Anyone seeking the answers to these questions and more should watch Exit Through the Giftshop. The film is produced by England's notorious street artist "Banksy," who built his name in the street art industry roughly over the past two decades. Get an inside look on "the birth" of the business as you follow curious filmmaker Thierry Guetta, who finds films becoming deeply immersed in the scene as he follows other prominent artists in the game including Sheppard Fairey and Invader.
Here comes a small spoiler for those of you who care, and you can skip ahead to the bold if need be. But some people have speculated that this film wasn't actually a documentary, but a "mockumentary." Perhaps Mister Brainwash was a creation of Banksy just to prove his point that street art is meeting its unfortunate demise. Everything Mister Brainwash has done - from having his work put together by his craftsmen to selling his paintings for big bucks - has been one big symbol for the turn that street art is taking. Is Banksy being a creative genius by subtly feeding us symbols and motifs? I'd bet money on that. Who knows exactly how much of the documentary is fact and how much is fiction, but I appreciate his overall effort in getting us to see the bigger picture.
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I believe art and literary aficionados alike would enjoy analyzing this film and its many messages. I certainly did. If you're up for the artistic challenge of figuring out Banksy's master plan, by all means, please watch this film. Even if you're not up for analyzing social commentaries, I still recommend this movie for the thrill of seeing the transformation of an everyman to a street art superhuman. Whatever the audience, Exit Through the Gift Shop will not disappoint. You can watch it via Netflix now.