Do you rememÂber the first time you saw the fourth wall broÂken? Few of us probÂaÂbly do, but maybe we all should, givÂen how radiÂal a deparÂture from estabÂlished draÂmatÂic conÂvenÂtion — specifÂiÂcalÂly, the conÂvenÂtion dicÂtatÂing that a work of draÂmatÂic art not acknowlÂedge the fact that it is a work of draÂmatÂic art — fourth-wall-breakÂage repÂreÂsents. Then again, a work of art can break the fourth wall subÂtly, too subÂtly to make an outÂsized impact on our conÂsciousÂness: take, for examÂple, all the brief but knowÂing glances movie charÂacÂters have directÂed at their audiÂences throughÂout almost the entire hisÂtoÂry of cinÂeÂma.
A fair few of those glances appear in the superÂcut of 400 breakÂages of the fourth wall above (which may well conÂtain the first one you ever witÂnessed). It draws from films from a variÂety of time periÂods, HolÂlyÂwood clasÂsics and blockÂbusters as well as lessÂer-known picÂtures.
TogethÂer with the Press Play fourth-wall-breakÂage superÂcut below, it proÂvides an overview of just how wide a variÂety of ways filmÂmakÂers have found to momenÂtarÂiÂly breach what VinÂcent CanÂby once described as “that invisÂiÂble scrim that forÂevÂer sepÂaÂrates the audiÂence from the stage.” Most films break the fourth wall for laughs, but othÂers have done it in serÂvice of emoÂtionÂal, aesÂthetÂic, and even intelÂlecÂtuÂal ends.
None of this is to say that the fourth wall stood perÂfectÂly intact before the colosÂsus of cinÂeÂma came along to smash it. The conÂcept goes at least as far back as 17th-cenÂtuÂry France, first used as a term by Molière and latÂer more fulÂly defined by EnlightÂenÂment icon Denis Diderot. But theÂatriÂcal perÂformÂers must have been breakÂing the fourth wall, or at least pokÂing holes in it, even before the fourth wall was quite up: long ago, we read in hisÂtorÂiÂcal accounts of theÂater around the world, audiÂences even expectÂed a cerÂtain degree of interÂacÂtion with the action onstage — or at least they expressed their thoughts on it, often forceÂfulÂly, attemptÂing to break the fourth wall from the othÂer direcÂtion.
Over time, we, the creÂators and viewÂers of draÂma alike, built the fourth wall, and it has selÂdom takÂen us long to expect its proÂtecÂtion in every mediÂum we enjoy: theÂater and film, yes, but teleÂviÂsion, video games, and even litÂerÂaÂture as well. “It is not a good idea to interÂrupt the narÂraÂtive too often,” writes J.M. CoetÂzee in ElizÂaÂbeth CostelÂlo, a novÂel that breaks the fourth wall and a host of othÂer conÂvenÂtion besides, “since stoÂryÂtelling works by lulling the readÂer or lisÂtenÂer into a dreamÂlike state in which the time and space of the real world fade away, superÂseded by the time and space of the ficÂtion.” A litÂerÂary stoÂryÂteller of CoetÂzee’s calÂiber would know. But what othÂer art form has been as often comÂpared to a dream, or felt as much like a dream, as film — and what othÂer dreams play out on, litÂerÂalÂly, a wall?
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Watch Them Watch Us: A HisÂtoÂry of BreakÂing the “Fourth Wall” in Film
CinÂeÂma HisÂtoÂry by Titles & NumÂbers
We’re Gonna Build a Fourth Wall, and Make the Brechtians Pay for It
Based in Seoul, ColÂin MarÂshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities, lanÂguage, and culÂture. His projects include the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles and the video series The City in CinÂeÂma. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall or on FaceÂbook.
It’s not that the notion of breakÂing the fourth wall goes back to 17th-CenÂtuÂry France — it’s that the fourth wall did not exist AT ALL priÂor to that time. Not only are all of ShakeÂspeare’s solilÂoÂquies, arguably, addressed face-to-face to the audiÂence, but medieval Vice figÂures (which the solilÂoÂquy-heavy Iago is a riff on) spoke directÂly to the audiÂence, often mockÂing the othÂer charÂacÂters in the play.
There are two outÂstandÂing examÂples of the fact that earÂly modÂern theÂatre had no fourth wall: the inducÂtion to John Marston’s _The Malcontent_ (1604), and BeauÂmont and Fletcher’s crimÂiÂnalÂly under-proÂduced _The Knight of the BurnÂing Pestle_ (1607).
In Marston’s inducÂtion scene, memÂbers of the King’s Men (ShakeÂspeare’s comÂpaÂny, which proÂduced the play) come out on stage *as themÂselves*, talk about how they acquired the play, and joke with anothÂer memÂber of the comÂpaÂny, ChristoÂpher Sly, who is preÂtendÂing to be an audiÂence memÂber. They exit, and then the play “propÂer” begins (propÂer in scare quotes because the inducÂtion *is* part of the play, but it’s a part entireÂly free of any imagÂiÂnary fourth wall).
_The Knight of the BurnÂing Pestle_ is proof that there was no fourth wall for ShakeÂspeare and his conÂtemÂpoÂraries. As a play called _The LonÂdon Merchant_ starts, a pair of “audiÂence memÂbers,” George and Nell, start talkÂing and comÂplainÂing loudÂly about it — it’s not to their taste and they want their apprenÂtice Rafe to have a role in it anyÂway. A “comÂpaÂny memÂber” tries to calm them down, but they insist on Rafe being draftÂed into the play, and the comÂpaÂny relents. From then on, George and Nell comÂment on the action and conÂtinÂue to sugÂgest improÂvised scenes for Rafe, while _The LonÂdon Merchant_ hapÂlessÂly stumÂbles along as well. Of course, _The LonÂdon Merchant_ PLUS George and Nell PLUS Rafe’s improÂvised scenes of dragÂon-slayÂing and damsel-resÂcuÂing (which don’t belong in any play set in LonÂdon) are, all rolled into one, the actuÂal play _The Knight of the BurnÂing Pestle_. It’s an absurÂdist masÂterÂpiece, and when I teach it stuÂdents invariÂably proÂnounce their minds blown by the fact that it was writÂten over four hunÂdred years ago.
At one point, Nell even urges Rafe to demonÂstrate his actÂing skill with a bit of “huffÂing,” or bomÂbasÂtic rantÂiÂng and strutÂting around (i.e., overÂactÂing). What does Rafe do? He busts out a bit of SHAKESPEARE — specifÂiÂcalÂly, a slightÂly misÂquotÂed bit from HotÂspur:
By heavÂen methinks it were an easy leap
To pluck bright honÂor from the pale-Âfaced Moon
Hey, Rafe, overÂact a litÂtle? Okay, here’s some ShakeÂspeare. SHOTS. FIRED.
SorÂry for the wall o’ text, but all this is to say, the fourth wall is a theÂatriÂcal anomÂaly that only existÂed from the 17th/18th CenÂtuÂry up to, roughÂly, the 20th, and it’s well done away with. And secÂondÂly, go read Knight of the BurnÂing PesÂtle — it’s a delight. You can find a very good ediÂtion from the FolÂger ShakeÂspeare Library here: https://emed.folger.edu/sites/default/files/folger_encodings/pdf/EMED-KBP-reg‑3.pdf
I’m so glad you wrote this! CorÂrect on all counts — cerÂtainÂly didÂn’t exist before Moliere — been tryÂing to track down a source that proves Moliere coined the term… or even used it at all… but it seems to be apocÂryphal so far. So infuÂriÂatÂing that no one sources mateÂrÂiÂal in these artiÂcles. If you hapÂpen to have a source for this — would love to know. Thanks!