The Nine Muses

The Nine Muses is a 2010 experimental documentary film directed by John Akomfrah. This film is a melding of various art forms that syphons from literature, visual art, history, and film. As a thought-provoking work, it requires viewers to engage with it actively, piecing together the shards of information to grasp a coherent narrative thread.

The movie is an ingenious presentation of the experiences of immigration, examining what it means to belong, checking out the complexity of cultural identity. Specifically, it explores the journey of migrants that traveled from the West Indies and Africa to the United Kingdom in the post-WWII era. However, it does not use the typical expository methods of a traditional documentary to describe these experiences. Instead, it presents the audience with an innovative montage technique that layers found footage, staged scenes, music, and voiceover narration.

This groundbreaking work takes its title and thematic structure from the nine daughters of Zeus in Greek mythology, who are often seen as the muses or inspirations behind arts and sciences. Their names - Calliope (Epic Poetry), Clio (History), Erato (Love Poetry), Euterpe (Music), Melpomene (Tragedy), Polyhymnia (Hymns), Terpsichore (Dance), Thalia (Comedy), and Urania (Astronomy) - are used as chapter titles, creating a segmented non-linear narrative.

The Nine Muses is separated into these nine sections or chapters, each identified with one of the muses. These chapters act as a funnel, dissecting and exploring the different aspects of the immigrant experience as interpreted through the lens of each muse. Featuring long shots of icy Alaskan landscapes with individuals in fluorescent attire standing motionless, the visuals are made even more poignant with voices reading excerpts from literary classics by Homer, Dante, T.S. Eliot, and others, exploring the themes of exile, dislocation, and the search for home.

The expanse of the icy wilderness represents the ‘no man’s land’ of the immigrant, the ‘other’ space between familiar and foreign, between past and future. These areas are used as a blank canvas on which to impose the narrative of migrant experience. The fluorescent figures are anonymous and appear isolated within the vast white landscapes, mirroring and externalising their dislocation and detachment in a visual metaphor.

Similarly, the found footage unearthed from various British archives deepens this visual narrative. These archival footages comprise of newsreels, documentaries, and clips showing the arrival of non-white immigrants in the UK after WWII.

As far as the sound design is concerned, it is frequently filled with resonant readings of classic literature, offering perspectives that connect the universality of the migrant's condition with age-old themes and stories, rather than focusing on the distinctions of ethnicity or nationality. The flute music, interspersed with these readings, adds to the surreal and dreamlike quality of the film.

Despite its intellectual and creative rigor, The Nine Muses remains emotionally engaging. It never trivializes the stories it seeks to tell, nor does it alienate its audience with its innovation. Instead, it carves a new path in storytelling, urging its audience to participate in the journey of discovery as it explores the narratives around postwar immigration.

In essence, The Nine Muses translates the universal and timeless journey of finding one's identity and place in a new, often indifferent, and sometimes hostile society into a cinematic canvas. While it captures the disorienting and alienating experiences of the migrants, it simultaneously presents a broader commentary on the complexities of human experience during the advent of new horizons.

The Nine Muses is not a traditional documentary by any standard. It is an art piece, a thoughtfully constructed montage that ambiguously yet brilliantly captures the themes of alienation and belonging. It presents a rewarding experience for viewers who relish intellectual and visual challenges, viewers who do not mind going off the beaten path to explore innovative storytelling styles. It is a film that offers as much as it demands, requiring viewers to ponder, connect, and engage.