7) It brought magical realism to American cinema with style
One of Birdman’s most intriguing creative touches is the use of magical realism. Often featured in paintings and novels from great Latin American artists, magical realism is what it sounds like: a hybrid of fantastical elements within a real-world setting. Taking a cue from filmmaking pal Guillermo del Toro, who blended mystical or supernatural aspects into his Spanish Civil War dramas The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth, Iñárritu created a story universe within the confines of a Broadway theater that also had room for magical happenings.
Many of Riggan’s encounters with his winged alter ego are dreamlike occurrences presented as a part of the story’s physical universe, their collision further emphasized with the long-take camerawork. With his mind or the thrust of his hand, Riggan can move the objects in his dressing room. With the tilt of his head, he can send a light crashing down on a stage actor not delivering the performance Riggan desires. Late in the film, he swoops and soars above New York City just as Birdman would. Inarritu presents this sequence as if it could be an everyday occurrence.
Magical realism is not infrequent in cinema, but very few mainstream hits – not including films that are already fantasies or science fiction – blend the real and the surreal. Recent Best Picture nominees that have used this concept include Midnight in Paris and Beasts of the Southern Wild. Through the flowing cinematography, though, Iñárritu brings both planes of reality (truth and fiction) onto the same level with terrific clarity.
