After referring to the monster lurking within the house I remembered an animation I watched in high school called "The Cathedral" which involves a man exploring through an abandoned cathedral in space where faces a part of the structure. When he comes to the edge of the cathedral, the land becomes violent and takes over the man and he becomes one with the cathedral.
I felt like this was relevant to House of Leaves especially when the monster becomes violent and kills. "Navy said it felt like he was running into the jaws of some big beast about to chomp down...and as you saw later on, that's- that's exactly what that ugly fucker finally did" (341). In The Cathedral the man enters the belly of the beast so to speak, the building chomps down more or less making him a part of it.
-Josh K
I would have to agree that this is a pretty cool animation, and I can see the comparison between the beast devouring Navidson and the cathedral in this video devouring the man, but I feel there is a vital distinction that needs to be made. Namely, that where the beast devoured Navidson, effectively erasing him from the house, this cathedral embraces the man, making him a part of itself. the man in the video becomes the next arch of the cathedral. Navidson, like all else in the house, simply becomes nothing.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do find this to be an interesting comparison I have an issue with it. First, Navidson isn't eaten by the house. He re-enters the labyrinth and then is later spit out when found by Karen.
ReplyDeleteThis video does fit with what happens to the hunter, Holloway. When he is eventually eaten by the monster, possibly the house if they are one and the same, it takes in and then embodies his aggression. Before that is waited for people to die. Now it seeks people out and takes them. I feel this makes more sense because the man in the video becomes one of the faces comprising the overall body, and being, of the cathedral.
I'm interested with the animation as a whole. Honestly, I was expecting a liting a little bit more violent, considering the title of your post. I could see where you'd point out the "violent" portion, but I feel that the animation gave off a fleeing of finality; like the character sensed his time was coming to an end and that the Cathedral was a final resting place, hence showing us all the other faces in the columns. The character seemed to me, at least, a person of great importance. I seem to find that characters set in a fantasy setting are geared more to this subject than anything, and I cite Terry Brook's "Sword of Shannara" series, when the Druid Allanon goes to a place beyond the hero's realm of existence, after fulfilling his obligation in helping the hero.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing that came to my attention was the "belly of the beast" comment. I don't know if you were aware, but the classic story "Dante's Inferno" was made into a video game, and the graphics looked almost exactly the same as the animation. I've only played the demo version, but it reminded me of the visceral qualities that the story itself had and it was a wonderful feeling of nostalgia.
I agree with Ken. I can see the comparison between the two there are slight difference in there as well. While the church did bite down, it didn't spit him out he became apart of it. He did look shocked at what happened, but accepting at the same time. The animation was an interesting comparison.
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