My Own Perception:
I thought this movie was interesting. One of the things that intrigued me was the way that Post WWII Europe was used to show the "other world" or underworld. When Orpheus traveled into the other world, the architecture was all crumbling and whatnot. I thought that was a great depiction of a world that isn't completely destroyed but also isn't completely there. It represents that sort of purgatory where fate is still being decided upon for the characters.
I also was freaked out when Lady Death all of the sudden admits that she loves Orpheus and he is madly in love with her. I was not expecting that at all. It did seem to me that it was an almost sort of narcissism where he is so in love with himself that he even loves his own death.
I also couldn't stand the way that he treated his wife. It was clear as soon as she was introduced that they didn't have that good of a marriage and that he didn't love her, or at least love her like he should (as her husband). I think he was falling out of love for a while with his wife, and as soon as Lady Death got involved it sealed the deal.
Class Discussion:
When they get to that other world for the first time, and there is a tribunal of men who decide judgment for Lady Death and Orpheus, and for his wife and Heurtebise, I found the correlation interesting between that and the tribunals shortly after WWII. There are old men who have to judge everything that has been going on and decide the fate for people.
The whole mirrors as portals was a pretty cool idea, i hadn't really thought too much about that. I did have one question, though: I think that when Lady Death is first introduced to the story, she is sitting at a mirror and it shatters as she is looking into it. Does anybody know what that represents? I couldn't figure it out. Maybe she is breaking the rules so the portals don't want to let her travel between worlds?
The Reading:
I got really confused on the reading, especially the large blocks in French.
One idea mentioned in class was the relationship between homosexual sensibility and poetic sensibility. In the article it says "...Cocteau's universe where special beings, i.e. poets, are endowed with a sensibility that allows them to see what's hidden to others." It mentions how he is able to penetrate the hidden worlds. Maybe Orpheus is able to travel between worlds because he is a special poet, and ordinary people aren't able to do that.
The article also says that "danger comes from poetry", and in class in was mentioned how being a poet is dangerous. It brings you close to death and craziness. I think that shows why Orpheus can deal with the other world, can deal with death. He freaked out on his wife and seemed a little crazy. He, because he was being selfish, let his wife die because he was listening to Cigeste's poetry. Lots of things connect him to death and poetry.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Vertigo
My Own Perception:
I thought this movie was interesting. It was funny how similar it was to the film "Laura", where a detective falls in love with a dead woman.
As far as Jimmy Stewart's character, I found the way he showed his obsession with the dead Madeleine to be unique. He literally has to have Judy (who he doesn't know is Madeleine) to look the exact same way, to wear the same clothes, to have the same hair. He needs to recreate everything in his mind to figure out where he went wrong.
Midge, i feel, is the girl that used to be in love with Scottie and can't get over him. They are close friends, but Scottie doesn't see her like that. When Scottie goes crazy, i felt like Midge tried to move in on him, almost trying to take advantage of his trauma.
Madeleine/Judy just frustrates me. If she were really in love with Scottie, i think she could have ran away with him.
Class Discussion:
The point made in class about Midge going back to Scottie after Madeleine dies because she can't lose him to Madeleine is a great point. I think Midge was jealous and thought that Madeleine stole him from her. Once Madeleine died, Midge was able to have Scottie all to herself again.
Reading:
The article "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" was, in my opinion, over the top. I honestly don't compare any sexual feelings or Freudian ideas when i am watching narrative films. I do sort of agree that there is an obsession with an image, for instance a stunningly beautiful woman on the screen or a vibrant world like Pandora in the film "Avatar". Other that finding things visually appealing, I don't sexually crave a woman who is on the screen.
I do agree that i identify with the male protagonist in films, for the most part. I identify with the male and look at the female as the object.
Also, i think it was interesting the way Hitchcock does make us see everything the way that Scottie is seeing it. We objectify Madeleine and view everything as a voyeur. We feel like we almost shouldn't be watching, but we can't stop. In that way the point about fetishism makes sense to me, but in no other way than that.
I thought this movie was interesting. It was funny how similar it was to the film "Laura", where a detective falls in love with a dead woman.
As far as Jimmy Stewart's character, I found the way he showed his obsession with the dead Madeleine to be unique. He literally has to have Judy (who he doesn't know is Madeleine) to look the exact same way, to wear the same clothes, to have the same hair. He needs to recreate everything in his mind to figure out where he went wrong.
Midge, i feel, is the girl that used to be in love with Scottie and can't get over him. They are close friends, but Scottie doesn't see her like that. When Scottie goes crazy, i felt like Midge tried to move in on him, almost trying to take advantage of his trauma.
Madeleine/Judy just frustrates me. If she were really in love with Scottie, i think she could have ran away with him.
Class Discussion:
The point made in class about Midge going back to Scottie after Madeleine dies because she can't lose him to Madeleine is a great point. I think Midge was jealous and thought that Madeleine stole him from her. Once Madeleine died, Midge was able to have Scottie all to herself again.
Reading:
The article "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" was, in my opinion, over the top. I honestly don't compare any sexual feelings or Freudian ideas when i am watching narrative films. I do sort of agree that there is an obsession with an image, for instance a stunningly beautiful woman on the screen or a vibrant world like Pandora in the film "Avatar". Other that finding things visually appealing, I don't sexually crave a woman who is on the screen.
I do agree that i identify with the male protagonist in films, for the most part. I identify with the male and look at the female as the object.
Also, i think it was interesting the way Hitchcock does make us see everything the way that Scottie is seeing it. We objectify Madeleine and view everything as a voyeur. We feel like we almost shouldn't be watching, but we can't stop. In that way the point about fetishism makes sense to me, but in no other way than that.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Laura
My Own Perception:
I have been re-watching the film, and seeing a lot of things I had not seen before. Right at the beginning of the film, Waldo Lydecker is giving a voice over, introducing himself and Detective McPherson. Lydecker mentions how he is watching McPherson, and his attention is upon the clock. He then goes on to say that there is only one other like it, in the room where Laura was murdered. That makes me realize how important the clock is, which the audience doesn't understand until way later in the movie.
I was looking at the character of Lydecker. He has a lot of money and a lot of objects, but he is very lonely. He can buy everything in the world, but he will never be happy. I think he is just a miserable person. He was always by himself before Laura came along, then was with Laura constantly, then when she left he was by himself again. Also, before he "killed her", he still had the same idea that "if i can't have you no one will". He didn't do it with a gun, but he did it with his newspaper columns. He would write about Laura's new man, so that she would dump that man, and then be alone. I think he tried to make her be alone if he couldn't be with her. On top of that, i still couldn't figure out if he even was physically with her, i couldn't tell what his sexual orientation was.
Class Discussion:
I thought it was interesting how it was mentioned that Laura is an object to Lydecker. I find that very true. He thinks he can purchase everything in the world, including love. She is just another trophy object on his glass shelf.
Someone in class mentioned how there really isn't one solid relationship throughout the whole movie. Laura can't decide from one day to the next who she loves and who she is going to marry. I find that ironic, because i would think that after all of this trauma that she has gone through, she would want to find one steady person that wouldn't cheat on her. It does seem like all of the men in her life thus far seem to be a letdown.
This also brings up the point that Laura doesn't really have a "type" of man. All of the men she loves are so extremely different. She never goes for the same type of person, and never stays with that person either.
It was weird how McPherson goes through her things (and her underwear drawer especially) when he thinks she is dead. It must have made things really weird for him when Laura showed up alive. He fell in love with her portrait as if she was some sort of made up beauty, a figment of his imagination. Now she shows up alive and he almost doesn't know what to do.
The "Laura" Review:
It was really weird how Lydecker introduces himself to McPherson by exiting the bath tub naked. I also found it weird that McPherson didn't care at all about it. If I were a detective investigating a murder, I'd want to be a little more professional that that.
I did think that this film was a critique on high society. It shows how money can't buy happiness, and how the richest people can be the most miserable. The not-so-rich, down to earth detective is the seemingly least miserable.
McPherson may be the least miserable, but i think he is the most complicated. The article says "...and examination of man's penchant for projecting their fanciful visions of idealized femininity onto women". It is extremely true for McPherson, who builds an image of her from her underwear drawer and love letters. The article says he falls in love with Laura because "she inspired such ardent male attention". I think this is very true. The article mentions McPherson's desire to save Laura from these upper crust jerks. He falls in love with her even more because he is on a rescue mission. I find that to be true. He wants to be her knight in shining armor and save the day, be the hero.
The article mentions the three different masculinity types- Lydecker is asexual, McPherson is the tough guy, Carpenter is the idiot. They all were obsessed with Laura, and she couldn't ever make up her mind between them.
I have been re-watching the film, and seeing a lot of things I had not seen before. Right at the beginning of the film, Waldo Lydecker is giving a voice over, introducing himself and Detective McPherson. Lydecker mentions how he is watching McPherson, and his attention is upon the clock. He then goes on to say that there is only one other like it, in the room where Laura was murdered. That makes me realize how important the clock is, which the audience doesn't understand until way later in the movie.
I was looking at the character of Lydecker. He has a lot of money and a lot of objects, but he is very lonely. He can buy everything in the world, but he will never be happy. I think he is just a miserable person. He was always by himself before Laura came along, then was with Laura constantly, then when she left he was by himself again. Also, before he "killed her", he still had the same idea that "if i can't have you no one will". He didn't do it with a gun, but he did it with his newspaper columns. He would write about Laura's new man, so that she would dump that man, and then be alone. I think he tried to make her be alone if he couldn't be with her. On top of that, i still couldn't figure out if he even was physically with her, i couldn't tell what his sexual orientation was.
Class Discussion:
I thought it was interesting how it was mentioned that Laura is an object to Lydecker. I find that very true. He thinks he can purchase everything in the world, including love. She is just another trophy object on his glass shelf.
Someone in class mentioned how there really isn't one solid relationship throughout the whole movie. Laura can't decide from one day to the next who she loves and who she is going to marry. I find that ironic, because i would think that after all of this trauma that she has gone through, she would want to find one steady person that wouldn't cheat on her. It does seem like all of the men in her life thus far seem to be a letdown.
This also brings up the point that Laura doesn't really have a "type" of man. All of the men she loves are so extremely different. She never goes for the same type of person, and never stays with that person either.
It was weird how McPherson goes through her things (and her underwear drawer especially) when he thinks she is dead. It must have made things really weird for him when Laura showed up alive. He fell in love with her portrait as if she was some sort of made up beauty, a figment of his imagination. Now she shows up alive and he almost doesn't know what to do.
The "Laura" Review:
It was really weird how Lydecker introduces himself to McPherson by exiting the bath tub naked. I also found it weird that McPherson didn't care at all about it. If I were a detective investigating a murder, I'd want to be a little more professional that that.
I did think that this film was a critique on high society. It shows how money can't buy happiness, and how the richest people can be the most miserable. The not-so-rich, down to earth detective is the seemingly least miserable.
McPherson may be the least miserable, but i think he is the most complicated. The article says "...and examination of man's penchant for projecting their fanciful visions of idealized femininity onto women". It is extremely true for McPherson, who builds an image of her from her underwear drawer and love letters. The article says he falls in love with Laura because "she inspired such ardent male attention". I think this is very true. The article mentions McPherson's desire to save Laura from these upper crust jerks. He falls in love with her even more because he is on a rescue mission. I find that to be true. He wants to be her knight in shining armor and save the day, be the hero.
The article mentions the three different masculinity types- Lydecker is asexual, McPherson is the tough guy, Carpenter is the idiot. They all were obsessed with Laura, and she couldn't ever make up her mind between them.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
The Third Man
I thought this movie was great.
To start off, the whole American Foreign Policy-ish theme really became apparent to me during the class discussion. I thought the film "The Third Man" was very well written in the ways that the Americans come onto foreign soil, either "guns blazing" (Holly) to save the day -or- just to make money (Lime), no matter what the consequences are (physically or otherwise.) I think that this idea can be seen all throughout America's history. Though the movie was filmed in 1949, the theme still is apparent in 2010. In the end, both Americans lose to some extent. Lime more so than Holly. Lime loses his life, while Holly just loses the girl and a former good friend.
As far as "The Revenant of Vienna" article, I never realized how many similarities there are between Dracula and The Third man. To start off, neither character shows up that frequently during the film. Both Dracula and Lime are the major talk of the movie, but really only show up for minimal amounts. The article said that they serve as focal points for the story, which is very true of lime. The whole film is about Holly trying to figure out how he died, so we are constantly thinking about Lime throughout the film. The article also mentioned how both characters are killed at the end of prolonged chases. Lime had somewhat of a ridiculous chase scene in the tunnels underneath the Russian sector. I thought if was funny how both Lime and Dracula have more power during the night. For Lime, he can move about more freely with a lesser chance of being caught. During the day he is at risk.
Overall, i loved "The Third Man", and all of its interesting undertones and themes. The similarities to Dracula was also quite interesting.
To start off, the whole American Foreign Policy-ish theme really became apparent to me during the class discussion. I thought the film "The Third Man" was very well written in the ways that the Americans come onto foreign soil, either "guns blazing" (Holly) to save the day -or- just to make money (Lime), no matter what the consequences are (physically or otherwise.) I think that this idea can be seen all throughout America's history. Though the movie was filmed in 1949, the theme still is apparent in 2010. In the end, both Americans lose to some extent. Lime more so than Holly. Lime loses his life, while Holly just loses the girl and a former good friend.
As far as "The Revenant of Vienna" article, I never realized how many similarities there are between Dracula and The Third man. To start off, neither character shows up that frequently during the film. Both Dracula and Lime are the major talk of the movie, but really only show up for minimal amounts. The article said that they serve as focal points for the story, which is very true of lime. The whole film is about Holly trying to figure out how he died, so we are constantly thinking about Lime throughout the film. The article also mentioned how both characters are killed at the end of prolonged chases. Lime had somewhat of a ridiculous chase scene in the tunnels underneath the Russian sector. I thought if was funny how both Lime and Dracula have more power during the night. For Lime, he can move about more freely with a lesser chance of being caught. During the day he is at risk.
Overall, i loved "The Third Man", and all of its interesting undertones and themes. The similarities to Dracula was also quite interesting.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
