by Nathan Southern
synopsis
Adapted from a fragment of text by the Austrian writer Robert Walser, the 17-minute Quay Brothers short The Comb opens with the image of a sleeping princess and then delves into her dream world, where the tunnels of the mind literalize, and become a mazelike, labyrinthine playhouse patrolled and explored by a roving doll figure. Stephen and Timothy Quay shot the film as a blend of animation and live-action, enveloped in a mythic golden aesthetic. On the soundtrack, they overlay a haunting score of violin and guitar notes, co-mingled with the cries, murmurs and whispers of the subconscious mind.
