Watch Joaquin Phoenix Make a Run for It in Beau Is Afraid , Anatomy of a Scene

In this early sequence from the bleak comedy Beau Is Afraid, the frame is packed with so many gags and references thats its impossible to take them all in. But for the films writer and director, Ari Aster, thats the point. This moment, which has Beau (Joaquin Phoenix) walking, then ultimately running, through his neighborhood, employs a technique called chicken fat. In an interview, Aster said that he learned of the term while making the film. Coined by the cartoonist Harvey Kurtzman in reference to the work of the illustrator Will Elder, it involves layering the background with as many visual jokes as possible. Here, that includes signs, graffiti, props and more. The philosophy behind the technique isnt that everything should be seen, but that the audience gets the sense of all the detail, Aster said. And I think that encourages an even deeper engagement because you see the amount of work thats gone into building this The scene is also packed with background play