A businessman hires a qualified accountant. Although good at his job, the accountant starts refusing assignments stating, quite politely, that he'd prefer not to. As time progresses, there are ever more things that the man would rather not do...
"Bartleby" is a skillfully executed movie, intimate in scope and modest in ambition. Its general tone is subdued and reflective. One might call it the equivalent of a grisaille in pictorial art. The plot can be explained in various ways - as a critique of the alienation caused by life in a modern megacity, as a dryly satirical look at an office where routine goes awry due to a single human jammer, and so on. Me, I'm more inclined to classify it as a psychologically profound description of a case of chronic depression.
You'll note how the sufferer of depression becomes unable to perform his work, but continues to visit his office - indeed, he lives there, turning into an obstinate squatter. So this is a desperately ill individual who has run out of the energy needed for the ordinary trials and tribulations of life, but who can still count on a functioning instinct here and there. And which instinct is more ancient and deep-seated than the need to get a roof over your head, so that you can escape the harshness of the elements and the cruelty of predatory animals ?
You'll also note how the accountant resists even the most helpful suggestions, which, in turn, causes a great deal of frustration in the people dealing with him. This, again, is typical : without any evil intent, sufferers of depression can puzzle, stump or infuriate pretty much everyone they come into contact with. The resulting frictions and misunderstandings then feed into the patient's sense of isolation, which reinforces the problem.
Anyway, I recommend the movie, especially to viewers with a patient and pensive nature. A very fine John McEnery delivers an excellent performance as the titular Bartleby.
"Bartleby" is a skillfully executed movie, intimate in scope and modest in ambition. Its general tone is subdued and reflective. One might call it the equivalent of a grisaille in pictorial art. The plot can be explained in various ways - as a critique of the alienation caused by life in a modern megacity, as a dryly satirical look at an office where routine goes awry due to a single human jammer, and so on. Me, I'm more inclined to classify it as a psychologically profound description of a case of chronic depression.
You'll note how the sufferer of depression becomes unable to perform his work, but continues to visit his office - indeed, he lives there, turning into an obstinate squatter. So this is a desperately ill individual who has run out of the energy needed for the ordinary trials and tribulations of life, but who can still count on a functioning instinct here and there. And which instinct is more ancient and deep-seated than the need to get a roof over your head, so that you can escape the harshness of the elements and the cruelty of predatory animals ?
You'll also note how the accountant resists even the most helpful suggestions, which, in turn, causes a great deal of frustration in the people dealing with him. This, again, is typical : without any evil intent, sufferers of depression can puzzle, stump or infuriate pretty much everyone they come into contact with. The resulting frictions and misunderstandings then feed into the patient's sense of isolation, which reinforces the problem.
Anyway, I recommend the movie, especially to viewers with a patient and pensive nature. A very fine John McEnery delivers an excellent performance as the titular Bartleby.