Jesus’ Son
Jesus’ Son I thought was really an amazing movie. It was one of those movies that I want to watch a few more times because I know that the more I view it the more I will get out of it. It was interesting how it was narrated almost like we picked up the main characters journal and needed some background information, so he caught us up and then gave us the story up until we were up to date on what was going on in his life.
The film was edited in an interesting way, where you could not tell if F.H. was living or hallucinating. So there are some scenes where I am not even sure maybe they were dreams maybe they were not. Like the scene when F.H. and his friend park their car and go walking this part is interesting because F.H. thinks he is in a cemetery, realizes that it is not a cemetery, but a drive in. But it is strange that a movie was playing without any customers. So was there even a drive in? Was there even a movie playing? F. H.’s friends also saw the movie, but did not see the cemetery.
This movie is made from a memoir by Denis Johnson. I wonder if the book also leaves parts for the reader to figure out for themselves. This leads me to wonder: Maybe Denis Johnson doesn’t quite remember what was real and what was the drugs? This leaves the viewer (or readers) to make an assumption. This may lead some viewers wanting to know more, but that may be a message within his story, that his drug use left all of these blank spots in his history.
Links:
http://www.sanfranciscoreader.com/interviews/denis%20johnson.html
http://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/features/6127/
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Clueless
Looking back at viewing Clueless as a film I watched as a pre-teen over and over again, I was glad to have an opportunity to gain a better appreciation for the film, and realize actually how GOOD the film is. I have not seen the movie in years and viewing it again I expected to view a dumb movie that I liked as a kid. But taking a different perspective on viewing the film I also realized how much it had to offer. It has a good story line and many coming of age lessons as well as acknowledgement to different socio economic classes.
There are lessons the main character Cher learns about giving to others, about what is really important in life, general growth, and selflessness. The inclusion of class issues in this film is really interesting also because in this type of teeny bopper film such serious issues are not usually addressed. But Amy Heckerling does a good job of incorporating such a theme into a movie about that deals with high school. American High Schools students are generally categorized into cliques or crowds. The way the crowds are formed has largely to do with the socio economic circumstances that the student lives in.
We are aware of these issues throughout the film many times. Dress, or here costume, can portray what class someone belongs to. For example, the new girl Tai is transformed form “clueless” to “popular” when the popular girls gave her a makeover and she was clearly dressed in clothes more expensive and generally spent more time and money on her looks. The teachers costume throughout the film are always messy or in dreary clothing or with old cars. Another example is the “Roadies” at school are the druggies that do lots of drugs and don’t go to class are looked down upon by the “Popular” crowd. They are portrayed as aloof and dirty. I think that this was an interesting and smart way to address an important issue such as class differences.
Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alicia_Silverstone
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Hills/5342/Clueless.htm
There are lessons the main character Cher learns about giving to others, about what is really important in life, general growth, and selflessness. The inclusion of class issues in this film is really interesting also because in this type of teeny bopper film such serious issues are not usually addressed. But Amy Heckerling does a good job of incorporating such a theme into a movie about that deals with high school. American High Schools students are generally categorized into cliques or crowds. The way the crowds are formed has largely to do with the socio economic circumstances that the student lives in.
We are aware of these issues throughout the film many times. Dress, or here costume, can portray what class someone belongs to. For example, the new girl Tai is transformed form “clueless” to “popular” when the popular girls gave her a makeover and she was clearly dressed in clothes more expensive and generally spent more time and money on her looks. The teachers costume throughout the film are always messy or in dreary clothing or with old cars. Another example is the “Roadies” at school are the druggies that do lots of drugs and don’t go to class are looked down upon by the “Popular” crowd. They are portrayed as aloof and dirty. I think that this was an interesting and smart way to address an important issue such as class differences.
Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alicia_Silverstone
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Hills/5342/Clueless.htm
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Eve’s Bayou
The film Eve’s Bayou is a very intense and touching film. At some points I identified with the characters so much that I was lost in story. The over-protective mother, the daddy’s little girl relations, but most of all the sisters/best friend relationships.
The times when I felt most in touch with the film was during scenes when there were issues between the sisters, Cisely and Eve. The relationship I have with my sister is incomparable to any other relationship that I have. I am extremely close with her and at times have lost rational thought while trying to protect her, even as an adult. I speak in terms of overreaction, comparing myself to Eve when she wanted her father dead when Cisely told her that he hurt her. I have no idea what my reaction would be if someone hurt my sister in such a way, but I know that it would probably be close to Eve’s reaction.
I also really understood Cisely’s actions in the very beginning of the film when she told Eve that she was mistaken about the affair she had witnessed between their father and Metty Mereaux. During this seen she was trying to protect the well being her whole family, her father from getting in trouble, as well as the innocence of her baby sister. Overall, this was a great film. Identifying with the characters of a movie really makes it for me!
Links:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119080/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eve's_BayouWednesday, August 1, 2007
For Wanda
I thought that the film For Wanda was very interesting. This was the first type of film that I have seen like this in many ways. The film lacked the typical beautiful people or perfect ending. I really appreciated that this film lacked both; we were provided with real people and a not so perfect ending. The storyline and nomadic quality of the film leads the audience to figure out for themselves what the film is saying.
The lack of information that was provided by director/actress Barbara Loden about Wanda was really intriguing to me. I noticed that through the film I was trying to “figure her out”. And in the end the only thing that I had “figured out” was that Wanda was a lost soul and she had not grown in any way.
Something that I found really refreshing about this film was how real it was. It seems as if Loden really wanted to portray a real life feel to this film. She shows this in many ways. In the dreary landscape, the lack of self respect Wanda had for herself and the lack of respect that other people had for her. We see this especially when Wanda allows men to use her, through her wallet away, when she says “I’ve never had anything and I never will have anything”. In the end of the film that is exactly what we see the main character never grew, she still had nothing, actually less than she had at the beginning of the film.
Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Loden
http://www.hollywood.com/celebrity/Barbara_Loden/190111
The lack of information that was provided by director/actress Barbara Loden about Wanda was really intriguing to me. I noticed that through the film I was trying to “figure her out”. And in the end the only thing that I had “figured out” was that Wanda was a lost soul and she had not grown in any way.
Something that I found really refreshing about this film was how real it was. It seems as if Loden really wanted to portray a real life feel to this film. She shows this in many ways. In the dreary landscape, the lack of self respect Wanda had for herself and the lack of respect that other people had for her. We see this especially when Wanda allows men to use her, through her wallet away, when she says “I’ve never had anything and I never will have anything”. In the end of the film that is exactly what we see the main character never grew, she still had nothing, actually less than she had at the beginning of the film.
Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Loden
http://www.hollywood.com/celebrity/Barbara_Loden/190111
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Vertigo Blog #1
Vertigo
The film Vertigo, directed by Alfred Hitchcock was my first viewing of a psychological thriller made before the nineties. I can only imagine that Hitchcock was a great director to lead the way for directors in the genre of thrillers. The many different story lines made the film a very intriguing until the very end.
In a film review by Roger Ebert, he notes that one of the aspects of the film that makes it great is the way Hitchcock manipulates the story so that the viewer identifies and fears for both main characters. While manipulating the story Hitchcock also leads the audience to hold many layers of emotions for each character. I noticed that by the end of the film my feelings for each character were changing rather quickly.
Ebert’s comments made me realize that Hitchcock’s manipulation of the story manipulated my reaction to the story. I sympathized for Scottie for the majority of the film, from the very first scene when he watched his co-worker fall off of a rooftop up until he started trying to transform Judy to Madeline. At that point I really started to dislike him. I was surprised my reaction, usually when viewing a film I choose the character to identify with and stick with it. I then “switched sides” and felt for Judy, who was trying to make things work with Scotty, I then sympathized for Scottie again during the very last scene after Judy had fallen out of the tower to her death.
Links:
http://www.filmsite.org/vert.html
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052357/
The film Vertigo, directed by Alfred Hitchcock was my first viewing of a psychological thriller made before the nineties. I can only imagine that Hitchcock was a great director to lead the way for directors in the genre of thrillers. The many different story lines made the film a very intriguing until the very end.
In a film review by Roger Ebert, he notes that one of the aspects of the film that makes it great is the way Hitchcock manipulates the story so that the viewer identifies and fears for both main characters. While manipulating the story Hitchcock also leads the audience to hold many layers of emotions for each character. I noticed that by the end of the film my feelings for each character were changing rather quickly.
Ebert’s comments made me realize that Hitchcock’s manipulation of the story manipulated my reaction to the story. I sympathized for Scottie for the majority of the film, from the very first scene when he watched his co-worker fall off of a rooftop up until he started trying to transform Judy to Madeline. At that point I really started to dislike him. I was surprised my reaction, usually when viewing a film I choose the character to identify with and stick with it. I then “switched sides” and felt for Judy, who was trying to make things work with Scotty, I then sympathized for Scottie again during the very last scene after Judy had fallen out of the tower to her death.
Links:
http://www.filmsite.org/vert.html
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052357/
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