The parallels start simply: a match-cut of painted birds in mid-motion and real ones taking off from a branch; a close-up on some extraneous details of a Bruegel epic that catch Johann’s eyes echoed in similar shots of refuse in the Viennese streets. Yet even these moments do not settle for mere reflection. To notice Bruegel’s carefully ordered, almost imperceptible waste adds a form of grace to the real world, not only the mirroring details interwoven into the montage but in earlier shots like the reflection of a tower seen in a litter-ridden puddle. Centuries-old art pulled from around the world make the reality outside seem that much livelier and in the moment.
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