The Piano (1993)

The art film The Piano is like no other film I have seen before. The director Jane Campion, known for her feminist approach to films, does a wonderful job of just that. Though the film was produced in 1993, the story takes place in early times, around 1850 and does a good job of defining masculinity and feminism of the earlier times through a unique portrayal of a mute woman who will do anything for love, love for her piano, and love for her unexpected partner.
Campion’s film would definitely be classified as a contemporary film (398) because of the present era it was made in. When Ada and her daughter Flora, arrive to their new home in New Zealand and move in with her husband who her father had arranged marriage with, things almost seemed to be going as planned. I think this particular instance in the movie portray two views of the earlier times male dominance. Not only was Ada sent away by her father to get married, no choice or say in the matter, but as soon as she arrives her new husband Alisdair also displays his “ownership” over his unknown wife. When she and her property arrives, Alisdair immediately makes a deal for some land and in exchange for the land he would trade Ada’s piano away, despite her love for it, and it not belonging to him and all.
When Ada finds out about her piano, despite her reluctant but open-minded approach to her new marriage, she is devastated and if nothing else, has lost her loyalty and any chance of loving Alisdair. Because of the realism (377) in this film it is easy to get lost in its plot, and as soon as you do Campion shocks you with literally a “smack in the face” twist that you never saw coming. Despite her unwillingness, Ada is forced by Alisdair to go teach the man he sold it to, George Baines, how to use the piano. The two could be considered exact opposites in many ways, she is a well dressed seemingly polite woman, and George is a native tribe member of New Zealand with a tattooed face.
Their piano lessons almost immediately turned into what I can only describe as blackmail. You can tell that George does not have very much interest in the piano, or how to play it, but was much more focused on Ada herself. George offered Ada to give her piano back to her if he was able to “do things to her as she played” and at first she was reluctant, but out of desperation for her piano she agrees to give one lesson for each black key on the piano, and during each lesson George could pretty much do what he wanted. The visits got increasingly sexual, and at this point you feel like George is doing something wrong, and despite Ada’s willingness to engage in these acts to get her piano back it just seemed morally wrong.
Eventually, Ada had finished her lessons with George and got her piano back. When she did, she returned to George’s house, and after she slaps him for doing that to her she leaps in his arms because she has fallen in love with him. With the unintentional help from Flora, Alasdair soon finds out of the affair, and prohibits both Flora and Ada from ever seeing George. When she disobeys him, through another portrayal of male dominance he severely punishes her by cutting her finger off, disabling her from playing the piano.
Although I never expected it, Alasdair and George seemed to change personas throughout the film. Because in the end, George was the hero and Alasdair was the bad guy. Luckily for Ada, she managed to get away from Alasdair and sailed off to a happy ending with Flora, George, and her piano. Ada originally insists on her piano coming on board of their small sailboat, despite the captain’s advice to leave it behind. Half way through her trip she seems to have a moment of realization, and because the piano symbolizes everything bad in her past, after the many obstacles she overcame to get it this far, she decides to throw it over board and start her life from scratch.

Works Cited
“The Piano.” Dir. Jane Campion. Perfs. Holly Hunter, Sam Neill, Harvey Keitel. Miramax Films.
1993. (film)
Armond White “The Piano.” Photo. Wordpress.com. Accessed April 26, 2010.
www.armondwhitebook.wordpress.com

The Best Years Of Our Lives (1947)

Ironically named The Best Years Of Our Lives explores a unique point-of-view regarding World War II. Whereas most films created during, or about this post-war era typically would portray the actual events of the war, actual battles, and actual losses suffered by the armed forces, This film focuses particularly on a crucial battle that every surviving veteran, in any war will face, the battle of “fitting in” when you return home.
Although it may seem simple for someone like me to act as a normal civilian in day to day activities. The simple may seem closer to impossible for someone who is returning from serving in a war, and who has faced horrors that seem unimaginable to me. With that being said, and the closest to these horrors that I have ever been is through a good movie, In my opinion it is safe to say that, once a man or woman is lucky enough to made it home from war, the battle has only just begun.
The Film starts out with three men returning home from the war, and the obstacles they are yet to face, despite already surviving the war. The three men: Homer, a navy man who had lost both his hands in an explosion on board his ship and is worried what his family and girlfriend will think about his prosthetics, Al Stevenson, a Sergeant in the army who has been married for twenty years with two children, and last but not least Fred Derry, an air force bombardier who was married just before leaving for duty. Although the three men lead normal lives before joining their branch of the service, they are all faced with some serious social re-adjustment issues and they all somewhat aware of the challenges that lie ahead, Sergeant Stephenson compares going home to storming a beach at war, just before he is dropped of at home by the taxi he says to Derry “I feel as though I am about to hit a beach”, an ironic way to start the best years of their lives.
The irony of that replayed over and over again in my head the whole time I was watching the film. I also could not help but admire Homer’s gratefulness to life, in my opinion he had it worst of all three men, though they all faced some serious issues, all but Homer, the once high school star quarterback, came back fully intact. All three men lost valuable time, endured changes they never thought possible. But Homer suffered the loss of his hands in addition to all the things Al and Fred also lost, yet he still stood optimistic, and even more impressive he was very grateful to the navy, not for the devastation, but for giving him the capability and training to still continue living. I think that even though he was dealt the worst hand he handled it best, and as a character with great strength, he portrayed a strong, courageous, and grateful person that we all should strive to be.
As I had hoped while I was watching The Best Years Of Our Lives there was a happy ending. Despite the war, the social re-adjustment, and the domestic difficulties all three men find away to go about their lives. In a sense, the title of the film seemed less ironic the more I thought about it, the best years of their lives refers to the years after the war, and it makes sense to me, because in reality the war really does not end until you make the necessary changes to become a normal civilian again, and because of this film, I truly appreciate just how hard making those changes can be.

Works Cited
The Best Years Of Our Lives. Dir. William Wyler. Perfs. Myrna Loy, Fredric March. Samuel Goldwyn Company, 1947. (film)
Kelly. “Best Years Cover.” Photo. www.utoronto.ca Accessed April 18, 2010 http://www.utoronto.ca/stmikes/kelly/movies/classicspre.html (photo)

The Seventh Seal (1958)

If there is anything that has been questioned more than whether or not God exists, I cannot think of it. Time after time people ask themselves and sometimes each other if there is a God, and if there actually is, why he would allow such tragedies throughout history, throughout the world to occur. If there is an all forgiving man upstairs, why is there war, why is there poverty, and in the case of The Seventh Seal why is there the black plague. Antonius Block, a Knight returning home to Sweden from the Crusades, has worn out faith because of the war and has a rare opportunity, to ask death himself the almighty question: “Is there truly a God”.
As I mentioned, Antonius was returning from The Crusades to Sweden where the Black Plague had swept the country and killed thousands of people. During his journey home Antonius and his squire Jon where visited by death. Although because of the black plague, Death is busier than ever making his rounds, he accepts Antonius’s challenge to a game of chess, after all Death admits he never loses at anything. Although Antonius’s challenge was accepted it did not give him a free-pass, and that was not what he was looking for. Antonius was certain he would lose, but only wished to buy enough time to answer the question that he, and so many others wonder, does god exist?
After being denied a direct answer from Death, although frustrated Antonius is determined to find out the answers he longs for and refuses to give up. He visits a priest and asks the same question, and after a fade-out (145), it is revealed that the priest is actually Death, who’s only response is to laugh at Antonius’s helplessness. Although outsmarted by Death in this particular case, which maybe representing the way the chess game is also going, Antonius again, refuses to leave this question unanswered and continues his quest.
I found it ironic, how throughout the film, Antonius see’s all the horrors of the black plague and his ravished country, and not only comes face to face with Death, but actually plays chess with him. But on the other hand Jof, the acrobatic performer has visions of the exact opposite, the Virgin Mary and child. In fact, Jof and Antonius seem to contrast each other throughout the whole film. Whereas Antonius has witnessed many horrors and no longer can think positively, Jof is optimistic throughout the whole movie, seemingly unaware of the plague that surrounds him.
Although it becomes clear throughout the film that Antonio only continues for himself out of selfishness, he has somewhat of a character development towards the end. He eventually met his inevitable defeat in chess and ultimately in life itself, and even though he never actually got the answers he was looking for, he found meaning in life in another way. In what I would consider a surprising, but happy ending, he enables the escape of Jof, Jof’s wife Mia, and his infant son Mikeal.

Works Cited

Timothy Corrigan and Patricia White"The Film Experience: An Introduction". Boston, Ma. Bedford/St. Martins Publishing. 2009 (text)

Salvad, Jay. "Chess Game."Photo. People.USC.edu Accessed April 10,2010.

The Seventh Seal. Dir. Ingmar Bergman. Svensk Filmindustri. oct. 13, 1958.

The General (1926)

As I have mentioned many times I am pretty shallow when it comes to films. I normally pre judge a movie long before I even see the cover, and a silent film was no exception. I was automatically thinking that I was not going to enjoy it, and once again Dr. Carreiro proved me wrong. The General, by Buster Keaton turned out to be pretty good. Although it is a silent film, what it lacks in audio is made up for with its powerful use of cinematography, music, and of course the occasional subtitle. This film gave me a better understanding and appreciation of silent films, especially considering that I could not help but to compare it to something of Maya Deren’s, who completely confuses me. To say the least, after watching it I can understand why people enjoyed it, and how it definitely stimulated your imagination.
The General as the text even points out is a restricted narration (258) because it gives the experiences and thoughts of the civil war, confined to the personal perceptions of the main character, Johnnie Grey. Just to clarify, I use the term civil war loosely. In fact, Grey was rejected from enlisting when he first got word of the attack on Fort Sumter, as the subtitles pointed out. He was considered more valuable to the south remaining as an engineer than joining the militia, this bothered him and as the point-of-view (396) was carefully pieced together throughout the film, it was easily visible that he felt small compared to those who were able to enlist. In addition to his damaged pride, when he told his girlfriend, the love of his life second to only his train The General, that he was not able to enlist, she called him a liar and told him to not speak to her again unless he was in military uniform for the south. This is where the real story begins.
As the camera angles and the cinematography suggest at the beginning of the silent film, he absolutely loves two things, his engine, and his girlfriend. When his engine was stolen, girlfriend on board, Grey knew, whether enlisted or not, whether alone or with the help of soldiers, he was going after the stolen train. During this low-speed pursuit it almost seems that Grey is faced with some impossible obstacles, the biggest of which being his own clumsiness. Aside from tripping over his own feet, and single-handedly blowing a couple of good opportunities, the thieves had a few tricks up their sleeves. I could not help but to laugh at the silly mistakes he continuously made making his mission that much more difficult. All these things helps easily classify this film as a good example of a slapstick comedy (344).
At the end of the film there is a medium close-up shot (111) of Johnnie Grey that emphasizes his sense of satisfaction with himself that was not evident at the beginning of the film. He managed to obtain all three things that he struggled to get throughout the movie: his girl, his engine, and being able to join the military. As the text puts it, and I consider an understatement, the 1920’s, the era this film was made is the years of “refinement of Cinematography” (99).

Works Cited
Davidson, David. “The General.” Photo Blogger.com 19 Jun. 2009. Accessed Mar. 31, 2010. www.blogger.com/davidson/general.
The General. Dir. Buster Keaton Perfs. Buster Keaton. Buster Keaton Productions, 1926.
Timothy Corrigan and Patricia White"The Film Experience: An Introduction". Boston, Ma. Bedford/St. Martins Publishing. 2009 (text)

A Streetcar Named Desire

I tend to dislike older films, I do not know why, I just always do, but I found A Streetcar Named Desire to be a personal exception. I think the film itself, and the works of the director Elia Kazan, and especially the performers, Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh to be ahead of their times. The majority of films I have seen from this era present a different perspective of the lives of post WWII Americans. Despite the typical "happy days" portrayal I am used to, this film sheds a whole new light on the times.
Despite being a black and white motion picture, the lighting in the film contributes to the feelings and situations the actors are faced with. In combination with Marlon Brando's exceptional naturalistic acting (70), the film seems to engulf you in the flames of Stella, Stanley, and Blanche's issues. In my opinion, Brando grasped the concept and values of the character Stanley in such a unique and incomparable way. Brando did what all good actors attempt to do, to actually become their characters and make the audience develop feelings towards their role, and without a doubt, Brando nailed it.
The story begins when Blanche, due to her circumstances in Aureole, goes to New Orleans to stay with her younger sister and her husband, Stanley and Stella. Although their apartment is very small and cluttered Stella welcomes her sister with open arms, but Stanley is a little less welcoming and almost immediately tries to subdue Blanche with his controlling and brute personality, in which Stella has already become a victim to. This initial encounter between Stanley and Blanche paves the way for their argumentative relationship that is soon to develop. During this scene, the director uses key lighting (83) to intensify what is going on and brings focus to Blanche's mysteriousness.
As I mentioned, the lighting in this movie contributes to the feelings that surround it. In one scene with Blanche and Mitch, a friend of Stanley's, the importance of the lighting is highlighted. Mitch noticed that he has never met with Blanche during the day, and even when they meet in the evening they always go somewhere with dim lighting. Throughout the duration of the film, with the exception of this particular scene, Blanche's face was always shadowed and never visible under a strong light, again really contributing to the mysteriousness of her and her past.
In the end the truth comes out, and everyone finds out that Blanche left Aureole because of an affair she had with a 17 year old student of hers, and because of the loss of her job and her newly acquired reputation, she was forced to leave. She came to New Orleans in hopes of starting fresh, but not only does her past come to haunt her, but her welcoming wore off quickly.

Work's Cited
StreetCar Named Desire, Brando and Leigh, 2009. Art.com Accessed on March 28,2010. (photo)
"A Streetcar Named Desire". Dir. Elia Kazan Perf. Marlon Brando, Vivien Leigh. Charles K. Felmen Group Films, 1951. (Film)
Timothy Corrigan and Patricia White"The Film Experience: An Introduction". Boston, Ma. Bedford/St. Martins Publishing. 2009 (text)

Too Much Extra "Loose Change"

The documentary film Loose Change: Final cut, is a very effective piece of work. As the text mentions there is only a slight difference between interrogative and persuasive positions (285) and this particular film snugly fits both descriptions. Although I do not know if I fully believe everything the documentary puts forth, whether the information is factual or fiction, the director Dylan Avery makes a valid argument.
Loose Change uses many persuasive real-life interviews with seemingly credible people. I noticed that there was an interview with a New York Fireman, and some distraught survivors of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. I could not help but to wonder how much effort went into finding people to interview that fit the idea Avery was trying to convey. In addition, I wondered how many people were interviewed during the production of this documentary that were not shown or did not make the "final cut". In reality, the people interviewed sounded convincing and I would never downsize what they went through, because it was terrible, but they represent only the views and opinions of Avery and themselves.
I think many of the incidents that were put under the scope by the film were definitely a little fishy, but I do not think I am completely convinced that the Bush administration, although horrible, would collaborate in any conspiracy involving the loss of thousands of American lives. In defense of the documentary, the facts, people, real experiences, and actual events are all described from a first hand experience's and therefore are the presumed truth in their eyes. I personally can not explain the explosions that people heard hours after the planes actually hit, and I was not there, so I really have no position to argue with what they saw and heard.
Despite my personal opinions on the events of the 9//11 attacks, and my agreements and disagreements with what Avery is saying in his film, I must say he does a profound job of making a case. His interviews all are very persuasive and definitely successful in making the viewer reconsider what they already have heard and probably believe about 9/11. He does a near perfect job of compiling different media clips, interviews, and congressional testimonies that strengthen the credibility of his accusations. Even if I think many of his factual statements may have been presented out of context, and could be exaggerated documentary propaganda (275), I must admit Avery is a very convincing director.

Works Cited

Loose Change, 2006. Libertydiscs.com Accessed March 14, 2010. (photo)
Loose Change. Dir. Dylan Avery. Louder Than Words Films,2007. (film)
Timothy Corrigan and Patricia White"The Film Experience: An Introduction". Boston, Ma. Bedford/St. Martins Publishing. 2009 (text)

Gomorra

So far this semester, Gomorra has been my personal favorite film and genre we have viewed. I have always been a fan of the crime or mafia related films, and Gomorra portrays a side of crime families that I have never seen, and absolutely loved watching. It is action packed, and the low budget used, in my opinion, contributes to the film's strong sense of cinematic realism. While I was watching this movie I noticed that during this film, not only where there multiple narrations going on, but also a few different good examples of character development.
The character of Don Ciro, who was the soft-spoken middleman who worked for Comorra gangsters and delivered money to the families of imprisoned gang members. His character evolves throughout the film from being portrayed as a stiff Comorra gangster, to a traitor to the gang. He is approached by two rival gang members who threaten his life, and when they do so, in hopes of saving his own life, he tells them he will be an informant for them. At this point his character is fully developed, and with his mind made up he becomes the guy who turned his back on the Comorra. With Ciro's inside information the two rival gangsters rob a Comorra stash house, killing everyone but Ciro.
The second case of character development, is Toto. Toto is a young grocery delivery boy, who at first seems innocent and almost childish. Throughout the film, a couple things happen to Toto that develops his character from the original childish grocery boy, to a young member of the infamous Comorra . First he witnesses drug dealers throw their drugs and guns when police ambush them, and Toto sneaks over and recovers them, and then brought them back to the gangsters, who because of this take him under their wings. As a young boy, he was almost instantly lured to the lifestyle. The film gives a perfect visual example of character development in Toto's initiation into the gang scene, where he is willingly shot with a bullet-proof vest on as a test of honor and courage. He was at that moment transferred from the grocery boy to the gangster, and he seemed to be proud of himself for going through with it. In the following scenes, Toto lures a woman he delivers groceries to out of her house, where she is then gunned down by the Comorra.
These two examples of character development, and the many others I left out, all varied greatly, but ended at the same place. Gomorra did a wonderful job intertwining all the multiple narrations that were going on, and despite the way each one unfolded, the Comorra put pressure, as the film portrays, on every aspect of life in modern day Italy.

Works Cited

Metro, Gomorrah, 2010. Metroactive.com Accessed March 1,2010. (photo)
Gomorrah. Dir. Matteo Garrone. Perf. Toni Servillo, Gianfelice Imparato. Fandango Films 2008.