” Even Reynolds himself was caught in the crosshairs on several occasions.

FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF

The wry smirk that’s plastered across Ferris Bueller’s face throughout the 80s comedy classic may as well be that of director/writer John Hughes. Having come off the success of The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles Hughes knew that the teenage voice was rippling through society in a way not recognised since the 60s. Bueller was a poster-boy for teen rebels in new and exciting way (he’s smart, empathetic and relatively tame). Breaking down the connection between audience and character as Bueller goes through his plans, made you realise that fresh voices were emerging in amongst the corporate facelessness, one that just wanted to have fun, and wouldn’t cause riots. There’s a reason Deadpool parodied the film in their end credits – it wanted you to connect with someone entertaining and sardonic just as audiences of the 80s and onwards had.

THE BIG SHORT

Adam McKay had a voice with his genius comedies such as Anchorman and Step Brothers, and that voice began to mature with The Other Guys, and then onto The Big Short and now with Vice. In The Big Short, he broke down some big ideas – concepts and news that everyday cinemagoers may want to leave at home in the newspaper rather than think over on a cinema trip. Considering that, McKay brought together two worlds – the dense news world, and the entertaining Hollywood world. Having Margot Robbie talk mortgages and Selena Gomez run through the financial crisis is a pop-art-esque way of flashing info at you, whilst letting it sink in manageably. It’s a bold way of going through complex information, and won him an Oscar for doing just that.

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

In a similar vein to The Big Short, Scorsese Wall Street epic contained a lot of professional jargon. The average Joe probably knows next to nothing about Wall Street banking, so enter Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jordan Belfort to explain it all for you. With crass, funny and often loud direct-to-camera interactions, we learn just how seedy things are in stock market.

FIGHT CLUB

You can’t mention Fight Club without using the word ‘rule’ and the film aimed to break them. As well as going against its first two commandments by wanting people to talk about it, it also took aim at the very nature of cinema. Famously, the scene where Tyler speaks to the audience and the frame shakes – projectionist often became panicked in their booths, thinking they’d not done their job properly. The fourth-wall-breaking interludes didn’t only make projectionists doubt things – Fight Club had people questioning their materialism, out-of-touch relationship with life and whether getting into a fistfight might be the way to enlighten them.

CRANK

Not so much in addressing its audience, but from showing the façade of film it deserves its place here. One scene involving Jason Statham and an Asian acting counterpart includes subtitles – subtitles that Stath looks down to read. It’s a subtle nod at the fact you’re watching cinema (as well as the insanity of the entire film), and a different kind of example here.

Would be great to hear your thoughts on Vice and how it plays with the form, and maybe some suggestions for this list.

Vice is out in UK cinemas from today | Read Our review here

About the Author

Paul

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The founder of The People's Movies, started the site 20th November 2008.The site has excelled past all expectations with many only giving the site months and it's still going strong. A lover of French Thrillers, Post Apocalyptic films, Asian cinema. 2009 started Cinehouse to start his 'cinema education' learning their is life outside mainstream cinema. Outside of film, love to travel with Sorrento, Guangzhou and Manchester all favourite destinations.Musically loves David Bowie, Fishbone, Radiohead.

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