tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57688527297170587942024-02-20T16:24:53.876-05:00KaleidoscopeDan L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11533210622337039349noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768852729717058794.post-41669072258138972552014-06-24T00:27:00.002-04:002014-06-29T15:42:34.882-04:00The D & P Cross-Examination Presents: Godzilla (2014)<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In this
debut installment of the <b>D&P Cross-Examination</b>, Dan and Pete
discuss Director Garth Edwards’ 2014 feature length release: “Godzilla.”
In a conversation about the merits and shortcomings of the new “Godzilla”
movie, they touch on genre classification, computer graphics, the soundtrack,
analysis of specific scenes, and the new film’s place in relation to Godzilla
movies of the past. While the opinions expressed diverge in many places,
both Dan and Pete seem to agree that “Godzilla (2014)” is an unusual
blockbuster, deserving of discussion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Note: For the
purposes of clarity, the new film is referred to throughout the article as
“Godzilla (2014)” to prevent confusion with Godzilla the character, or Godzilla
movies of the past. </span></i></b><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dan LaTourette</span></b><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">:
Now, what I put in my post (<u><a href="http://www.examiner.com/review/review-and-reflection-of-godzilla-humans-amid-destructive-forces">here</a></u></span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">) about what I
felt </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">the </span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Godzilla (2014)”
did with the more human perspective approach is that it made the viewer assume
the role of the humans instead of participating in observation of the people in
the film. Now, I'm not saying this is totally justifying the characters being
flat, but I will say I felt that the film asked its viewers to interact with
the film more than normal. Did you get any sense of this approach? Or, in
general, what didn't work with this human perspective approach?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Pete
Berris: </span></b><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I think that I may have had a slightly
different experience interacting with the film. Since I did not relate
especially well to the lead character, I'm not sure that I actually felt
tangibly connected to the events of the film as they unfolded. That being said,
I do think the characters in the film served a somewhat unusual purpose. As I
believe you have suggested, the film essentially invites the viewer to see
events as they unfold, through the eyes of characters caught in circumstances
beyond their control. To me, this felt like a conscious attempt at creating a
Godzilla film for the post 9/11 world. We live in an era where so many can
unfortunately relate to horrific images of skyscrapers collapsing, gigantic
tidal waves crashing ashore, and stadiums filling to capacity with survivors
trying to rejoin loved ones. Much of the imagery contained in "Godzilla
(2014)" could have come directly out of September 11th, Hurricane
Katrina, or other disasters of recent years.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">For
a modern audience, connecting the struggles for survival contained in “Godzilla
(2014)” to some of the real human-level stories that have come out of events
like 9/11, would probably be natural. “Godzilla (2014)’s” palpable ties to such
recent news events changes the perspective of the film, and alters how the
audience can relate to both its characters and plot developments. By making the
disasters a key point of emotional reference for the audience, “Godzilla
(2014)” is able to employ contemporary issues for the purposes of building
suspense. Another effect of the pure emphasis on disaster itself in “Godzilla
(2014),” is that the movie often feels more aligned with the tradition of
disaster movies, than that of science-fiction monster movies. In “Godzilla
(2014)” the disaster and mayhem is more central to the film than the
"science" or the monster. In a way, the biggest difference between
“Godzilla (2014)” and the typical disaster movie is that the core catastrophe
in the film just happened to be reawakened dinosaurs rather than a hurricane,
or killer bees, or a “sharknado.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">DL: </span></b><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
guess what I was trying to say is that the characters were made flat such that
the viewers had to become more involved with the film. Essentially, the
characters are more like avatars (like in a video game) rather than
full-fledged characters. The HALO jump was the biggest example of this since we
literally see the jump through the eyes of the soldiers, even through the
goggles.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">PB: </span></b><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
think your point that some of the camera techniques encourage viewers to
participate in the film is logical. I'm not as convinced that flat characters
are conducive to audience involvement, though<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">DL: </span></b><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Well,
I can definitely see why. It's not really the norm for a film like this
under </span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">this sort of marketing context. I will
say, though, that I feel this film has more layers than meets the eyes. I mean,
the director's last film was a sci-fi film with an incredibly meager budget,
but it got positive reviews. It seems this filmmaker works off subtlety.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">PB: </span></b><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Although
I have not seen the director’s previous work, I do agree that “Godzilla (2014)”
certainly has moments that reach beyond the havoc and chaos that generally
dominates the screen. There are throwbacks to the first Godzilla film, “Gojira
(1954),” which are nice, such as the use of a Japanese scientist named Serizawa
who provides one of the main scientific viewpoints of the film (even if the
portrayal does not exactly align with the character’s sentiments in “Gojira”).
It was additionally interesting that “Godzilla (2014)” strongly implied that
Serizawa's father died in Hiroshima, an obvious nod to the political and
philosophical underpinning of “Gojira.” Another notable subtlety is that in
“Godzilla (2014),” the title monster is referred to by both its original
Japanese name and American adaptation. One last decision that I think added
some dimensionality to the film was “Godzilla (2014)’s” presentation of the
1950s atomic bomb tests as an attempt to to kill prehistoric dinosaurs. I just
wish that many of these more nuanced moments had been more comprehensively
integrated into the film, rather than applied like a quick dressing.
Nevertheless, at times “Godzilla (2014)” is a multifaceted movie, even if the
execution of the more ambitious elements is disappointing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">DL: </span></b><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yea,
and although I agree that none of these historical themes are ever really
explored thoroughly (mainly having to do with making sure the film meets as
many expectations as possible) I do like the fact that they are all placed in
the forefront for the audience to consider at least and, in the end, the
audience can actually connect the original themes of the classic Godzilla films
with the modern themes and ponder at their relationships. The biggest
question I came up with, and I would guarantee the filmmaker wanted to bring
up, is: Why is the idea of Godzilla still relevant?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Though I must say Ken
Watanabe's character, as necessary as it was, was misused. All he did was stand
around and looked </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">on </span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">in
wonder and awe.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">PB: </span></b><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Agreed.
In “Gojira,” Serizawa was a major character who voiced some of the major
scientific concerns of the film, and provided the main allegory for the dangers
of a nuclear age. Wantanabe’s Serizawa has some of the same potential, but it
remains unrealized. In “Godzilla (2014),” Serizawa suggests that Godzilla is a
restorative force of nature that the military should not kill (along the lines
of the argument offered by the character Dr. Yamane in the original), but
Serizawa’s proposal is addressed so tangentially and weakly that it almost
seems intended for outright audience dismissal. Serizawa certainly never even
comes close to butting heads with the military forces dominating both the plot
and the film. Serizawa offers one of the major “scientific” tenants of
“Godzilla (2014)” in citing Godzilla as a force to restore balance in nature,
but the idea is woefully ignored for so much of the movie.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">While
"Godzilla (2014)" actually has two leads with the potential to
provide a robust scientific viewpoint, neither fulfill that role. Serizawa has
minimal lines and an even smaller impact on the course events. The other
scientific voice in the film, Joe Brody, is killed off a third of the way
through the film (which really says a lot). The relegation of science to the
background in “Godzilla (2014)” seems odd, because scientific concerns have
been a major preoccupation of Godzilla films for decades. By killing off one
major scientific lead, and rendering the other useless through ineffective
writing, the film abandons one of the major mechanisms of explaining why
Godzilla is still relevant today. This decision was a major surprise to me,
since there are so many opportunities for a movie to exploit major scientific
concepts that are shaping our era. Climate change, for example, seems like it
would have been a logical choice for “Godzilla (2014), especially since past
films in the series have focused on environmental matters (particularly in the
seventies). In any event, the focus of the film ended up being squarely militaristic,
rather than scientific.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">DL: </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Yeah</span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, good point, and I think that is where
personal taste takes control because I didn't mind this sort of thematic
ignorance. But let's go to something else. You mentioned not being a huge CGI
fan, and to a large extent, I'm not a huge fan of it either, but was there
anything in this film that was particularly effective in terms of CGI effects
as compared to other recent films you may or may not have seen?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Much of the CGI used in
the film was effective but it was in the final battle that I was blown away by
the general use of art direction, the color palette</span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
</span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">and the particle effects used for the dust and debris (which
also clouded Godzilla for an ample portion of time). It made me feel like the
filmmakers wanted to treat this battle with fragile care rather than make it
seem like the only worthy aspect of the battle was the action itself.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">As for the other
creatures, I can see your point, though I will say I was not as irked by their
design. I actually like the long legs and when the male first bursts out of the
complex at the beginning of the film, the strangeness of its body made me feel
disoriented and, thus, anxious during the scene. That, and a well established
soundscape.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">PB</span></b><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">:
Speaking of sound, how do you feel about the soundtrack to the movie?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">DL: </span></b><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
soundtrack was the most surprising thing. Of course, they got me with the </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">use of the</span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">underrated
gem of “Breakfast in Bed” from the album “Dusty in Memphis,” one of my all-time
favorite albums in the history of mankind. But, in general, it was more
than just that. The HALO jump featured iconic music from “2001” and, instead of
me getting all purist on the choice I actually liked it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">PB</span></b><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">:
Going back to Godzilla's monster foes for a minute, how do you feel about the
amount of time they had on screen? For me, their prevalence was a bit of a
problem, since they overpowered the named star in terms of screen time...<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">DL: </span></b><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Right,
so I am going to play my “Jaws” card for this. One of the things that
makes the Spielberg film so amazing, even more amazing forty years later, is
that the onscreen time of the shark was very minimal. Consequently, the
significance of its appearance increased and, thus, the dramatic effect
increased…at least that is the theory. This goes way back to the Hitchcockian
philosophy of suspense that it is not the bang</span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> but </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">rather </span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the build up to that bang</span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> that
which instead of that creates the most drama and emotional involvement.
Godzilla was not seen as much as the other creatures and a lot of his screen
time was with shaky camera or even through the television set. Yet, because of
this restraint of showing him, I felt the significance of his presence was
amplified</span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and his role as the force of balance was
amplified as well. Since the film was taking more of a human perspective and
much of the film was showcasing how this whole phenomenon was out of the
humans’ hands, the arrival of Godzilla after much destruction and uncertainty
became a cathartic shift in the tone of the narrative. A consequence of this is
that, in the end, we never get a sense of who Godzilla really is. And
this </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">is </span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">where I feel like the
film's ambition peaks because, as a human in the midst of such an event,
at what point would we take time to truly understand this fantastically large
creature? We wouldn’t</span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">get the chance. Once the
battle is over Godzilla leaves and we can’t control that.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">PB: </span></b><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
think you make some very strong points. In particular, I think we may feel
similarly about Godzilla's presence throughout the film, which is frequently
palpable even when he is not on the screen. If “Godzilla (2014)” had not
succeeded in that regard, I think the movie would have been dangerously close
to being a complete wash. That being said, as much as I understand your
argument, Godzilla's lack of screen time remains a major issue for me on a
number of levels.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Godzilla's
involvement, even including his indirect off-screen impact, is so scant that it
really strains the new movies’ ties with some of its antecedents. Since the
focus of “Godzilla (2014)” is more on the disaster itself than on the monsters,
the film’s ties to science fiction and monster movie genres feel a bit tenuous.
In focusing on the effect, rather than the cause, "Godzilla (2014)"
really aligns itself to disaster movies, and films like “Jaws.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">I
think part of the problem for me is that the approaches of those two movie
types are somewhat disparate, and sometimes cancel each other out in
"Godzilla (2014)." The suspenseful build up in "Godzilla
(2014)" that you compare to "Jaws" and some of the great
"Hitchcock" movies is certainly a nice touch, and it does
periodically work. However, I think this approach was undermined by the
trappings of the disaster genre that permeated "Godzilla (2014)."
With disaster movies, and the new film, the spectacle is everything. So while
"Godzilla (2014)" attempts to gradually build to the entrance of the
leading monster with classic suspense tactics, it also simultaneously reeks
disaster style havoc with two additional monsters, a massive military force,
two nuclear plant meltdowns, and a menagerie of action-packed sequences. While
I think the film may have done a respectable job in recreating tropes from both
suspense and disaster movies, it does not really combine them neatly. As a
fabricated illustration of how “Godzilla (2014)” sometimes feels, imagine an
alternate version of Hitchcock's "Rear Window" where Jimmy Stewart’s
obsession with the mysterious activities across the way are constantly
interrupted by eighteen dancing mobsters with tommy guns, an explosive gas
leak, a herd of amorous elephants, and a squadron of World War I fighter pilots
performing aerial maneuvers outside his room. More simply, the build to the
bang is lessened when the succession of lesser bangs becomes too distracting.
In "Godzilla (2014)," the leading beast is so overpowered by the
tropes of the disaster genre that I think the title could have almost been,
"G.I. Joe verses two Gargantuan Old-Time Reptiles: Guest Starring
Godzilla"<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">DL: </span></b><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
almost think that you are now maybe thinking about this film too much as a
disaster film which is reasonable considering your feelings, but what I
perceive creatures, and Godzilla. The creatures are wreaking havoc for reasons
that we can say are aligned with biological instinct.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In fact, one of the
interesting things I'd like to point out now is that these creatures are not
bad guys and, for the most part but not all of it, were not framed as outright
bad guys. Having two of them might seem cumbersome but at least it is grounded
in some form of a biological explanation. The humans </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">mostly</span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">have no understanding of
this biology</span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> but what they do know is that having
these things around is totally costly</span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">and they try </span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">to figure out a way
of beating </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">them</span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. What the story does
right, I think, is that it gives the humans time to formulate a plan</span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and
fail to the point where Godzilla really is the only option to destroy the creatures. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">I think that</span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">the</span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> dynamics between these three characters fall
in line with the monster movie more than the disaster film. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The question is</span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">:</span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> what
monster is the film for? I'll </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">briefly </span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">pull
out another card from another film. “Fargo,” one of my favorite pictures to
watch, is known for introducing its protagonist halfway through the film. And
while I know the expectations are far different in that film than in the
well-established Godzilla franchise, what it shares with the Coen film is that
so much damage has been halfway through the film that narratively it </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">renders, well for lack of a better term, balance or,
maybe poetic justice to restore order: that balance in the Coen picture is
Marge and in our film it is, of course, Godzilla.</span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But
I think this all starts with the premise of the film expressing itself from the
human perspective, which would really make the monsters secondary inherently.
But I don't think that really happens because in so many monster films and even
disaster films, so much damage is done with no inclination of what it must feel
like to be in one of those CGI explosions. Nevertheless, maybe getting creative
and thinking that the humans are the third monster might inspire you to lean
towards my sentiments.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">PB: </span></b><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
agree that the film presents the monsters without an explicit value judgement,
and instead generally depicts them as a biological force of nature. While this
approach can definitely be found in some monster movie classics like "The
Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)," I think that the execution of this
concept in "Godzilla" still feels more rooted in the disaster movie
tradition. Since the monsters simply exist as an organic force, it would be
possible to substitute any other go-to threat of the disaster movie genre for
the monsters in "Godzilla (2014)" and have a predominately similar
picture (minus the title). In many other monster movie classics, this might not
have been possible since the central creature generally represented some
concept that was inseparable from the heart of the film. For example, in
"Gojira" the moral was all about the dangers of humans and the atomic
age--an idea that would have been harder to pull off with, say, a whopping
hurricane instead of Godzilla.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Again,
the central focus of “Godzilla (2014)” is disaster in and of itself. While the
film hints that Godzilla is a natural force intended to restore order, the
movie fails to resolve what exactly was so out of order as to require a
monster's intervention. Yes, "Godzilla (2014)" makes passing
references to atomic anxiety of the sort contained in "Gojira," but I
feel as though it was insufficiently woven into the narrative to count as the
central focus.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> While
you suggest that the humans could be viewed as the monster, an approach that
has certainly been embraced by past monster movies including
"Gojira," I struggle with that reading of "Godzilla
(2014)." Again, the presentation of the main characters is more like that
of a disaster movie than a monster movie. The central focus provided for the
audience is the ubiquitous, wholesome nuclear family, which is in danger of
being torn apart by the harsh realities of a nearly apocalyptic scenario. This
structure is a hallmark of the disaster genre, a recurring motif and device in
a wide swath of that genre’s pictures. The goal of course, is for the audience
to wear out the edge of their seats, wondering if the nice little family can
survive an absurdly trying sequence of events. Whether intentional or not, the
effect of this approach is to have the audience associate with the characters.
This effect is certainly true in "Godzilla (2014)." If the audience
didn't relate to the characters, the central suspense device in the film would
not work. However, the problem in “Godzilla (2014),” is that since the audience
associates with, and roots for, the central characters, the film lacks a major
mechanism for portraying humans as monsters.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
Additionally, </span><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">at no point in “Godzilla (2014)” does the
protagonist express doubt about his course of action, nor does he ruminate
about the philosophical meaning of the monster. As a result, the audience is
not really encouraged to question the human role either. Viewers are simply
expected to adopt the lead's concerns of following orders and returning home
safely to his family. Admirable, but hardly the sort of moral pontification
that might be expected in a monster movie. Admittedly, this lack of
philosophical introspection may be understandable since the film elected not to
feature a scientist in the central role (itself a departure from scores of
monster films), but the problem is that no other characters provided the
opportunity to truly question the human role either. As I have said before, the
two scientific leads in the film were ineffective, and they were certainly
deficient at offering a serious critique of humanity.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">DL: </span></b><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
actually agree with pretty much all your points and I am happy that it is so
elaborate in the way you convey your knowledge of the genres in question; you
certainly know more about monster films than I do. Expectations play a big roll
and I feel that what the filmmakers ultimately did to this film is a
hybridization of marketable genres. The monster film, per se, hasn't really
been a successful genre recently (at least I can't really think of an actual
monster film in the past...um, well, I guess since “Jurassic Park”). The
disaster film, for worse, has been a more dominant genre, with</span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">recent examples like </span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Day After
Tomorrow” and “2012”</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">--</span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">both
terrible films.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If
I were to compare </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">“Godzilla (2014)” </span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">to
a film that does something similar, I would compare it to something like '”Alien”
(granted, I consider '”Alien” to be the finest horror film and is still one of
the best sci-fi films...so this one is an ideal example, but bear with me). It
tinkers with tropes of two genres and tries to find ways the two genres
compliment each other to induce an intriguing form and expression. I feel that
was what this Godzilla film did, just not as successfully. But, I still stand
by </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">the assertion that </span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the
film is more </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">a </span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">monster </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">movie </span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">than maybe you perceive
it as</span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">to
back that up, </span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I guess I'll look more towards cultural norms
than the actual genre. To me, it makes sense that this film is constructed
differently than the ones made in Japan in the last century. I feel </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">that </span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the roles of the
humans </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">might reflect </span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">a
difference of mentality of what the humans</span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> role
should be and, conversely, what Godzilla's role should be. Though I have not
really looked into the film that much to give any specific examples, I feel
strongly that this cultural and temporal difference is the main reason to
employ a broader interpretation of the monster film/disaster film. The ending,
as in the second to last shot, is purely a disaster film ending. The next shot
of the water after Godzilla dives</span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">in </span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">is a monster film ending (a shot I
love...there's a serenity about it that I still have yet to think through). To
me, there really is an acknowledgment of the use of both genre tropes. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now,
in terms of the morality of the film...I feel that is purely visual.
Unfortunately, I have to watch the film again to remember how some of these
shots were constructed. But one </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">example </span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
do remember is a brief </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">shot (maybe ten
seconds),</span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> where the main character is running back after he had blown up
the nest. Godzilla falls and they happen to glance at each other through a
devastated alleyway. It is cut short by the engulfing dust that swallows the
monster. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">There is the red sky that the soldiers jump
through and the deserted city in Japan which seems like a far cry once you get
to the end of the film.</span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To me, there is always a
sense that the humans have been making the wrong decisions and there is this
melancholic tone to the actions of the humans throughout the film, despite it
also being very mechanical due to the fact that it is mainly military people
making the decisions. Also, and this is not really an attempt for
justification, but maybe the fact that the scientists took the back seat (</span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">a
move that I would even think the filmmakers were considering in relation to the
previous films),</span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is sort of a nod to the way we treat
science. The characters we do follow don't necessarily hold the weight of the
moral issues involved</span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> but can only react
and respond to the decisions made beforehand.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">PB: </span></b><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nicely
argued. I think your last comment is particularly thought-provoking. Even if
the relegation of science to the back burner in "Godzilla" is not an
intentional commentary on how science is regarded by so many today, it could
very well be a byproduct of the zeitgeist in that regard. Either way, it sounds
like we agree that science is not really the main focus of this film. As for
genre classification, I certainly agree that elements of both the sci-fi
monster and disaster genres are included (along with tropes from classic
suspense pictures), and it sounds like we just differ on the ratio at which
these different movie traditions are blended. The boundaries between the genres
we have been talking about are certainly not well-defined walls either, which
means there may be no satisfactory answer. I think part of what may make
classifying "Godzilla (2014)" difficult is that the film tends to
move from one genre-type to another in an almost linear manner, rather than
addressing the different genres concurrently.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">I
thought that this approach to the different directions of the movies was
actually a very odd aspect of the film. As I recall, the film almost occurred
in several stages. There was the largely science fiction introduction, before
the film set up the nuclear-family- disaster-movie platform. “Godzilla (2014)”
promptly returned to science fiction when the protagonist returned to Japan.
After Joe Brody dies, disaster and suspense tropes take over for the most part,
until the final sequence that you just summarized. To be fair, I do think that
there are sections of the film where the genres blend more harmoniously. As the
protagonist and his fellow soldiers venture into San Francisco in an attempt to
regain their lost nuclear warhead, they bravely walk through the chaos like
disaster movie characters. However, the scene playing out beside them, a fight-
sequence between Godzilla and the other two monsters is very much a nod to some
monster movie classics (including many in the Godzilla franchise that involve
the named star dueling with monsters ranging from multi-headed space beasts and
sea monsters, to gigantic moths and flying dinosaurs). For me at least, the
different genres weren't woven together as thoughtfully in much of the rest of
the movie.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">DL: </span></b><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yeah,
I can see that. And it seems to me that your final thoughts about the film gear
more towards these genre complications. Again, I don't know if you have seen
'Alien,' but that is probably the best example of genre conflation where
literally no compromise is made: slasher and sci-fi in harmony.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But
can we talk about the HALO jump? I just want to talk about it more. I still
think it is a a scene that made </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">“Godzilla
(2014)” </span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">for me and the culmination of all the pleasant surprises that
came before. When the HALO jump occurred, I knew I was seeing something that
wasn't necessarily run-of-the-mill.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Despite
all the trepidations of CGI that many people have, there is something within me
that roots for it. It has a lot to do with the fact that I like video games and
the premise of most games is to construct worlds of their own through the
magical powers of the computer. My tenure of video games have given me access
to some very beautiful and very captivating worlds and so when I regard CGI I
say to myself that I know that beauty can be made and expression can be
unfiltered. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
HALO jump scene is marvelous and one of the most beautiful CGI scenes in
mainstream science fiction. I think the only two films of recent memory that
can be equated to such marvel </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">are </span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">'Gravity'
and 'Avatar</span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">' </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">But</span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
I will say </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">that </span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">what
makes 'Godzilla’ (2014) uniquely compelling is that it is rooted more in a
perceptible reality. Seeing San Francisco draped in a red sky infused with
starkly menacing clouds was equally intriguing </span><span style="font-family: Times;">a</span><span style="font-family: Times;">nd</span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> spectacular.
I mean, watching it on the gargantuan screen with my unfashionable 3D glasses
made me relate the wide shot of the cityscape to a romantic painting of the
19th century that heavily enunciated the organic power of nature. Indeed, that
is truly what we are witnessing with the monsters, but the film expresses it in
more than just monsters, and this shot really exemplifies an attempt that I
feel is mostly successful.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But
the actual scene, the movement of these images, is just as impressive. Backed
by a curious choice of music that ended up being (as I said earlier) </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">perfect--the </span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">same music used in '2001:
A Space Odyssey' when both the apes and the humans on the moon discover the
monolith</span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--</span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">there was a tone that was filled with anxiety
and weathered melancholy when coupled with the imagery. The whole human
perspective aesthetic reached its pinnacle when the soldiers fall from the sky
and we enter the perspective of the main character as he falls through the dense,
dark clouds and past the fighting monsters (in 3D, that was an almost physical
experience). Aesthetically, this all made sense</span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and
I remembered smirking when witnessing the consistency of such formal choices.
But, man, the red streaks in the sky? One reviewer likened it to tears, which
is why I like to connect this </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">scene</span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> to
the whole visual theme of humans as a monster. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Okay,
I'll stop, this can be a singular post in of itself. But I like the scene</span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">It</span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> works, and stylistically it is one of the
more involving scenes in recent memory. CGI is employed in a fascinating way
and endorses the idea that beautiful things can come from </span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">it</span><span style="color: #323333; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">PB: </span></b><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
scene that really stood out to me in "Godzilla" was the showdown
between the monsters and the military on the golden gate bridge. One of the
first classic sci-fi movies I remember watching when I was a kid featured a
sequence where the military literally rolled out in response to the central
threat of the film. In an exciting mishmash of what was probably stock footage,
well formed lines of tanks, jeeps, and soldiers roared out of a military base
prepared for battle with the unknown. Though some of the other details are less
clear in my memory, I suspect that line after line of well formed tanks, jeeps,
and soldiers also failed in their mission. This filmic tactic was essentially
an ingenious construct to illustrate how powerful the preternatural antagonist
of the film was. Even the modern American military, circa 1951, was powerless
to stop such a terrific foe! While such sequences are commonplace in the
monster genre, and the Godzilla canon is no exception, it is easy to imagine
how disconcerting imagery of military defeat at the hands of a superhuman force
must have been. An audience might have shuddered as all of the psychological
comforts and securities of the modern age, not to mention military superiority,
were exposed as ineffective on the Silver Screen (at least until the ingenious
scientific solution that usually resolved monster films). In any event, it was
a good movie trick then, and it's a good movie trick now. The golden gate
bridge scenes in "Godzilla (2014)" are both a welcome throwback to
some of the film's antecedents, as well as a well-proven technique to remind
the audience of the possibility that something may exist beyond the scope of
our understanding, capabilities, and strength.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.0pt;">
<span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">In
any event, we have covered quite a bit of ground, including genre
classifications, the soundtrack, the role of science in "Godzilla,"
and even details from specific scenes. Considering all of this, what is your
overall impression of the movie?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 3.75pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #232323; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">DL: </span></b><span style="color: #232323; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To
me, “Godzilla (2014)” represents a tweak in the mainstream. I think the film
altered many expectations for average moviegoers and for knowledgeable
moviegoers like me and you.</span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #232323; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Some of these
alterations were successful while others were not</span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="color: #232323; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> but
I feel that the existence of such alterations tells me </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">that </span><span style="color: #232323; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">these filmmakers were
aware of </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">the </span><span style="color: #232323; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">narrative and
filmic choices they had at their disposal</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">, and
they made use of</span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">them </span><span style="color: #232323; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">rather
than narrow their field of vision and </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">go </span><span style="color: #232323; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">down </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">the </span><span style="color: #232323; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">predictable path that
dominates many other mainstream. In the general scope of things, the film gave
me many pleasant surprises that allowed me to remain curious as to what they
could come up with next. To me, with </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">what</span><span style="color: #232323; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> the
filmmakers were trying to do, </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">many </span><span style="color: #232323; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">of
the formal choices ended up being reasonable, and I was happy to see such
organization in the choices. And then, of course, there are scenes that I was
totally blown away with because they just reeked</span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">of </span><span style="color: #232323; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">care and intelligence; the visuals looked
stunning and deliberately ambiguous. In the end, it was a lot of fun and smart,
something you don't necessarily get when you have a budget of eight quadrillion
dollars</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">. How would you summarize your overall
opinion of “Godzilla (2014)?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">PB: </span></b><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My
opinion of "Godzilla (2014)" remains mixed. As a disaster movie, I
would have to say that it is one of the better examples that I have seen, even
if it isn't exactly a genre that's generally renowned for its attempts at
"high-artistry." As a science fiction monster movie, I find
"Godzilla (2014)" more disappointing. To reiterate my argument, the
movie lacks a true "scientific" voice, and many of the tropes of the
genre are deemphasized. Additionally, the film shies away from going out on a
limb with any of the grand morals that tend to give classic monster movies
their intellectual bite (pun intended). I think that “Godzilla (2014)” is most
disappointing when compared to other Godzilla movies. I think it barely
qualifies as a part of the canon, since, as I have copiously complained, there
is not nearly enough Godzilla in "Godzilla (2014)." While there have
been other movies in the series where other monsters get a large share of the
spotlight, those films felt much less distanced from the Godzilla tradition in
other ways.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">As
art, I think "Godzilla (2014)" frustrates by failing to follow
through on some moments of great potential, while other bright spots are poorly
integrated into the overall story arch. But, as entertainment, I thought the
new "Godzilla" movie really was a lot of fun. In <i>Godzilla on
my Mind </i>William Tsutsui writes, "Who can beat 90 minutes of
suspended disbelief, moral certainty, and guiltless revels in gratuitous
destruction? The Godzilla films were made to be engrossing, exciting, humorous,
perhaps a little thought-provoking, and--above all--enjoyable." Despite
its shortcomings "Godzilla" easily meets most of those criteria, and
may end up being the most enjoyable blockbuster of the summer.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Dan L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11533210622337039349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768852729717058794.post-48186915236221873652014-03-12T18:40:00.001-04:002014-03-12T18:46:24.340-04:00The Wind Rises, The Sun Sets, We Look On<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXmiW7agToHpMjONyr957knDiEerfc17RaT4XBCzlozEth2vRzH8Upsvj92JMcIANREd3drYLG4d5h7wr0_QfWy6RVglzGDPTVU0qNkn4qvAZYBlhe0tfeLtqfLIZsrNeEJcHHw1lSsftG/s1600/the-wind-rises-theverge-1_1020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXmiW7agToHpMjONyr957knDiEerfc17RaT4XBCzlozEth2vRzH8Upsvj92JMcIANREd3drYLG4d5h7wr0_QfWy6RVglzGDPTVU0qNkn4qvAZYBlhe0tfeLtqfLIZsrNeEJcHHw1lSsftG/s1600/the-wind-rises-theverge-1_1020.jpg" height="345" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
This post will be dense, partly because so many feelings and thoughts occupy my mind begging for analysis pertaining to my recent viewing of Hayao Miyazaki's final film, <i>The Wind Rises </i>and partly because it aroused within me a concern for how we look upon works of art and how we are conditioned to look at art in a certain manner. This all is unified, quite curiously, because I feel that the essence of <i>The Wind Rises</i> is about how Miyazaki, himself, perceived what seemed to be his hero in Jiro Horikoshi, the designer of the infamous Zero aircraft that became the lethal missile it was as the kamikaze vehicle (kamikaze, for your information, means, "Spirit Wind," in Japanese). If there was ever a flaw that Miyazaki articulated in his surreal film about Jiro, it might be that he was too much of an idealist.<br />
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I mentioned an intriguing point to my friend after we both watched the film: in the film Jiro dreams of being with his hero, Caproni, and of what his hero would say to him. Caproni mentions that his planes should never be used to fight but will be anyways. This is a direct echo of what Jiro is told by his mother at the very start of the film, who says there is no justification for fighting. Knowing that, don't you think that in his dreams, Jiro is projecting his own philosophy onto his recreation of Caproni? I mean, Caproni always refers to Jiro as the, "Japanese boy," even though he is grown up at the end of the film. Do you think Caproni really is like that? So, do you think that Caproni's representation is only the reflection of Jiro's mental state and evolution of his passion? Now, take this a step further and ask yourself, do you think Miyazaki is projecting his own ideals of Jiro onto film the same way Jiro is projecting his ideals within his dreams? I'd say there is a good argument for that and I trust that Miyazaki knows this possible phenomenon and he drips his fantastically personal and somewhat factual story with melancholy.<br />
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I bring this up because I feel like this is the heart of the controversy surrounding the film that seems to be glossed over, something that the media as done <a href="http://screenrant.com/leonardo-dicaprio-defends-wolf-wall-street-controversy/" style="text-decoration: underline;">time</a> and <a href="http://dlatoure.blogspot.com/2013/02/zero-dark-thirty-austere-america.html" style="text-decoration: underline;">time</a> again in recent memory, being unsettled by stories about characters that go against our progressive thinking today (thinking that...well...may need some reflection and discussion). It's as if stories are not allowed to enter into worlds we think are bad or offensive or...the key word here...ambiguous. <i>The Wolf of Wall Street</i> follows Jordan Belfort's sexed and drugged up lollapalooza of financial domination and <i>Zero Dark Thirty</i> observes the coldness of Maya as she hunts down the man, the symbol, of American austerity. In this Miyazaki film, something similar happens and, just like these other films, audiences are hesitant to praise it because of some sort of social consequence. So, I'll save the ranting for the end (and boy do I have a rant) and now focus more on the film and what it does to convey a intensely personal message of one of the greatest Japanese filmmakers, a Japanese filmmaker who I would unflinchingly put alongside the 'Three Masters,' Kurosawa, Ozu, and Mizoguchi. Hopefully, even without the rant, this will convince you that, once again, these films are crafted with enough intelligence to go beyond such criticism and be works that express a curious ambiguity that, to me, strengthens the human condition.<br />
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<b>Jiro Creates Dreams, So Does Miyazaki</b><br />
There are a lot of f-bombs, naked women, and drugs in Jordan Belfort's story. Likewise, there is a lot of detachment and austerity in Maya's manhunt. Many people who come out of the theatre wonder why in the hell these films functioned in such an unapologetic manner, sometimes leading to superficial criticism. What many people seem to ignore is one of the most fundamental narrative elements in storytelling: perspective. Perspective as a narrative tool drives the tone of the story as well as what we are able to witness in a film but, almost as importantly, what we <i>don't </i>see in a film. Without getting to involved with the other aforementioned films, much of the opposition derives from this lack of access to things they want to see (the victims of fraud and the victims of torture) yet the perspective of the story, specified to one character (with the exception, sometimes, of several scenes), denies viewers of the option, and we are left to cling onto a personality we may not agree with.<br />
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The opening shots of <i>The Wind Rises</i> are in the dreams of our protagonist, Jiro, whose fascination with the flying machine coupled with his lack of knowledge, results in an ideal birdlike plane with feathered fingers at the tip of the wings facing off against a quagmired zeppelin, sooted and dark. These machines could easily be connected to many of the Miyazaki's earlier films, particularly <i>Nausicaa</i> and <i>Castle in the Sky</i>. It is more important, right now, to contemplate that the viewer is thrusted into a historical film through a character's dreams. That is not the best way to assure your audience that this is all fact (even though, let us not forget, it doesn't even say it is based on a true story). It is in the second dream sequence where we meet his hero, Caproni, and Caproni and Jiro begin talking with each other, with Caproni showing the young Jiro his latest aircrafts (which, if you are keeping score, look a lot like the planes of <i>Porco Rosso</i>). The dialogue between the two should already be a point of suspicion based on the acknowledgment of perspective. Indeed, taking into account the second paragraph of this essay, one could deduce that Jiro is talking to himself, or, more elaborately, his ideal vision of Caproni based upon his own experiences, mindsets, and what he reads in his english magazines. Or, hell, maybe his idealization of what he wants to be in the future where Caproni is merely a facade.<br />
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The dream sequences that heavily populate the film formulate a surreal edge to this otherwise realistic (by Miyazaki standards) historical fiction film. There are even moments in the film where we do not know if what we are looking at is a dream or real. As Jiro helps save the books from the burning library during the hellfire earthquake, we see a cut from the 'real' to a shot of Caproni asking Jiro a question in which it cuts back to Jiro in reality answering. Such casual transitioning plays upon the established idea, established in the first scene, that we are viewing this world through the eyes and mind of a man caught up in his romanticized dreams of creating dreams. The film never strays from this practice, even when it strays from Jiro momentarily to focus on Naoko or Kayo (the typical, but awesome, 'Miyazaki girl').<br />
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What is essentially going on is Miyazaki applying a dreamscape to narrative realism; the story of this film is deeply rooted in historical fact...an element that even expects the viewer to understand that as not much is explained as time passes (Japanese viewers would be familiar, of course). The dreamscape is a Miyazaki norm, where worlds are constructed from the ground up that reflect a certain thematic significance that parallels the actual story. Think of the worlds of <i>Spirited Away</i>, <i>Howl's Moving Castle</i>, and <i>Princess Mononoke. </i>They provide a visual blueprint of the narrative's nuance and themes, reflecting real-world connotation amid the dazzling details of strange, imaginative, and wondrous realms.<br />
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Besides the approach of realism in this film, the major difference between the role of these constructed landscapes in his other films and this one is that this is the dreamscape of Jiro, not Miyazaki, or, the dreamscape of Miyzaki's perception of Jiro (this seems a little confusing, but what I mean is that the dreamscape is not made from scratch by Miyazaki, Jiro is still the foundation for the dreamscapes that we see in the film). What we observe is not necessarily a new world the protagonist must enter but a world by which the protagonist has crafted and placed as a reaction to his real world interactions. His ambitions for designing planes is now the same thing as saying his determination to fully realize his idealization of his dreams...which is what creative spirit essentially is. Miyazaki fixates the perspective of the narrative on Jiro as a mechanism to illustrate, quite beautifully, this characterization, where the dreamscape and the real landscape are always in dynamic interplay. Thus, the absence of the real destructive force of the Zero plane shouldn't really be justified by any literal means, it is all set up at the very beginning as an intimate exploration into one man's dreams and one man's reality. The film remains consistent throughout.<br />
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<b>Art, Passion, and Socioeconomic Context</b><br />
There are derivative shots of the act of creating throughout the film, their meaning lies far beyond the scope of the story and lay firmly in the personal ambitions of Miyazaki himself. Consider early on in Jiro's employment at Mitsubishi. When he is enthralled by the shape of a fishbone and begins to sketch it on graph paper, a closeup details the elegant curvature that captures Jiro's imagination. Several times, we see closeups of him writing equations or using the slide rule; there is heavy attention to these moments as we join in on Jiro's meticulousness and focus, laying our eyes on each and every hand movement and what these movements eventually produce on paper. Miyazaki admires these movements, the act of creating something...in other words, we view these shots of designing an airplane as an artistic excursion. Later in the film, when Naoko returns into the diegesis, we encounter her perched on top of a rolling, grassy hill painting a landscape. Cut to a closeup of her hand stroking the canvas with a palette knife in a similar movement as Jiro's hand when sketching the fishbone. Again, the same attention to detail that only becomes crucial as part of a pattern of repeated shots throughout the film.<br />
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So, even within the film's narrative and visual structure, there are parallels between the art of plane design and the art of painting; both Jiro and Naoko have their own workstations. The parallel extends beyond the narrative and communicate with the director explicitly. Miyazaki's art is created in the same way, literally. Jiro's workstation can easily be transported to an animation studio. Moreover, the intrinsic characteristics of designing a plane and creating animations (not so much with painting, unfortunately) align with each other in that what is produced on paper is inanimate yet the ultimate goal of a plane designer and animator is to bring to life the inanimate skeleton that remains fixated in the restraining two-dimensional world of the paper.<br />
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Moreover, there is also an attempt to depict everyday objects as sources of inspiration. Besides the fishbone, there is one curious shot when Jiro and Naoko walk among the hard rain under an umbrella. As they discuss if the umbrella is doing its job there is a closeup of the underbelly of the umbrella, showing the pole and the ribs that extend outward from it in all directions. Within this narrative, it looks curiously like the ribs used for wings. Although it is not as apparent as the fishbone, one could imply a moment for Jiro as he looks up at the umbrella and directs his attention away from Naoko for a moment and back onto his planes. I will assume at this point (as in I have no evidence) that Miyazaki looks upon everyday objects with the same creative scrutiny. And when we bring back the significance of dreams, the realization of Jiro's dreams start with the paper and the same goes with Miyazaki. Between the sketch and the test flight, between the sketch and the final cut, they conceive about how the animated dream will function.<br />
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Now, this act of creating that is carefully and gracefully exhibited within the narrative is within a a historical socioeconomic framework (really, all Miyazaki films fall into this framework). In this case, it is pre-war imperial nationalism that continuously hovers over Jiro and his work. This creates an unfortunate difficulty in the way Jiro's authentic passion for building dreams conflicts with aggressive national sentiment and militaristic efficiency. The narrative clearly explains the undesirable position of Japan. The titanic earthquake hit in 1923 which was proceeded by financial depression. Japan was economically behind many of the superpowers and then some and there was a clamoring among the population to search for some new national identity that went through obfuscation in the first several decades of the 20th century, all as a fallout during the late 19th century attempt to westernize and with the dilution of traditional Japanese mentality (Edo period mentality, the samurai code[s], etc). Jiro's career was in part dictated by the historical events proceeding him. It is in his dream that Caproni first tells the young Jiro that their planes will be used for warfare. Was this Jiro's underlying doubt about his dream fueled by memories of World War I? This isn't necessarily explained but what is depicted is the narrowing path Jiro must take to appease the powers that be who, over the years following the depression, concocted a mentality of imperial angst constituting the bastardization of the bushido code.<br />
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There is the artistic idea of the, "<u><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_the_Author">death of the author</a></u>," where, in general, once a piece has been made and broadcasted to the public then the piece is no longer the author's but the people's to interpret and mold. The author cannot control the thoughts and interpretations the audience has on the piece once it has been released. Of course, this can be generalized to an artist and even a plane designer. Jiro was developing a practical vehicle at a time when Japan was looking to catch up with other countries and bolster its pride. Now, I only believe in this 'death' to some extent but if there was ever an example that endorsed such an analysis it would be this situation. No matter the idealization of Jiro's dreams, was there ever any chance he could make planes without performing in favor of the militaristic regime that dominated the country? The followup question would be something along the lines of: was Jiro's dreams potent enough to propel (pun intended) him forward and continue his work despite his knowledge of this consequence? It was an early discussion with his friend, Honjo, that the ironies of his work were laid out and then later on Jiro notes how they are just making planes but not weapons, as if by saying it out aloud would authenticate justification. It seemed like Jiro was destined to 'die' and relinquish his planes to the abhorrence of their intended use. Can we say the same for Miyazaki?<br />
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What we can conclude is that through the specific socioeconomic lens of the time period, people's perception of Jiro's dreams have them identifying them only as war machines. There is an artistry and there is an art. There is a fascination and curiosity with shapes, form, and structure. Yet it means nothing when no one acknowledges it in that manner. In one pivotal scene, when Jiro lays out his plans for the Zero to his design team, he mentions that the plane could reach optimized efficiency if it didn't have a machine gun. The team laughed hysterically as if that the mere existence of such an idea was impossible. If his planes would only be perceived in one way and one way only, then any perception Jiro holds becomes nullified. The act of designing and animating the inanimate may be a glorious and creative task, but when the piece is done, it is handed over to everyone else.<br />
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<b>A Love As Fleeting As Dreams Deferred</b><br />
It is safe to say that the love story in <i>The Wind Rises</i> is treated with an unconventional touch of fleetness, even when Jiro and Naoko are in close proximity to each other (after almost fifteen years) they still don't see each other as much as they could because Naoko is bedridden with a fever. The fragility of Naoko becomes a huge cost for the time given to share their love and, indeed, upon request of Kurokawa, they get married on a whim justifying such a decision by this limited time given to them. There is a tragic admiration for such situation; the two lovers are already aware of the fleeting nature of this relationship...a love as fragile as the planes on their first flight.<br />
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What does this mean though? Why does Miyazaki decide to employ this sort of dynamic? It is worth noting that Naoko never existed in the real life of Jiro, so great liberties are being taken to apply such a major part of the story. Is it a counterpoint to the unfortunate consequences of Jiro's passion? Is it a complement? I think I will analyze this mostly through feeling and tone, as I feel Jiro's passion and Jiro's love are approached in the same way and are used to invoke the same emotional effect.<br />
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As Jesse Cataldo says about the film <a href="http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/the-wind-rises" style="text-decoration: underline;">in this review</a>, the film never shies away from the melancholic coating of Jiro's career during a time that created many evils and uncertainty. Irony is always present and there is only a small degree to which Jiro has even the slightest chance to acknowledge that. With the nostalgic and Italian-inspired score of Joe Hisashi, the dream sequences and love scenes play almost like how we experience a good memory. There is the initial moment of happiness, transporting yourself back to the moment that you immediately cherished. Nostalgia eventually dominates as we realize this memory also reminds us of the impossibility of going back to this moment. Consider the bits and pieces of dialogue between not just Jiro and Naoko but Jiro and Caproni. There is the often utterances between the two lovers that their time is precious and the love between them is amplified and more defined. Even before it was known of Naoko terminal illness, their first exchanges since the earthquake hinted at a fleeting nature. When Jiro remarks that Naoko's painting had been ruined by the rain, she remarks that is doesn't matter, she will remember this painting as the memory she had with him that day.<br />
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More curiously, however, is Jiro's conversations with Caproni (which, to make it complicated, may just be conversations with himself). Caproni's speeches are always laden with cynicism that there will always be opposition against creating planes for the pure beauty of watching them fly. He mentions to Jiro the idea that you only have ten years to produce your greatest work. After that, you will never return to such creative prowess. The same could be said about Jiro's time with Naoko. Just as we began the film with a dream, we end the film with a dream, a dream that culminates the loss Jiro has accrued in the last ten years. It is a moment of true blissful surrealism.<br />
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As I watched, I felt a saddening wonderment underlined by a hint of anxiety. Things were fading away for Jiro, both his planes and Naoko, into the past. He is forever burdened and forever grateful for the memory of these moments that swiftly move with the wind. The concept of love in this film is that it is fragile and, as pointed out earlier, the fragility of these planes and more unfortunately the fragility of Naoko (recall the shocking scene of her blood spilling onto the canvas...a shot that could also be related to the aforementioned shots showing Jiro sketch). I found Naoko's decision to leave Jiro and die away from him to be piercingly tragic yet undeniably Japanese (honor came into play in the decision, I assume), but this moment of passing means more than just the passing of Naoko. It represents, maybe, a dream deferred, an ideal life that could of been had but it seems that, under the circumstances, was always conflicting with the world around it. This somber tone outlining many of the more internal themes (like of art and passion that I mentioned above) bears a heavy anti-war message, albeit subtle. Nevertheless, it does not and should not necessitate any visualization of victims pertaining to Jiro's creations.<br />
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<b>Of Course, There Is the Animation</b><br />
You know, I wonder how many people watched this and thought this could have been done, maybe more effectively, as a live-action film. Maybe nobody thought that and that was just a volatile reaction stemming from my insecurity...anyways, there is a reason this story works so well as an animation and I think it has to do with surreal nature of the film and its constant exploration with dreams. I marveled at the colorful planes that glistened with the soft grass. One shot remains prominent in my mind of one of Caproni's planes taking off. The puffiness of the smoke squeezing out of the mufflers and the way it plays with the propellers as they begin to gain speed is a luscious feast for the eyes...there were many times where during my viewing of the film where my eyes were wide open and my mouth remained slightly opened.<br />
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Miyazaki is a master of invoking a certain tone with movement of shapes, disfiguring them to his liking just enough to invoke one feeling and then disfiguring enough to make a totally different meaning. Consider the earthquake scene, which also stands out as a remarkable auditory experience, as the landscape bends and folds in a gigantic ripple. It's shown with ferocious immediacy...it came and went and the destruction it left (and the fires it started) was devastating. And the wall of smoke that spawned soon after was musty in texture and deathly, holding immense weight with its shades of grey and a hint of hellish orange. Now consider one of the dream sequences where Caproni gives Jiro a tour of a gargantuan passenger plane that is in the middle of a festive party of unapologetic cheering and smiling. The plane amusingly morphs to compensate the fact that there are way too many people on the plane, also highlighted by the way in which the partiers burst out of every window. When Caproni and Jiro climb up onto the top of the plane via a ladder hatch, the hatch is immediately filled with partiers who burst like a pimple out of the hatch. The roundness and simplistic colors compliment the jovial Bacchian scene. It is a depiction of direct contrast to the earlier earthquake scene and it's anxiety-ridden realism.<br />
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Then there is also the cognitive reason that animation provides the viewers; the way in which we connect with the characters and are convinced of the feelings expressed. Motivated by the enlightening work of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_McCloud" style="text-decoration: underline;">Scott McCloud</a>, what animation does and what Miyazaki has capitalized his whole career with his fantastic characters is the amplification of emotions through simplification of visualization. In other words, the simplistic detail of Jiro's face or of Naoko's face allows the viewer to fill in the missing pieces of a certain feeling and, thus, allow more involvement from the audience. Thereby, hopefully, the feelings expressed by the characters will be amplified by the viewer's participation in adding their own familiarity of the feeling. Without getting into too much theory, this really stems from the idea that animated figures in anime, manga, comics, and the like are never drawn to look exactly like a real person and our cognition must compensate for this disparity.<br />
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<br />
<b>The Rant</b><br />
From here on out I'll be forcefully raising my blood pressure in order to deliver a heated and passionate observation of the state of animation and how it has become defunct to the point where any sort of discussion is almost rendered worthless.<br />
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The main reason I watch the Oscars is that there is always a chance where the academy, with arguably the most famous awards ceremony, gives credit where credit is due. That is not another way of saying if they choose what I want them to choose then it is alright; I have favorites but good choices, mind you, are not limited to my choices. It is just when something like <u><a href="http://www.cartoonbrew.com/award-season-focus/definitive-proof-that-academy-voters-are-ignorant-about-animation-96680.html">this</a></u> and <u><a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/oscar-voter-reveals-brutally-honest-682957">this</a></u> happen I question the integrity of not just the Oscars but the film industry as a whole. Instead of tackling this whole problem let's just focus on one of the voter's explanations, where he or she stated that his interest in animated films stopped at the age of six. Great, as a voter for one of the most prestigious awards in all of cinema, the conclusion you make for animated films is that they are only made for kids. Nevermind the fact that animated films make up a huge part of the industry today (whether the films are good or not) and nevermind that they have a crucial place in cinema history (Sergei Eisenstein said his favorite film happened to be <i>Snow White</i>, there's also <i>Fantasia</i>, <i>Yellow Submarine</i>, Chuck Jones, Miyazaki, Chomet...you get the point), let us just ignore the creativity, the necessity, and the relevance of such a form of art that has been cast aside as childish and, by an incredible skill of logic, negligible.<br />
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Could it be that there is still a potent conditioning factor our American industry has weighed down on it's audience such that these artistic products can be marketed with directness and clarity? Animated films, according to the business, can only be marketed to younger folk. With this mindset, could you really fault the voter for uttering something that could only be interpreted as stupidly ignorant? Of course not. I mean, it is the job of that voter to watch the films given to them such that they can make an honest choice no matter the ignorant ideologies they uphold...it's not like the Oscars are prestigious, right? Let's take a look at the gravity of this statement from another angle. If the Oscars are about celebrating the brilliance of an art form, why distort such a vision by disrespecting the ceremony, one, and disrespecting the men and women who worked their asses off to do what they love and say what they want to say.<br />
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Now let's take a look at the other responses in bulk. Of course, this is only a limited scope into the minds of the voters but my accumulated observation tells me that none of them have any clear idea what the hell is going on in the animation category. None. Not one even mentioned the existence of an ambiguous, certainly not for kids, feature made by Miyazaki. Of course, I'm relentlessly bias, and I will say that <i>I have not seen </i>Frozen <i>either</i>. Fine, you can flog me afterwards, but hear me out. Whether or not <i>Frozen </i>is a good film, can you really praise it for its originality? I mean, wasn't it just a year ago that Disney came out with a very similar film called <i>Brave</i>? How different are they and in what ways is <i>Frozen </i>better? Is Disney offering anything new here? <i>Frozen </i>might even be an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of a strong female character (which, by the way, has been Miyazaki's forte since 1984 with <i>Nausicaa</i>). If the voters had any inkling of understanding towards the films they should have watched anyways, shouldn't they be suspicious at how Miyazaki managed to make an animated film not for kids? Suspicious enough to watch it, maybe? Maybe not, and <i>The Wind Rises</i> suffers from two forms of prejudices now: it is an animated film and it is an animated film about a controversial figure that's not for kids.<br />
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Okay, so maybe original doesn't equate with good. Moreover, it is not that I do not like marketable trends in the film industry...I'm a huge fan of Hollywood's golden era which was dominated by marketable tropes left and right (though I would argue that I prefer those films because they are, inherently, different from what we see now in the mainstream). Nonetheless, what's the peril in bringing in and applauding a film that goes against the grain, makes us uncomfortable, and asks us to think as well as to feel? <i>The Wind Rises</i> is too good and too provocative to simply be ignored by academy voters who never look beyond their shorelines for animated stories. At the Oscars, there is always a chance to trampoline a film from obscurity, a good film, and into the limelight for further discussion and further observation from a wider audience. There is always a chance for the award to get people to notice a film that has come and changed the way we look at the world, or ourselves, or of cinema. This year had two chances, really, with the animated feature and the documentary feature (which is another story and just as tragic).<br />
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Whatever, maybe there are a lot fewer people who thought there was a chance for something other than <i>Frozen </i>to win and I hate that I am barraging it with my cynical comments but it is situated in the wrong place and at the wrong time. Between a suffocating perception of what animation is 'suppose' to do and the total lack of respect some people with too much authority have towards film and the art of expression through a visual medium, <i>The Wind Rises</i> has suffered from an almost irreversible wound of frightening idiocy. Don't tell me that, "Well, <i>Frozen </i>was good, so..." Is it safe to say that it is easier to predict what <i>Frozen </i>would entail than <i>The Wind Rises</i>?...and when we have people only watching the mainstream American film and not the Japanese film made, by the way, by one of the most celebrated filmmakers in the last twenty years, don't you think that's an unfortunate system we made ourselves, where we are so accustomed to only see what is brought to us on a silver platter. We've been conditioned to not explore what else is out there and question the status quo (please bear in mind that questioning is not the same thing as defying or rebelling). Ultimately, we can only go so far as to see the mixed reception of such a complicated and beautiful film that reduces to a certain shallow paranoia akin to how people are reacting to <i>The Wolf of Wall Street </i>and <i>Zero Dark Thirty</i>.<br />
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I'll stop now...rant over.<br />
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Miyazaki's final feature- I hope that is not true- is a film that sparks curiosity about what the form of animation can talk about and what Miyazaki wants to say. It's a tough film as it mixes nostalgia, cynicism, beauty, tenderness, and melancholy with a subtlety and nuance of a fine fabric draped over an antique table. This has been the most real film he has created, yet flying is still a metaphor and there is still a wonderment of a dreamlike world dominating the senses. I hope people get a chance to see this film, to find out a personal account of a history they are usually never exposed to. Maybe then you can conclude yourself if Miyazaki is convincing enough with his narrative. He convinced me and he showed me that, like always, humans are more ambiguous, flawed, and graceful than they appear to be.Dan L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11533210622337039349noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768852729717058794.post-8824020383648833242014-02-28T15:59:00.000-05:002014-02-28T15:59:51.449-05:00Science and Art, Hand in HandI feel there is a lot of unnecessary distancing between science and art. Yeah, fine, I know their places in society and, of course, fundamentally they are different such that they cannot be conflated. But, when we look at these from a high, lofty vantage point, we find that they are both interpretations of life, the universe, and everything; tools made by humans.<br />
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Okay, so there are several things that have got me pondering this topic over the last week, stemming from casual conversation, screenings, critiques, and pacing this way and that in my dorm. Of course, I think all of you may have some example of where science and art coexist and that is awesome. I guess my plan is to take it a step further to combat a mentality, very prominent in the college environment, that regularly separates these two ways of thinking through curriculum, student perception, and concern of future employment. Hey, a lot of this makes total sense and such thoughts that usually lead to uncertainty really endorse the immobility for art students to be concerned with science and science students to be concerned with art. Yet, like I said, this coordination of art and science is always apparent just sometimes overlooked (especially in an age where, I'm sorry to throw this out there, people make the conscious decision to use mart mediums like film and video games to just, 'check out').<br />
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I mean, let's take a look at one of the finest examples of art and science conflating in what seemed to be a movement of mind, body, and soul to a different understanding of reality. 1905 was a landmark year because a certain patent clerk named Albert Einstein developed <u><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Introduction_to_special_relativity">a theory</a></u> that would change the way we look at the universe around us. And, highlighted in many of his biographies, like <u><a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/9780393051650">Michio Kaku's compelling account</a></u>, he came up with these theories by thinking about pictures, elegant and strange pictures. These projections of a new reality, in which he used mathematics as a tool to describe them as well as prove of their existence, required a conflation of alien imagery and sound understanding in mathematical logic. Although this is an assumption, I would guess such a feat would require not only knowledge of science but an undeterred sense of creativity, one that would allow for such bizarre provocation to happen.<br />
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c0/Duchamp_-_Nude_Descending_a_Staircase.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c0/Duchamp_-_Nude_Descending_a_Staircase.jpg" height="320" width="191" /></a>Now take a look at this painting, <u><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nude_Descending_a_Staircase,_No._2">one of my favorite paintings</a></u>. Marcel Duchamp's 1912 painting signifies much more than an abstraction of a body in motion. It signifies a new way to look at reality, one that obtains its influence from (maybe) the science that has spawned in the previous twenty years before but also one that extracts the societal and psychological significance of technology, maybe describing on a singular canvas the illusory foundations of the moving image, which was gaining interest among not just a select few but among the general population as a viable source of entertainment. Again, let us take that giant step back and climb up on our high vantage point, looking down at the big picture...in a way, and I may argue to a large extent, don't you think Duchamp and Einstein were doing similar things? Weren't they trying to express a new manner by which we see reality? Space and time as a fabric? Hmm...hey, I may be totally wrong but I'd like to think that there is an intriguing unity between the way in which the search for a 'different' reality matriculates a plethora of interpretations through a plethora of media. In the case of the Duchamp, the palette, brush, and canvas were the tools of interpretation. And, instead of being provable or practical, it provides emotional connection within each of us. It asks us to navigate our thoughts and feelings and articulate a response based of some sort of coagulation of these thoughts and feelings.<br />
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I think it is crucial for me to point out that no where in this piece am I trying to make the case that one is better than the other. What I am trying to do is express my thoughts that art and science compliment each other in a way that looking at both with a curious eye leads to a better understanding of not just the topics (spacetime, motion picture, modernism, etc.) but also the historical framework and cultural framework that provided the basis for these phenomena. To understand where I am coming from, ask yourself what is the cultural significance of the special theory of relativity, quantum physics, and black holes. Ask yourself what is the cultural significance of The Nude Descends the Staircase, <i>Sherlock Jr.</i>, or even <i>A Serious Man</i>. I would argue that such thought and discussion would spot points of intersections between the impact of these scientific and artistic endeavors.<br />
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<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1269255643l/12749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1269255643l/12749.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a>Another example I wanted to being up was one rooted in linguistic importance. I think it is safe to say that people look to someone like Shakespeare for intuitive accounts about the human condition that even scientists can use to explain some sort of experiment (eh...that did not sound convincing at all, whatever, this isn't suppose to be that rigorous). But let me introduce you to Marcel Proust, a French writer from the early 20th century (yes, there is a trend forming here...I'll leave you to figure out why). He made a titanic-sized book titled <i>In Search For Lost Time</i> that has also been broken up into smaller novels. I had the chance to read the first one, <i>Swann's Way</i>, in my history class. Though it is translated from French, what I found was that Proust seemed to want to intensely push the boundaries of language in an attempt to tap into the consciousness of the characters in a manner that elucidated every inch of the mental landscape of a human as if he was mapping the brain out not with data points or computer simulations but with elegiac prose and river-flowing sentences that gradually draw out what can only be deduced as immutable truths. Indeed, it is not a coincidence that Proust has been called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Proust-Was-Neuroscientist-Jonah-Lehrer/dp/B002CMLR5Q" style="text-decoration: underline;">a neuroscientist</a> (it's not a definitive truth, mind you, but the mere fact that he has been labelled that holds weight). If not that, he certainly has something to say about psychology.<br />
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And it works the other way around, particularly in discussions of art (and many art students may know this already). I find that troubles with critiques or other forms of discussion about artwork originate from a lack of a common understanding or a common ground all parties can inhabit while they discuss there views all in an attempt to rid their opinions with superficiality. If you are one of the two avid readers of my blog, you know where I am going with this. A careful combination of <u><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poetics">poetics</a></u> and <u><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermeneutics">hermeneutics</a></u><i>, </i>I feel, will result in a more formulaic foundation through which discussants or critics can based their opinions on. This is a more rigorous and, in many ways, scientific manner by which we approach art (art as some sort of experiment or research). The only way, though, to achieve such a combination is to understand form, whether it'd be <u>video game form</u> or film form). One of my heroes, David Bordwell, does an incredible job at expressing his approach using poetics and his pieces of many films are constantly illuminating and profound. If we ignore such a method we risk suffering the inevitable consequence of trying to define what words mean and then what they mean to the specified piece...that or a whole lot of unrelated, unnecessary tangents that carry a trajectory into the stratosphere. While, again, this isn't really science, it does have a scientific framework (or a framework influenced by the impact of the scientific method and other rules of logic).<br />
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I know many people of the arts who cringe at the idea of bringing more science into their discussions and interpretations of art. I know some people of the sciences who look over art as a secondary form of interpretation to what is going on around them. This is a call to raise the awareness that science and art should not be at odds with each other but serve as compliments. That, in some very special ways, art can illuminate science and science can illuminate art. There sometimes seems to be a complete lack of understanding of how artistry plays a role in science and how much science there is in art (look at <i>Avatar</i>...really, all you have to do is just look at it). But what is really great about the nature of these two languages is those occurrences where humanity's many plans to understand their place in the universe converge at a point of commonality, at a point that highlights the nature of people's curiosity and the direction that their imagination takes them.<br />
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Dan L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11533210622337039349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768852729717058794.post-89868420690536018862014-01-19T14:11:00.002-05:002014-01-19T18:02:35.635-05:00Hoop Dreams :: Reflections on Dreams Deferred<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdru75AOw3n1l-y4-51BUhRxD3IQr3NyxtXjFVrX6QZdNU6UX15SQKnxhCfoaR2aexLRH9NpZ5NSdZB4Tkvj_zcc5WIwCQJpBzS0j0e3kKsQRE0UbNIY7846DXZ1ASxakInjC64xCsrHJ7/s1600/hoop2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdru75AOw3n1l-y4-51BUhRxD3IQr3NyxtXjFVrX6QZdNU6UX15SQKnxhCfoaR2aexLRH9NpZ5NSdZB4Tkvj_zcc5WIwCQJpBzS0j0e3kKsQRE0UbNIY7846DXZ1ASxakInjC64xCsrHJ7/s1600/hoop2.png" height="436" width="640" /></a></div>
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I mean, I was three years old when the documentary <i>Hoop Dreams</i> was released to the Sundance Film Festival in 1994, so discussing this film within the context of its twenty-year anniversary might not make so much sense. I will, though, still attempt to honor the film and its unequivocal legacy because it is a film that delves deep into the fundamental cores of why we go to the movies. It is an episode where we can enter another world, another culture, and another state of mind. It is a time where we notice in this different world the similarities of the human condition and of human struggle we all share. What started as a film that would generally observe the streetball culture in Chicago becomes a film, essentially, about life. <i>Hoop Dreams</i>, by Steve James, Frederick Marx, and Peter Gilbert, is one of the most important documentary films ever made as well as one of the most important films ever made. I guess it goes without saying that this film is actually good (because important doesn't always mean good). What I want to explore is its idea of the evolution of a dream, or of a state of mind that is completely detached from the reality that the two main characters, William Gates and Arthur Agee, use as a formulation of their relationships to themselves and their families. In its epic length, the film shows us the ways in which the kids grow up and how this growth contributes to their understanding of their dreams they felt so passionate about in middle school. This understanding, in turn, contributes to the way in which the communicate their ideas and feelings to the people around them.<br />
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There are many powerful scenes that populate the film, some more subtler than others. An example of a subtle moment comes towards the end of the film, when Arthur makes his decision to go to Mineral Area Junior College. He sits on his couch, his mother on one side and his father on the other (after they have recently split...among other things). Both parents make it clear that it is up to him but his father lays it down that, if needed, they can financially support him. Both Arthur and his mother scoff at such a statement; at one point their power and gas were shut off and the mother on welfare so such a remark comes off almost as an insult. But what was felt even more was the direct fragmentation between mother and father, and the idea that Arthur is literally cast in the middle of this conflict, shown in the shot. The recruiter for the college sits there waiting for the answer. Eventually, with a very subdued tone, Arthur agrees to sign the letter of intent. The recruiter asks him if he is excited and with the same subdued voice he uneasily says yes. Is that what he really wanted? Or...was his subdued voice an actual reflection to his subdued persona?<br />
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These questions are what went through my mind as I watched this scene. Here is a moment that is generally a great thing (and it really is in this case) but it is coated with a tension that suffocates any sort of truthful feeling Arthur might be experiencing at that moment. Then, through these familial dynamics, a more crucial question rises: Whose dreams are being expressed here? Throughout the film, and obviously through the title itself, dreams are the focus in relation to the actions of these two boys-to-men but it does not just stop there. This film also observes the dreams of other families members and how that ultimately effects the two protagonists. Dreams can intertwine, can conflict, or dissolve not just within an individual but <i>between </i>individuals. Let's return to the aforementioned scene, Arthur's father had explained in detail that he is living his dream vicariously through his son. Combining his guilt he may feel for being a bad father (drug addiction and prison time), what we see is his emphasis of attempting to take substantial action in order to fulfill Arthur's dream or, more specifically, his dream within Arthur. His emphasis led him to make bold statements that seem highly improbably like financially supporting Arthur during college. Arthur's response to this event, and his muffled expression, is a common occurrence throughout the film after dropping out of St. Joe's prep school. Along with his restrained voice he always carried an uneasy smile, a big smile, but an uneasy one which the viewer always takes into account during these moments and wonders whether or not Arthur is making the right choice. Or maybe another way of looking at it is that is he making this choice as a direct result of his father's dreams or the fact that, to put it bluntly, he wants to get the hell out of there more than he wants to play basketball? Nonetheless, Arthur doesn't want to respond truthfully or emotionally when he is thrown into a situation like this, one that he had no control over. Maybe it is even the fact that he has lost trust in his father at that point.<br />
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Dreams collide and are obfuscated at this moment and what was once a clear goal is now obscured by experiences and relationships. But, as an evolution goes, the origin is simpler. The film starts out simply with William and Arthur stating that basketball is their lives and they want to make it to the NBA. Yet, throughout the film we encounter many individuals, with both good intentions and bad intentions, applying their dreams onto the two individuals, whether done knowingly or unknowingly. And what I mean by dreams in this context is that many of them construct a chronology (like the St. Joe's basketball coach and Arthur's father) of the boys as to where they will be at this time in the future. Others, and this is applied more to the mothers, essentially give some of their individuality up to share the dream of William and Arthur. William's mother tells the camera that after the failed attempt of Curtis (Will's brother) to go to the NBA, she placed all of her hope on William but her face is weathered in undeterred doubt. In regards to the mothers, whose exchange of their individuality leaves them almost at the mercy of their sons, it is heavily intriguing that both William and Arthur specifically want to better the lives of their mothers, calling attention to their desire to buy them a new house, away from this environment they grow tired of. Arthur goes as far as to explain this to the camera in front of his own father. Another question arises: Are these hoop dreams actually dreams manifested as a way to get out of their living condition? I recall the blues musicians living in the Mississippi delta in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. Many of the these musicians, though romanticized years later as men who sang about their struggling but 'simple' lives, wanted to make it big and get out of the violent and ferocious world of the south and head to New York City, Chicago, or Los Angeles.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-7fSSK2ae0iFPIvnVznytT_dyD4hA_ab-ST00Fgqj7ZTG-EcvDfNBau1hRavpRdmxHW0zIpf2Z7-_CjmdaG4jd-HSvsd4y4gJfwwcjfEaMqGYJVDFUe1rWAQdH_jUqv0UvRWqs9CxMW9R/s1600/hoop3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-7fSSK2ae0iFPIvnVznytT_dyD4hA_ab-ST00Fgqj7ZTG-EcvDfNBau1hRavpRdmxHW0zIpf2Z7-_CjmdaG4jd-HSvsd4y4gJfwwcjfEaMqGYJVDFUe1rWAQdH_jUqv0UvRWqs9CxMW9R/s1600/hoop3.png" height="216" width="320" /></a>There is another scene, one far more potent and direct, that expresses a dream under fire. Arthur is playing basketball at a local playground; he hasn't seen his father for weeks but he randomly shows up, without a shirt and with a dazed smile on his face. After awkward exchanges between father and son, the father dawdles towards the corner of the street and the camera captures him purchasing drugs. Arthur watches in amazement. Here is a moment where the viewer feels as though they are intruding, a moment where the camera's presence contributes to a growing tension of what is being shot; the position of the filmmakers become part of the scene. What we also see is a dream being directly resisted; through the father's actions, realizations of inner-city life come into contact with the ideal dream of youth and if Arthur has any doubts that may or may not have crept into his mind over his four years of high school, moments like this lend a possibility of contribution to such doubt. Watching this scene, and seeing Arthur's facial expression, I think there was a similarity to feelings between him, the filmmakers, and the audience when we noticed his father walking by, a certain, if you will, "Holy shit," feeling that only simmered down when the scene ended, and this was one of the many moments where I said to myself how this could have all been possibly filmed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR6aKYvWnb3k2vzslKH7WdS2czHknhAhqSJkqeFQ1I5hB94ejqWuLSlRXQ39eGv4kOdtdFLhvxkfQM66KBrTG49coaQDYLm5Ua8tiH3GyirEOHHJ4z5kVYfMY6W32QYZnu2o9N3LDBZhHL/s1600/hoop4.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR6aKYvWnb3k2vzslKH7WdS2czHknhAhqSJkqeFQ1I5hB94ejqWuLSlRXQ39eGv4kOdtdFLhvxkfQM66KBrTG49coaQDYLm5Ua8tiH3GyirEOHHJ4z5kVYfMY6W32QYZnu2o9N3LDBZhHL/s1600/hoop4.png" height="215" width="320" /></a>The length of <i>Hoop Dreams</i> is always called into question, and it was the length that spawned the most criticism for the film when it was campaigning for the notorious Oscars of 1994. I personally feel that they are taking for granted an opportunity of understanding a culture that is not usually shown in theatres or on television, a culture not usually shown truthfully. And again, let us take a step back and return to the main point of my analysis. Here is a film that cares for its subjects and constructs a clear narrative of the evolution of a dream and how it is sometimes damaged, mismanaged, ignored, manipulated, or even fueled. One of the greatest moments this film has to offer is when Arthur's mother graduates as the top nursing assistant in her class. A dream accomplished for one, and it makes it easier for her to give up some of her own individuality to help Arthur achieve his goals. There's
also a crucial piece of symbolism, manifested in the form of NBA legend
and St. Joe's alum, Isiah Thomas. He appears in the first ten minutes of
the film, the rest of the time, he appears on television screens and in
glass cases next to trophies and acknowledgments. He wavers as a
specter that seems to guide the two boys, especially William, whose
interactions with the coach seem to be of direct influence of what
happened with Isiah. The dream of Isiah, made into the dream of the St.
Joe's coach, try to make its way into William's mind. As we watch the
story unfold, of William's unlucky streak of devastating injuries and of
Arthur's late rise to local stardom, here is a story that, <a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-hoop-dreams-1994"><u>as Roger Ebert said in his essay</u></a>, "No screenwriter would dare to write this story." Nevertheless, this is a film about dreams, the different forms it can take within different people, and how they develop over time as reality weighs in and the passage of time is felt. This, and being a window into a place in America, my own country, where realities are far different from the realities me and many other people I know face. But, like I said in the beginning, despite these differences we are able to connect with the subjects through emotional familiarity. We cheer when Arthur carries his team to the State finals, we are saddened to see William miss his free throws because these shots are not just shots important to adding another game to the win column of the school's record. These shots mean so much more.<br />
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Looking back on it, the basketball games became almost less of a determinant of William and Arthur's choices of their future than what they experienced off the court. It is almost as if their hoop dreams never grow when playing basketball but grow (or shrivel up) when they are not playing basketball. <i>Hoop Dreams </i>will never lose its power, the story is so damn potent and the humans who occupy the story are as complex as we all are...because they are real. I know it will never lose any of its potency with me; there is a significant personal connection I have with this film. Besides the obvious socioeconomic difference I have in relation to William and Arthur, substituting 'Hoop' with 'Film' will encompass much of the same pressures I am dealing with. This is not an attempt for anyone to patronize me, but I wanted to make clear why this film speaks so clearly to me, and why, in contrast to those social and financial difference, I can relate to the two protagonists of the film. My passion for films started out as a dream and, to a very large extent, it is still a dream, a dream that is evolving as I engage myself in one experience after another. This film reveals the fragility of these dreams, and how much you have block from your mind in order to retain the grasp on the dream that you had when you first grabbed hold of it. And, like in the film, this evolution seems to take into effect more so when I'm not filming and when I am sitting here, writing this piece, reflecting on dreams deferred. There's a lot more I can say about that. Another time, maybe.<br />
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I mentioned earlier that this film is a reason why going to the movies is so much fun, highlighting one of the reasons to be its enlightening insight into inner-city life in Chicago. Another reason is the formulation of such a story, meaning the act of filming these moments (some brutally intense), editing it for clarity, and presenting a story that seems like it was written for the screen but maintained its authentic approach. It blends editing styles similar to narrative fiction films with characteristics of the documentary form of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cin%C3%A9ma_v%C3%A9rit%C3%A9"><u>cinema vertie</u></a>. It continuously makes you wonder how this scene was filmed and what were the filmmakers thinking at this point. the acknowledgement of the filmmaker is always present, something documentaries are more clear about as opposed to fiction films. There is a lot that can be said with all of this yet that would require another essay of this length. There were many questions I raised throughout this piece, all of them without answers. How can I really answer them, honestly? I raise these questions in an attempt to approach these events in the film from many different perspectives, because I feel that is the only way to do so if one would like to understand as much as they can of what it going on, which includes how this film was made, which is chronicled in dramatic detail <a href="http://thedissolve.com/features/oral-history/360-an-oral-history-of-hoop-dreams-20-years-after-its-/"><u>in this article</u></a>. </div>
Dan L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11533210622337039349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768852729717058794.post-50481961156953462342014-01-08T03:27:00.000-05:002014-01-08T19:21:40.112-05:00The Top 13 Films of 2013This year can easily be characterized as being the year of incredible
individual performance. Many of the films on this list contain limited
casts and/or focus on really one individual amid an ensemble. I had the
gracious opportunity to see these complex and stunning performances on
the big screen and to marvel at the actors' confidence and passion in a
plethora of stories. Having said that, there is an eclectic mix of films
here, including a fair share of documentaries. If you have read a good amount of my posts, though, I do hold a disdain for numbered lists. This is my annual contradiction in attempt to ignite curiosity within the reader, to discover films they would never had even known existed while also, well, sharing my personal favorites if I had to choose personal favorites. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>13. Computer Chess</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="File:Computer Chess.jpg" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Computer_Chess.jpg" height="444" width="300" /></div>
Yes,
I am assured of myself that this film is the strangest one of the year
and one of the strangest I have ever seen. Speaking in superlative might
not actually do this film justice with its raw eccentricity. But what
makes this film endearing is its subject, a tournament where computers
built by different colleges (and one private) play chess against each
other. In it's pseudo-mockumentary format, Andrew Bujalski explores a
place that is obscenely odd, but does so with dry
humor and the inherent curiosity of the subject. There is a convincing
level of authenticity to the time and place this film is set, with the
old computers and the old fashion...right down to the use of specific video cameras and
complete with all the visual trash that video can have (like warps and grey lines on the screen). It is a film
about the eve of computers as the most powerful machines of civilization
and its significance to the human condition. One character pridefully
makes a bold prediction that computers will be used for dating...and
there you have it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>12. Blue Is the Warmest Color</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><img alt="File:La Vie d'Adèle (movie poster).jpg" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9e/La_Vie_d%27Ad%C3%A8le_%28movie_poster%29.jpg" height="400" width="300" /> </b><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
The
unexpected big winner at Cannes 2013 comes with a slew of controversy
and a hodgepodge of interpretations, most notably the critique on the
'male gaze' that seems to fall upon the two magnificent leads,
especially from a thoughtful essay <a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/balder-and-dash/is-blue-a-straight-color-on-blue-is-the-warmest-color-and-representing-lesbians"><u>here</u></a>.
Some say it is about homosexuality, others, like in the link, say it is
about heterosexuality. I see this film more about sexuality in general,
sexuality explored through a growing girl's experience with first love.
Adele, played brilliantly by Adele Exarchopoulos, seeks and expresses
love physically as if that is the only way she knows how. What
transpires in its epic length is the gradual shattering of a young
girl's perspective of love. This film, no matter the interpretation, is
driven by the courageous performances of the two girls who, to put it simply, depict women
in love.</div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>11. A Band Called Death</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><img alt="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9f/A_Band_Called_Death.jpg" class="decoded" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9f/A_Band_Called_Death.jpg" /> </b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Much in the same vein of last year's <i>Searching For Sugarman</i>, <i>A Band Called Death</i> is a fascinating story of musical revival. What makes this film so astounding is the familial narrative that creates a powerful<b> </b>tale of music that transcends mere entertainment and forms more of a consciousness for how the band members, all brothers, can perceive life and how memories are ultimately formed and structured. There is a profound significance in regards to this proto-punk band's name, Death, that is gradually explained throughout the duration of the film but the film and its makers make the right choice to not clearly explain it and let the viewer ponder on its magnificence. It also helps that the social actors, the brothers and their families, are infectiously insightful with lives as intriguing as the pulse-pounding beats of their rock and roll. (Note: this filmed first premiered in 2012 but it was not covered by many critics until 2013, so, yea)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>10. American Hustle</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><img alt="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/85/American_Hustle_2013_poster.jpg" class="decoded" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/85/American_Hustle_2013_poster.jpg" /> </b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Just as the opening scene of Christian Bale's character, Irving Rosenfeld, performs an elaborate comb-over, the film is all about revealing that things are never what they appear on the surface. And when the film centers on a complex relationship between two con artists (played with charm by Amy Adams and sympathy by Bale), David O. Russell's crime film is all about the glitz and glamor as well as peering past the glitz and glamor to find vulnerable individuals. Despite a somewhat loose plot, Russell succeeds because his cast is eager to explore these vulnerabilities, especially Bradley Cooper, whose Richie Di Maso seems like an FBI agent with anxiety disorder. This can also be seen as Russell's homage to Martin Scorsese (whose infinitely scathing film did not make the list): just note a crucial cameo in the middle of the film as well as Bale's acting style and voice (his voice is <i>very</i> reminiscent to De Niro). <i>American Hustle</i> is a suave crime drama meshed with a compelling human drama to create a story as colorful as the diverse costumes worn by the characters throughout the film.<b> </b></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>9. The World's End</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><img alt="File:The World's End poster.jpg" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d8/The_World%27s_End_poster.jpg" height="281" width="400" /> </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
There
are not many films out there that measure character development by how
drunk the characters are but, strangely, Edgar Wright's <i>The World's End</i> does this well; actually, he does it better than most of the action filmmakers out there. Though it may not be as cinematically interesting as his epic, and one of the great action films, <i>Hot Fuzz</i>,
this film is still damn fun. The reason is twofold: the care Wright
gives to his characters to just (you, for character development) act like human
beings with feelings and not archives of cliched action film one-liners.
Secondly, I would consider Wright as one of the contemporary masters of
pacing and suspense (that's right, hopefully an essay later to reinforce that), building tension that never feels forced but feels completely appropriate within that narrative's development. Without getting into too much detail with the actual narrative,
Wright brilliantly constructs a plot that happens to be fully
functional with the increasingly absurd story that unfolds mainly
because the ways in which he sets up character development (again, a lot
of it through drinking and drunkenness) and calculated key scenes over time. <i>The World's End</i> and its neurotic story of the alienation we feel as we grow up is a helluva film with a helluva heart.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>8. 20 Feet From Stardom</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><img alt="File:Twenty Feet From Stardom poster.jpg" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/08/Twenty_Feet_From_Stardom_poster.jpg" height="400" width="270" /> </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
This
film needs to be seen to just hear the divine vocals of Lisa Fischer,
Darlene Love, Judith Hill, and the many other remarkable voices of a
documentary that not only exists to inform but exists as a reflection of
what seems to be care and respect for a position so musically important<b> </b>yet continuously understated. <i>20 Feet From Stardom</i>
is a film to ignite curiosity for the eyes and ears as the camera glides
across the faces of singers who devote their whole lives to the craft
of perfect harmony. You will meet many of the backup singers from your
favorite rock and soul songs and trace the unfortunate and often brutal history of these wonderful singers. And this is why the film is important, it is a sort of rectification. Just like <i>Jiro Dreams of Sushi </i>from last year's list, <i>20 Feet From Stardom </i>is a film showcasing unfiltered passion as the camera closely observes the folded faces of the singers generating vocals straight from their soul.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>7. Fruitvale Station</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="File:Fruitvale Station poster.jpg" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5c/Fruitvale_Station_poster.jpg" height="383" width="259" /> </b></div>
This
film has had the unfortunate trajectory that has fallen out of sight
for many people, including awards committees (save for the Spirit
Awards) and it's unfortunate now because any exposure it
deserved to get, both in terms of the story and the new director, Ryan
Coogler, will be lost. Here is a film, <a href="http://dlatoure.blogspot.com/2013/08/fruitvale-station-day-in-life-and-death.html"><u>which I talked about months ago</u></a>,
that observes rather than condones. The film's pace mimics the pacing
of life itself, and all of this culminates in a devastating disruption
to such a pace where the shock of such disruption left only
disillusionment within the minds of Oscar Grant's loved ones as well as
the entire nation. Michael B. Jordan (the B is there for a reason) gives
a powerful performance by not attacking his subject in dramatic
rhetoric but absorbing the significance of Oscar to his loved ones while
he was alive. And it is important to celebrate Melanie Diaz and Octavia
Spencer as his wife and mother respectively, both give authentic
performances the tears your heart up. Do yourself a favor a see this
film and tell your friends. It's the least you could do to help out
Coogler and his young but promising career.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>6. Fill The Void</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/33/Fill_the_Void_%282012_film%29.jpg" class="decoded" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/33/Fill_the_Void_%282012_film%29.jpg" /> </b></div>
Shout
out to my brother Philip for suggesting I see this film when I had no
idea what it was. Think of this film as a Jane Austen novel meets
Hasidic Judaism. Ok, nevermind, that generalizes it too much. Think of
it more as an exploration into human desires, loyalty, and fragility
among a rigidly traditional culture. I use 'rigid' not as a negative
descriptor but just as an observational tag in the same way the
director, Rama Burshtein, observes the culture with sympathy and
honesty. In a situation where Shira's (played by Hadas Yaron)<b> </b>sister,
who just gave birth and unfortunately passes away in labor, decides
whether to marry her sister's husband to raise the child, the audience
witnesses a film that, no matter the traditional mannerism and ethnic
characteristics that may be foreign to most, illuminates universal
struggles under the guise of emotional restrain in the same way Yasujiro Ozu captures these same struggles in Japanese culture within his films.
Yet, the most exciting facet of this film is its lead, Hadas Yaron, who
portrays her character with potent individualism amid a restrictive
culture. It is one of the best performances in recent memory and one
that could easily compete with the Oscar frontrunners. Unfortunately,
you may never here the name Hadas Yaron again (hopefully I am dead
wrong). Nevertheless, <i>Fill the Void</i> tells an unfiltered human
story filled with elegant complexities and profound ambiguities all
propelled by a grandiose performance by the leading lady.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>5. Gravity</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><img alt="File:Gravity Poster.jpg" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f6/Gravity_Poster.jpg" height="326" width="220" /> </b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
There
is almost an inexplicable perfection for a story dealing with the human
frailty expressed in an attempt to understand existence to place itself
among the stars. Nothing, even though it has seldom been experienced,
feels as vulnerable than to be flying aimlessly in space...with your
oxygen depleting. It made so much sense for Alfonso Cuaron to direct <i>Gravity</i>,
a film that is most certainly about the symbolic trajectory of a lone
survivor in the largest realm imaginable. He revels in the long take,
but a long take that is not static but rather fluid and exploratory
(just watch his phenomenal science fiction film, <i>Cildren of Men</i>).
This film places this technique at its zenith, and the engrossing
result is one filled with wonder and anxiety. Seeing this in IMAX 3D was
almost necessary as the vulnerability of Sandra Bullock's character, among the inexplicable vastness of space
became clearly translated for the viewer. The rest of the film was
beautiful to see, if not haunting. <i>Gravity</i> is an exhilarating
cinematic experience that not only offers a thoughtful, imaginative
story but a story that expands the possibilities of cinema, itself.</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. 12 Years a Slave</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><img alt="File:12 Years a Slave film poster.jpg" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5c/12_Years_a_Slave_film_poster.jpg" height="432" width="292" /> </b><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
How can a film so painful be so beautiful? Director Steve McQueen seems to admonish slavery while at the same time having his cinematographer set up shots that feature a whole pallet of colors, interplay between light and shadow, and beauty of the southern landscape. The beauty is the backdrop, setting up a stark contrast to the scathing inhumanity exhibited by many of the delirious characters. Among the many great and darkly illustrious moments there was one scene that stood out: when Brad Pitt's character, Bass, arrives at Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbinder) to build a house, Solomon Northrup, played remarkably by Chiwetel Ejiofor, helps build it. As Bass and Northrup get to know each other, Northrup decides to tell Bass that he was a free man with a family in the north. As Bass looks at him, gently trying to convince him to expose any secret he may have, Ejiofor's mouth opens very slightly, trying to get words out of his mouth. His bottom lip begins to quiver incessantly and his eyes<b> </b>well up. This is the culmination of years of pulverization of not just a human individual but of an identity, so much so that Northrup is afraid to submerge his identity he was once proud of. The viewer witnesses this slow degradation into a man who is just continuing his existence by surviving. Some critics have claimed it to be essential cinema. I agree, and it is cinema that tests our emotional and physical strengths (as well as the cast's). Last year we had Tarantino's <i>Django</i>, which I called into question for its motivation. This film's motivation is without question, and Steve McQueen has risen to be one of the best new filmmakers in the world. With time, I feel this film's importance will only grow.</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3. The Act of Killing</b></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/ca/The_Act_of_Killing_%282012_film%29.jpg" class="decoded" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/ca/The_Act_of_Killing_%282012_film%29.jpg" /><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">There are many moments in our lives where we are detached witnesses to atrocities in our country or around the world. We absorb them with astonishment and fall into an inescapable disillusionment, simplifying our feelings into one, commonplace question: "How could anyone do such a thing?" <i>The Act of Killing</i> is a remarkable film in that delves into the minds of individuals that are the subject of such a question. The film gives us a chance look upon a possible answer as it follows a couple of Indonesian gangsters as they recreate their own genocides in a film they are making inspired by the Hollywood films that attracts them. What transpires is a reflection on perceptions of violence: the change of perception as one starts as the perpetrator and eventually moves to the victim...and the emotional disconnect that is revealed. It is also a film about film; there is a constant reminder that cinema is a reproduction of reality and, thus, the emotions of the real events are reproductions within the film. The gangsters in the film have different ideas of how to approach the making of their recreation since cinema and the act of reproduction opens up a limitless amount of possibilities of how the killings should be portrayed. This is a nightmarish phantasmagoria of evils revisited, of dark and hardened memories excavated from the depths of years of built-up indifference and detachment. This is also a film about cultural mentality and how one way of thinking, which can be abhorrent to some, can be the motivation for an entire population. What can we make of these men as we watch this film. I don't think I will be able to formulate anything cohesive about my feelings and reflections for a while. One thing I do know is that the main director, Joshua Oppenheimer, embarks on a brave and paramount journey into a world molded by fear, where the term 'gangster' is interchangeable with 'free man,' and an entire modern nation looks upon its history with inconsistent eyes. The film goes in and out of fiction and nonfiction, but we can never tell where the fiction stops and starts, always leaving a sense of unease. I did not know a film like this could be made. It has been made and its a film as necessary to the human race as any that I have seen.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. Inside Llewyn Davis</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><img alt="File:Inside Llewyn Davis Poster.jpg" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/df/Inside_Llewyn_Davis_Poster.jpg" height="420" width="272" /> </b><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
The main character, Llewyn Davis, might have just as much natural talent in getting himself in terrible situations as he does with playing guitar and singing engrossing folk music. Thus lies one of the many ironies in a film filled with ironies that weaves a remarkable tapestry of melancholy. Within their full body of work, this new Coen Bros. film falls in line with films like <i>A Serious Man</i> and <i>The Big Lebowski</i> as distinct character studies within a symbolic historical context (early 90s and Gulf War politics in <i>Lebowski</i> and 60s Midwest Jewish America for <i>A Serious Man</i>) by studying a not so sympathetic character during the early 60s on the eve of a folk revival. The Coen Bros. are at the top of their game and remain, in my mind, as the best contemporary filmmakers. They seem to bring together a crew that effortlessly creates a world so rich in authenticity and detailed in texture that every shot composed within the duration of the film is a necessary shot to not just progress the plot (well, a semblance of a plot) but to encompass the viewer more and more into the minds of the characters (hence the title). Moreover, the Coens not only seem to bring out the best in their actors but also the most unique; take note at the secondary players of the film (including Justin Timberlake, John Goodman, and Garret Hedlund) and how they all carry a certain eccentricity to their mannerisms as well as what they say and how they say it, almost turning into caricatures but not quite. Symbolism is potent in this film, which is of no surprise for a Coen film, so one must throw themselves into the film to fully capture its significance. Of course, Oscar Isaac's phenomenal performance and fist-clenching musical performances are incredible which goes without saying that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T_Bone_Burnett"><u>T-Bone Burnett</u></a> is also on top of his game and the hottest ticket in town when it comes to truly American films. What a great, intensely emotional film this is. So much so that this film and the next one can be interchangeable as my most enjoyable of the year. It only makes me anticipate more for what the Coen Bros. have next (in terms of historical trends, we might see a bigger budget film).<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">1. Nebraska</span> </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><img alt="File:Nebraska Poster.jpg" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/76/Nebraska_Poster.jpg" height="424" width="272" /> </b><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
We
seem to glide with the main characters from Billings, Montana to
Lincoln, Nebraska in Alexander Payne's most recent film. There is a sort
of softness with the visuals, too, or maybe it's a delicacy (there is
one shot of rolling hills with numerous haystacks plotted all around
with a pile of sticks in the foreground...it's so delicately shot it
looks like we are looking at miniatures). This makes sense, because the
leading man, Bruce Dern's Woody Grant, is delicate, albeit harmfully
stubborn. <i>Nebraska</i> is first and foremost a road film, but a road
film with a huge care in family dynamics as well as a detailed look at
the world where the travels take place. This film is all about coming to
terms with the past and the generational significance it implies.<b> </b>We
see many elderly individuals and with the crisp black and white
photography we observe their aged and weathered faces...and how
beautiful they are. This film is filled with humor, sometimes so
cynically scathing, sometimes gentle. And the performances drive such a
bilateral tone, with Bruce Dern giving an astounding performance while
June Squibb, who plays Woody's wife, Kate, gives a powerful portrayal of
a body-hardened wife rife with dominance but just enough room for
unequivocal care. And there has to be something said about Will Forte's
performance, who gave me some suspicion because of my ingrained
perception of his SNL work, but there is something about his face that
is nice to look at and something about his voice which always seems to
invoke care and reassurance. <i>Nebraska</i> is a powerful film derived
from its simplicity as well as the fact there is something, big or
small, that many people can relate to in seeing an illustration of a
family dealing with absurdity. And, of course, there is something about
Woody, something mysterious. We can't quite peer into his mind no matter
what he says, but Payne lingers with him because he knows there's much
more, just like how he lingers on the vast Midwest landscape. There is
so much more you can say about this film, and in a year with so much
intensity, melancholy, cynicism, this film ambitiously tackles the idea
that life is filled with all of that...as well as some sentimentality.
Face it, we all need it at some point.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I know there are films that you are probably wondering why they are not on the list, like <i>The Wolf of Wall Street</i> (an essay coming soon), that's how all lists go, but I can assure you that this list is as diverse as possible: big-budget films, independent film, foreign films, and documentaries with stories about alien invasions, genocide, marriage, folk music, and even computer chess. There is a lot to learn in watching these films. Maybe not in terms of science (i.e. <i>Gravity</i>) but in terms of emotions, feelings, and ideologies that are present within our fluctuating world such that we now have an acknowledgement of their existence and their possible influence. It's really like battling ignorance one film at a time. So, hopefully this list will inspire further exploration. As for me, we'll see what award season brings. Like always, I hope the films that deserve recognition attain recognition.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Dan L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11533210622337039349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768852729717058794.post-21341098706944243042013-11-06T12:10:00.001-05:002013-11-06T12:10:50.420-05:00Sometimes a shot...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP8v35HXQuiFJvOchNALSKRACyVT-FFzTeqv4ipKb8HqfgWTvX8XhyphenhyphentpF4Df_5SmurYN8xhADPL0BLDgX0ugbBwCnUi4R6khxMGbPSj2ZJ2Q5IbQ_-AZ-1TfbDBK-yfwBXtV_UdrnG3s0U/s1600/theworld.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP8v35HXQuiFJvOchNALSKRACyVT-FFzTeqv4ipKb8HqfgWTvX8XhyphenhyphentpF4Df_5SmurYN8xhADPL0BLDgX0ugbBwCnUi4R6khxMGbPSj2ZJ2Q5IbQ_-AZ-1TfbDBK-yfwBXtV_UdrnG3s0U/s640/theworld.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
...shows a confusion in identity.<br />
<br />
Dan here:<br />
<br />
One of the most important, and practical, uses of film is to understand a possible mentality within a certain nation at a certain time. As a foreigner looking at a film from another land, I am able to observe an exploration of feelings and conflicts that have risen in response to the the socioeconomic position of the nation. From here, I may understand why certain peoples function in think in certain ways. Here is a great example of a window open for us to understand a gargantuan shift taking place in one of the world's superpowers.<br />
<br />
Even with the slightest glance, one can tell that this is definitely not Paris, yet we see the Eiffel Tower dead center of this frame. We are actually in Beijing, in the Jia Zhangke film <i>The World</i>, made in 2004. Chinese cinema, in general, is quite mysterious to us in the United States as it has not had the same impact that other national cinemas have had like Japan and France. Jia Zhangke is a part of what is called the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_China#The_Sixth_Generation"><u>Sixth Generation</u></a> of Chinese cinema, characterized by nihilistic perceptions on a changing socioeconomic landscape through the eyes of young individuals who are directly involved with the change. In addition, this shifting landscape expresses a sort of confusion of national and cultural self-identification, from the cold, faceless, and propagandistic communism (accelerated by the infamous Cultural Revolution) to the saturation of commercialized culture through globalization, that essentially leaves a cultural void within China, an alienated China. Zhangke illustrates such alienation through the nomadic stories of individuals who roam aimlessly within an ironic and even contradicting environment. Many of his protagonist fail to acquire the ability to assimilate with much of this failure grounded in their inability to identify themselves as a reflection of their culture, or lack thereof.<br />
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And this is why we have the Eiffel Tower as the focal point of this shot. If we look at the significance of the Eiffel Tower generally, we can make note that this version is tall enough to be bigger than most buildings but it is still smaller than some (and most certainly smaller than the original). In other words, the building of this French monument seems obscure. Is it trying to recreate the majestic nature by matching the scale? The crucial thing to note is that this world park that houses the tower promotes itself with the tagline, "See the world without ever leaving Beijing," (the film literally has this as part of the credits in the beginning of the film). China has literally imported culture from around the world and uses it as a means to stay within China. In fact, one of the security guards boasts as he gives a tour of the park to one of his friends, "The Americans don't have the World Trade Center buildings anymore. We do." Globalization has brought along a new wonder for the world while at the same time an instability of self-identification of one's national roots.<br />
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As we look at this shot, notice the many layers it employs. The city of Beijing that surrounds the Eiffel Tower, the tower itself, the lake and the magnetic train to the right, and then, of course, the man with the sack of trash on his back. It is crucial, though, to note that the middle ground, with the Eiffel Tower and the train, makes up most of the frame, as if the actual Beijing skyline and the homeless man are being pushed out into the extreme background and extreme foreground respectively. This displacement visualizes the eccentric crisis of national identification within China, which will be fleshed out through the main characters' developments over time as well as the way in which they interact with the theme park. Now let us talk about this man who is glaringly obstructing our view of the park. When the shot commences in the film, he walks from frame left slowly to the position he is at in this screenshot, a kind of off centered position. Again, it is not that he takes visual precedence over the entire frame but that his relationship with the Eiffel Tower becomes more apparent. In addition, the man's face is heavily obscured by a hazy shadow. This serves an intriguing function. Since we do not have the ability to discern any facial features and thus any sort of the disposition we cannot not identify with him on any emotional level, just on the level that he exists within the frame and is somehow interacting with the other objects within the frame. I feel that a Chinese audience who understands the direction of Jia Zhangke's narrative would pick up on this lack of identification which, again, goes all the way back to the lack of identification for the Chinese people as they step into a new age of socioeconomic confusion.<br />
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Amusingly, this film, which is a firm indictment of the directionless country, is the first film of Zhangke's to be accepted by the Chinese government and distributed. Zhangke's earlier films have had to rely on foreign production and distribution companies to release his films; his films were never really seen in his own country (I have asked many of my Chinese friends in my university about him and while they know the name, they have never seen his films). The reasons behind this change of heart was that the Chinese government saw that the film was promoting this world park. Yes, quite amusing, as it turns out that Zhangke exposes numerous contradictions between his character's actions and the environment that they act in. Even though <i>The World<b> </b></i>was made in 2004, I feel this still accurately resembles the state of Chinese mentality (or youth mentality). In fact, as long as they have an uneasy tension between loose social progress, economic progress, and political immobility, they will have a crisis in identification. I did not even add in there the most important aspect of identification...historical roots. History, or the country's past experience, help define what they country thinks of itself. But what history do these people connect with? Do these young people share communist sentiment? At the same time, in their obscure environment, do they connect with the more traditional history of China? Another way to as it is, what do you identify with in this provocative shot or can you even identify at all?<br />
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<br />Dan L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11533210622337039349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768852729717058794.post-88588558578493087652013-09-30T17:16:00.000-04:002013-09-30T17:16:18.688-04:00The Story of a Young Man Struggling with IncompetenceJerome here:<br />
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<br />
When I weighed myself a few days ago, I was 5 pounds heavier
than I expected- 163 instead of 158; a soul crushing turn of events. I
reflected on the day before. I had gone on a run and eaten some<i> </i>vegan hipster crud I wouldn’t feed to
the dog of my worst enemy. What could have happened to cause this huge, ungainly
increase in adipose tissue? I sighed, wiping a lone tear from my cheek, vowing
to re-apply myself to my weight-maintenance regiment. More salad, less chips;
six miles running, not four. But before
making these upgrades to my personal beautification procedures (I need my chips
bro), I needed to weigh myself once more, just to be sure. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I put down my book and weighed myself. 158. Huh, that’s stran…
Wait, I PUT DOWN MY BOOK? I seriously weighed myself the first time with a five
pound book in my hand? Really? And then it hit me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I. Am. Incompetent.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Like many recent graduates of semi-prestigious Universities
all around the US, I have graduated from college equally as incompetent as when
I entered. I can remember my Freshman year, struggling to register for the
right classes, failing to get involved in the right clubs, shaving my head
because I couldn’t figure out how to cut my hair for myself any other way. But
at least then, I was acutely- I mean ACUTELY- aware of my ineptitude. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Now, with a college degree in hand, and some semblance of a
“real” job, I am still awful. Just awful. I weigh myself with significantly
heavy objects in my hands. I leave my clothes in the wash too long sometimes
and smell like mildew for a week. I’m even incompetent at lying. I try to tell
people it’s my natural musk, but people know. It’s mildew. I’m incompetent.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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And the problem is that outside of these strange moments of
clarity when I actually recognize it, I think I am HOT SHIT. Which makes me the
<i>worst </i>kind of incompetent person. I
am unable to be trusted with even the s<span style="font-family: inherit;">implest task, but I have been educated
and taught and molded to think that I have all the answers, or at least the
means to find them.</span><o:p style="font-family: inherit;"></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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One of my points of pride is to not break up the flow of my
rants with actual, solid references, but this brings to mind a recent
semi-scathing Huffington Post article about our generation’s feelings of
entitlement: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wait-but-why/generation-y-unhappy_b_3930620.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wait-but-why/generation-y-unhappy_b_3930620.html</a>.
Read it if you want- it’s interesting. And then watch this slightly correct counterpoint, because sarcastic youtube videos are fun! <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.upworthy.com/the-best-response-for-when-anyone-calls-young-people-lazy-today">http://www.upworthy.com/the-best-response-for-when-anyone-calls-young-people-lazy-today</a>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When it comes down to it though, I don’t reallllly care for
expounding the whole “why my generation is, or is not, awful” argument. It’s too broad, too
general, and therefore too wrong. What I really care about is why I- Jerome
Hoke- suck this bad at things after 22 years of intensive practice at paying
a</span>ttention to the reality around me. And if I’m this awful now, is there any
chance for me in the future? Am I fated to remain at this low level of
competency for the rest of my life? The answer, quite simply, is yes. I’m super
fucked. And so are my future children and whoever gets stuck being my
disappointed life partner. That’s just the way it is. OR IS IT?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maybe. Because just this afternoon something incredibly
mundane happened that acted as a clear counterpoint. Drumrollllll, pleassee!!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, I was about to jay-walk on a one-way street in downtown
Columbus. I had checked for cars and felt fully confident in my ability to cross
the 4 lanes of pristine, traffic-less asphalt. I began to walk, only to be immediately
honked at by a pickup truck turning out of a previously unnoticed alleyway. The
big man inside was screaming “Fuck you, you piece of shit!” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I reflexively shrieked back something along the lines of
“Everyone has a fucking right to life!”, somehow mixing up my <i>Things to Yell at Angry Drivers </i>with <i>Things to Yell at Anti-Abortion Rallies.</i>
He threw me the finger and raced off, only to catch the red light down at the
end of the street. Karma, bitch.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Regardless, I still knew I was in the wrong. Here was just
another example of my incompetence, my inane belief that I am infallible,
getting me into trouble. I hadn’t really checked thoroughly enough and was
crossing a pretty major street. I was really starting to get down on myself
when a construction worker across the street yelled over at me “Hey, that guy
can go fuck himself!” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Huh?” I said back. I was turned inward, grumbling to myself,
not paying attention.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He said it again, pointing emphatically, “That guy, that guy
right there. He can go fuck himself.” This time I understood. I sheepishly
smiled back and gave him a thumbs up. He waved, and continued on his way. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Continuing to walk, I pondered that maybe this was at least
part of the answer to human incompetence. We can rely on our coping mechanisms,
like positive self-talk and cognitive dissonance, only so far. Sometimes, we
need someone to tell us to bum the fuck up and reassess. Everyone makes
mistakes, everyone’s incompetent to some extent. It’s not just me, or our
generation. It’s a whole human race thing. And maybe, just maybe, that makes it
all okay. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m still a dumbass though.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01661148040455650107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768852729717058794.post-18805489946158560382013-09-26T10:45:00.000-04:002013-09-26T10:45:00.055-04:00Make your own game! It’s easy if you try!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Juancho here.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A few friends of mine have always had the idea of starting a
game development studio. We're all big fans of video games and thought it would be fun to try our hand at actually making one. The project was on the backburner because a few of us
were off studying abroad and whatnot, but it started fully once we all returned
home. We had meetings to brainstorm game concepts and programming for a while,
and looked up several guides for independent developers. The first decision was
to figure out what to program the game with. For starters, we decided to go
with Game Maker.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Game Maker is a programming language developed by Mark
Overmars, and published by a company called YoYo Games. It’s a fairly simple
language, and it also has a very simple and intuitive interface. It works as
object-oriented programming, which basically means that you nominate certain
items as objects and then define the interactions between them. The program is
really nice, as you can use the language itself as well as a drag and drop
interface.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://theodor.lauppert.ws/games/s/screen1/gamemaker43.png.pagespeed.ce.vm3aBLycJQ.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="http://theodor.lauppert.ws/games/s/screen1/gamemaker43.png.pagespeed.ce.vm3aBLycJQ.png" style="-webkit-user-select: none;" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To program with the interface, you first need to make an image (using paint, the included image editor, or some other drawing tool) and assign it to an object. Once you have the object, you define its
interactions with the environment through events. You can assign collision
events, key pressing events, timer events, and others. The object can react by
moving, jumping, changing its assigned sprite, or even shooting another object.
You then design a room where these objects interact, and that’s it! You now
have a working prototype of your first game!<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can also download all sorts of tutorials, from the
official website and from other indie developer forums(I’ll post links to all
of those). If you have even a passing interest in making a game, I suggest you
download the tutorial and toy around with it. At the very least, you’ll be able
to appreciate just how much work goes into making even a simple platformer or
shoot-em-up.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are lots of other tools to make games, aside from Game
Maker. A popular one is RPG Maker, which I haven’t tried out yet(Dan has
though, pester him to post about it). You can also program with engines such as
Unity, a popular one with independent developers, and the ever present Unreal
Engine (which, interestingly enough, is free to download; they charge licensing
for full games). If you’re really hardcore, you can try learning a real
programming language, like Java, C++, or Flash.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://classes.soe.ucsc.edu/cmps164/Spring09/ass1/mfolsom/unity6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="http://classes.soe.ucsc.edu/cmps164/Spring09/ass1/mfolsom/unity6.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none;" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even if you never plan to make a game in your life, I
recommend trying out Game Maker. Not only is it fun to use and figure out, but
you also learn a fair bit about game development. Who knows, you might find it
more fun that playing a regular video game, and it could awaken the creative
spirit within you! The sky is the limit!(that is, until you reach the
limitations of the trial versions ;P.)<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Useful links:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.yoyogames.com/">http://www.yoyogames.com/</a>
- The guys who make Game Maker. Right now the latest version is Studio, and you
can freely download the basic version that comes with the tutorials.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://sandbox.yoyogames.com/make/tutorials">http://sandbox.yoyogames.com/make/tutorials</a>
- These tutorials are for the old versions of Game Maker, but they might still
prove useful.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://rpgmaker.net/portal/engines/">http://rpgmaker.net/portal/engines/</a>
- Links to other useful development tools.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12561117039930574735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768852729717058794.post-37946210531591421462013-09-20T02:02:00.004-04:002013-09-20T11:49:26.095-04:00Sometimes a Shot...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1A8i7LbtkTv8p3LQxFygGxScQCYxG1Fy6JGymUvGaFtbHvVOLNFTARR-hIDU9OhcGzwK23bezj8sZy-wc0nBQLIX4poTGtMRYWglukCuSty-7WrUfnK2JvX6H4R7txZoBTQgJ6T4kGw6L/s1600/339-Throne-of-Blood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="451" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1A8i7LbtkTv8p3LQxFygGxScQCYxG1Fy6JGymUvGaFtbHvVOLNFTARR-hIDU9OhcGzwK23bezj8sZy-wc0nBQLIX4poTGtMRYWglukCuSty-7WrUfnK2JvX6H4R7txZoBTQgJ6T4kGw6L/s640/339-Throne-of-Blood.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
...knocks you dead.<br />
<br />
Dan here: <br />
<br />
This is the start of a new series of blog posts directly inspired by David Bordwell's <a href="http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/2012/07/25/sometimes-a-shot/"><u>series of the same name and intention</u></a> (in fact, I almost stole word for word his same idea for a sentence...just let it be known). It is an awesome exploration of how filmmakers dictate one particular shot so meticulously that thematic elements, emotional expression, and pristine form are all highlighted. Essentially, the film can be reduced to this shot. That is not to say the film should be looked upon with just one shot (that severely discredits the film) but on a narrative and emotional level one can encapsulate the film's tone and lasting effect through this one shot. So, without further ado...<br />
<br />
This is taken from Akira Kurosawa's 1957 classic, <i>Throne of Blood</i>. Kurosawa, who was also a painter, was a master, a surgeon even, in composition. He delicately places important objects and characters in respective places that highlight their emotional and thematic significance. In the case with <i>Throne of Blood</i>, Kurosawa shows the ultimate destruction of a man who was suffocated by blind ambition.<br />
<br />
This film is one of the the several Shakespeare adaptations Kurosawa would make in his career, and <i>Throne of Blood</i> draws its roots from <i>Macbeth</i>. What is incredibly interesting about this film, and really all the other Kurosawa adaptations, is that there is a cultural infusion of Shakespearean themes and Japanese traditional art. In <i>Throne of Blood</i>, Kurosawa infuses the theatrical style of Noh theatre with the framework of <i>Macbeth</i>'s narrative. Noh theatre is roughly characterized by their minimalistic set designs, where the focal point are the costumes and movement of characters. Britannica states that, "Little 'happens' in a Noh drama, and the total effect is less that of
a present action than of a simile or metaphor made visual. The educated
spectators know the story’s plot very well, so that what they
appreciate are the symbols and subtle allusions to Japanese cultural
history contained in the words and movements." In general, a viewer must focus on the the main players of the the film, how they look, and how they move within the minimalistic spaces. Much of this film takes place in barren, geometrically sound rooms.<br />
<br />
This shot takes place at the end of the film, where Washizu (the Macbeth in this story) has assumed power over all the lands and castles, according to the spirit's premonition. Also according to the spirit, the only way Washizu would be defeated would be when the, "forest moves." Well, the forest moved and as soon as Washizu's men see this they stop fighting in hopelessness. In manic desperation, Washizu tries to compel them into fighting again. Tired of being manipulated, his men turn on him with an endless volley of arrows. Shot by, at least, fifty arrows, Washizu finally succumbs. <br />
<br />
But let's actually take a look at this shot, since that is the point of the post. And let us start to take a look at the form of this shot or how it is spatially set up (mise-en-scene for you cinephiles). We have the samurao army standing at the top of the frame and then we have the main character, Washizu, remains at the bottom right. There is a diagonal emphasis here in the spatial relationship between Washizu and the his (once his) army. I feel this is achieved (regarding the army) through the slight curvature of the group, accentuated by the spears held low by the soldiers in the top left, providing an invisible line that runs directly through Washizu. This diagonal line provides a discrete source of tension in this particular shot between the two subjects.<br />
<br />
The cinematography of most Kurosawa films (and in this one the D.P. is Asakazu Nakai) is dominated by flatten depth with an emphasized use of the telephoto lens. This one is no different. This is important because, regarding the way the camera is set up in its high angle manner, the army is technically farther away from the camera than Washizu, but they also appear <i>higher</i> than Washizu. This sort of placement in the visual arts usually denotes a domineering aspect for the 'higher' subject in relation to the 'lower' subject. Consequently, it visualizes the power reversal between the general and the army.<br />
<br />
The element that stands out the most, personally, are the many layers comprising the tone and significance of the shot. The first layer, the foreground, is of Washizu, or Washizu's corpse, riddled with arrows on all sides. The next layer, the middle ground, is of the crucial fog that has dominated the landscape for the whole film and is the defining symbol for blind ambition. Note how it surrounds and eventually engulfs Washizu's body. Then the background, populated by the soldiers, now shows a vast disconnect between them and their lord.<br />
<br />
I have to mention the way the content within the shot moves, even though, unfortunately, you as the reader cannot see this. Nevertheless, movement in this shot is hypnotizing. Strangely, Kurosawa seems to use slow motion very very rarely, but when he does, he seems to always put them the most effective and visually stunning places. Washizu falls slowly into the stream of fog...the fog slowly wraps around him like a coffin. It is a glorious tragedy of a death, the lumbering motion gives weight to the dramatic fall of Washizu.<br />
<br />
Kurosawa assembles a thematic landscape that articulates the tragic folly of the film's protagonist with crucial pace, ending not with a bang (though certainly starts with a bang) but with a whisper. This shot, in relation to the arrow barrage right before, acts as a sort of echo of Washizu's being and ambitious existence. Returning to the Noh inspiration, we can think of the army as the audience, watching a character with a violent costume of jaded armor and a multitude of arrows. This character moves in a minimalistic space of only fog. His performance ends, the audience concludes their viewing of man driven into madness by his own persistent nature (his final bow, perhaps?). And this fall is more symbolic than it is actual. What a well done shot...a shot that can knock you dead.Dan L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11533210622337039349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768852729717058794.post-6569069448204167482013-09-16T11:43:00.000-04:002013-09-16T11:43:31.616-04:00Damned ListsOther than the fact that I have to literally click one hundred times to go through this list (thankfully, a commenter has made it easier to view), I have major problems with <a href="http://www.ign.com/top/shooters"><u>IGN's Top 100 Shooters of All Time</u></a>. It is great of them to provide the reader with a criterion, but what is a criterion if you are not going to follow it? Or, more aptly, what is a criterion if it is still very general to even begin to guide a list that would generate curiosity and fruitful discussion?<br />
<br />
Let me take a step back, the fundamental problem is that it really is a numbered list. Not that numbered lists are inherently bad, but that you must, as the maker of the list, justify more of your choices with insightful connections to the criteria because the game in question is applied to a specific number relative to other games applied to their numbers. For example, the momentous game <i>Quake</i>, made in 1996, is considered one of the pinnacle shooters of the 90s, created a sensation big enough for a convention that still runs, and offers visceral and intense gameplay not seen today. It is ranked at #40. Though, personally, I would place this game higher, that really isn't the problem. Here is there explanation about why the game is great (and...I guess why they placed it at 50):<br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Quake wasn't just a game. Quake was an event. In fact, it still IS an
event. Every year, thousands of series stalwarts descend upon Dallas,
Texas like a swarm of shooter-crazed locusts with their custom gaming
rigs, ready to frag with friends.That's because Quake was a triumph at
every level. Technically speaking, it easily bested anything PC gamers
had seen at the time. Single and multiplayer level designs were
impeccable, and the mix of medieval aesthetics with futuristic firepower
gave Quake a true one-of-a-kind look. Finaly, Id's famously perfect
shooting mechanics mixed with the moody, Trent Reznor-composed
soundtrack cemented Quake's place in history, influencing FPS design for
the better part of a decade.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b> </b>Well, alright. Fair enough. As a standalone description it is not bad, and it does a good job at sticking with the criteria. Though, it is still a very malnourished illustration of why this game was a sensation, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt. And of course, this isn't a standalone description of this game, it is within a list of 99 other games and its description somehow relates to the descriptions of the other games and their ranking. With this in mind, the malnourishment of such an explanation is disappointing. They go on to put not only <i>Left 4 Dead</i> but also its identical sequel. Here is the description of <i>L4D2</i> at number 45:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Left 4 Dead 2 delivered everything you want from a good sequel to a
great game. It gave players some sweet melee weapons to carve zombies up
with, new utility items to use in a pinch, weapon augmentations, and
even some fresh special zombies to take pot shots at. Scenarios became
more elaborate too, with multi-part objectives that demanded even more
forethought and teamwork than ever before. None of it sounds so
game-changing individually, but each addition was so well thought out,
it felt like it should have always been there, making an already
infectious coop shooter nearly impossible to put down. </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Great, that sounds comparatively better based off the criterion you gave at the beginning of the list. New weapons, new enemies, and an acknowledgement that there was nothing, "game-changing," about this iteration. So what, exactly, qualifies this game as being comparatively better than a game that defined a genre for many year?<b> </b>That's over my head, and it makes me wonder, really, what they had in mind with such a list that seems to treat a firm basis as nothing more than a front. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I'm thinking some of you suggest that I am overreacting to such a list. I mean, all it is really trying to do is show a list of great shooters and why they are great, right? I am going to whole-heartedly disagree with that. Why? Because if they really wanted to do that than should have ignored any ranking system altogether. Why make the motivation of discussing great games be a ranking and not the qualities that make it stand out among thousands of other games? I mean, looking at these descriptions, I see no real reason for this list other than numbers. Superficial descriptions lead to superficial discussion and it is a shame because there is much to be discussed when you bring in games like <i>Quake</i>, <i>Halo</i>, and <i>Half-Life</i>. Why not, again looking at Roger Ebert's Great Movie List, establish a growing list of games, in no particular order, and take time to really delve deep into why these games are timeless and continuously engaging. Or better yet, make a criterion that you can actually follow. Heck, if there is a time where you need to diverge from the criterion (<i>L4D2</i>) then explain this and justify it. I think these lists are pointless if, at the very least, they don't give anything insightful. But the worse thing is that the number becomes more important than the game.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I know there is this mysterious allure for numbered lists, and just because it is numbered doesn't mean that it will ultimately be bad (even I did say it was the worse thing about IGN's list). It is just this list in question never makes an attempt to justify these games in a consistent, thoughtful manner, and because the number means so damn much in this situation, the reasons for placing this game on the list means far less, and if we want to start to have constructive and compelling discussions on video games, we need to think of them as pieces that can be construed and dissected. Let us leave all the superficial emotional arguments behind and celebrate games for why we enjoy them so much. Please?</div>
</div>
<br />
<br />Dan L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11533210622337039349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768852729717058794.post-37921981692866810902013-09-14T10:53:00.001-04:002013-09-14T10:58:24.145-04:00A New Age of Regional Folk Music?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">A New Age of Regional Folk Music?<br />By Peter Berris<br />9/13/13</span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
In the summer of 1941, only months before America
would find itself in the midst of the Second World War, musicologist Alan Lomax
was on a mission of an entirely different nature—in a place that must have felt
worlds apart from the military tension building across the globe. He was deep in the American South
making musical recordings for the Library of Congress, documenting the
surviving folk sounds of a rapidly changing nation. From a historical standpoint, his luck was excellent (even
if they were actually seeking Robert Johnson who had been dead for some time)… Lomax and his team arrived on Stovall’s
Plantation in Mississippi at the right moment to wax the first recordings of a
man who would go on to be one of America’s most important and influential
figures. His name? <i>Muddy
Waters</i>. The Lomax-Waters
recordings are intriguing for both their musical excellence, and the snapshot
they provide of a rising star. But
they are illuminating in a way that has nothing to do with the phenomenal
talent of Muddy, or the magic of hearing his very first recordings. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/nGGNryq08kU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
Included
among the songs, are recorded interviews between the Library of Congress team
and Muddy Waters. Apart from the
basic questions about guitar tunings and such, Lomax and his associate John
Work, sound preoccupied with where exactly Waters had learned his craft. The reoccurring question was not so
much about who his influences were, but instead whether he had learned his
material directly from other performers, or indirectly from their records. It was an important distinction,
because learning songs directly from other area musicians was likely indicative
of a regionalist musical form, isolated and unique from other similar idioms in
other portions of the country or state.
Learning from records suggested external influences that could have
altered an original musical language.
Though the questions seem moot today, due to the immense value of the
recordings, they were actually not far off base. Waters, as it turned out, had learned his repertoire from a
mixed group of sources: records, straight from acquaintances like Son House,
and some derived from his own imagination. And while Waters had grown up in the Mississippi Delta like
many other great bluesmen, according to some sources he had also been to
Chicago and/or Saint Louis before Lomax made his recordings. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
As
a result, the somewhat persnickety sounding interview questions are actually
indicative of a divide in time. On
one side were the early bluesmen—musicians considered truly regional and
original in their influences and creations. On the other, were musicians whose influences were both
regional and scavenged from records, radio, and various travels. Obviously, this divide is subjective
and abstract with exceptions, qualifications, and outliers. But the basic idea is simple. Before radio, movies, cars, and records
made the nation effectively “smaller,” or specific areas less isolated, music
was stuck in regional pockets. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
As a metaphor, consider an ocean tidal pool. The seawater comes pouring over the
rocks during high tide, and when the ocean retreats it leaves behind small
pools of water—tiny ecosystems filled with crabs, shellfish, and shrimp. Similarly, as people began to settle
the new world, by choice, force, or necessity, they were stranded with their
music. In whatever region they
inhabited, the music was left to develop its own personality—perhaps influenced
by that of other regions—but also largely distinct from such areas. Again, this is similar to how the
composition of two tidal pools can have many similar component species but
still be different in aggregate. In
other words, regional folk music forms were created. And they likely continued, albeit with greater external
influence in some places than others, until the developments of the 20<sup>th</sup>
century began to increase the intermingling of regional styles and
approaches. In a nutshell, while
the first wave of folk recordings may have captured purely regional performers,
subsequent decades gave way to folk-influenced recordings that were of
increasingly tenuous regional ties.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
But
what about now? In the age of
high-speed internet, extensive road networks, 4G phone service, digital song
downloads, and instant access to nearly all of the music ever recorded—do we
live in an era where regionalist folk music is dead? By a traditional set of standards: absolutely. However, the answer really may not be
so simple. The path folk inspired
music took is not simply a matter of technological change eroding isolation,
but also of the great success of both the music business and certain musicians. For a good chunk of the history of
recordings, some of the biggest stars were roots-inspired musicians who took
their folk influences and combined them in a way that made them wildly popular. As a result, figures like B.B. King,
Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, and even (or especially) Elvis Presley were musicians
operating within various folk-derived contexts, <i>and</i> musicians whose popularity altered the very fabric of the
musical idioms they were a part of.
Their popularity also spread various folk styles far beyond the
boundaries of the areas where they had originally formed—resulting in acts that
were incredibly far removed from their literal roots. As an example, consider the blues breakthrough acts of Jimmy
Reed, Muddy Waters, and Chuck Berry, whose influence was so great that bands
formed in their image across the Atlantic—groups like the Kinks, the Rolling
Stones, and the Animals. Beyond
whatever labels this hybridized music carried, it was folk music, it was big
business, and its combination surely undermined regional styles.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
But,
the current age does not have a Johnny Cash, or a Muddy Waters, or even a
Rolling Stones (except for the original ones, they’re still at it, god love
‘em). It has folk influenced
musicians, and it has popular musicians, but with <i>very</i> few exceptions it is a case of “never the twain shall meet” as
far as the music business is concerned.
It is a rare musician in the modern era that can combine both folk
influences and national dissemination via record sales, radio, and major
touring. Paradoxically, perhaps
more than ever, popular music is not folk music—it is cyclically popular,
because it is popular. Certainly,
this sort of laboratory derived “better music through science” approach is
nothing new. Even in the 1950s,
which enjoyed the rhythm and blues influenced early rock of Little Richard, Bo
Diddley, Chuck Berry, and Fats Domino, there were safer alternatives like
Fabian and Pat Boone. As rocker
Tom Petty puts it in the Paul Zollo’s <i>Conversations
With Tom Petty</i>:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
It’s
<i>insane</i>. It’s Fabian.
It’s <i>worse</i> than Fabian. We’ve gone full-circle back to the days
of the early Sixties when pop stars were just created, when all the bobbys were
out, and they went from leather jackets to sweaters, and they tried to say that
they <i>aspired</i> to be something more
than rock […] And we didn’t learn a lesson from that? (Zollo 2006, 286). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What
is missing today, and what may be the reason for this conspicuous vacancy in
the roots-star department, is a liaison between would-be folk inspired crossover
artists and the major record labels.
Back in the day, one
existed—independent record labels with the influence to gain national
distribution and exposure for their artists. There are independent labels, and national labels, but again
it’s a case of “never the twain shall meet.” The age of independent and influential labels like Sun
(Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis), Chess
(Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Chuck Berry), Stax (Otis Redding, Sam
& Dave, Rufus Thomas, Booker T. & The M.G.’s), and Hi (Al Green, Anne
Peebles, Syl Johnson) seems to have largely passed. This leaves musicians with more traditional sounds turning
to new options for a starting place, since the traditional business model has
been effectively nullified. <o:p></o:p></div>
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For
many, this means the world of “do it yourself.” Services like DiscMakers allow musicians to print their own albums,
CDBaby provides international distribution via the internet, Radio Airplay
offers guaranteed internet play for a price, and sites like soundcloud and
youtube make artist content accessible at the click of a mouse. Musicians who crave national tours may
look past traditional options such as arenas and theatres towards alternatives
such as “living room tours” (see this <a href="http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/1567029/house-music-your-living-room-might-be-your-next-concert-venue">article</a>). Or, they may just be out of luck. In an <a href="http://www.pressherald.com/news/the-pete-kilpatrick-band-a-sound-business-plan_2013-08-11.html?pagenum=full">article</a>
about how the changing landscape of the music business has affected a band in
Maine, the Portland Press Herald appropriately summarized the situation in
their secondary headline, “<span style="line-height: 200%;">Thanks to advances in technology, making it in the music business
nowadays is easier for everyone – and, just maybe, harder than ever.”</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"> There
is one obvious implication to this new reality. At the top of the pack, in terms of what is nationally
popular, music is suffering. There
<i>is no</i> </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFL047fmsgg"><span style="line-height: 200%;">Little Richard</span></a><span style="line-height: 200%;"> to complement your </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qacdlN7UqWs"><span style="line-height: 200%;">Fabian</span></a><span style="line-height: 200%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"> But
the other implication should this strange new media climate continue, is
subtler. We may, in fact, be
entering a new age of regional folk music. Think about it.
The traditional music business establishment seems currently interested
in what might be called pure pop.
Whether that be chart-topping country or modern R&B, they have
little or no ties to any discernable folk music tradition apart from the odd
instrumental decoration, well-placed vocal inflection, or frequent reliance on
clichés. Thus, a folk influenced
musician must look elsewhere for success.
And though venues such as the ones described earlier do exist, as the
Portland Press Herald suggested, their accessibility to everyone means that
there is almost too much competition for most to distinguish themselves on a
national scale. It is almost a
socialist musical reality, where the listening public is split into tiny pieces
to be shared among an endless number of hopeful recording artists. As a result, folk musicians, and their
styles are stuck. Their tours may
be limited to the region they reside in, and only those who experience their
music first hand may be aware of it.
Thus people may only listen to new musicians from their area, buy new
music from their area, and model their own view of music based on music in
their area. After all, what other
new folk music will they realistically find out about? And while musicians were for so long
influenced by records from anywhere in the world, acts that toured the world,
and radio signals that brought regional sounds around the world, they may now
only be influenced by other musicians in their area. In short, those practicing anything other than pure pop
would be regional folk musicians. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"> It
sounds an awful lot the last era of isolated Appalachian hollows, or southern
river deltas, where musicians learned from their peers in the area, and from a
rich sonic heritage that had formed in ways distinct to each location. Of course, many may object that there
is an obvious flaw in this argument.
New “folk” music may suffer, but there is still a wealth of old folk
inspired recordings that everyone knows about, which would undermine this modern
regionalism. <i>Maybe</i>, but all regional American folk music started somewhere, be
it in the fiddle reels of Ireland, the sea songs of the United Kingdom, or the
rhythm and sounds of Africa. These
influences were the origin point in what would become the unique combinations
found in American music. Thus, the body of recorded material we carry with us
into this new era—everything from Ernest Tubbs to Muddy Waters, may be the
origin point for the new age of regional song. It is the same metaphor about the ocean and tidal pools,
with different isolated ecosystems formed from some of the same
ingredients. The great irony
however, is that it is no longer a story of regional music forming at the hands
of abject isolation due to the obstacles that kept its practitioners from
moving beyond area boundaries. On
the contrary, what may restart American regional music is the decay of a major
method of sonic diffusion, and a series of technological breakthroughs that
have made musical communication easier than ever before—but that have resulted
in an egalitarian din that has left so few to listen to so many. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b>References:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: -.5in;">
Muddy Waters. 1993 [1941-1942].
<i>The Complete Plantation
Recordings: Muddy Waters</i>.
Chess/MCA, CD. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;">
Routhier, Ray.
2013. “The Pete Kilpatrick
Band: A Sound Business Plan.” <i>Portland Press Herald</i>, 13
September. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;">
Trust, Gary.
2013. “House Music: Your
Living Room Might Be Your Next Concert Venue.” <i> Billboard</i>, 14 June.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f;">Zollo, Paul.
2006. <i>Conversations With Tom</i> <i>Petty</i>. New York: Omnibus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Peter Berrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08064269418164972274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768852729717058794.post-48833133295069092362013-09-11T14:11:00.000-04:002013-09-13T13:29:19.655-04:00On Film ClassesDan here:<br />
<br />
Everyone likes film, right? Isn't that pretty much a unanimous fact (maybe)? I have yet to talk to someone who actually tries to stay away from films for some reason. Yea, people have a certain, sometime fiery, hatred for films, but not film in totality. It is a medium in which people go (or stay home, for that matter) to watch it for so many different reasons: to tune out, to explore, to observe, for escapism, to imagine...whatever.<br />
<br />
So let me tell you the practicality of film as a source of understanding the world around us. First off, it <i>is</i> a crucial source of understanding the world around us. To figure out why, just ask yourself one question when see virtually any film: why? Asking this simple yet grandiose question opens a multitude of doors to explore. Here is a list of things you can learn from a film. I am even stating obvious ones:<br />
<ul>
<li>It can teach you about a particular topic of another field (in physics, economics, biology, etc.)</li>
<li>Film is a document of its time and place, meaning that old films don't just have stories but have motivations linked to general mentalities of a certain place in a certain time period.</li>
<li>As a corollary, film is a document of its culture. We can understand certain mentalities of other cultures and nations through understanding film form.</li>
<li>Understanding film will give people insight into how they could potentially be manipulated by certain filmmakers (not to throw him under the bus, but Michael Moore is a good example) through form.</li>
<li>It's fun! </li>
</ul>
These are general but, I feel, adequate reasons to understand film. Now picture a high school class involving understanding film form and its significance. I know there are some schools that already do this, but...here it comes...how about making a film class REQUIRED? I can hear sighs coming from everywhere, but here me out. If we can educate more people on the ways in which film tells a story, we can allow them more freedom to explore a film. Again, motivate people at a young age to ask why. Giving a student the space to explore a film will allow them to understand the motivations, the ideas, and even the science behind the films they watch. They can understand what made Soviet films of the 1920s Soviet films and how their form was linked to their communist mentalities. They can understand why there was such thing as the melodrama in Classic Hollywood. They can understand the evolving socioeconomic landscape in China, and what sort of mentalities and feelings are being felt by the people witnessing this change.<br />
<br />
This sort of class should not be taught in a way an English teacher teaches English. You must not only highlight the thematic symbols, patterns, and feelings expressed, but you must also look into how it is expressed through form, through technique, through the understanding of what cinema really is. I have been in literature classes where we had to watch films. Although it was never a bad experience, looking back in hindsight with all the knowledge I know of film (and how different it is from prose) makes me think that we are teaching kids that film is inseparable of a medium from literature. This shouldn't be the case and I feel people, being taught early on, will understand, again, what film can do in expression of ideas, feelings, and even logic that makes it unique from other forms of art.<br />
<br />
I know, as a requirement, that might be asking a lot. I also know that the <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2013/2013152.pdf">[STEM fields have been on the decline in America for several years</a></span>]. Yet, and I am not saying we should not have required chemistry, physics, and biology classes, the fact that mostly everyone goes to see a film compared to, well, have a career in chemistry or engineering, propels me to make the case that all high schools should have a required film class...at the very least have the class as an option. Film, as with many mediums, can be studied in more than an artistic way. It is the leverage one can gain from such education that can lead to better things. Film, I feel, is an easy access to all sorts of topics. I am also not saying that we should have more filmmakers, if you have felt that way since the start of this post.<br />
<br />
Of course, we would still have to be careful about what we show students. Not really in the sense of graphic content (though that is obviously an issue), but in what they can provide in constructing a framework of what film can do. With careful consideration of a class filmography, a student can have a firm foundation of a multitude of perceptions of many different subjects. But, careful planning goes with any class and any teacher.<br />
<br />
And of course, there are people who have told me, "Well, what if we don't want to learn that?" I mean, people ask that question for pretty much every class they have to take in high school. But, I'll ask them, "Are you going to stop watching film if you take the class?" I can assume the answer to that. Then the next rebuttal will have to be along the lines of, "Studying films will ruin the experience." Again, unless you want to ignore the possibilities of understanding a certain setting, a certain culture, and a certain topic of ideas, and how it is being expressed, then yea their is room for ruination. That also applies to really any subject ever. It is inherently all about willingness to accept that there is more to the medium than superficial feelings. Nevertheless, I find that people will learn a whole lot from films. At least in a classroom setting they are kind of forced to do so...though I kind of feel weird saying that, frankly. More on this in the near future.Dan L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11533210622337039349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768852729717058794.post-68077372203815417382013-08-07T23:34:00.001-04:002013-08-07T23:41:55.165-04:00Fruitvale Station :: A Day In the Life, And Death, of Oscar GrantDan here:<br />
<br />
There's a lot to like in a film that is timely not just for its direct topic and its relation to current events but the way in which its topic is filmed. Knowing the story of this year's <i>Fruitvale Station</i>, one can make obvious connections to the more recent Trayvon Martin case. Yet, this film makes the noble decision to observe rather than endow this story with a nigh propagandistic message. In case you don't know, <i>Fruitvale Station</i>, directed by newcomer Ryan Coogler, is about a 2009 incident where <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BART_Police_shooting_of_Oscar_Grant">Oscar Grant was shot and killed by a BART police officer</a> and was captured on camera phones and seen my millions of people.<br />
<br />
This unfortunate narrative could be easily the launchpad for scathing ultimatums of racism in America. Coogler, instead, focuses on the life of Oscar Grant the day of his death, following him and his everyday activity, as well as his struggles and complexities. This film, for its subject matter, is quite objective, the only narrative function that forced upon us is twofold: a flashback that gives depth to Oscar's relationship with his mother as well as provide a foreshadow to Oscar's death and, at the beginning of the film, lengthy footage of the actual event. The showing of the actual footage functions the same as the famous 'Rosebud' scene at the beginning of <i>Citizen Kane </i>and the commencement of writing the journal in <i>Kind Hearts and Coronets</i>; what is ultimately established is the process by which we get to this conclusion...in other words, the filmmaker is more concerned about Oscar Grant as person than the shooting itself. Other than that, there is only a loose thread the narrative follows, which is basically the time of day, though we as the viewers associate choices made among the characters with hindsight bias as we know what will happen in the end.<br />
<br />
Stylistically, this approach of observation is much more involved than one would expect. This is much to do with the curious cinematography employed allowing the handheld camera to capture scenes between characters with surprising intimacy (rather than, say, a more objective long shot or long take...the film has few long takes). Conversations are filmed in mostly medium to medium close up shots; I do not think a tripod was used in this film at all. Cinema verite can be seen as influential not just in the handheld aesthetic but also in the spontaneous focusing of the camera. In the scene of the mother's birthday (played with heartfelt strength by the wonderful Octavia Spencer), we see the women prepare dinner, with Oscar's girlfriend, Sophina (also played beautifully by Melonie Diaz), in the extreme foreground, Oscar's daughter in the middle ground, and the mother in the background. The camera, during this whole exchange of gentle humor and camaraderie, focuses in and out of these characters, as if trying to find the most exciting, and poignant, moment among this celebratory event, something like a home video technique.<br />
<br />
Scenes in this film flow like life itself, they just fall in place one after another. There is no build up and there is really no fabricated construction of set pieces to progress the plot because there is no plot, it ehoes an Ozunian approach. All we see is Oscar trying to find a new path in life, we get all the necessary information in the abbreviated yet passionate dialogue between Oscar and Sophina, and his mother. It is dialogue that vibrates with culture and colorful dialect. Coogler makes sure not to dumb it down so that it is 'easier' to understand by all. Yet, in essence of its observing nature, some scenes in the film have several characters in the frame, some talking to some while others talk to others. The sound mixers choose not to isolate one piece of conversation (again, other films would do that because it is important for plot progression) and let the culminating sound of a small crowd conversing dominate. These scenes, an example being as Oscar and his friends ride an escalator to during their activities downtown New Year's night. In a medium shot, with maybe seven people in frame but restricted to the narrowness of the escalator, we don't hear a conversation but we hear conversations. This scene and other scenes like it invoke a pulsating sense of humanity and refreshing normalcy (again, when you take into account what the conclusion to this story is) and, in turn, I admire such scenes greatly as it shows ample care for the craft and the subject.<br />
<br />
Alas, when we take the aesthetics of <i>Fruitvale Station</i> and put it up to comparisons, I'm sure it won't take very long to place this film with the canonical Spike Lee film <i>Do the Right Thing</i>. Lee's 1989 film is ferocious in style and in substance. It is a great piece of work, depicting an event that is similar to this recent film, yet it is formulated in a vastly different manner. Anchored by the viscous and expressionistic cinematography from the renowned cinematographer Ernest Dickerson, the film's narrative progression correlates with the increase of tension between the characters as stereotypes begin to swell into racism and finally into physical hatred. In Lee's film, scenes are constructed to develop characters and their relationships with others, setting up an environment that implodes but also dictates actions of certain characters during this implosion. Characters are developed not just through dialogue but also through cinematography, where the camera angles reflecting an increasing instability within the community, including the famous shot-reverse-shots between Radio Raheem and Sal. Ultimately, <i>Do the Right Thing</i> establishes a problem and Spike Lee gives us some sort of an answer, albeit ambiguous. This film serves more as a parable reflecting real social problems rather than a moment of observance in which these social problems encroach upon, which is what <i>Fruitvale Station</i> depicts.<br />
<br />
Ryan Coogler is not interested in making bold statements in lieu to Lee's narrative focus, he is more intent on showing us a state of mind. Furthermore, he does not want to establish a conflicting dichotomy between cultures, races, even though it is hard not to in such a situation as in Oscar Grant's death. If he wanted to make more of a statement on such fragmentary social issues, he probably would have illustrated more of a backstory to the police officers. No, Coogler is more interested in how Grant lived and how his death interrupted his living and thus, issuing an expression of what he felt the general mentality was among the residents of the Bay Area. On imdb, a quote from Coogler is shown referring to his debut film and I find it rather profound:<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-top: 0.5em; padding: 0px;">
<i>[re making <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2334649/" style="color: #70579d; text-decoration: none;">Fruitvale Station</a> (2013)] We shot here [BART station] for three nights after the station was closed, Everybody was there with us: BART employees, safety monitors, train drivers, all the cast members and crew. Some of us would pray; others would just keep to themselves. The energy of it hit everybody. It was the hardest thing I've done in my life, making this movie. Having to see [real-life hero] Oscar die so many times. And having to see the people react to it. That never gets easy, man. Never.</i></div>
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<i>[re Oscar Grant's murder] It really caused an identity crisis here in the Bay Area because we think of ourselves as the most progressive place, the most diverse place, the most accepting place in the country. I grew up with white friends, Asian friends - Vietnamese, Chinese, Pacific Islanders. I had Hispanic friends, not just Mexican friends, but Guatemalan friends, Honduran friends, and we knew the difference, you know? So when we saw that happen to Oscar, and we saw it on video, it was like the wind getting knocked out of us. I was questioning who we were as a community.</i></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Confusion, I feel, is the most prominent mentality among these people Coogler speaks of. Here we have a film that observes the life of an individual, there really is no attempt to pervade Grant's life. When it comes to the shocking episode of spontaneous and explosive tension, we as an audience and the characters within the film can only look on in shock. It is crucial that the film ends the way it does, where the daughter asks Sophina the difficult question, "Where is daddy?" Her confusion parallels our confusion and Sophina's shock parallels our shock and that is what we are left with, what Coogler is left with...an unanswerable question. </span></span></div>
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Coogler does a wonderful job at absorbing us into the life of Oscar Grant, the joys, desires, pains, and fears he faces, all this expressed so authentically by a grand performance by Michael B. Jordan. And then just like that, he is gone. The film does not make any indictments, it just states what happened to the police officer and how the community responded. Coogler is just as confused as many other people, but he is not hasty in making rash generalizations and difficult conclusions. In this superb and important film, all Ryan Coogler really wanted to do was peer into a life cut short, to make a human connection with an individual taken away form this world in what seemed like a ball of fire. To me, here is a chance to see world so close yet so unfamiliar to me. I cherish this possibility in film.</div>
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<b>Note</b>: I watched this film at an art cinema in Indianapolis. There were three trailers that played, two out of the three were focused on African American history and stories, one of them directed by an African American in Lee Daniels (who directed <i>Precious</i>), <i>The Butler</i>, the other directed by Steve McQueen who is specifically African British (I think that is the right term...), <i>12 Years a Slave</i>. This is an important for African American cinema, maybe just as momentous as when Spike Lee's <i>Do the Right Thing</i> stormed into the world with mass hysteria. Keep your eyes on these films and filmmakers (I can't wait to see Coogler's next project) because I wouldn't be surprised if all three of these films are in the running for Best Picture in next year's Oscars.</div>
<br />Dan L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11533210622337039349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768852729717058794.post-54609607517024128332013-08-07T20:37:00.000-04:002013-08-07T20:37:01.080-04:00Who is John Galt?<div class="MsoNormal">
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Juancho here.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you’ve ever played the first <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">BioShock </i>game
and thought that its literary inspiration, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Atlas
Shrugged</i> by Ayn Rand, sounds like an interesting book and that you want to
read it—don’t. Or rather, make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into.
The book is VERY long, with lots of overly descriptive text, lots of preaching,
and an absolutely massive 50+ page speech towards the end of the book.
Regardless, if you’re willing to stomach it, it’s an interesting work of fiction
that is ultimately a little just too heavy handed. In case you don’t know what
happens, I’ll do my best not to spoil it.</div>
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The book’s author, Ayn Rand, was a heavy proponent of her
own philosophy now known as Objectivism. It’s a philosophy that is radically
individualistic, where the individual searches for his own happiness as the
highest purpose in life. It values personal achievement and reason as the
ultimate standard of decision making. Economically, it proposes freedom for
production and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">laissez-faire</i>
capitalism, because it allows men to function purely as traders and exchange
not just products and money but the value of their work. The best way to summarize objectivism is probably through Galt's motto: "I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine."<o:p></o:p></div>
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These principles are front and center in the plot of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Atlas Shrugged.</i> The main characters are
prodigious industrialists who say they’re in it to make money but really work
because of the desire to produce value. Their opponents are bumbling government
officials or their competitors, who cannot compete with them but continue to
devise rules and regulations attempting to destroy their ability to produce,
while still needing them to produce and keep the country going. John Galt is
only alluded to for most of the book, with the characters making wildly
different assumptions of his characters, most of which are actually partly
correct.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The story itself is actually quite engaging. Great
industrialists are disappearing, sometimes very conspicuously. The ones
remaining have to combat an increasingly overbearing government in order to
prevent the collapse of modern society. The main characters’ motivations are
clearly defined and I enjoyed rooting for them when they achieved small
victories. A lot of the side characters are also really cool and refreshingly
interesting. The plot also moves at a decent enough pace so that at least one
important thing happens in every chapter.<o:p></o:p><br />
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But the book itself is also very flawed. The characters are
meant to be archetypes, but they’re so black and white and caricaturesque that
they come across as ridiculous, especially the antagonists. The book is full of
author filibusters where Rand likes to lengthily espouse her views in
inappropriate situations, culminating in the massive speech near the end. John
Galt, when he is introduced, is ridiculously perfect and unbeatable, to the
point where you can’t really enjoy his appearances in the plot.<o:p></o:p><br />
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As far as the philosophy of objectivism goes, I find myself
agreeing only with some of it. I’m a huge proponent of capitalism, but full
laissez-faire is excessive, because companies will try to get away with so much
that they cause harm to their customers. Ayn Rand wants people to work for
their own fulfillment and values, which neglects the social aspect of human
nature. She considers all social interactions a “transaction,” which kind of
makes sense but it feels really impersonal and hollow to me. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Regardless, it was still a worthwhile read-through. I
definitely will not be reading the book again, but I still have fond memories
of some of the characters. Consider this a fair warning to you if you decide to
read it: it will take up a lot of your time. It’s worth a look if you’re
interested in the philosophy but not as much else.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Footnote: There’s a series of movies coming for the book. I
saw the first movie. It was decent, if a little rushed. Reading the book
definitely helps you understand what’s going on, but it hits the main bullet
points in case you don’t have enough time to read the book, yet still enough
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See you guys around.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12561117039930574735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768852729717058794.post-5327106084326003592013-08-01T12:57:00.000-04:002013-08-03T10:19:11.250-04:00Final Fantasy VII :: From the Farthest Reaches of Space to the Deepest Abyss of the Soul<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For the last month I have divulged my entire being and existence into the essence of the 1997 mega-hit video game, <i>Final Fantasy VII </i>(developed by Square, now Square Enix). I sat on the couch on an average of eighty percent of the day progressing through this RPG with the utmost specificity, determined to forge the strongest of characters in order to leave no doubt that I will eventually succeed in beating a video game I have had a long and nostalgic history with- it dates all the way back to when it was released, sixteen years ago (good golly Miss Molly...I feel old). Let me tell you this personal history before I get into this game. I was seven years old and the year before I was given my first video game console, the thrust into a now lifelong passion, with the Nintendo 64. I was living in Delaware at the time, living as an introverted but slightly bossy kid who loved video games just as much as the next boy, so any television that was emitting a game from its screen initiated a magnetic attraction upon me where I floated towards the screen, hovering over the other kids who played it; nevermind the fact that I may or may not have known them. It was one night, a night that has now obfuscated into a foggy haze, like that of the protagonist of FF7 (we will get to that later, don't worry), where my family and I went to a party of a friend of ours whose children went to my school, although I wasn't too close to them because they were all older than me...I think their last name was Penny.<br />
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All I vaguely remember about the party had nothing to do with the party but just the chubby face of one of the younger sons, that's it. What I had not vaguely remembered, but remembered with intense nostalgic feelings, is the basement of their house, which housed a television, and, lo and behold, a Playstation. I think one of the older brothers was playing <i>Final Fantasy VII</i> when I arrived, so I floated towards the event, wondering what this game was, a strange game played on a strange system since I was never exposed much to Nintendo's competitor. Something happened next, where they just left, and I had control over the game. My hands easily adjusted to the unfamiliar texture and shape of a Playstation controller. Then, I started the game...the first three notes the game's score were immediately branded in my memory, the face of Aeris, who at the time, looked stunning to my seven year old mind. I remember the swooping establishing shot of Midgar, its post-industrial vigor and metallic mystery. I remember how the camera glided over the city and into one of its sections, a train approaches, the camera stops, the train arrive at the station and the music shifts from epic grandeur to momentous anticipation. The attack on Mako reactor number one, Cloud Strife, Barrett Wallace, and the first boss fight. I was hooked. But it was a strange relationship, because that is all I got to play, so my attraction did not appear in spite of my attraction to the story but more to my mighty wonderment and curiosity that sprouted.<br />
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It was around six years later that I entered a game store in Puerto Rico (of all places), this time as an owner of the Playstation 2, where I saw the game for twenty bucks. The casing, with Cloud appearing before the gargantuan Shinra headquarters, resembled the madeline in Proust's book <i>Swann's Way</i>. I remembered those feeling of wonderment, a desire to explore a story that enraptured my very passion of video games, albeit briefly. Of course I purchased it. I mean, for twenty dollars it was a steal (you should see how much the Playstation version is going for now). I started playing it, but I never got far. I don't know why, but it may have something to do with the commitment involved with an RPG, where repetition to strengthen characters is the only way to progress. I guess I was still unfamiliar with those sorts of mechanics. Several more years past when the original sensations rose within me once again and this time I wanted to dedicate myself to it. Well, for the most part it worked. I managed to get to the end of the game...but I never actually completed it. My hasty demeanor throughout the game caused me to enter the final battles ill-prepared. There was no way I could go back (at the time). I kept telling myself I would keep playing, somehow train my characters to become stronger. But, I was amid a treacherous land that I could never acclimate to and thus never train due to my characters' weaknesses. I abandoned the game once again, this time with bitter, very bitter, disappointment. This bitterness would linger until my commencement of the game this past month, with the always existing feeling of wonderment that underlined my relationship with the game.<br />
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After sixteen years and almost a month of suffocating dedication, I can finally say that I have beaten the game. Labeling this event as a catharsis is an understatement. It is me coming to terms with my seven year-old self, finally appeasing the wonderment I felt so long ago. Every step of the way I imagined my younger selves traversing the world of <i>Final Fantasy VII</i>, going through the story and reacting to the unfolding events within the titanic narrative. At this point, I told myself I need to write about this game. Obviously, my opinions about this game can clearly be deemed bias to the point of parody, yet there are some technical and stylistic elements that I will remark about, as formally as I can, to highlight why this video game has created the sensation it has. Through the mosh of heated and blindly passionate debates, I wish to look upon this game with reverent analysis, to breakdown the game's gameplay and narrative functions. It is suffice to say that I feel pretty good about it...I've had sixteen years to think about it.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">A Big City and an Even Bigger World</span></b><br />
One thing I have always admired in the Final Fantasy series are the seemingly impossible epic storylines. These sorts of stories are stories you might not find in film (probably in television, though) as they require hours of development of setting and character. To dictate pacing within their framework of gameplay strikes me as begrudgingly tedious, but they pull it off in most cases. For a game like <i>Final Fantasy VII</i>, its pacing provides a wonderful shift in scale and narrative intensity. The player is lead to believe a certain way with a certain goal and antagonist within the story but is then shown a wider world of larger narrative proportions. This is done by the detailed investment we are given in the game's initial setting, Midgar. Here is a city that is not just one of the more memorable locales in video game history but, arguably, in science fiction history. I am reminded of films like <i>Blade Runner </i>and <i>Dark City</i>, where the cityscape takes on a personality of its own. Its postindustrial weariness, geometrical symmetry, polarizing layers, and, of course, the Shinra headquarters jutting out at its center. Like the ziggurat edifices in <i>Blade Runner</i>, the height of the Shinra building, reaching to the sky, represents a detachment from the humanity below. The whole city of Midgar was constructed by Shinra, who pose as this corporate totalitarian regime that not only supplies the power for all the people on the planet, but also provides the military and economic structure. This detachment and control provide the tension that is visualized when traversing the city.<br />
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The player can spend several hours in Midgar and in those several hours we are shown its intricacies and its harrowing design. After the first Mako reactor raid, we are given an explicit lowdown of Midgar's railway system by the character Jessie. The realization here is that this isn't a simply gloss over an interesting city but that the narrative in the early part of the game is solely focused on Midgar. The protagonists are the morally ambiguous eco-terrorist group AVALANCHE fronted by the wild man Barret Wallace and the antagonist is Shinra as they suck up the precious energy of the planet. The player traverses through many portions of the city including many areas of the slums, the train, the sewers, the upper city, the headquarters of Shinra, and even in between the slums and the upper city. The gameplay functions within the confines of the city, we train our characters only among the environment of the city against the city's enemies and lowlife creatures. It is crucial that the narrative momentum is fueled not by the main character, Cloud Strife, but by Barrett, who voices his opinions without any interruption for this portion of the game. In fact, we don't get much information on Cloud except one childhood memory he shares with martial artist and bartender, Tifa Lockhart. Moreover, when Cloud meets Aeris, who, herself, is still figuring out her role, their relationship is a simple and sentimental formation of, 'the bodyguard,' a formation that carries more weight later in the game. The game lets Barrett roar and keeps the lid on many of the narrative branches that are soon to come. Cloud's relationship with Tifa and Aeris only go so far that they are fighting against the Shinra (of course, he grows fond for both Tifa and Aeris but this fondness, save for Tifa and Cloud's childhood, originates from nowhere we can grasp at the time). Essentially, and this will be discussed further later, Cloud's presence within Midgar is a facade of a facade as he rationalizes his austerity and cockiness because of his SOLDIER (a renowned paramilitary group for Shinra) background.<br />
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Upon infiltrating Shinra headquarters and getting captured, things change. A plot twist, sure, but things are now taken out of our control. The death of the Shinra president, the trail of blood, and the large Masaume blade sticking out of the president invoke a transition into something bigger. When the player finds out Sephiroth is around, Cloud begins to slowly unravel as a character. And it is also at this point where the player leaves Midgar for a very long time. The immensity of the city becomes diminished as you set foot in an expansive and three-dimensional world. And with that, Cloud takes control and his personality and history is slowly revealed; character dynamics change.<br />
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What is important to know is the way in which the narrative holds back the sense of scale of the game for a long, albeit compelling manner. Yet, it is not like the game was keeping its epic nature from us for several hours; it created an epic feeling within Midgar. <i>Final Fantasy VII </i>creates a world within a world. It is a city that has its own conflicts and tapestries of human struggle. Forcing the player to traverse through the slums also forces the player to look upon the detailed renderings of the weathered environment and, if they so wish, the consternation among different individuals in the slums and how they get by. It is worth noting that the two-dimensional rendering of the Midgar environment, despite being in two dimensions, holds an intriguing blend of ruggedness and utility. Shops, homes, and bars are made from any sort of material available, expressing a resilience among these commoners to keep on living. The game lets us soak it all in, and it is a wonderful piece of narrative gameplay, that is, the way in which gameplay is morphed by specific narrative choices. Thus, when it is time to leave Midgar, there is a sense of uncertainty because of the sudden option of open-world exploring and, more importantly, uncertainty among the story because there is now a curiosity of finding out what is really going on apart from Shinra's wrongdoings. Essentially, the game creates a a new beginning just as fresh as the first beginning...five or six hours after the great introductory scene.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Let's Battle</span></b><br />
If we are to begin to talk about the greatness of <i>Final Fantasy VII</i>, including its narrative prowess, we must first look at how we as the player interact with the game's world. Within the RPG realm, there a few things FF7 does that marks the first in its genre's gameplay conventions. Firstly, though, the battle system, a variation of the traditional turn-based system the Final Fantasy series is known for, implements a time-sensitive mechanic that ramps up the pacing of the turn-based system. There is an ironic element that the developers used that somewhat cancels out such continuous pace and this might have to do with the fact that Square wanted to show the visual intensity of three dimensions as much as possible- attack animations, particularly with character limit breaks and summon spells. Limit breaks are powerful attacks each character has that can be used after they take enough damage and the summons are spells that call upon the power of mega-monsters, deities, and gods. The animations for many of these take an ample amount of time, particularly the strongest summons, which includes the most powerful attack in the game, Knights of the Round, consisting of fourteen gargantuan knights reigning hell upon an enemy, an animation time of one and a half minutes. This certainly takes away from the active nature of <i>Final Fantasy VII</i>'s battle system yet, at the same time, there is an emotional acumen that justifies the seemingly absurd nature to these animations. The three dimensional visuals are there to create a more visceral emotional impact, or, more generally, a more immersive experience for the player. Here, there is a sense that the developers wanted to showcase the impossible power that these characters and their magic can display. One could say that these lengthy, megalomaniac animations are quite cathartic. In the heat of a tough battle, they serve as ventilation for any tension built up during the battle and they do so with supreme effectiveness, an example of this is below.<br />
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Possibly the defining aspect of FF7's gameplay is its use of materia. Within the narrative, materia is concentrated energy from the planet and individuals can manipulate materia to cast magic and summon gods. Within the gameplay, you can acquire materia throughout your adventure and insert them in your weapons and armor to both use the materia's magic as well as to augment your weapons and armor in a specific manner. Consequently, the game's tactical element provides the gameplay with a healthy mixture of diversity and simplicity. The player can experiment with combinations of materia, which can be linked together to produce more powerful effects (for example, combining Magic Counter materia and Comet materia will have the player, when damage is inflicted, to counter the enemy with a casting of Comet). The user interface for such experimentation is fluid to endorse the accessibility of the gameplay. Let it be known that I feel, in general, the gameplay presented here does not represent a revolutionary format of RPG design; if we place <i>Final Fantasy VII</i> within a truncated historical framework, namely comparing it to its predecessor and successor, we can see that the game represents a launch pad for the trend of the series to become more open and nontraditional.<br />
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<i>Final Fantasy VI </i>adheres far more to classic Japanese RPG elements that dominated the Final Fantasy series in the early 1990s. Customization with a character's weapon and armor is traditional, as well as its turn-based system and acquiring experience. The only notable fact that was new was the introduction to what is commonly known as the Limit Break (though it is called, "a powerful attack of substitution," by Wikipedia). In <i>Final Fantasy VIII</i>, there is a major overhaul in traditional RPG elements, making way for a more visceral system that included using magic as another type of item as well as setting a focal point for the combat system on Guardian Forces, monsters that are summon and ultimately dictate they way in which a character's stats are distributed and what they can perform during battle. Through this rough analysis, we can see that <i>Final Fantasy VII </i>steers away from its traditional roots but does not completely abandon them, where <i>Final Fantasy VIII</i> is illustrated as the game that designers tinkered with far more with experimental RPG elements. Possible reasons to this may have to do with the fact that upon releasing a predominantly three-dimensional game for the first time, Square sought to apply more artistic emphasis to the game's cinematic quality and narrative function through rather than tamper with a possible overhaul of traditional RPG elements.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">I Hear You Have True Grit</span></b><br />
The one thing that helped put the indelible impression of this video game within my mind was the grit expressed by the main characters, namely Barrett and Cid, who drop expletives incessantly and use them in their regular vernacular, not just in moments of high tension or major relief. Yet, it is not just the harsh dialogue that expresses this attractive grit but also the look of the characters, who embody a down-to-earth fashion sense the strikes me as, surprisingly, normal. Here are pictures of characters from <i>Final Fantasy V,VI, </i>and <i>VII</i>. They are the main female characters of each game, respectively: Lenna, Terra, and Aeris. Here, one could easily observe the dramatic change in character representation between these games. Five captures a dazzling medieval world while Six depicts an intricate steampunk realm yet both offer large doses of the fantastical. Square has decided to tone down that element and bring forth more of a coarse illustration of the characters.<br />
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In this example, we can see that the first two, Leena and Terra, are clothed with what seems to be many layers of robes (honestly, it is hard for me to tell, they appear to me more as dimensionless shapes...but I don't mean that in a negative manner) and their physique is characterized by delicacy and softness, namely a soft face and round shoulders are the highlights. With Aeris, designed by the renowned character designer Tetsuya Nomura, the fashion can be labeled as humble with a dollop of an industrial feel. With no layers of robes she wears a simple buttoned dress and a small jacket. Once again, this postindustrial tone makes an appearance in character design; notice the metal rings on her wrists and biceps (these metal rings appear on all the other characters just in different parts of their bodies). Though Aeris sports those cute (yea, cute), bulging eyes, her physique is quite squarish as compared to the other two women with broad shoulders acting as accentuation. I almost forgot to mention the boots, what may be the normal footwear of the game, that should underline not only the ruggedness of the character design but also the environment in which she and others live; the Midgar slums seems like a place one could easily rip up their feet or shoes if one is not careful.<br />
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Of course, the character design, per say, does not satisfyingly invoke the grit I feel from the game, and in regards to the two prequels the player cannot actually see much detail in the characters while playing the game (actually, FF7 is mostly the same way), but the simplicity in its approach endorses the gritty tone substantially. This simplicity contributes to a realism that is also expressed through the video game's setting. The postindustrial environment, which is fairly close to ours, is characterized by a rusting idealization of an over-reliance on machinery that gives way to a weariness for this machine domination, notable characters who share this mentality are Barrett and Cid and even Bugenhagen. Appearances are toned down in glamour because of this intimacy our world has with theirs- meaning that there is a an attempt to create characters that capture less a figment of imagination but more a slice of real life. That is not to say <i>Final Fantasy VII</i> is without its fantastical moments...it's filled with them (Nanaki is a great example, as well as the planet they live on), it is just that the narrative and setting call for a more domestic origin of look and feel. That, and the script, despite only expressing itself in blue dialogue boxes, is filled with angst and deprivation and, more potently, rawness. It is less melodramatic and more of a harsh absurdity. This may not be a terribly convincing analysis, as I would have to go through a lot of the narrative to highlight areas where this precipitates, but I'll leave it be for now.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">A Tale of Ambiguous Good and Mysterious Evil</span></b><br />
Easily the most memorable part of the storyline for most of the gamers who have played this game has to do with Aeris and the main antagonist, Sephiroth. It is difficult to extract any refreshing analysis to arguably the most recognizable video game characters aside from Mario, Sonic, and Pac-man. A lot has already been said, names deconstructed, character development highly scrutinized. Yet, judging by the title of this section, there are things I'd like to comment on. This is not necessarily tailored to the characters per say but what I mean by ambiguity stems from the ending of the game as well as several theories to what really happened at pivotal moments of the narrative which happen to regard Aeris and Sephiroth. This is motivated by fan fiction from this website <a href="http://www.ffshrine.org/ff7/ff7_theory_holy.php" style="text-decoration: underline;">here</a>.<br />
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Aeris is a character of deepest sympathy, her gentleness reverberates upon her introduction in the eternally lit church entrenched in the Midgar slums. When Cloud first meets her, he must quickly assume the role of bodyguard to fend off Shinra in an attempt to abduct her in order to experiment on her. Cloud and Aeris make a strong connection swiftly, and essentially a love triangle is formed between them and Tifa. It can be said, although this really depends on the way the player plays the game, Aeris has fallen in love with Cloud. At the very least, she cares about others more than herself, even caring for the leader of the Turks, Tseng, who has been pursuing her for Shinra for most of her life. So it is apparent that her vibrant selflessness, one that is graced with immense strength, could even transcend her relationship with humans but rest upon life, itself. I say this because the greatest scene in video games is not just the most recognizable but also one of the most controversial, especially within the community of Final Fantasy fans (refer back to link if that has slipped your mind). Some see it as greatly unnecessary, Aeris virtually sacrificing herself for the greater good. Why must she have done this?<br />
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Well, despite the lengthy chain of logic my link has provided (with great insight, I might add), I will only provide a brief counter-interpretation of the famous scene mostly to illustrate the exciting ambiguity this game holds, a risky thing to do considering its popular stature. It is revealed that Aeris went to pray to summon Holy, the ultimate white magic, which ends up failing (to an extent) to stop Meteor and it is only when the Lifestream acts that the dark magic is finally stopped. People question the reason for sacrificing herself because if Aeris knew it was going to fail (this knowledge coming from the fact that Meteor was already summoned before a long time ago) then why would she have taken the risk to do such a thing anyways? My interpretation of it is that maybe Aeris knew Holy was not going to succeed. Indeed, she can communicate with the planet and maybe by dying and having her soul be sent to the planet's core (blocked by Sephiroth until he was defeated) she can convince the planet to help destroy Meteor. It is worth noting the visual motif, or rather a visual bookend, of Aeris with the green aura surrounding her. It is the first shot we see in the video game and virtually the last one we see. The green aura emanates from the Lifestream. The game makes it clear there is a connection between Aeris and the Lifestream...or the planet, for that matter. Though it is never specifically discussed, it is hard to deny such a claim with such stylistic emphasis. In general (although I understand the brevity of this explanation), I can't help but put faith in the developers for making these narrative events, albeit ambiguous, in a meaningful and comprehensible way. This is mainly because of what they have done with the rest of the game. They wouldn't have pigeon-holed themselves with their most pivotal moment in the game.<br />
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Nevertheless, it is hard to definitively describe these situations and this is the great part of the game. Here is a game, a blockbuster game with a huge promotional campaign before its release, that intentionally invites ambiguity. But, this feature shouldn't come to us as much of surprise when we conceptualize many of the plot characteristics that hold within them ambiguity. Let us shift our thoughts from the most saintly figure to arguably the most demonic figure in the game, Sephiroth. First, lets look at this villain from a linguistic point of view (actually, the etymology). The name Sephiroth comes from Jewish mysticism as Sephirot, which is the culmination of the 10 emanations of God's will among the, "physical realm and the metaphysical realm," according to the <u><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sephirot">Wikipedia article</a></u>. The Sephirot can be symbolized as a human form which then can be equated with the functions of, "...the soul-body relationship, soul-powers, the configuration of man's bodily form, and male-female influences from the Divine." In layman's terms, basically our relationship with the divine and how we may deal with such a relationship.<br />
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Think a little harder and you'll notice that this ties in with Sephiroth as a character within the game's narrative. His 'emanations' are the layers of physical states the player encounters during the whole game; there are (at least) five that I have noticed: the Sephiroth before the Nibelheim incident, the Sephiroth projetion from Sephiroth's will (the one that kills President Shinra and Aeris), Bizzaro Sephiroth, Safer Sephiroth, and the Sephiroth within Cloud's mind. All of them are different from each other in some way, shape, or form. Moreover, Sephiroth seeks to become a god by fusing with the extra-terrestrial JENOVA (seen as a female/motherly figure in the game) as well with the Mako energy of the planet. Sephiroth attempts to transcend his mortal state as a human being and inhabit the realm of the divine. In more philosophical terms, this has to do with a shifting of consciousness and in the game, Sephiroth functions because of his subconscious (since the actual body of Sephiroth is crystallized in the Northern Crater) while his later stages that are fought against at the end of the game are other states of consciousness, where Safer Sephiroth is his highest state or the one closest to a divine existence. His subconscious is the reason for his reality-bending powers, how he is able to fly through air and weave through floors and walls (maybe due to his unabridged unconscious desire to be a god and to behold godlike powers).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here are the stages/emanations of Sephiroth with the exception of the one in Cloud's mind. These stark transformations show both different stages of consciousness and succeeding levels of ascension into a divine figure. Safer Sephiroth, the one to the farthest right, is close to achieve the deity status as expressed by the now-famous one wing as well as he halo. </td></tr>
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Yes, yes, what in the hell does this all mean...what is the significance of these levels of consciousness and theologico-philosophical mumbo jumbo. Like Aeris, Sephiroth is set up as a highly conventional character with familiar traits (wanting to be a god/rule the world). Yet, and as we will see more of in the next section, his character is fragmented by ambiguity and deception. What the characters and the player perceives through senses may not always be the true form of Sephiroth. This is especially true for Cloud, who sees his own personal version of Sephiroth's soul in his mind, one that can take control of him. Sephiroth doesn't necessarily develop much through story since the player doesn't see much of his transformations and such, but what transformations the player does see is seen through gameplay, through battles fought. The rest is given as passing information and apparitions. He is a far more complex villain than he is made out to be and, admittingly, he is a character that can easily be generalized. Sephiroth is an austere character, a lifeless and careless shell, if you will. It is almost as if the player's interactions with him embody an increasing detachment from humanity. Though it is worth noting with ample emphasis that he is not the only entity to undertake such detachment. Shinra's task of planet domination can easily be equated with Sephiroth's divine mission as both entities desire to break away from human feebleness. Nevertheless, Sephiroth represents a classical figure of a mortal being pursuing the infinite existence of a god, a representation both subtle yet vigorously sensational which is why he is one of the most renowned villains in video game history and why the death of Aeris has become emotionally and artistically timeless.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Unreliable Avatar</span></b><br />
One of the wonderful things about literally growing up with this game and having sixteen years to think about it is that you discover mechanisms within the gameplay that not only strike you as intriguing but also mind-numbingly exciting. This excitement sparks a flurry of giddiness that the only remedy to calm oneself down is to talk about it. <i>Final Fantasy VII </i>places before the player a protagonist with many issues, yet the player must place his or her faith in what is being said about the context that surrounds this narrative, namely, the proceeding events that took place before the game's story that is recited by Cloud in the small village of Kalm. This faith is eventually shattered as it is revealed that the story that has motivated the player's actions has been extensively defunct, to say the least. This revelation can only prove that Cloud Strife is what I like to call an unreliable avatar.<br />
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To describe this narrative function (of course, those of you who are familiar with literature may already have a good idea) I will use a more recent video game as an example. An unreliable avatar is basically an avatar that a player takes control of assuming what they choose is entirely up to them when it is later revealed that these choices were, in fact, controlled by something or someone's power and will over the controlled avatar. It is more of an illusion in its practice, but it serves as a significant narrative function that is rooted in the foundation of the video game medium- interactivity. In the 2007 game, <i>Bioshock</i>, we see a clear example of this...quite possibly the best example. Here is a game where the gameplay is strung together by choices made by the player yet it is found out that these choices were orchestrated by another character. What seemed like an open-ended adventure becomes a front for another agenda, the role of the player becomes inverted and the notion of interactivity is questioned. It goes along with the Ayn Rand quote, from which <i>Bioshock </i>is heavily influenced from, "We are free to make to choose what we want but we are not free from that choice." With <i>Final Fantasy VII</i>, a similar thing occurs. Cloud Strife, his name evoking the notion of an obscure struggle that he might have, is the character the player controls for (most of) the game. There is faith held in his cocky attitude at the beginning of the game, his history with SOLDIER and, in a lengthy story told in Kalm, his connection with Tifa and Sephiroth. From that, the player acts upon those threads of story, again, with faith, and acting upon the close relationship Cloud had with Sephiroth in a past that isolated Sephiroth as an experiment of Hojo, the mad scientist with sadistic practices. Throughout the game, though, an instability is hinted, a conflict of point-of-view or obstructing voices within Cloud's mind. Yet, this conflict doesn't come into fruition until the Temple of the Ancients, where Cloud was controlled by Sephiroth to give him the Black materia (which may have costed Aeris's life) and it is revealed that Cloud was also an experiment that was suppose to be a replica of Sephiroth, one that Sephiroth can control, such that Cloud assumes the role of a puppet.<br />
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Let me look at this in more detail. I mentioned at the beginning of this piece that at the start of the game, Cloud puts on a facade on top of a facade. We must look at the different levels of Cloud's personality in order to understand this and then connect this understanding to the function of the unreliable avatar. When the player and AVALANCHE first meet Cloud, he presents himself as cold and irreverent, only caring about getting the job and getting paid while using his SOLDIER background as an excuse for his austerity. It takes the events that unfolded in Midgar between Cloud, Aeris, and Tifa for him to open up just enough to tell the rest of the characters his account in Nibelheim which had Cloud, who was part of SOLDIER at the time, kill Sephiroth when it was revealed that Sephiroth was an experiment from Hojo and that he has the extra-terrestrial JENOVA infused inside of him (as part of a Shinra program to create super soldiers). This was the dominating narrative thread from which the player progressed through the game and connected later events until the aforementioned Temple of the Ancients where Cloud's past was in question. Later on, when Cloud and Tifa fall into the Lifestream and in an impressive interactive narrative episode the player uncovers what really happened at Nibelheim. As it turns out, Cloud was not part of SOLDIER but was a low-level grunt who, nevertheless, killed Sephiroth. Then, he and his SOLDIER friend, Zack, are kept in the Shinra mansion to be experimented on. Both of them escape and travel towards Midgar to seek jobs as mercenaries where Zack is shot dead by Shinra soldiers right as they approached the metropolis. Cloud takes Zack's famous Buster Sword and heads to Midgar and that is where the game starts. Let it be known that the experiments that were performed on him were trying to replicate the results Hojo had with Sephiroth and his immeasurable power, thus Sephiroth took advantage of that by convincing Cloud that he was his puppet.<br />
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Essentially, Cloud assumes the role of Zack while also projecting an ascetic shell around himself. Thus, one could say that for the first half of the game (actually, it was maybe 4/7 of the game) the player controls Zack and then the rest is Cloud but the fact is is that there is know reason to beilieve it was Zack beforehand and the rest of the characters (save maybe Sephiroth and Hojo...and maybe Tifa) believe it to be Cloud therein lies the unreliability of the words and sentences expressed from Cloud before his fall into the Lifestream. <i>Final Fantasy VII</i>'s mechanism of the unreliable narrator may seem loose and quaint to some (and to an extent it is), but I find it marvelous. The fact is is that, despite its epic scale and planetary exploration, the game is not afraid to delve straight into the soul of its main character and constantly explore it throughout the game. In addition, the risk the game takes by letting us in, just barely, into an unstable mind and thus formulate a slightly unstable reality in which the player plays the game in, slowly but surely breaking down the facades of Cloud's personality.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Conducting His Own Masterpiece</span></b><br />
F#-A-D and then C-A-E...these are the six notes that have brought me so close to tears; the least it has done is leave a lump in my throat. It is a portion of quite possible my favorite piece of soundtrack music, including film, that I have ever heard: Aeris's Theme. The frailty, the underlining hope highlighted by a bittersweet tone, it is a perfect arrangement for the delicate character that is Aeris. Yet, the sum of the parts of the whole <i>Final Fantasy VII </i>soundtrack is extraordinary, as well. From the opening sequence which transitions musically from wonder to melodramatic to anticipating tension all with ease to ultimately one of the most famous pieces of video game music there is in, "One-winged Angel," I do not hesitate to say that this soundtrack rivals some of the the best in film in regards to setting the perfect mood and to enunciate so eloquently pivotal emotions and feelings.<br />
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Of course, the man behind this greatness, Nobuo Uematsu, is one of the premiere figures in video game music and it should come to no one's surprise that he has the capability of of such a feat. Again, as my mind blurred the specifics of my memory of play the game so long ago, it could never obfuscate the intricacies of the music, which seemed to have been frozen within me such that the first few notes I heard when I began playing it recently immediately reminded me of the rest of the song. An untampered connection is made between me and my seven year-old self (and I guess my thirteen and seventeen year-old self simultaneously) and those emotions I felt long ago just from that music carry with them an everlasting strength. I recall the visit to the Shinra mansion in Nibelheim with the hovering, empty, and menacing score filling the withering building with an anticipation for a startling discovery. The heartbeat riff exudes creepy ambiance. I also recall the theme music for Cosmo Canyon, the land where Red XIII/Nanaki resides. It invokes a primitive yet determined tone with its strong percussion section coupled with (what seems to be, at least) a flute that exhibits focused reverence. These pieces stay with you even if the specifics of the narrative might slip away. With the length of time a player spends in this world the music becomes ingrained in one's experience with the game...I know it has for me and it will continue to do so for the rest of my life (that is not a hyperbole, mind you).<br />
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I'm no musicologist and my music theory is almost nonexistent, but I said as much I said without going into so much detail, realizing just how much I have already analyzed beforehand. It is worth listening to the soundtrack even if you have not played the game.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">It's Lasting Influence</span></b><br />
It is said that the sales of <i>Final Fantasy VII </i>hit 10 million copies sold in 2010, thirteen years after its initial release. Of course, sales do not necessarily correlate with how good an actual game is but the consistent interest with the game among gamers for an ample amount of time shows an appeal that does not seem to have been degraded over the test of time. It has and still does receive many accolades of recognition by many gaming websites and magazines. Truth be told, it is the most popular iteration in the Final Fantasy series. Evidence, if there needs to be such, can not only be seen with the consistent and lingering popularity but also the attention it receives in debates within the gaming community. I mean, when a game is the focus of an article asking <u><a href="http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/03/03/is-final-fantasy-vii-overrated">if the game is overrated</a></u> then you know it already has an established amount of reverence and prestige within the community (granted, sometimes asking that sort of question is irrelevant...as dictated by the conclusion to the article linked) to the point where the only thing you could discuss is if it is really, truly, that good. Nevertheless, the game's position within the popular mindset of video game lore is fastened and secure...those who discuss RPGs, the Final Fantasy series, and the greatest games of all time never really ignore this title. <i>Final Fantasy VII </i> also laid out the almost endless horizon of artistic expression within video games in that is illuminated the notion of the cinematic within video games. No, it was not the first to use these sorts of cutscenes but it was the first to use them with incredible results. There is a notion of cinematic storytelling within the frame work of this gameplay and the designers meshed these two mediums of expression almost to perfection which is the reason why moments like Aeris's death and Sephiroth walking through the flames are staples within the gaming industry's communal memory.<br />
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With that being said, many fans of the series and of RPGs in general have a good amount to say about why this game is not as great as most make it out to be. A lot of them have very reasonable arguments while a lot of them have superficial arguments...which is the the case for mostly all games and all great games. Many so-called Final Fantasy 'purists' insist it is not the best in the franchise as that honor goes to (most commonly) <i>Final Fantasy VI</i>, a game I have yet to play. Honestly, I have really nothing to say about that only that I'd really like to try the game out, but I hope that this analysis has open the eyes of skeptics. This game is not perfect in an ideal sense, but I see this game's perfection through the passion that is expressed. At least this blog would elevate discussion of the game, whether you like it or not, into a realm much higher than this <u><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkxR4p7P74Y">video</a></u>.<br />
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But there is so much more to this game that I haven't covered. The mythological symbolism, particularly Norse mythology, that is used heavily in the game (do some research on the etymology of Midgar and Nibelheim). There is also a subtle yet significant philosophical allusion in the character of Heidegger (okay, not that subtle, but the significance is quite profound), named after the German philosopher Martin Heidegger. Check out this intellectual's political history and also check out his essay on technology, 'The Question Concerning Technology.' There is so much more to discover and discuss. Alas, I would have to find a publisher if I wanted to pursue such topics.<br />
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I still need to ask myself, "Why?" Why is this game so great and why does it continue to be as important as it was sixteen years ago? Surprisingly, there are elements in the game that should render its popularity nonexistent. Think about it, it was a mainstream game with a huge promotional campaign before its release...and then it has a story that is at some points eccentric and at other points ambiguous, with an ending that was and is sure to make people groan and shout. This game is filled with risks and these risks are overtly enunciated with the transition into three dimensions. And for what it is worth, I greatly admire these risks Square made. The narrative, and the ability to interact with such a narrative, is a tapestry that sends us to the farthest reaches of space and to the deepest abyss of the soul. It takes care of the emotional turmoil of our main character while still maintaining a conflict of paramount grandeur. Maybe that's why its story has become infectious and synonymous with video game evolution. For me, personally, it can be said that it has been a part of my evolution. Sixteen years ago that evolution started. It started with a story so obscure yet encompassed with magnetizing wonderment. It is great to get lost in some form of art and come out of it with more excitement and passion. Finishing the game for the first time recently I stood up from my computer and paced around my house for tens of minutes, throwing myself onto a couch when my legs felt tired, but I maintained a bittersweet passion for what has now finished while also going through explicit moments in the game and asking myself what it all means, still wondering...<br />
<br />
I'm done...for now...<br />
<br />
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>All pictures were taken from the <a href="http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Final_Fantasy_Wiki">Final Fantasy Wiki</a> yet all of these pictures come straight from Square and Tetsuya Nomura. I'd look at his character designs from other games as the subtle differences and trends are all interesting to explore.</li>
<li>Thanks to friend Kenton Roush who gave me counter points as to why VII was inferior to VI. Hopefully my discussion can alleviate such inferiority in his eyes.</li>
<li>As recommendations go that are similar to <i>Final Fantasy VII </i>I will certainly recommend <i>Final Fantasy VI </i> even though I have not played it. I will also recommend games I have played like...well, I think I might need to play more Japanese RPGs. Anyways, I highly recommend the DS game (a remake) <i>Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride</i>, an RPG with an extraordinarily elegant and inter-generational story with classic Japanese RPG gameplay. One game that is, personally, <i>Final Fantasy VII</i>'s equal is the hit <i>Chrono Trigger</i>. With this game, the narrative takes on a complex formulation involving time travel.</li>
<li>I used this walkthrough while playing the game to do as much as I can. It also has some insightful trivia on characters, including Heidegger, take a look <u><a href="http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/130791-final-fantasy-vii/faqs/45703">here</a></u> and search for the section Did You Know That..?</li>
</ul>
Dan L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11533210622337039349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768852729717058794.post-1549335319154077452013-07-23T00:26:00.001-04:002013-07-23T00:26:28.637-04:00Story of a 3DS fanboy<div class="MsoNormal">
Juancho here:</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m a huge Nintendo fanboy. My first system was an N64 and I
didn’t own a non-Nintendo product until 2005, when we got a PS2. Even though I
use my PS3 more than the Wii these days, I still maintain a soft spot for the
big N’s products. That’s why I was moderately excited when the 3DS, the
successor to the wildly successful DS, was released in 2011. I held off on
getting one until Christmas of last year, when I decided to get the XL model.
The system is more than worth its weight.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/01/videogames/detail-page/vg.hh.01.lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/01/videogames/detail-page/vg.hh.01.lg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Nintendo has been steadily releasing a lot of quality
exclusive games for it, which offer the unique handheld experience that they’re
famous for. Stuff like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Super Mario 3D
Land </i>is almost like playing a portable Mario Galaxy, with small levels geared
towards on-the-go play still having clever level design. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="ES-TRAD" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-TRAD;">Kid Icarus</span>:
Uprising</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="ES-TRAD" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-TRAD;">, </span></i><span lang="ES-TRAD" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-TRAD;">one of its most prominent exclusives, has a
unique control scheme combining rail shooters and third-person shooters, with a
fantastic and genuinely funny storyline. Third party games like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Resident Evil Revelations</i> show amazing
use of the 3D and really push the system to its graphical limits.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-TRAD;">The
online component of the 3DS is also a steady evolution if Nintendo’s online
strategies. You can play online, buy original games on the store and even
download full retail games. The store has many hidden gems and quality titles,
with pretty decent prices and occasional discounts. The console also connects
to nearby 3Dses with the StreetPass feature, which provide bonuses on a few games
and applications; especially Mii Plaza, which is where the characters you meet
participate in fun games.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110423171845/nintendo/en/images/7/7a/StreetPass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110423171845/nintendo/en/images/7/7a/StreetPass.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-TRAD;">Looking
forward, I think I’l, be doing most of my gaming on the 3DS. I have no interest
on a next-gen console, considering I have a fairly large backlog on Steam, PS3
and 3DS. Additionally, the 3DS is getting a lot of good games this year,
spearheaded by the new <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pokémon</i> in
October. I</span>’<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-TRAD;">m
personally looking forward to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mario and
Luigi: Dream Team,</i> since I’m a big M&L RPG fan. I’ll probably end up
buying games that I won’t play for months >_><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-TRAD;">Regardless,
go look up a list of 3DS games. It has come a long way since the dark days of
mid 2011, and it has a lot of good stuff on it. If some of those games interest
you, you should consider getting one. And no, I was not paid to write this,
otherwise I would advertise a lot more games. I just really like my 3DS, even
if I haven’t really had a chance to play games on it in the past few weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-TRAD;">Until
next time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12561117039930574735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768852729717058794.post-55988539810414404762013-07-18T07:55:00.000-04:002013-07-18T17:13:45.377-04:00“I’m not going to make the same mistake as my weird uncle”<div class="MsoNormal">
Jerome here:<br />
<br />
I’m not normally the one to throw others under the bus. I
recognize that I have a lot of weird quirks and habits that would be looked
down upon by the most objective of judgmental bitches. But Jesus Christ, I’m going to have to
seriously take issue with my weird ass uncle on this one.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, technically, he’s not my uncle… He’s my dad’s cousin,
which makes him my second cousin. Which makes his son, who I am quite good
friends with, my <i>Bleh</i>..? No
seriously, Google says he’s my second cousin once removed, but that’s bullshit,
let’s be honest. God didn’t intend for us to live so long that we had to worry
about this crap. He might’ve also not intended for us to ever really develop
speech. Even less likely did he intend for a powerful search engine like Google
to come into being to challenge his omniscience… But I digress.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This fucking uncle, man- every day this 62 year old bozo
posts these pictures on Facebook of half-nude females with frat-boy comments
underneath- “Boy, would I take a piece out of her”, “Can you even find a
mistake in that flawless bod??” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And normally, I just look the other way. I have the strength
to say, “I am not looking at the bullshit smut my uncle fantasizes about. I am
a bigger man!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But then, yesterday, I finally clicked on one of the
pictures. Because, yes, I may walk the moral high ground of a young Siddhartha,
but dammnnn, was this bitch hot. I mean, I could fry an egg on that ass! And
those godly Double D’s, I would wreck heerrrr.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But just before I
reached the holy grail of epic hotness, my browser faded to a large
pop-up asking me to sign my Facebook up to allow a Photobucket knockoff to post
pictures on my wall. And it all became brilliantly clear. My. Uncle. Has. Been.
<b>Duped.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I look inward, deep into my onion-layered soul and I repeat
these words- <i>I’m not going to make the
same mistake as my weird uncle. I’m not going to make the same mistake as my
weird uncle. I’m not going to make the same mistake as my weird uncle.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m not. I don’t care how banging this babe is. I don’t care
how much I long to see her duck face juxtaposed with a contrapposto pose. I
don’t care how many buckets of joy she will bring to my life. I won’t do it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You couldn’t pay me to do it. I may be a Med School reject,
down on my luck, always looking for the next buck. But I won’t. Not for a
million dollars. I am better than that. There are other places on the Internet
where there are not <i>just</i> half-nude
females. Nay, I say! There are fully nude females performing unspeakable acts!
Why would I ever jeopardize my sacred Facebook integrity just to see some faded
out picture that I could find with a quick Google search? (I highly doubt God
knows as much about porn as Google, let’s be honest with ourselves)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So that’s it. I’ve convinced myself to do the right thing.
This site will not post for me. I won’t give it a second thought. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But, wait… I just scrolled through my uncle’s Facebook to
discover that the things he says, out of context, are genuinely very witty. If
I didn’t know this man, if I didn’t realize he grew up with my father- and is
enormously uncool by association- I would friend this guy in a second.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even if half his posts are made by some stupid image hosting
website on his behalf, he genuinely is a funny, thoughtful guy. I would get
drinks with this dude. I would consider marrying his daughter if he had one,
just so I could hang out with my cool ass father-in-law. Shit, his personality
is better than my mostly original one that I have spent two decades so
meticulously honing. But when was the last time someone asked to take me out to
drinks? Or even to marry my daughter?!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fuck this! Image website, I welcome you wholeheartedly into
my life! Tell the jokes I’m unwilling to make, call out the honeys I’m
unwilling to approach, post the pictures I find too distasteful, MAKE ME THE
MOST POPULAR MAN IN ALL THE WORLD! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In return, I’ll copy and paste your words everywhere, claiming
them as my own. Not just on my Facebook, but in my real social interactions-
with my parents, prospective mates- hell, pets even. Your words will be spread
to the farthest reaches of my world. Anything to cover up this vapid, shriveled
attempt at a personality that I can’t for the life of me figure out how to
parlay into a girlfriend.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
So here I say it- “I will not make the same mistake as my
weird uncle!” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I won’t cowardly stop at just letting this website post for
me. No, I will <i>be</i> this website. With
my newfound, heavy-handed social grace, I will bring smiles to the faces of
newborn babes, I will piss out the fires of societal strife with my generalized
witticisms, I will rule the world!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unless the website doesn’t want me to. Because the last thing
I want to do is to offend the website.. er.. myself.. er.. my chances at popularity
.. er.. my weird ass uncle.. er.. Who am I supposed to be again? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My head whips back, with my mouth agape, releasing a deep,
booming voice:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>PUNY MORTAL, YOU HAVE UNLEASHED ME ONTO YOUR IMPRESSIONABLE YOUNG CONFIDANTS!
YOU WILL RUE THIS DAY WHEN MY REIGN OF TERROR BEGAN! I WILL PISS O….<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I disconnect my Facebook account and sheepishly start
building a new page, I wonder why I had to make the same mistake as my weird ass
uncle… Maybe the lesson here is that his lack of online tact is merely an
attempt to connect with others- perhaps I should be more tolerant, maybe even
reach an olive branch out to this older generation that so dearly wants to stay
connected. Yeah, I like that. That lesson makes this entire experience worth
it. I will never forget it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But that fucking grandma of mine.. If I have to read one
more stupid status asking where the remote is, or is signed like some weird
Depression era telegram… I swear to God.. I will unfriend her ass faster than
the world realized Usain Bolt was a douche. Needless to say, I would never make
the same mistake as my senile old grandma…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Stop.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5768852729717058794" name="_GoBack"></a></div>
Dan L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11533210622337039349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768852729717058794.post-42085715655557351882013-07-01T15:51:00.000-04:002013-07-03T13:36:56.735-04:00Olivia de Havilland: It Is All In Her Eyes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuI4IsgUwGDAsbazb_-7r5XIOr_uy2bEMo0SvhoU5z-oI7ezPKQdLQ05tPxb3KgjUzj-C4JJwPtmLYu-7I5nSuZs7f8HGcgRRX58G7ZiAeHEN1K9uFFrxEVqx4fAGDhfexurrlAzfTg4iD/s1600/Olivia_de_Havilland_still.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuI4IsgUwGDAsbazb_-7r5XIOr_uy2bEMo0SvhoU5z-oI7ezPKQdLQ05tPxb3KgjUzj-C4JJwPtmLYu-7I5nSuZs7f8HGcgRRX58G7ZiAeHEN1K9uFFrxEVqx4fAGDhfexurrlAzfTg4iD/s640/Olivia_de_Havilland_still.jpg" width="496" /></a></div>
<br />
My goodness gracious, her eyes...<br />
<br />
I will have to admit that one of the main physical features that attracts me to a woman is her eyes. It is something I can't describe in detail because I still can't think of the right words to describe why they, really, intoxicate me with the jitters and a warm smile. Maybe it is the raw display of what really is going on with the individual emotionally. I don't know, but what I do know is that I have fallen - hard - under the spell of the great classic screen actress, Olivia de Havilland. I mean look at her eyes. The roundness of them seem to underline the illustrious size. Coupled with the soft, round cheeks, her disposition is so elegantly expressed in all of her films she graced in. Her standard physiognomy seems to be that of serenity and unbounded care, almost a motherly figure. Whenever I watch her films I stick to her face in every scene like a magnet. I watch those eyes with the cheeks in the peripheral, so to speak. I watch them as they react to the world she lives in. What makes me so excited to watch Olivia's performances are the dynamics of the eyes. If her words and the rest of her physicality do not always exhibit her true feelings, her eyes certainly do. This is not a description of passivity. No, she uses her eyes as an instrument to get what she wants, to express a strength and utility that the other characters look up to. I find all of this attractive, and whenever I see a medium shot of her and look into her eyes my insides turn into mush and I feel the spell she has cast once again...but I'll say it is a spell worth having. Oh, yes indeed.<br />
<br />
In other words, I have a schoolboy crush on Olivia de Havilland...<br />
<br />
Having said that, though, I will try my best to illustrate why she is one of the greatest of all classic screen actresses as analytically as possible, but I will say already that it will not be perfect in those regards; I can't ignore my affection for a wonderful artist while I am trying to find every facet that contributes to her unique acting. Moreover, I do not always discuss films through the filmography of an actor/actress; this is the first. So let us begin.<br />
<br />
To begin my discussion, using her eyes as the launchpad, we must first go to the film she may be most remembered for, and one of the most popular films of all time, <i>Gone With the Wind</i>. This 1939 film is the quintessential melodrama of fiery passions and epic scope. Underneath the melodramatic narrative construction lies a war film, a character study, sociopolitical themes, and gender studies. But, the engine that drives this film is the passionate exchanges of fragmented love. It is what makes this film so watchable after all these years and despite a distancing gap in time between the dramatic classic film of Hollywood's golden era and of contemporary times. These passionate exchanges of fragmented love refer to the four main characters of the story, performed by one of the great ensemble casts: Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara, Clark Gable as Rhett Butler, Leslie Howard as Ashley Wilkes, and Olivia as Melanie Wilkes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5LRNzQPGgDygRQwuv8N5Wb9nOLSIOEgXXdjhGC6OLD-R7sfYa3Uj5c5U3PgpiqCow0cI5aV234VzRjWujiMFTqri7UzW4ZY4GqSXCLS8bvvO9BRrUFCbqnlbBnhNIHidZzHt-v64WGH-l/s1600/olivia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5LRNzQPGgDygRQwuv8N5Wb9nOLSIOEgXXdjhGC6OLD-R7sfYa3Uj5c5U3PgpiqCow0cI5aV234VzRjWujiMFTqri7UzW4ZY4GqSXCLS8bvvO9BRrUFCbqnlbBnhNIHidZzHt-v64WGH-l/s640/olivia.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
It is crucial to note that GWTW is anything but a standard romantic flick. In fact, I was speaking about it to some friends and one of them unabashedly remarked that it is really only a classic chick flick. However, the film is overtly depressing, with its focal point positioned on a chaotic love and, yes, sexual relationship as well as the depressing and devastating setting of the Civil War. In addition, having the protagonist be overtly unfaithful as well as stepping away from every sort of modern chick flick cliche during the course of the three and a half hours (which, to say the least, is far beyond an adequate running time for a chick flick because those sorts of films would never give that much time for character development) carries much more weight than a, "Valentine's Day." The film is dark, the dialogue, in great classic Hollywood fashion, is piercing, witty, passionate, and sometimes raw, enunciating the wickedness of Scarlett, the destruction that is Rhett, the insatiability of Ashley, and, of course, the pain of Melanie. This is supreme melodrama, but melodrama does not equate to the sentimentality used in today's shallow films. In the days of GWTW, it evoked passion.<br />
<br />
That miniature rant has a point, I promise. It is suffice to say that the combination between Rhett, Scarlett, and Ashley contribute to the demise of Melanie through their mutual infidelity, hatred, and anguish. The former three characters all have qualities that are nothing short of destructive: Scarlett's infatuation with Ashley blinds her with hatred towards Melanie spawns a resulting hatred for Rhett during their marriage. Rhett's headstrong and idealized sensibilities towards Scarlett and his rumbling internalized anguish for his past let loose at the end of the film; and Ashley and his meager disposition renders him helpless and passive as he always looks back at the Old South in such a way that he still foolishly believes that he can retain such experiences while trying to withhold a rusted sense of chivalry towards his secret love in Scarlett. The conglomeration of such flaws physically tear down Melanie slowly but surely and in several pivotal scenes, Olivia de Havilland effortlessly embodies a woman who absorbs the hardships of others because what is inside of her is far stronger that how she appears outside. Olivia presents Melanie as a delicate figure, whose movements are characterized by gentleness so as not to physically hurt others. When we are first introduced to her (shown in the still frame above), Olivia turns around and glides toward the camera echoing a ballet. At the crux of such a movement and after Ashley has announced to Melanie from off the frame that Scarlett has arrived, Olivia so gently reiterates Scarlett's name, as if she is afraid that enunciating it too boldly will be detrimental to Scarlett. Rhythmically beautiful, this introduction is a subtle yet powerful first impression that skillfully highlights a gracefulness in the character of Melanie that will soon disintegrate. Yet, this sort of craft could only be done by someone who understands the complexity of such a character and is not afraid to restrain such intense facets in a melodramatic framework.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZCz7obFOBuR9TSur0kcNu5LJAcgPqCj6b1xUZGqNpCM0fTcmm42goauNvszVnKc9f6-j1Bu8fajOw-_cC2krdVpagzaXZoW_JP_hDjXhYHnwWHgrIiFhrFyAj2mNSDcONXRXkzZNtGEK/s1600/melanie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZCz7obFOBuR9TSur0kcNu5LJAcgPqCj6b1xUZGqNpCM0fTcmm42goauNvszVnKc9f6-j1Bu8fajOw-_cC2krdVpagzaXZoW_JP_hDjXhYHnwWHgrIiFhrFyAj2mNSDcONXRXkzZNtGEK/s320/melanie.jpg" width="320" /></a>Consider a single shot from one scene (left), the scene where, after Scarlett gets jumped by Union soldiers in a shanty town, Rhett, Ashley, and other men strike back by attacking the shanty town. After fooling the Union police, it is revealed that Ashley was shot during this whole escapade. He is quickly taken to a bed to lie down and be taken care of. In a glorious shot, where Rhett and Ashley appear within the same frame (something that happens rarely in the course of 233 minutes), we see the nature of each of the four main characters in spatial and physical relation to one another. Olivia's Melanie is the active agent as well as the pivot point of the shot, essentially lassoing all the other characters together. Scarlett stands in the extreme foreground, not in focus. Her mind is drenched in thoughts of Ashley but she remains disconnected by the turmoil surrounding her. Rhett, after explaining the story to Melanie, professes his unworthiness to her as if she is the only one he can't hide his past from. And then there is Ashley, lying helplessly on the bed, completely passive. Superficially, this shot has nothing to do with de Havilland and her performance, really, but it was such a great shot to discuss that it only furthers my point about how these characters function within the narrative.<br />
<br />
Let us now look upon the scene in which Scarlett is forced by Rhett to attend Ashley's birthday party after she and Ashley were discovered swooning over each other earlier that day. In harsh humor, Rhett also forces Scarlett to wear the most risque dress in her wardrobe, setting up a confrontation that Scarlett would<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXCpEDsCEHVWj_wL2fVHSEz5KpdsE_2n1o8O9B21cG8WAlFXElat6J3i_YfP8C72cV-lU1O-EO0orF1WTO03IVN8vZuSTSpTA_KRXZEQ8pOmUzvSWQqyGs3bKFM0wAYOc_kTgMmtn6YjZj/s1600/melanie2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXCpEDsCEHVWj_wL2fVHSEz5KpdsE_2n1o8O9B21cG8WAlFXElat6J3i_YfP8C72cV-lU1O-EO0orF1WTO03IVN8vZuSTSpTA_KRXZEQ8pOmUzvSWQqyGs3bKFM0wAYOc_kTgMmtn6YjZj/s320/melanie2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1DWRhq0J_c2LoroL8WHpaZpqN1ZLB59IyWdkGXz4JGs3lELD-YXQrjk_u4iLnysG2_MggcC0AZiI_KhaIFpJO8ZX2W6HKzx6jUiNuo6F2LnT4XERWwuXqOdwANqhtu_J82UzZGtfoMa6/s1600/melanie3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1DWRhq0J_c2LoroL8WHpaZpqN1ZLB59IyWdkGXz4JGs3lELD-YXQrjk_u4iLnysG2_MggcC0AZiI_KhaIFpJO8ZX2W6HKzx6jUiNuo6F2LnT4XERWwuXqOdwANqhtu_J82UzZGtfoMa6/s320/melanie3.jpg" width="320" /></a> surely think is (socially) fatal between her and Melanie. Of course, knowing Melanie's selflessness, this doesn't happen and instead Melanie takes the hand of Scarlett and takes her to greet the other guests. But, more importantly, regard the face Olivia uses in this scene, shown at right. Her face has a slight hint of austerity but maintains a noticeable reverence, especially when she begins to take Scarlett around. It is her eyes, though, where the pain lies. Her internalization of the conflicts around her begin with the eyes, where there always seems to be some underlining sadness. Emotional strength translates into a facade of physical strength, as shown by the tracking shot as Melanie approaches Scarlett, but, again, the eyes show a weariness that cannot be hidden. Olivia creates one of the great facades in classic Hollywood. It is elegantly derived from her using the ambiguity of Melanie's limitless love for Scarlett, who most certainly seems to be going out of her way to make people respect a person who really doesn't deserve respect. In fact, her disposition becomes slightly hostile when she looks upon the distasteful faces of the other guests at the birthday party. As a viewer, we wonder why Melanie does this and Olivia's performance never makes this wonderment clear by restraining the rest of her face which is why it is so brilliantly done.<br />
<br />
This leads us to the end of the film, where the cynicism of the other characters finally destroys her. Melanie ends up being the mediator to the marriage struggle of Rhett and Scarlett, a struggle with vicious hatred and abhorrence to life, itself. Her physical facade is breaking down. Again, her eyes, which were once underpinned by a sullen sadness, now reek of devastation. Olivia has a notable physical characteristic that I'm sure the makeup artists used to their advantage -soft folds under her eyes (see below) that either add to her gentleness or, in this case, amplify her pain. It is also worth noting that her movement does not exhibit the same balletic grace as before. When she walks up the stairs in Scarlett's home as Mammy unloads on a series of tragedies upon her, it is as if she literally becomes encumbered by travesty that hinders her capability to walk. I love the way Olivia plays this scene. We hear the dark news of Rhett and Scarlett in the forefront but we can't help but feel pain for Melanie because Olivia treats this scene as a tragic oppression upon her character, who has up until now withstood all calamities with emotional prowess.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRDg2UqoJhzewr7L4-GAHqBIzQb9ExOXCpwCF3OPEPnVszwX-CJOiBlWipQZf7ibYGdRszIksi5RYEgsMdW7FTf1Fsli2z__Z4MiKWsGgPU6xD7vxv6FNVXtNu0fo9VzM3ubTJW6VXOoZc/s1600/melanie4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRDg2UqoJhzewr7L4-GAHqBIzQb9ExOXCpwCF3OPEPnVszwX-CJOiBlWipQZf7ibYGdRszIksi5RYEgsMdW7FTf1Fsli2z__Z4MiKWsGgPU6xD7vxv6FNVXtNu0fo9VzM3ubTJW6VXOoZc/s640/melanie4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Melanie dies and for what? Wikipedia says it was because <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gone_with_the_Wind_(film)">Melanie was going to have another baby</a>. Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think that is mentioned at all in the film. Nevertheless, I like to think, rather blissfully...and don't take this the wrong way, that she died because of other's sins. Interestingly, the character of Melanie is in no way a representation of some religious theme or a Messianic symbol, but it makes sense that her death can be contributed to the viciousness between the other three characters. Again, this sort of interpretation has everything to do with the way Olivia approached this role. She manages to balance out gentleness, emotional power, agency, frailty, and sorrow, all without overexposing any of these facets. Moreover, she does not create a character that is black and white, nor does it remain consistently flat. No, Olivia's performance ignites our curiosity as to what motivates her, but we are left only with observation of her actions (which counts, too). I remember my first time watching this film, which was quote recent, unfortunately. I came out of it regarding this actress who I did not know well at the time, in a manner that made me say to myself, "Wow, she is the tragic figure of this darkly melodramatic film."<br />
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This was the film that got me to notice her. From here on out I sought more and more films she was involved with. At that point, I was more curious about her versatility as an actress. I was unaware that she was involved in one of Hollywood's most famous onscreen couples, pairing with Errol Flynn in a series of lavish swashbucklers in the 1930s, the zenith being the classic <i>The Adventures of Robin Hood</i>. I was a bit skeptical before seeing this film, mostly due to my naive ignorance that the lady who gave such an astounding and tragic performance in an epic melodrama could be a passive damsel in distress for a super-saturated masculine man. My ignorance numbed my intelligence yet as I watched <i>The Adventures of Robin Hood</i> not only enjoyed it, but found it to be one of the most fun films I have seen in recent memory. Olivia inhabits her role with playful grace, matching the charm and wit of her leading man. Intriguingly, her role is not traditionally passive but more of what I like to call passive active. Her role within the historical context of the film's setting forces her to be immobile to a large extent, but she always makes her presence felt and she always bests many of the men who carry greater power. It is worth noting that in <i>Robin Hood</i>, Errol and Olivia's characters save each other when they are in danger.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jWOrH9grdmHnD0QfPBuLR7YqL2dN29BsZCBpovdS9WckXjFq3e1Apvufhr4WJ8TU1h1jQ8veygHIeC_XT_kI7TO2IjkhFjeT_URnNbDHcucSmkO4mi_jsDENfSzxb1XmkmxWfaB4ZRxj/s1600/melanie6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jWOrH9grdmHnD0QfPBuLR7YqL2dN29BsZCBpovdS9WckXjFq3e1Apvufhr4WJ8TU1h1jQ8veygHIeC_XT_kI7TO2IjkhFjeT_URnNbDHcucSmkO4mi_jsDENfSzxb1XmkmxWfaB4ZRxj/s320/melanie6.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb99L2ldlTKwHyXNeXcOjgq_m81V1Pgbia47YvxjpCFUE00LenS06q9XCXvSvB4xaA1Z4ynMUm6SQMpj7HXW8hf9xhaqo5m7x1up50a3YeZW_1yfo8z6EjZNrB8DVHsBn3i5TAPFUY5Eef/s1600/melanie5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb99L2ldlTKwHyXNeXcOjgq_m81V1Pgbia47YvxjpCFUE00LenS06q9XCXvSvB4xaA1Z4ynMUm6SQMpj7HXW8hf9xhaqo5m7x1up50a3YeZW_1yfo8z6EjZNrB8DVHsBn3i5TAPFUY5Eef/s320/melanie5.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
In their first film together, <i>Captain Blood</i>, she heralds an enthusiastic spirit that seems so perfect for a film drenched in adventurous lore. While many other actresses at the time were advancing their career by playing naughty and seething characters, Olivia de Havilland shined by playing the nice girl. But what made it even more impressive was that in these films with Errol Flynn she was believable. Her characters held this sense of truthfulness that transcended the standard melodramatic touch. Much of this has to do with the flawless connection she made with Errol, with their relationship exuding a pleasant amount of lightheartedness. This makes sense because, intriguingly, Olivia has said that for the longest time she had a crush on the gallant leading man. She chose not to appease that crush stating that it would most certainly distract their professional careers. That's a bold move if I ever did see one, and a respectful one at that. Nevertheless, the chemistry between the two is marvelous and Olivia's presence as the love interest in these swashbucklers added a welcoming dose of joviality, most certainly reinforcing the timelessness of these films. Alas, I will say that, physically, this sort of authentic joviality is most certainly attributed to her, well, eyes. Again, like I stated when discussing <i>Gone With the Wind</i>, there is a sense of gentleness but at the same time emotional dignity and strength. Or maybe another way to describe it is potent bliss. It is a great counterpart to the masculinity of Errol's characters but it is more crucial because it leads to the intersection of their relationship, and why their characters always seem right when they get together. Her eyes, those round vibrant eyes, express such camaraderie.<br />
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Though, if you were wondering, Olivia is capable of acting without gentleness and with a sort of, shall we say, chaos. In the 1948 film, <i>The Snake Pit</i>, Olivia takes on the role of a character who spends many years in a mental institution, with most of the time not realizing she is in a mental institution. Her performance is chaotic as she embodies a women with schizophrenia, high doses of paranoia, and a stringent disconnect with reality. The context of this film is quite interesting as well. <i>The Snake Pit </i>is one of the first films that tackles not just the lack of awareness of mental disorders but also the deprivation the mental patients are subjected to in the degraded institutions they are thrown in. By today's standards, it could seem quite tame and slightly misinformed, but I feel it holds its ground, especially surrounding the topic of mental disorder awareness. In many ways, its sense of bringing humanity to such issues is on par with another masterpiece, that of the 1963 film, <i>The Miracle Worker </i>(albeit this film doesn't match the incomparable rawness of the Arthur Penn film). Olivia tackles a character that, at first, seems very different from her previous outings but, in a more careful comparison to the character of Melanie Wilkes, we see that in this 1948 film, her character, Virginia, exhibits a similar frailty. Frailty is masked by desperation and in this film. We directly feel this desperation through the widened eyes of Olivia. Her reality is always in question so her eyes become, well, they become interpreters of such a reality, except from time to time they become unreliable interpreters. Reality through her eyes is rendered under the powerful dominance of paranoia. The frailty I spoke of earlier comes through in Virginia's frantic physicality, displaying a disposition that might snap at any moment.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRvQ1nI2Qy_wmP0encsLenzt9EGb1QzU6LaU5sWP76g8__BcaGSgVzL4f9RVLJxIzOP-87XuNyCbEcYrAaCoAW_ov0PVeNy2bAsVxxzzOly2Cjq9Oes-q8Hfs6n672F6VkX2O4vJxQR91/s1600/dehavilland1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRvQ1nI2Qy_wmP0encsLenzt9EGb1QzU6LaU5sWP76g8__BcaGSgVzL4f9RVLJxIzOP-87XuNyCbEcYrAaCoAW_ov0PVeNy2bAsVxxzzOly2Cjq9Oes-q8Hfs6n672F6VkX2O4vJxQR91/s400/dehavilland1.png" width="400" /></a>A year later, Olivia brought home her second Oscar for the role of Catherine Sloper in William Wyler's fantastic and surprising melodrama, <i>The Heiress</i>. I watched this for the first time recently and I was surprised at its deliberation to invert itself while remaining in a conventional melodramatic framework. This inversion, mainly focused on tone and (intriguingly) gender roles, has Olivia's character in the center and what transpires is a dramatic shift in how Catherine views her world and how Olivia treats this shift. It is glorious, to say the least, as well as shocking. Olivia's Catherine starts off with unabridged naivety and social ineptitude, and there is an early scene at a party where she dances with pristine awkwardness. She dances not as if she is trying to gracefully woo a gentleman but as if she is in a social survival game, one that requires detaching seriousness. Her whole ordeal at the party is one of mechanical meagerness and clumsiness. In addition, before she dances, she almost forgets to put down her cup, and looking at it while the gentleman looks on blankly, her expression of, "How in the world did that get there?" is priceless. Having said that, Olivia's vibrancy comes through in a dichotomy of stares; stares that define the stark mental state her Catherine is in after continuously being manipulated by the men around her. This is formally shown in the two intensely different halves of the film's narrative. The first half of the film, with the party scene, features Olivia and the naïve stare, filled with innocence and anxiety. The second half of the film features Olivia and the austere stare (or the, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn," face to use a pun). The shift is made over the course of the film and again her eyes are the starting point to discern the difference. In watching this film for the first time, her rare movement in the second half of the film suggested a remnant of her meager self but I watched her eyes as her father began to talk to her about his illness. It is a face of resignation to any emotional investment in the men who destroyed her soul, including her father, to put it bluntly, since she uses the same face to turn away from the desperate Morris Townsend (played very well by the then rising star, Montgomery Clift).<br />
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With the raising of the eyebrows and the slight rising of the eyelids, we see a substantial change between Catherine over the duration of the film, expressing a cynical sort of character arc. If only I could show footage from this film, because the overall performance, her movement, is quite intriguing to behold. <em>The Heiress</em> is an amazing piece of melodrama, one of the best, if I may say. Her strong and unpredictable performance creates unease that you don't find of much in films of that time. One can think of it as an antithesis to Olivia's Melanie Wilkes, and she presents this case very convincingly. Yet, familiarity is induced through the nuance of her characters' facets and developments. Catherine Sloper and Melanie Wilkes invoke a potent combination of weakness and strength, of being oblivious while also weathering a storm of mental hardships. Olivia has an almost calculating interest in the way in which these sorts of characters will function under tumultuous scenarios, and lo and behold both <em>The Heiress </em>and <em>Gone With the Wind</em> present us with that sort of narrative construction. Where as Melanie had a façade of strength built around her that gave way towards the end, Catherine built up an austere shell towards the end. Ambiguity lurks among both characters as well. During the final and painful scene in <em>The Heiress</em>, her eyes widen with tension and release themselves as she walks past the front door, where on the other side is Morris. Walking up the stairs she completes her austere self with the austere face. Is she really happy with what she is doing? Who knows? Looking at these two characters in these two films in this sort of way, I can see how they relate and why she is so powerful in each of these performances.</div>
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I don't know, maybe this is just a very long rant on why I think Olivia de Havilland is a beautiful women and my silly crush, but I can't help but talk and talk and talk...(or type, actually). Yet, there is an appeal that strikes me that goes beyond her heavenly eyes. I realized she never played a seductress (or at least most of her roles never comprised of that) and her greatest performances are from characters that are far from being flat and passive. There always seems to be a genuine grace that surrounds her and when she knowingly throws that away, like in <em>The Snake Pit</em>, it doesn't come to us as a bothersome trope, but rather as attractive curiosity. She was an actress for her time and she mastered the melodrama, probably part of the reason why she was cast in many of the eras greatest and most original melodramas. It is not like Olivia de Havilland is not one of the more famous classic screen actresses. In fact, I will say that she does not come close in popularity to the likes of Katherine Hepburn, Barbara Stanwyck, Lauren Bacall, or Claudette Colbert. She doesn't have the incomparable charm of Hepburn (who runs a close second as my favorite), the sex appeal of Stanwyck, or the mysterious gaze of Bacall. I guess I find her position in Hollywood more professional (eh, I don't even understand it, really).</div>
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I guess it is finally safe to say, though, that my excitement for watching her on film has risen exponentially on the account that she is actually still alive. As the last surviving member of the main cast of <em>Gone With the Wind</em>, Olivia de Havilland is living in Paris ninety-seven years young. Like Ray Bradbury before, who unfortunately past away around this time last year, it becomes one of those scenarios where I continuously think to myself that I still have a chance to see her...I mean I do...it is just that going to Paris is not an easy thing for me to do and it breaks my heart thinking about it. Nevertheless, I retain my strength, as well as the happiness that she is still alive as a fortunate and caring human being while also being a gateway to a history never to be repeated, a time machine if you will (in reference to Bradbury's short story, if you will, again...). Moreover, along with the idea of seeing her, is the admiration for living that long of a life that has been so rewarding and exciting. I can only hope for that same treatment, but I must be stronger in many regards before I can think about that. Watching her films gives me much exhilaration for classic cinema, cinema in general, in fact. Her characters, despite being so tragic and so vitalizing with passion and intense emotions, have always imbued within them something you can't quite grasp and understand. It is beauty in craft and beauty in form, pure and unadulterated, with her only blemish- a severe, almost lifelong fight between her younger sister, Joan Fontaine (who is still living as well!). Of course, something like that doesn't hinder my appreciation for her work in film. Her mere existence onscreen makes up for any blemishes. But let's not kid ourselves here...</div>
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...it all started with those eyes.</div>
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Here are the essential films of Olivia de Havilland. I recommend all of these not just for fantastic performances by Olivia but also for exposure to the great melodramas classic swashbucklers:</div>
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<i>Captain Blood (1935)</i></div>
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<i>The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)</i></div>
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<i>Gone With the Wind (1939)</i></div>
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<i>Hold Back the Dawn (1941)</i></div>
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<i>To Each His Own (1946)</i></div>
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<i>The Snake Pit (1948)</i></div>
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<i>The Heiress (1949)</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">edited by Peter Berris</span>Dan L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11533210622337039349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768852729717058794.post-54373465574972074222013-06-30T17:07:00.000-04:002013-06-30T17:13:47.861-04:00You Must Find An -Ism Or Else No One CaresThere is a scene early in Frank Capra's great comedy, <i>You Can't Take It With You</i>, where Lionel Barrymore's character, Martin, gives advice to his wife, Penny, about a possible play she could write in the form of 'ism-mania.'<br />
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Penny: Ism-mania?</div>
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Martin: Yeah, sure, you know, Communism, Fascism, Voodoo-ism, everbody's got an -ism these days.</div>
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Penny: Oh [laughs]</div>
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Penny: I thought it was some kind of itch or something.</div>
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Martin: It is just as catching. When things go a little bad nowadays, you go out, get yourself an -ism and you're in business.</div>
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This scene is played in a nonchalant manner, but its message is one of the most poignant in the lighthearted film. This came in 1938, yet this strange issue is just as pertinent today. To begin to discuss this what the problem Martin is referring to, we must ask ourselves this question: What does it mean to have a specified ideology? In other words, what does it mean to be communist, deist, feminist, liberal, conservative, humanist, environmentalist, et cetera? In this day in age, all it takes is an announcement that you are a certain -ism and people carry with them ready-made expectations of you. And why not? That's really what these -isms are meant to do, clarify a certain way of thinking amid an infinite array of other ways of thinking. But really, to what degree does that define someone? For example, if I proclaim myself a communist to everyone at my school then everyone would most certainly carry their expectations of who I am because of my proclamation. </div>
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Yet, there are two issues that arise with this simple scenario: what does it mean if I do not proclaim myself a communist and just because I say it does it really mean I act upon it? Let's tackle the latter issue. Saying that I am a communist and and living as one are two different things. Sometimes, we use these -isms as shallow labels to fit into a group, maybe part of some sort of social integration. Or, in a slightly different situation, if you are a communist and suddenly (hypothetically, for the most part, mind you) communists believe in flying on planes naked, that means you will have to fly on planes naked, right? Some individuals would probably endorse it (maybe not actually acting upon that endorsement) while others would have second thoughts. For those that have second thoughts, why? If communism seems to have encapsulated your way of thinking, then why should you? Can you really proclaim yourself a communist anymore if you are not going to act upon its ideologies?</div>
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Alright, let's look at the other issue, the omission of any sort of proclamation of a specific -ism. What if I don't proclaim I am communist? Are people to believe that I do not advocate what communists advocate? I mean, I didn't say I was against communist thought. How about this (and I know some of the controversial significance but bear with me, please), if I proclaim to be an ardent capitalist, does that officially me I cannot adhere to one iota of thought within the communist construct? This -ism word seems to carry a lot of weight and people's perceptions of them are avid and, to a large extent, adamantine. Maybe it is because in an uncertain world, the allure to constantly fine some graspable concept to achieve an amount of relativity towards another individual has people hinge upon these terms as a zero sum form of reality clarification.</div>
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I was perusing the internet where I caught sight of an intriguing <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2013/jun/30/susan-sarandon-q-and-a">interview</a> of famed actress, Susan Sarandon, where the title read, 'Susan Sarandon: 'Feminism is a bit of an old-fashioned word.'' This attracted me just of the basis that I wanted to hear what she had to say. Though, I must admit, I have a slight distaste in the way we throw around feminism as some sort of cure to many of our problems (for reasons that should be clear in this post). Nevertheless, I read the interview, and here is what Sarandon said about feminism:</div>
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"<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I think of myself as a humanist because I think it's less alienating to people who think of feminism as being a load of strident bitches and because you want everyone to have equal pay, equal rights, education and healthcare. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">It's a bit of an old-fashioned word. It's used more in a way to minimise you. My daughter [Eva Amurri, from Sarandon's relationship with Italian film director Franco Amurri] who is 28, doesn't even relate to the word "feminist" and she is definitely in control of her decisions and her body.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">She is blunt in her honesty (but honest, nonetheless), yet she doesn't denounce feminism. She just thinks there is a better solution, a more general and accepting solution, to identify her ways of thinking. In regards to her daughter, she thinks its just not even necessary. Fine, that's just fine. A women rejecting feminism as a label for strong personal reasons is fine and shouldn't be attacked ruthlessly, right?</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px;">Right. A massive Hollywood star and her daughter, living lives of complete material security and huge social privilege, have no need for feminism.</span></div>
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Might it be because they never have to struggle with discrimination in the workplace, sexual harassment on the street and public transport, unequal pay, unequal social support, poverty in old age and every other shitty thing that the majority of women living in the 'ordinary' developed world are disproportionately affected by. That's not even thinking about the gross abuse of girls and women in less developed parts of the world, just because they happen to be female.</div>
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Kindly STFU."</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Oh...well, I can see why people get mad, especially with the, "...strident bitches," portion but she never said feminism is bad. She said it was obsolete, and in her case she may be right. She isn't calling for the end of feminism and she certainly isn't advocating for, I dunno, the raping of women or unequal social support or whatever. Yet, this is what this poster is arguing. Nevermind that their basis has nothing to do with her gender but more to do with her occupation, a connection that is shallow when generalized in a comment as brief as that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I won't say much, this post can easily be turned into a novella, but I will say that -isms have come to be a tool to easily define an individual, even though that is always a tough task to do. I don't have answers to try and solve this problem, none at all. I am only reacting to observations I see. I just hope that we can go beyond the restricting usage we have turned these -ism to in order to continue discussion and not come to rash and generalized conclusions. Here is a film I made last semester, or rather, a part of it that has to do with this whole ism-mania. Go to the 9:51 part. I mean, you can watch the whole thing but it is long and my pacing is definitely off, but I am definitely content with it. Just remember not to narrow our exploration into issues and such because of these -isms.</span></div>
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Dan L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11533210622337039349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768852729717058794.post-18350760832618965112013-06-25T14:10:00.003-04:002013-06-25T14:10:43.028-04:00Babel: The Space Between Us<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Greek philosopher Zeno postulated many paradoxes of motion, the general idea being that if we set off from some place, A, to another, B, we will never complete the trip because we would first have to walk half the distance between A and B and then half that distance and then half of that, so on and so forth...thereby actually never reaching point B. Although this idea does not entirely fit the concept of my discussion today, it brings up a crucial point about humanity and its plethora of races and cultures, one that is so scathingly, yet tenderly, explored in Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's 2006 film, <i>Babel.</i> It is a parable of the vast distances between groups of people who were raised in different cultures, who grow up to construct colossally different perceptions of reality. Inarritu elegantly constructs a narrative based on chance, but the power of his story lies in the ways in which the characters deal with these chance happenings they cannot fully understand. The ways in which the characters deal with the situations presented before them is the motor of the film, as we observe the disconnect they have towards each other in terms of language, perceptions of reality, and what Roger Ebert so beautifully describes in his <a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/babel-2006">essay</a> on the film as a certain cultural residue each character carries - almost unbeknownst to them. An example of this residue would be the scene where the nanny Amelia and her nephew are crossing the border after the wedding of Amelia's son. She had taken the two kids who she is responsible for to the wedding, which happen to be the kids of two other characters in the film (played by Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett). It is very late at night when they reach the border guard. When the guards scan the vehicle and spot the kids, two white kids, their suspicion is aroused and further inquiry is necessitated, leading to far more unfortunate events. It is not the fault of the kids for being white in contrast to Amelia and her nephew who are Mexican, but rather with this contrast, the guard is forced to perform his duty with unforeseeable tragic results.<br />
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This cultural residue is the defining facet of <i>Babel</i>'s thematic power, because it lays out the way in which the filmmakers wanted to visualize such a story. Yes, the narrative is propelled by coincidental actions that affect many characters across the globe, showcasing how one small event in one place can lead to serious consequences in another land thousands of miles away. But this is not the point of the film; we must focus our attention on a theme of the film I have already mentioned: the way in which different people from different cultures handle specific situations. This sort of narrative element is used to emphasize the distances that seem to exist between different peoples. For example, when Cate Blanchett's character is shot, due to the immaturity of a kid, we see the US government react as if it was a terrorist attack and the Moroccan police respond accordingly in their search for the culprit. Because of this unfortunate event, the aforementioned kids, who are looked over by Amelia, must stay with Ameila because she cannot find anyone else to take care of them as she goes to her son's wedding; the kids go along with her. Consequently, these kids observe and even participate in Mexican culture, so foreign to them on many levels, as brutal and exciting all at once. When they hear celebratory gunshots fired in the air their faces immediately display a change in disposition to that of despair and sullenness. It is not the fault of the Mexican family celebrating a wedding in the way they always do and it is not the fault of the kids for being so scared of what they see. It is just that they are significantly dissimilar and this dissimilarity becomes more potent when they come together, a paradox, I sense, in the minds of many (I'll get to that at the end of this piece).<br />
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Much of the emotional power comes from the contemplative camera of Rodrigo Prieto. This may sound strange for those of you who have seen the film since much of the camerawork is rugged, unstable, and fluctuating, coupled with bombastic editing. Yet, there are shots so elaborately and serenely laid out that we look upon them with far more care than other, quicker, shots. Consider the one above; an extreme long shot in which the vast expanse of the American desert engulfs Amelia and the children (she is carrying the daughter, played by a very young Elle Fanning) as they appear only as specks of a larger, uncontrollable environment. Abandoned by Amelia's nephew amid a police chase, this shot details the contradiction of their relationship; though the American kids and the Mexican woman are physically very close together, maybe even the closest they have ever been, it is their cultural perceptions that drive them away from each other. The kids have no idea why they are in the situation they are in and it is something Amelia could not really explain to them because, after all, what is really definitive of their situation?</div>
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Consider another example when Cheiko, a deaf Japanese girl, enters a nightclub. This scene is fascinating in many ways (though those that get antsy with a barrage of flashing lights should be careful with this visually intense episode). There is a point where the thumping music, a remix of Earth, Wind and Fire's 'September,' pounds in the background. We cut to Cheiko's perspective of what the nightclub is like, a wavering point -of-view shot. What makes it so powerful is that the cut to her perspective occurs right as the singing starts and, if you know the song, there is a sense of tension built around that one cut but it makes so much sense because it allows us to clearly understand the difference in worlds between Cheiko and those around her. Now, this scene is filmed much differently than that of Amelia and the children in the desert. Chaos and instability ensue with, again, the neurotic flashes of light. Yet, it preaches the same theme of disconnect. Instead of cultural barriers, we have a physical disability altering the girls perspective on reality, though she is in extreme proximity with others of her own ethnicity. For a short time, she made connections with people from another world, the world of sound, yet, when she is as close as she is going to get, the distance materializes and melancholy takes hold. What once was a day of activity and excited uncertainty now becomes a lonely void. Both the nightclub and the desert provide their own constitution of loneliness.</div>
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<i>Babel </i>is all about how these characters come together to make prospective connections with each other and, just as crucially, how these connections are severed. Just as Cheiko's connection with boys who could hear was severed when she enters the nightclub, Brad Pitt's character, Richard Jones, connects with a Moroccan tour guide only soon to find their bond severed. Stranded in the hometown of the guide with his badly injured wife waiting for an ambulance, Richard befriends this tour guide in a way that is dominated by understanding in plight. In other words, not many words were shared (Richard even cusses the poor man out) but they stick together and trust each other through common understanding of emotions. Below is a scene of rare gentleness. A relatively static frame encloses the two in a small room, away from the outside fervor, albeit only briefly. They sit at opposite ends of the room, a clear indication of distance, but it simultaneously suggests closeness. Richard's wife serves as the unfortunate focal point in the composition, the commonality of strife that had brought them together in the first place. A strong connection is made, though, when they begin to talk about their kids, and the action of Richard throwing his wallet across the room exemplifies this by allowing for the tour guide to see a picture of his kids. What makes it as casual of a scene as your gonna get in this film is when Richard inquires, with slight sarcasm, as to how many wives the tour guide has, and in response the tour guide says he can only afford one. This is really the first time cultural differences are brought forth in plain view and discussed. More intriguingly, it is discussed with relative nonchalance as if these cultural differences don't matter. Well, they don't to an extent, it is just, for the most part, in their surroundings these differences determine how people from one culture view and act towards another. Their relationship is ultimately severed by the end of the film, without any melodramatic or revelatory touches; Richard needs to get his wife to the hospital so there is no time. That's the end of that. But the significance is that now a paramount spatial difference will separate them. I doubt they will ever meet each other again.</div>
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Nonetheless, this subtle yet definitive scene heralds cultural diversity through confrontation and discussion. Nowhere else in the film does this happen because, as the bulk of the film shows, we have constructed outlines of other cultures, and arrays of their motives and responses, but we have formulated our own feelings towards those other cultures without once confronting them. The two kids, at the beginning of the film, who end up shooting the bus, thereby shooting Mrs. Jones, are in complete isolation, but thousands of miles away people have already formulated their own feelings about them. Their actions with the gun are only an ignition to release those predetermined feelings, or a passage of ventilation, which causes the American government to announce it as a terrorist attack and which also causes the Moroccan police to overreact when investigating. Look at the story of Amelia and the children; America's built up feelings towards Mexican aliens have created the border guard as well as the predetermined suspicion when the guard looked to find two white children in the back seat. Looking at Cheiko, her unstable relationship with boys and also her estrange father, most likely due to the fact of the passing of her mother, are due to these same presuppositions of deaf girls. Sexual frustration coupled with teenage angst create an almost impenetrable shell in which Cheiko, herself, creates an outline of how people view her. This leads to something even more intriguing. While the two Moroccan boys have no bearing on what others think due to their isolation from the rest of the world (notice their room which is only made up of several newspapers of a local soccer team) and, thus, create no outlines of feeling upon other cultures (which could be why they chose to act in such a foolish way), Cheiko is constantly around people different from her and is continuously creating outlines and arrays of feelings that are either being shot down (when her ideals and fantasy are being taken away from her) or constantly reinforced (when she always comes to the realization that no boy can like her for being deaf).<br />
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So let us return to Zeno's paradox. In a world where many groups of people create these walls of assumptive feelings and predetermined courses of action through those feelings, can we ever come together as different cultures? Or will we just get closer and closer, retaining a distance without a confrontation and discussion of differences. For all of these constructed feelings, we tend to forget that what separates us most is our perception of reality. If we can make genuine connections in which these differences of perception are laid out in a manner in which they can be respected, and conversed about, we will have succeeded in making the first step to understanding each other. This is what <i>Babel </i>is all about. It is not about racism, a theme some people would make themselves believe it potent in this narrative. The film's tragedy lies in this spatial and cultural paradox. Through its narrative construction (how the actions of others, not motivated by racial tension, exposes racial and cultural tension) and revealing cinematography, <i>Babel </i>shows us just how different we are, something many of us take for granted when we splurge an assumption about another group of people or ask, "Why would they do such a thing?" and never think about the question afterwards. The film implores us to think about that question. Neglecting such a question and trying to 'mend' these difference may cause a backlash or even more uncertainty. My economics teacher recently wrote about the initiative of multiculturalism, particularly in universities <a href="http://theunbrokenwindow.com/2013/06/10/economics-and-multiculturalism-3/">here</a>. There should never be a moment in time to force diversity upon people while at the same time claiming that we are all the same. It totally ignores not only the individual, but in relation to this film, the difference in how we perceive reality.<br />
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I consider <i>Babel </i>to be one of the most important films in the last fifteen years by one of the most important filmmakers, Inarritu. Again, I applaud this film for not only making us feel, but also making us think. What separates us as people? What makes us so different? How different are we? Inuarritu illustrates the distance between us all but, through feeling evoked so intensely throughout the course of this daring work, there is a commonality of suffering, hope, and determination.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">edited by Peter Berris</span>Dan L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11533210622337039349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768852729717058794.post-74080804121320703752013-06-08T22:02:00.000-04:002013-06-08T22:54:58.083-04:00MOMA Knows Where It's AtIf many curators aligned with the ideologies of most of the art critics of the major newspapers, websites, and magazines then we would not see video games in art museums. Why? I'm not totally sure. It goes to show that they might not know much of their history as art critics, to put it frankly (albeit quite obnoxiously, I know). Yet, this is a serious thing to consider. Consider art events like the Armory in the 1913 or the wave of rock n' roll during the 1950s. Here is one big main idea that I would like to put out there before I go further and that is that many of these things can be art (through its form) but that doesn't mean you have to like the piece or even talk about it. Based on what I believe makes something art, I would have to include pornography, the <i>Jackass</i> series, and Beevis and Butthead. Well, I do consider them art, but good golly I don't like any of that stuff and don't care to talk about them, at all. The discussion of what is art and if they are art becomes frustratingly cyclic in nature and subjectivity is perceived as objectivity in the eyes of many who vehemently debate the topic.<br />
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Now, the installation of a video game exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) is inherently a great thing. In her TED talk (posted below), Paola Antonelli explains the methodology in getting this thing shown and many of the things that she did made me very happy. For one, she actually made it important to establish a relationship with the companies of the games. She could of easily ignored the sentiment of the creators of the games, something many politicians are doing right now and something many people who quickly denounce video games are doing when trying to make policies. Another thing she did well was actually focus on the bare-bones skeleton of video game form: the code. Paola actually regarded it has one of the most important things in video games, which is a refreshing thing to hear because it expresses a dedicated investment in a medium deprived of investment.<br />
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Paola is clear to mention that she specifies video games as 'design' rather than 'art,' while at the same time disregarding the actual debate as she sees it as detrimental to exploring ways of creativity and expression. I am still muddled by how design actually connects video games as it does to something like making a chair (what she starts out with as an introductory example) rather than making a film or making a concerto, though nevertheless I applaud her admirable stubbornness and assured openness. I wish more people could see the benefits of video games as an expressive form. So, consider the TED talk carefully as an approach very close to mine, and I hope this exhibition can allow everyone who sees it to think more critically of these games.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="http://embed.ted.com/talks/paola_antonelli_why_i_brought_pacman_to_moma.html" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="650"></iframe>Dan L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11533210622337039349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768852729717058794.post-290488272691652322013-05-30T16:26:00.003-04:002013-05-30T16:26:29.608-04:00Wall-E: Tomorrow the Birds Will Sing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The title of this post refers to a line in Charlie Chaplin's film <i>City Lights </i>as an intertitle, quite possibly one of the the most famous of all silent films; a film that was made four years after talking films came into existence. I make this reference not just because it actually has to do with the films story but because Disney and Pixar's <i>Wall-E</i> is essentially, for the most part, a silent film.<br />
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Yes, of course it is not silent in any traditional way, but, more specifically, the film's narrative and cinematic expression is motivated by the inherent characteristics of silent film. Now, for those of you unfamiliar with silent film, it actually is quite different than what we are use to now in film. Emphasis of expression and significance is delivered more through action leaving the viewer with the allowance to observe and imply more openly than if dialogue is applied for explanation. In addition, since dialogue becomes a non-entity, audio is saved to emphasize either emotional significance or to help illustrate the world the film is set in. A silent film, or in the case of <i>Wall-E</i>, a film that is silent, becomes a more immersive audio-visual experience; we regard the use of sound as well as cinematography, in interplay between them, because we leave little to no intellectual investment to the spoken word. That is the nature of silent film...in a nutshell...I'd like to write about silent film in the near future but work with this description for now.<br />
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It is worthy to note that the first forty minutes or so there is not any spoken dialogue (true spoken dialogue...mind you, introductions don't count) yet Pixar does a wonderful job at developing the character of Wall-E and soon Eve by just allowing us to observe their personality through action, with many of these actions involving lighthearted gags. We see Wall-E practice a sort of Sisyphian task of trying to organize the infinite amount of trash leftover on an abandoned Earth in the far future. We also figure out that he is the last of his kind, motivating what seems to be a sense of loneliness, strengthened by the depiction of his living quarters, which is filled with memorabilia of humanity. In essence, Wall-E's loneliness fuels a curiosity to acquire remnants of beings that could potentially rid him of a continually building sense of desolation. But how do we know this and, more importantly, how do we feel this from a robot? Well, it is through the nuance and elegance of pantomime. We connect with Wall-E in the same way we connect with Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd. The way Wall-E moves his eyes and inspects things, the way he maneuvers, it is just as if he has created his own staple mannerisms akin to Keaton's stone face, Chaplin's tramp walk, and Lloyd's adolescent cheerfulness. Actually, one could say he most resembles a (sorta) neo-silent film star in Jacques Tati's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsieur_Hulot">Mr. Hulot</a> trilogy (a similar premise in presentation) It is these subtle mannerisms that enliven Wall-E as a character not just fun to watch but open to intimately connect with all without any dialogue. These mannerisms will be carried throughout the rest of the film and remain poignant.<br />
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We can only make this sort of connection if the film allows us the time. See, the problem with a lot of mainstream family films of today is that many characters are only injected with punchlines and hip jokes of today, out-dating themselves before their respective film is even over while at the same time constructing themselves their own emotional enclave the size of a teaspoon; there is just never enough time for us to just observe a character, to see them act without any forceful propulsion of plot progression and conclusion. Pixar's pace in this first third of the film is controlled and contemplative, illuminating every subtlety of Wall-E's character. Again, silence is the dominating tone, and what we witness is curiosity in an unfamiliar familiar world as well as visual gags the robot becomes involved in. This tone is the film's greatest strength which, frankly, doesn't appear again when Wall-E leaves Earth but, while it remains, creates a pure (purer, if you will) cinematic experience. Of course, the fact that it isn't really a silent film becomes a benefit to us as we have the privilege to listen to the minimalist, yet powerful gasps and yelps as well as the famous utterance of Wall-E's name to Eve. Nevertheless, Pixar was not afraid to enlist the foundations of cinema, namely silent cinema, to allow audiences to absorb their imaginative and visually striking dystopia. <i>Wall-E</i>'s<i> </i> narrative construction makes so much sense since it is a family film or, in other words, a film that will be seen mostly by children. It sets itself up as a sort of playground to which children can feast their eyes upon. It never backs down and divulges in cheap tricks and shallow dialogue.<br />
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For the rest of the film, <i>Wall-E </i>resorts to the the lovable relationship between the title character and Eve as well as the intense realism that is the state of humanity. It loses its traditional roots for the most part, but it does not lose its charm. The film finds away to adapt to its tonal shifts and makes the more action-packed second act quite involving. Again, I mentioned how rooted <i>Wall-E</i> was in silent film, but I could write another essay on the minimalism but effectiveness of the sounds used in the film. That will be for another day, maybe. For now, I'd like to change direction in my discussion and talk about the imagery.<br />
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As heartfelt as this film may be, it is provocative in its imagery, its visualization of an absurd future of human failures. The skyline of cities have been replaced with piles of junk, the Earth is orbited by a thick, annoying layer of more junk, and it seems that humans have totally forgone being healthy and mobile and are all disgustingly obese. <i>Wall-E </i>playfully works off a notion of technophobia by underlining humanity's dependence on instant gratification to the point where they won't allow their own physical selves to get what they want but expect someone or something else to get it for them. One of the reasons Wall-E becomes so anthropomorphic as a character without exhibiting many human qualities (though love is a substantial one, mind you) is because his fluidity within the space he is given and his ambitious nature to remain mobile; the human, being obnoxiously immobile, relinquishes much of a human connection the audience can make because they hide behind this certain technological facade where emotional investment in choices and actions diminishes into immediate sensations.<br />
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<i>Wall-E</i> pulls no punches in making fun of this possible future, and in one of the most amusing yet intense vignettes, we observe the physics of an obese people as they slide this way and that as their spaceship, intriguingly called Axiom, tilts left and right. Though it is never glossed in a hateful manner, not even close, it colors its gags in a teasing manner, the film still makes sure to give enough screen time to this obesity problem such that it lays prominently in our minds. But this issue is quite interesting. An economics professor I have had the privilege to be a student under has a unique and provocative take on this obesity issue in this post <a href="http://theunbrokenwindow.com/2013/05/16/why-do-you-care-about-obesity/">here</a>. He makes great points that goes against conventional wisdom, in my opinion. Furthermore, because of what he thinks on this issue I feel he might not agree with the way <i>Wall-E</i> presents obesity as a concern. Tinkering with the approach I made towards this film, I have found a strong significance to this sort of illustration of humanity in the future that I think will satisfy his claims, a significance that more has to do with individual psychology than an economic concern. Basically, grouping the problem we see on Earth with the metropolitan junkyards, the fact that it is now deserted, and the way in which humans have now forgone health in the wake of technological ease what we have is a lack of any sort of initiative to confront a problem. Wall-E as the central character, as I said earlier, is ambitious and willing to mend a problem he seems to face no matter the costs. The humans ignore any problem they face, whether it be their health or their planet. The film becomes a parable urging its viewers to take action, using obesity and other stark depictions as symbols for this problem of ignorance and immobility. Looking at this in a much more specific scope, we can articulate the fundamental problem this film seems to be getting at: initiative and action comes first from an individual's choice. If they choose to ignore such action, the problem will continue to exist.<br />
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The film leads us in the direction that if we do wipe away things that are distracting us from the real problem and we work together, we can prevent such a catastrophe that occurred in this film. <i>Wall-E</i>'s charm retains itself until the hopeful ending and leaves an indelible imprint in our minds, reminiscent to the way in which the silent clowns of yesteryear liked to leave audiences with infectious optimism.<br />
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<br />Dan L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11533210622337039349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768852729717058794.post-17201414016108122452013-05-06T03:16:00.000-04:002013-05-06T13:05:37.539-04:00A Dance to the Music of Modern Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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First off, if you are not familiar with the band/dance troupe, World Order, then here is an apt introduction:<br />
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I think one of the reasons I keep watching their music videos is because there is this prideful strangeness or eccentricity that seems to be expressed by these virtually expressionless men, that, and the exactitude of their dance that makes it mind numbing to even begin to think about how they pulled these moves off. I was introduced to this band almost a year and a half ago by none other than Roger Ebert who linked a video on one of his many posts during a random day. Watching their videos for the first time sparked an unrestrained amount of excitement and curiosity within me.<br />
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World Order, their history in a nutshell, is a Japanese music group and dance troupe started by a former mixed martial arts fighter named Genki Sudo. Their music and dance are hinged upon the motivation to find a certain commonality within our modern age, an age rampant in busyness and technology. This commonality, Sudo believes, is what can bring us together. If I were to generalize the dance style of World Order, it would be something along the lines of scientific chaos or mechanical harmony...a combination of both...but that's why I don't want to generalize. There are many things that are going on within each and every video of theirs. One thing is for sure is that they embody the sporadic pace of our civilization. This is not to say that they are satirizing it in any way (though there are moments where that could be the case). Rather, they are expressing it unabridged and unaware. For instance, I feel their signature move is the way they run from one place to another, shown briefly in the video above, their running is characterized by a rhythmically quick change from fast to slow, usually when one foot is in the air. The spastic subtlety correlates with such rhythms like traffic accelerating at a green light and coming to a stop at a red light, among other things we find in our contemporary landscapes.<br />
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The rest of their choreography can be described by a multitude of adjectives including explicit, thought-provoking, minimalist, and robotic. Take, for example, the last piece they performed in 'Machine Civilization,' which seemed to reflect the way gears work or, in other words, they way small parts run together to move a bigger machine (this dance was introduced by several shots of giant pieces of machinery). It is a way to inject our sense of humanity within the machines we create and vice verse because our world is dependent on such machinery. World Order strives to interpret such a need through their dances. In another video, 'Boy Meets Girl,' they illustrate the modern relationship through dance that evokes almost sporadic, but certainly fragmented, emotions, maybe highlighting the nature of text messaging and social networking in which feelings are not felt in a continuous manner as one would expect when talking face-to-face but rather isolated from one another, one feeling per text or instant message and then you must await for the next one. Nevertheless, the quite funny video also reflects what you may expect in a pop video, seen through some of the dances and most certainly through the cinematography and setting.<br />
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Though 'Boy Meets Girl' does not really depict this, one key aspect to the novelty of World Order is its knack for public dancing. Most of their numbers have them go virtually anywhere and dance their odd dances. What is remarkable about this from the standpoint of performance art is how the bystanders react or even their lack of reaction. These dances pulsate with the vitality of the modern age, yet they provide an interruption of this normal vitality by offering an illuminating reflection of what we take for granted. Moreover, the exactitude of such numbers asks not just the bystanders but the viewers of the video, as well, to regard subtlety and minuteness, something we may not regard in our busy, everyday lives. The public spaces they perform in are crucial to stress these themes as well as to advance their unifying motivation. These bystanders regard the group but do they simply ignore them or do they contemplate? There are a wide variety of reactions from many of the videos. Here is one video they performed in New York City.<br />
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The swiftness of the internet, the lumbering nature of city traffic, the movement of automatic doors, the serenity that is man and machine working together to create a functioning, well, machine civilization: this is represented through the dance of World Order. They express an almost limitless range of feelings yet do so with measuring sublimity. Their bodies show both an outflow of feelings but also restraint; their faces remain dormant while their bodies move in what seems like tedious precision, the same way we communicate instantaneously without seeing each others faces, so why would their facial expressions matter?<br />
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Dance is an interpretation of feelings, and the act of dancing creates a gateway between one's feelings and the observers. It is one thing that the feelings of an individual are expressed, but it is another thing that such dancing transcends such expression and provides a gateway into our ways of living or our feelings towards our constructed environments, virtual and physical. World Order represents our symbiotically complicated relationship with the modern age and this representation induces imagination and contemplation (as well as an ample amount of awe).<br />
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Ah, well that is the reason why I love dance so much and why I participate in such expression. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.<br />
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<br />Dan L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11533210622337039349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768852729717058794.post-41963386485862543052013-04-08T01:29:00.002-04:002013-04-08T01:36:24.930-04:00Roger Ebert: We Were Both Fans of Bo Diddley<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The title of this post refers to the closest I have ever gotten to my favorite film critic and one of the most influential people in my life, Roger Ebert. Now, this wasn't a closeness in the physical sense or even in a relationship sense, though I wish I had the chance to meet him. It was during the 2011 summer and I was browsing Facebook like I have done for countless hours of my life when I stumbled upon...no that's foolish, I never stumble upon Ebert's Facebook posts, I got on Facebook religiously just read them. Anyways, I scoured through my newsfeed for the most recent Ebert post and he happened to post about the birthday of Bo Diddley. Now, Bo Diddley is one of my favorite musicians of all time and to see Ebert post about his birthday, something that I had done an hour before, was, for lack of a better word, cool. It was even better that I actually had a worthy comment to post with Ebert's. I had recently seen a concert film, titled <i>Let the Good Times Roll</i>, that showcased Bo Diddley as he sang, wailed, gyrated, and eroticized (is that a word?) his performance to create an unflinchingly visceral experience. So when I saw Ebert's post I was determined to comment on it with the sole purpose to ask him if he had seen and reviewed this film. Of course, I could have just searched it on his website, something I have done countless times by other films, but that would be stupid. Here was an opportunity to ask a reasonable question while also letting Ebert know I exist in this world. Along with saying that Bo Diddley appeared in this film and asking him if he reviewed it, I explained that the film had an editing style that was a descendant to the landmark film <i>Woodstock</i>, a film that was elegantly analyzed by Ebert in his Great Movies section <a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20050522%2FREVIEWS08%2F505220302%2F1023">here</a> (disclaimer: I'll be linking a lot of my favorite Ebert essays throughout this piece. They are all worth reading over and over and over again).<br />
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So, yea, I commented on his post and was all giddy with curiosity and anticipation, awaiting if this man who I have observed digitally for years and have admired for his infinite knowledge of a topic I was passionate about would respond to one out of his hundreds of thousands of fans. Well, later in the day, I checked Facebook once again...actually almost forgetting about the earlier post...with the pleasant surprise of seeing my name, my full name, in Ebert's latest post:<br />
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Yeah, like, my full name and all. He dedicated a whole post to me. Not only that, he even quoted me and all the glory that was my naive analysis (okay, using the word 'descendant,' wouldn't really be called naive but maybe rash). Well, eventually my fanaticism gave way to humbleness. My admiration for his willingness to connect with his fans grew insurmountably. It struck as to how much he probably wanted to continuously share his own passion and experiences with everyone else. I'm not sure how mush sense that must make for someone who is not me, but there was just a click in me where I said to myself, "sharing is a damn good thing." I had a blog a while before I started reading Ebert's reviews and essays, yet I wrote really for myself. It wasn't a form of writing that invited discussion or imagination, it was rehashing cliched descriptions one after another to construct a passive excitement for subjects that reanimated my passion for creativity and exploration. I felt like I wasn't doing any justice to anything I was talking about. Reading Ebert's blogs and essays, and a lot of his reviews, I felt an established connection, an allowance for the reader to share an experience had by the film critic. Ebert's writing style creates an intriguing relationship between the intricate and the simple, such that his more complicated prose holds this elegant simplicity and his simple statements echo with profound depth.<br />
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There is a certain intuitive approach Ebert uses when he observes and studies films. It has remnants of academics but I certainly don't even consider it a loose derivative. Frankly, he pours too much feeling into each and every word that it would be far too personal to be much of an academic style. I say that because his foundations rests in the way we learn how to view films, one of his influences if the incomparable David Bordwell, who made studying film its own discipline and not come constituent of other literary studies. Ebert took that and made it his own, flexible style. This style approached its zenith whenever he wrote for his Great Movie Collection, a series of films he deemed important historically, aesthetically, and emotionally. It was a perfect, canonical list. Instead of depending on a ranking system that, ultimately, obscures the greatness that each film would have just for being on the list, the Great Movies Collection is unnumbered and dynamic, meaning it is ever-growing. This list offered me the most compelling and wonderful expose of films, genres, history, culture, and people. He introduced me to some of my favorite films that I hold dearly, films like <a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19960929%2FREVIEWS08%2F401010329%2F1023"><i>Ikiru</i></a>, which happens to be my favorite Akira Kurosawa film where he states, "<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And here we see the real heart of the movie, in the way one man's effort to do the right thing can inspire, or confuse, or anger, or frustrate, those who see it only from the outside, through the lens of their own unexamined lives." </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He was the first to introduce me to another one of my favorite filmmakers and films, Errol Morris's </span><i style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19971109%2FREVIEWS08%2F401010320%2F1023">Gates of Heaven</a></i><span style="font-family: inherit;">, a documentary that is as dazzling as it is simplistic, showing the compelling, infinite landscape of the human mind. It was in one of my first moments of perusing the Great Movies Collection and I was just going down the list and looking at films I have never heard of. </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Gates of Heaven</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> was one of the few documentaries on his list, and reading the first few paragraphs I realized how mysterious, silly, and exciting this film could be. I never thought a film about a pet </span>cemetery<span style="font-family: inherit;"> relocation could capture my imagination and lead me down a road of more Morris films that are all just as captivating (see </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">The Thin Blue Line</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">, </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">, and </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Tabloid</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">). That is what set me off to obsessively watch the films on his list and to anxiously await his next film to be added.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmZ0VdPcO7QvDyOR15Ikou3tsLPvXfrQCF850P5agOBY1gbc2sX4Tl3EnX0uOtL_FgksNw5s1ELlIfTa9w4bmuCewT8cAqtMVJvzDYFBk5ej8q81x68-e3TBs89eNQY9hDb_EcGTqQ0QGq/s1600/ebert3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmZ0VdPcO7QvDyOR15Ikou3tsLPvXfrQCF850P5agOBY1gbc2sX4Tl3EnX0uOtL_FgksNw5s1ELlIfTa9w4bmuCewT8cAqtMVJvzDYFBk5ej8q81x68-e3TBs89eNQY9hDb_EcGTqQ0QGq/s200/ebert3.jpg" width="155" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He showed me some of the most jovial of films in <a href="http://rogerebert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20011223%2FREVIEWS08%2F112230301%2F1023"><i>My Neighbor Totoro</i></a> and one of the most heart-wrenching in <a href="http://rogerebert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20000319%2FREVIEWS08%2F3190301%2F1023"><i>Grave of the Fireflies</i></a>. He reintroduced me to the genius that was Louise Brooks in her greatest performance, <a href="http://rogerebert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19980426%2FREVIEWS08%2F401010349%2F1023"><i>Pandora's Box</i></a>, an actress I had casted doubt upon after seeing her in an earlier silent film where she was portrayed as an overtly passive doll and rushed to generalize that that was the only kind of performances she like to give. When Ebert explained that, "</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Louise Brooks
regards us from the screen as if the screen were not there; she casts
away the artifice of film and invites us to play with her," it convinced me so much that not only did I view <i>Pandora's Box</i>, I went to go see Brooks' grave site, a humbling experience to say the least. On a similar note, he taught me how to regard actresses for their coupling of beauty and ingenuity. Katherine Hepburn, Louise Brooks, Grace Kelly, Ginger Rogers, and Olivia de Havilland became something more human than what I was brought up to think: the stereotypical classic glamour girl. Regarding beauty isn't considered objectifying but, with respect, illuminating. I feel I have gained respect for these actresses even more now that I can describe their personalities and mannerisms almost to the point to where one may think I knew them. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCbvfxs3043YtM_dydFsMRYY5CXXt4YlHpTHrfnb9Y1swnqTVURixh4koa6-tqRmOGxIJ06ZW1d_skWyfUXNQtJXXzcfy9LSKvbC_NZay913UVTtYUBcMizemxRe0X4-_QDHjfn4gSfmYk/s1600/ebert5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCbvfxs3043YtM_dydFsMRYY5CXXt4YlHpTHrfnb9Y1swnqTVURixh4koa6-tqRmOGxIJ06ZW1d_skWyfUXNQtJXXzcfy9LSKvbC_NZay913UVTtYUBcMizemxRe0X4-_QDHjfn4gSfmYk/s320/ebert5.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Romance was never really a topic I discussed in films mainly because, frankly, I am not experienced in it. Reading the way Ebert describes romance as a delicate, fluctuating and sometimes painful phenomenon has at least brought me some nuance to the subject. But more importantly, like with the actresses of yesteryear, I came to respect its almost infinite complexity, generated from essays like <a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19980412%2FREVIEWS08%2F401010374%2F1023" style="font-style: italic;">Wings of Desire</a><i>, </i><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19960915%2FREVIEWS08%2F401010308%2F1023" style="font-style: italic;">Casablanca</a>, and <i><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19971123/REVIEWS08/401010317/1023">The Lady Eve</a>. </i>My growth intellectually and emotionally came when I first read about the films and then watched them, my eyes observed the many facets our our multi-layered world. At one point, following his thoughtful review of <i><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111130/REVIEWS/111139997/-1/RSS">Shame</a>, </i>he made a blog post specifically about <a href="http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2011/11/on_orgasms.html">orgasms</a>. I would be lying if I said I wasn't slightly nervous as to what the content of the blog really contained, but I read it anyways because I trusted in Ebert's intellect, experience, and vision of the human condition, which he attributed to his discussion.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He introduced me to foreign films, most significantly the Japanese films, which I have grown to love so so much, but also French, Italian, Indian, and Iranian films. He blew the door open with silent film, an era in film that is as pure, magical and beautiful but also somewhat disconnected from the rest of film history. He idolized Keaton for good reason, with one essay to culminate his whole cinematic <a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20021110/REVIEWS08/40802001/1023">career</a>, and he gave praise to Chaplin, though I will always have a personal grudge against the way he softly denounces the endings to his films (<a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101020/REVIEWS08/101029995/1023">here</a>, <a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070927/REVIEWS08/70927002/1023">here</a>, and <a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19971221/REVIEWS08/401010310/1023">here</a>). Nevertheless, his descriptions are always inspiring, and silent film has been a form that I have almost obsessively tried to recreate in my films and also promote to my friends and family.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">It is strange, I actually found out quite awhile later after reading his essay religiously that he had his lower jaw removed from cancer. Indeed, it first struck me when I conducted a naive image search for him and saw many of the photos of his unfortunately disfigured face. Honestly, it did frighten me. It came as a shock and something I didn't know how to comprehend. Yet, this uncertainty dissipated with his unequivocal strength and perseverance as well as his loquacious attitude that gave me comfort. His ability to use the internet as his prime vehicle of expression turned out to be a great achievement. While many use it to unload superficial ideologies and feelings, Ebert, from his essays and blog posts to his tweets, made sure whatever he wrote was thought-provoking or at least an instigator for further exploration. I modeled my Facebook posts after that and refuse to write anything that only has a significance within a minute moment. At a given point, I forgot about his handicap, or maybe it just didn't seem like it mattered. What mattered was that he connected with his fans, he continued to express his passion, and he did it in what seemed to be a normal way, a consequence to rising above his weakness. That is not to say his cancer was something to ignore. No, no, it should never be ignored. It is just when it came to his brilliant ideas and imagery, they shone too brightly for my consideration on other facets.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">Again, I did not know Roger Ebert. I wish I did. My envious notions ring in my head...for just once can I meet someone distinguished and passionate in film and just, well, talk? To talk about films four hours upon hours and then some. I came to love film at a young age, but he put my love in perspective. It is one thing to dream about doing the thing you love, it is another to improve upon its clarity, to lay forth a path that I could walk on and venture further into my dream, a dream that is slowly (but surely) coming into fruition, into a perceptible actuality. This coming from a man, a strong man, a smart man, and a thoughtful man, a man I never knew but that has become irrelevant Hell, that is why it was quite pleasant to see that we both enjoyed listening to Bo Diddley. Maybe I'll go listen to some of him now.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><i>I've embedded Roger Ebert's TED talk, a speech about how he is in the process of gaining his voice back, no matter the physical limitations. Bravery seems to surround the animated film critic.</i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>Dan L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11533210622337039349noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5768852729717058794.post-28167318409764413302013-04-01T11:43:00.000-04:002013-09-21T00:57:15.477-04:00A.I. Artificial Intelligence: A Program Lost in a Fairy Tale<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I remember the first time I had watched Steven Speilberg's 2001 film, <i>A.I. Artificial Intelligence,</i> many years ago, around the time it came out in theatres. I came out of the film not liking it that much mainly because it left me in a state of melancholy. I guess you could say that the film ended, "Happily ever after," but, even at a young age, I looked at it with much more cynicism. The robot suffered through so much to obtain the love of his mother yet only is able to receive one day of happiness, or 'happiness.' This melancholy that I felt I think is the core of this film's narrative and emotional power. It is drawn from the uneasiness of the main character who may or may not be acting on feelings and rationality but by the next line of code in its program. Roger Ebert began his thoughtful Great Movies <a href="http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/2013/02/25/donald-richie/">essay</a> on the film with the launchpad for my exploration into the film:<br />
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<i>David has been programmed to love. Once he is activated with a code, he fixes on the activator, in this case his Mommy (Frances O'Connor).
He exists to love her and be loved by her. Because he is a very
sophisticated android indeed, there's a natural tendency for us to
believe him on that level. In fact he does not love and does not feel
love; he simply reflects his coding.</i></blockquote>
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The idea that David, played incredibly by Haley Joel Osment, is an android who may or may not be becoming more human in this age-old fairy tale illuminates the depth of Spielberg's film, a film that upon reviewing after all these years, I have come to the realization of its majesty and its mysteriousness. the focal point being David's human obscurity. Retrospectively, <i>Artificial Intelligence </i>is one of Spielberg's most ambitious projects in the last fifteen years. It does not sidestep ambiguity but at the same time does not ignore convention (it is loosely based on <i>Pinocchio </i>after all). The film blends both together to guide us through a familiar narrative executed in an unfamiliar way. Osment's subtleties in his performance grant us a consistency in this form.<br />
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Take note, for example, the scene in which the mom abandons him, his mother has both of her arms on his shoulders, crying as she tell him about the failed relationship. David first looks blankly, for a moment we wonder if he will even process this situation. Then, like clockwork, he begins to panic, as if the program executed has followed the most logical path surmised by the situation at hand. This is just one of a series of uncanny events, and I use the word 'uncanny' to evoke the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_valley">phenomenon</a> in artificial intelligence, between David and his family, who adopt him (in a sense) in the absence of their devastatingly ill son in a coma. <br />
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Spielberg's longtime cinematographer and one of the best in the business, Janusz Kaminski, curiously explores David's face and especially his eyes along with isolating him even upon making a connection with his family. David doesn't blink; his eyes processes every little thing he sees his human parents do. At the dinner table, when David laughs explosively upon seeing food on his mother's face, it is done so with the effect that he is not actually laughing but because that is the next logical step in the situation, to an extent. It is as if David totally disregarded tone, volume, and brevity of his laugh. Of course, this is early in the film, but it certainly begs the question of David's, well, existence. His adoptive parents have no understanding how how to react, the same goes for the audience.<br />
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Nothing, during this first act, expresses any sort of deep, emotional connection between David and his family. David only begins loving after a series of code is essentially executed by his mother and after that David bases his actions around loving or, more specifically, loving his mother. His love for others is only attributed to the way in which his mother loves them. In the scene directly after the pool incident, the mother looks through some colorful letters written by David always addressed to her. Each one states that he loves her but the variable is who else he loves or who else he considers to be part of the family. Sometimes he doesn't even mention the father or Martin, other times it is at the expense of Teddy (a teddy bear I feel is a lot smarter than anyone imagines). Granted, it is written in a manner that is similar to how most kids express themselves early on, but if we regard David for what he is, then it becomes problematic since the focus of his expression and of his love is only from the mother. If the father and Martin were not there, they would be disregarded.</div>
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This first 'family' act of the film, shot with purity and soft lighting, illustrates an interruption of human normality with the continuous existence of artificial intelligence. Though the world, in this case the house, David inhabits is essentially as sterile and clean as he himself (note how featureless his face is), the function of human beings is far more dynamic, complex, and chaotic to grasp. David fits with the environment because he resembles this futuristic, sterile look as does the furniture and decor. The void between the organic and the mechanic is that uncanny valley in which humans can never fully regard AI because of difference in perception of reality. One sees it in constant flux with feelings and emotions as part of the whole sense perception. The other sees it in a logical algorithmic matrix. When David grabs Martin and drags him into the pool after being poked by a knife (even when the kid with the knife said he was not going to hurt him), there is almost a blatant ignorance of anyone who is not mommy. Martin becomes an object in the programming function that may allow David to protect himself himself from what he perceives as danger. Then, when he is left by his mother, the algorithms change to reflect the person he is dealing with, the object of his love. After this, we never see David again with his family. The experiment is over, now the AI must confront the world. This is where artificiality and, to some extent, intelligence, begins to obscure.</div>
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But, this is also where the most crucial part of the story begins and its origins come from the first act with the family and that is the telling of the fairy tale of <i>Pinocchio</i>. David encompasses himself with a goal and proceeds to make the goal possible. Now, this sort of ambition signals some hints of what some people call <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rationality">rationality</a> and something that can be tied to human function. Again, though, this goal is constructed out of the one task he was to do. Nevertheless, David has equated this fairly tale with a mission of becoming more human in real life. Another way of looking at it is that David's attempt to comprehend a situation that he couldn't before is done so with with help of a fairy tale (and it is intriguing to note that this element of the narrative coincides with the focal point of a more <a href="http://dlatoure.blogspot.com/2013/01/life-of-pi-suffering-doubt-faith-and.html">recent film</a>).</div>
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The second act, the adventure, so to speak, is one that illustrates this rational David as he takes the best step to achieving his goal. It is also a showcase presented to David about his own identity, as a 'mecha' instead of an 'orga' as well as his own notion of being, which is depicted in the flesh fair sequence. This unsettling sequence reverberates over many different perceptions. In terms of Spielberg and his body of work (see <i>Raiders of the Lost Ark</i>, <i>Schindler's List</i>, and <i>Munich</i>) one could loosely equate this event to the systematic killing of Jews during the Holocaust (yes, I know that seems like a stretch, but echoes of it, I feel, are still felt because I feel Spielberg bases much of these sorts atrocities on the Holocaust). Metaphor or not, the flesh fair's impudent display of torture towards entities all humans participating think are not alive suggests an unabridged hatred towards the rise of artificial intelligence. The scene gives us an expose of androids of all shapes and sizes, offering many interesting insights as to the diversity of artificial intelligence. They all have their own personality traits, one is a maid, another seems to reflect the character of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0003295/">Buck Turgidson</a> (an observation I'll get to later). David witnesses the deaths of many and equates it with the possibility of his own death and when the time comes for his turn, along with the Gigolo Joe, he pleads his life that he is not Pinocchio, which is the tale that is rooted in his goal to reattain his mother's love. Once again, David equates his existence with his task though this time it moves people enough to let him and Joe go free.</div>
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Yet again, David is practicing rationality to an extent. One of the audience members shouted out that AI don't beg for their lives. Though there was one other bot who fought and stated that he could still work, it wasn't in desperation that he is going to die but that he could not perform his duties. Through this, David is saved as well as Joe and they embark on a journey to find the blue fairy, essentially a symbol that will achieve David's goal. It is worth noting that Joe really only helps him because the mention of the 'blue fairy' has him equate this terminology to woman and since sex is his trade he equates his trade to helpfulness towards David's quest, most likely thinking David wants to actually get with a woman. This leads them to Rouge City, a landscape of phallic symbols and lusty ambiance. It is a cityscape of sensory overload, a far cry from the sterile interiors of the family home. Despite this, David remains fixated on finding Dr. Know, who could lead him to the blue fairy. Besides the plot advancement the scene with Dr. Know provides, there is significant insight that I will elaborate on later occurring within this scene. The only way David is able to find the question and the answer he is looking for is to combine fact and fiction/fantasy or, to put it in a slightly different but crucial manner, to suspend rational beliefs and allow the belief of the unbelievable to determine judgement and action. Of course, the rationality David exhibits, as stated earlier, is the projection of his pragmatic desire to return to his mother. Again, you can ask yourself, does he really think he is combining fact and fiction or does has he attributed this story to be an exact and realistic possibility?</div>
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His eagerness to go to Manhattan, or as it is referred to, "The End of the World," worries Joe ("There's a reason why they call it, 'MANhattan.'") in which he then professes his perceptible fear of orgas, a ironclad separation of identities. Here, Joe unfolds his conclusions to David in robotic austerity:</div>
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<pre style="background-color: white;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">JOE</span></div>
<gasp><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wait! What if the blue fairy isn't real at all, David? What
if she's magic? The supernatural is the hidden web that
unites the universe. Only orga believe what cannot be seen
or measured. It is that oddness that separates our species.
Or what if the Blue Fairy is an electronic parasite that has
arisen to hold the minds of artificial intelligence? They
hate us, you know? The humans...They'll stop at nothing.</span></gasp><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></pre>
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<pre style="background-color: white;"><gasp><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
DAVID</div>
My Mommy doesn't hate me! Because I'm special, and...unique!
Because there has never been anyone like me before! Ever!
Mommy loves Martin because he is real and when I am real,
Mommy's going to read to me, and tuck me in my bed, and sing
to me, and listen to what I say, and she will cuddle with
me, and tell me every day a hundred times a day that she
loves me!</span></gasp></pre>
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Joe understand that there is this unseen force that influences humans in many ways and understands that this force is immeasurable for androids. It is intriguing he labels it as an oddness, for it is the oddities of artificial intelligence that obscures our symbiotic relationship, or attempt thereof, with an android. David responds by outlining his whole program, and with moderate menace, lists all the nice things his mommy will do for him when he is real. As Joe retorts, maintaining his austerity, it is worth noting the lighting of David's reaction shot (pictured below) which echoes the first shot of David in the film (the first picture up top). The overexposed light seems to surround David and swallow some of his face. This visual motif is the illustration of a conflicted identity and a projection of our hesitation to understand him as an android becoming more human.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5awJZ430w4jPkmYFQyYP1d7Q-xVlRuIyXoUIhmDTowgjGt9HgQ5cAaTT0VoWg4aCc4_yOlJgLPhDFz4SfVLxFXCdtyGJQOd9Z1RXmRoMKLjrPith5O0fiha5kWNoF0l3SRFmWrBMk1Z3e/s1600/artificial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5awJZ430w4jPkmYFQyYP1d7Q-xVlRuIyXoUIhmDTowgjGt9HgQ5cAaTT0VoWg4aCc4_yOlJgLPhDFz4SfVLxFXCdtyGJQOd9Z1RXmRoMKLjrPith5O0fiha5kWNoF0l3SRFmWrBMk1Z3e/s400/artificial.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The third act begins when David and Joe arrive at Manhattan, a beautiful tragedy of a city submerged in water. The film becomes more reflective and contemplative as David discovers the hollowness of his existence. There is a certain barrenness or loneliness that is expressed in the city, one that captures David as he makes one discovery after another about his futile uniqueness. John Williams's score provides a creeping shrill to highlight such revelations. David initiates a sort of dismantling of his program, his mission, as he finds out about his many existences. Professor Hobby, the creator of these child robots, explains to David that he is unique because of his experiences. He provides what seems to be existential reasoning to justify David's revelations but, as we hark back to doubt, could David even perceive such an identity based on experience, does he equate his adventure with himself and his growth? What transpires is a negation to Prof. Hobby's justifications. What he can see, what is measurable, is what counts for David, so much that his dismantling of his program seems logical. Only if David is unique will he be able to become a real boy so that mommy can love him else, he cannot become a real boy. It is worth noting during these scenes the use of makeup. David looks far more weathered and, well, human than his plastic counterparts, symbolic of his experiences. Though we can make this visual difference and equate it to a compelling adventure, David cannot. So he goes outside and sits high up on the edge of the skyscraper eventually throwing himself off. In a delicate shot, we see the reflection of David's fall off the aircraft's window from where Joe is watching. David acts as a tear on Joe's face.</div>
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This sublime imagery is hard to really flesh out verbally. And, frankly, I did not catch this until I scanned the internet for analyses and found this <a href="http://highoncelluloid.blogspot.com/2012/03/top-10-shots-from-ai-artificial.html">site</a>. What makes this shot so remarkable are the layers of perception it gives. Joe witnesses what seems to be the self-destruction of a mecha existence. Yet, is he really feeling pain for David because from his perspective we know he is just seeing the boy fall; we as the audience see this superimposition. Could he be sad? To an extent yes, considering what he feels in terms of mecha existence in relation to humanity as expressed in the scene following Dr. Know. At the same time, could he extract the notions of David's situation and apply it to himself in a way that does instigate sadness? This ambiguity is further emphasized by the clearer fact that it is not a real tear falling from his eyes but a reflection of a mecha. In a way, this shot composes two integral parts of the problem artificial intelligence faces, to understand their existence and understand themselves. There is a fragility here, experienced firsthand by these androids whether they know it or not, that transcends these characters within this story because, think about it, aren't the problems they face the same as ours?</div>
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What culminates is an ending that was and still is controversial in the eyes of many viewers. Conflicted moviegoers attack its indecisiveness in aesthetic practice, an indecisiveness that is attributed to the fact that this was originally Stanley Kubrick's story but was later transformed under the lens of Steven Spielberg. This transformation, some say, made the ending tacky, forcing a sentimentality that didn't need to be there. Honestly, I can see some justification since the previous scenes seemed so dark, but it is the coalescence of the biggest part of the film, the connection between orga and mecha. The moment David saw the blue fairy in the amusement park, his goal materialized once again within his framework. The program rebooted and David sought after his goal, doing an inhuman thing and remaining with the blue fairy for 2,000 years. Once again, David is lost in the fairy tale.</div>
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Note the use of the reflection again, this time, although there are some similarities with this and the tear, it is directed more towards the conflict between fact and fantasy. The fantasy of the blue fairy (her face, specifically) superimposed by the flat fact of David's (artificial) existence. This can be coupled, through this same shot, the conflict between the fact of true, human emotions and the fantasy of artificial, android emotions. A human, starting from a certain age, and certainly the age David is suppose to be, could identify this fairy as fake. David has no line in his code to acquire such information. And so for 2,000 years he remains in hopes of his transformation. He gets it, but in a manner that is quite unlike what he probably expected. In two millenia, artificial intelligence is the only sentient being on Earth, an Earth that is a frozen wasteland. It seems like this highly advanced and evolved AI has initiated an excavating project as the camera follows an abstract aircraft into winding tunnels. They have found David, Teddy, and the blue fairy. David and Teddy are frozen; David's eyes still fixated on the fairy. Yet later, upon his touch, the fairy shatters. The advanced AI has other plans.</div>
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The whole simulation of David's wish (i.e. the final scene), to understand it fully and to begin to realize its lack of sentimentality, is first and foremost a research project conducted by the advanced AI. They want to observe a living human. Granting the wish for David benefits the AI for their project, it just also benefits David at the same time. Even the AI acknowledge the brevity of an occasion that David would want forever. So we return to the sterile house from the beginning. This time, it is filled with shadow, almost as if the simulation, taken from David's memory, is disintegrating in depiction and accuracy. When David finally sees mommy, it is in a shot that, at first glance, doesn't reflect the way mommy first saw David, but it shares one huge aesthetic quality. In the shot, instead of being shrouded in light, mommy is covered in sheets, far more gentler, yet hinting at some sort of disconnect (as well as maybe some Freudian significance, but that is definitely not the topic I wish to discuss).</div>
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The perfect day flows blissfully and dreamlike. We return to the overexposed lighting, which protrudes from the outside, making us wonder what really is outside since it is certainly not the familiar, defrosted Earth. David is continuously happy, his program has finally executed its steps and has achieved its goal, there is no room for any other feeling because David is fulfilling his duty. So when David falls to sleep, never to see his mommy again, there is peace with him. Many people leave it at that and it is not a wrong or bad way to perceive it but there is still more that can be discussed by how this film ends. Looking at it a different way, let us return to Roger Ebert's essay:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Of course we must ask in what sense Monica is really there. The filmmaker Jamie Stuart informs me she is not there at all; that an illusion has merely been implanted in David's mind, and that the concluding scenes take place entirely within David's point of view. Having downloaded all of David's memories and knowledge, the new mechas have no further use for him, but provide him a final day of satisfaction before terminating him. At the end, when we are told he is dreaming, that is only David's impression. Earlier in the film, it was established that he could not sleep or therefore dream.</i></span></span></blockquote>
I agree, and look at it this way too: if you still think David became a real boy and actually started dreaming, then what good would this transformation be if there are no other humans. In other words, what does David have to live for now that his one and only time of seeing his mommy is over? Years ago I felt that anguish but only connected it to the eeriness of the situation, the physical and temporal distance David had with all the other characters, like his mother. Now, I have come to feel a more specific sadness. A goal unknowingly failed (well, unknowingly is not the best word, I could sense David grasping the brief encounter, but nevermind that) and a chance long gone. His mother gone forever, David will never be a real boy.<br />
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Or is he? I mean, he did shed a tear right before his mother went back to her eternal sleep.<br />
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I conclude this essay with the paramount expression of a film I have long ignored and considered eccentrically unappealing. The film's themes and visuals have a sort of articulation that can only spawn with the combination of two of the greatest filmmakers in the history of cinema. I feel it extends far beyond its eccentricities. In fact, this oddness helps create the world of the film and establish the fundamental conflict within the film: Our relationship to artificial intelligence. Through this, the film asks the audience to invest in it far more than most films. Throughout this extensive essay I have explained at what points the film David could be acting on 'human' notions but may as well be acting through a program. Yet, I will not decisively announce that there is no humanity in David. No, that is for each viewer to decide.<br />
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See, the problem of artificial intelligence is our perception of its existence. It is up to the individual to decide how much credence they should uphold as they gaze upon a humanoid being. Moreover, it is up to the individual to decide the magnitude of humanity they project on the humanoid. Similar to a toy (aka Pinocchio) and a pet. Yet, what differentiates those two is, for one, pets are organic, but, two, there is no sense of the uncanny because they don't resemble humans. So it is up to each viewer to decide how much humanity they project on David as he goes through his fairy tale adventure. Do you feel his pain, his abandonment, his loneliness?<br />
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To put in a larger perspective, consider the film <i>Blade Runner</i>, which has nearly human robots called replicants rebelling against a decaying human race to prolong their brief lifespans. The replicants in this film exhibit their own sense of humanity or their lack of humanity; some of the characters progress and show authentic emotion while others digress into plastic artificiality. They are their own agents. In <i>Artificial Intelligence</i>, there is no such agency or, probably more accurate, such agency is far more ambiguous. Through the tediously amazing makeup and acting, we observe the strangeness that David expresses and we are always left to wonder how authentic and organic his feelings are. As a viewer, we can choose how much faith we put into David's pursuit of humanity. If we feel the emotions David is feeling or should be feeling, then there is a good enough reason to say that he is becoming more human because we can forgo his oddities and identify with his strife. It is the same reason why David's mommy did not terminate him and why the crowd in the flesh fair did not want to kill him, their quantity of humanity applied to a mecha swayed their perception of David. But, again, this discretion that arises is the problem of artificial intelligence the film so brilliantly illustrates. In the future, when artificial intelligence becomes so advanced that it does exhibit human-like qualities, how are we to judge them and to interact with them and how do we place our own human existence within this growing context?<br />
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Yet, like all great science fiction films, <i>Artificial Intelligence</i> and its focus on the android say a lot about us, humans, than we think. Science fiction can defamiliarize the familiar by taking it out of present-day, realistic setting and placing it in a time that is unfamiliar. The strangeness of the times and of the technology is always another way of looking at ourselves and what we struggle with. This film does it most eloquently with David and Joe. Even though they are mecha and have their own struggles because of that, their struggle for normality, for understanding is not foreign to humans. The motivational reason that we can begin to apply any feelings on David through his journey is because, from the start, his idealization of a fairy tale is so familiar to how we cope with the absurdity we face in our everyday lives. For those who say that David eventually becomes human in the end are not wrong at all, they are expressing a human desire of peace and normality that they apply to the main character because our familiarity with a struggle for love cannot be faked. And it is love that is the driving feeling for David, whether it is just from his program or not. In the film's universe, love seems like it is hard to receive and give: Mommy and daddy cannot love their ill while having a hard time loving David, Professor Hobby lost his son and is denied such love and, thus, goes on to create the many Davids, Joe's occupation as a mecha is to give love to women who cannot receive it from human males, and of course David's search for a mother's love.<br />
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I realize now how much I missed when I first watched <i>Artificial Intelligence</i> and I am happy to have come back to it. It is a dense narrative with lush visuals that only add to such density. Ambiguity acts somewhat as a self-evaluation of how we understand our own feelings as we are taken on this magical adventure. I feel this film is one of those films many people have seen but only a long time ago. I also feel that this film is well worth returning to.<br />
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Dan L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11533210622337039349noreply@blogger.com1