Editor Yintao Gong’s Perfect Pairing of Comedy and Horror in Flatulence: The Origin
Sometimes the greater joy in life is the discovery of something other than what you originally intended. The unexpected can be a remarkable and exciting place if you’ll give yourself up to it. That concept is as appropriate in describing Director/Writer Xingyu “Harry” Chen’s film Flatulence: The Origin as it describes Mr. Chen’s experience with the remarkably talented editor Yintao Gong on this production. Harry readily divulges that he was less than enthused about various scenes that were filmed for Flatulence: The Origin until Yintao pointed out what “could be.” He states, “I was fixated on my envisioned version of the film until Yintao took over in the editing room and pointed out how the overall pacing, along with certain scenes, wouldn’t work. It was initially challenging for me to accept. We began a ‘rewriting’ process in the editing room and Yintao’s expertise made the typically painful editing process enriching, to say the least. She helped me clear my mind during post-production and ultimately made me find the story I wanted to tell.” This new direction led Flatulence: The Origin to numerous recognitions, including Best Editing awards for Yintao from the Festigious International Film Festival and the Orniros Film Awards. Flatulence: The Origin truly embodies the ideal of dark comedy. It exists somewhere between Shaun of the Dead and Severance and is equally satisfying.
Many say that laughter is the best medicine but in Yintao’s estimation, it’s the best compensation. She finds the surprised laughter from audiences at showings of this film to be immensely rewarding. The dichotomy of dire situations and undeniable moments of humor occur repeatedly throughout Flatulence: The Origin. The editing propels this to a higher standard throughout the story. Early in the film, Robert (the protagonist) releases a lethal fart that kills everyone else in an elevator. This scene starts with a long take that focuses intensely on Robert, capturing his growing anxiety and realization of the situation. The audience begins to empathize with his internal turmoil. As the people around Robert begin to react to his flatulence and its effects, a dynamic shift in editing and camera movement heightens the tension and urgency. The pacing of the editing becomes faster, mirroring the escalating chaos and panic in the scene. Later, when Robert undergoes a medical procedure for this lethal attribute, the juxtaposition of brutal images of the surgery with Robert’s painful yet comedic expressions elicits the kind of laughter one would like feel guilty about if it weren’t presented so shrewdly. Yintao and director Harry Chen even manage to deliver a twist at the end of the story based on the superhero film genre. The editor informs, “Harry’s intention for this scene was a superhero moment, with the hero defeating villains through a hilariously unconventional method like a massive fart. As we delved into editing this scene, our goal was to not only capture the comedic essence but also infuse it with the iconic style and flair often associated with superhero movies. To achieve this, we drew inspiration from the visual and narrative tropes commonly seen in superhero films. This included employing dynamic camera angles and movements to create a sense of grandeur and heroism, even amidst the absurdity of the situation. The use of dramatic lighting and sound effects further enhanced the superhero movie feel, adding layers of intensity and spectacle to the scene.” While Yintao diverts praise to her director, it’s obvious to see her genius in this film in regards to its meticulous pacing, subtle cuts, and the emotive use of music and sound design. Taking the arc of the comedic nature of this story and balancing it so powerfully with gravitas, Yintao has given weight to both these qualities in a manner that elevates the acceptance of the film’s main concept. What might seem somewhat ridiculous in the written word is appealing plausible in the tone and pacing of this film. Movies like Swiss Army Man (Sundance Film Festival Award–winner directed and written by Daniel Kwan, starring Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe) have a similar feel to this film. Flatulence: The Origin is entertaining, and remarkably engaging. What Yintao Gong, Harry Chen, and the entire cast and crew of it have done is a rare thing these days; they have created something both highly original and very entertaining.
