I have to just marvel sometimes at how far we've come in the last few weeks. Even from day to day, the movies change drastically in some regard or another. Even this modern movie that we watched today was [obviously!] so ridiculously different from the others we've watched.
Today's film almost seemed to give off a Western Chick Flick aura. Although, I loved it, it definitely had a predictable quality to it. I was glad, however, that it did not end like other films, with the guy and girl kissing and living happily ever after. The fact that the ending was left open almost gave off a comedic sense, because it's never quite clear if they will actually meet, or just go on missing eachother like always.
I couldn't help but find myself rooting for her to break up with her fiance, even when he's first introduced to us. I found him manipulative and demanding, but I guess that was the point..
I also found it a bit strange that the wedding planning seemed un-typical. There was a strange quality to not having the bride-to-be in on any aspect of the planning process. Instead, it seemed that the groom was obsessed with every detail and even his parents had more involvement than the bride. Overall, despite it's similarities to common western films, it also held many unique aspects that held it to a different standard.
I also found the shots of Petersburg absolutely stunning! I have to say that my favorite scene was the bridge that the phone inevitably falls over, but the architecture and shots are absolutely gorgeous!
I'm going to miss this class!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
In the Tsar's Castle
First off, this movie struck me because of it's untraditional style and movement through Russian history. Since I'm not very familiar with the Russian history other than Tsar Nicholas II's family, I found it a little difficult to follow, but still extremely engaging.
In this regard, a few things popped out at me. First of all, the narrator's face is never shown. We are, after all seeing everything straight from his eyes and it is for this reason that our main character is never shown on camera. However, as far as the narrator is concerned, I felt that he was an understated man. He said very little and when he said something it was as if he was talking to himself. Rarely did he speak anything above a whisper.
The majority of his lines also seemed to have him repeating what a previous figure had said. He repeated key words or lines as if he was trying to process for himself what had just been said.
His companion throughout the trip, however, was energetic and always engaging with other people. He did what he pleased and often was in the way or being kicked out of somewhere, but he also always was enchanted by his surroundings.
In this regard, a few things popped out at me. First of all, the narrator's face is never shown. We are, after all seeing everything straight from his eyes and it is for this reason that our main character is never shown on camera. However, as far as the narrator is concerned, I felt that he was an understated man. He said very little and when he said something it was as if he was talking to himself. Rarely did he speak anything above a whisper.
The majority of his lines also seemed to have him repeating what a previous figure had said. He repeated key words or lines as if he was trying to process for himself what had just been said.
His companion throughout the trip, however, was energetic and always engaging with other people. He did what he pleased and often was in the way or being kicked out of somewhere, but he also always was enchanted by his surroundings.
Monday, January 28, 2008
The Return
This was the second time I have seen this film. So in that regard, it helped me to notice a lot of things that I hadn't really noticed the first time around.
For example, in the beginning Ivan refuses to jump off the tower because he is afraid of heights, so his mother comes to rescue him and he gladly lets her help him. However, at the end, as he runs from his father, he runs up the tower to escape him and then ultimately says he will jump IF his father comes up. This contrasted the beginning and end well.
While looking for similarities between this and Tarkovsky, I noticed a few. First of all, in Mirror the mother sits on the fence smoking while she awaits the fathers return home. In The Return, the mother stands smoking waiting for her boys to return home in order to tell them of their father's arrival.
Also, the boys choose to look through the art book in order to find the picture of their father.
The end mirrors the beginning in one other regard as well. In the beginning the boys find a picture of their whole family after their father has just returned home, but after his death in the end, they find a new picture that is very similar but simply has the mother and sons in it.
Another thing that struck out was the fact that the father's last act was of compassion. He is mirroring the mother's efforts in the beginning, but this time Ivan refuses to accept his help and it leads to the father's death.
The rope as it sinks in to the water along with the boat and father also mirrors the beginning when the boys are jumping into the water.
All of these mirrors show that life will attempt to go back to how it was before the father arrived, but most likely it will not succeed, simply because of this experience now.
Lastly, it also struck me that Ivan's last words to his father actually call him Dad. Instead of his strict refusals to call his father by father throughout the movie, after he is dead, he finally yells it out.
[The last scene mirrored the last scene from Tarkovsky as the camera retracted through the forest.]
For example, in the beginning Ivan refuses to jump off the tower because he is afraid of heights, so his mother comes to rescue him and he gladly lets her help him. However, at the end, as he runs from his father, he runs up the tower to escape him and then ultimately says he will jump IF his father comes up. This contrasted the beginning and end well.
While looking for similarities between this and Tarkovsky, I noticed a few. First of all, in Mirror the mother sits on the fence smoking while she awaits the fathers return home. In The Return, the mother stands smoking waiting for her boys to return home in order to tell them of their father's arrival.
Also, the boys choose to look through the art book in order to find the picture of their father.
The end mirrors the beginning in one other regard as well. In the beginning the boys find a picture of their whole family after their father has just returned home, but after his death in the end, they find a new picture that is very similar but simply has the mother and sons in it.
Another thing that struck out was the fact that the father's last act was of compassion. He is mirroring the mother's efforts in the beginning, but this time Ivan refuses to accept his help and it leads to the father's death.
The rope as it sinks in to the water along with the boat and father also mirrors the beginning when the boys are jumping into the water.
All of these mirrors show that life will attempt to go back to how it was before the father arrived, but most likely it will not succeed, simply because of this experience now.
Lastly, it also struck me that Ivan's last words to his father actually call him Dad. Instead of his strict refusals to call his father by father throughout the movie, after he is dead, he finally yells it out.
[The last scene mirrored the last scene from Tarkovsky as the camera retracted through the forest.]
Friday, January 25, 2008
What the f*** do you care?? They sing like gods!!
The pictures of the brother, as the mother speaks of him, seem to show us the past. Almost as if it is revealing his growth as a human being until it shows us the most recent picture, even though he will look differently when he is shown in the next few scenes.
Also, after Danila has killed the 2 men in the apartment in order to save the 'weakling's' life, he wipes his palm on his pants, as if he is trying to cleanse himself of their blood, both physically and mentally. He knows how to kill and he does it well, but he never harms an innocent person and only harms in order to protect the innocent. In this regard, he does not necessarily want their blood on his hands, and may be trying to rid himself of this.
The irony of something else struck me. Throughout the movie, Danila is constantly looking for the same cd by Nautilus. His cd player seems to help him think and it is the source of everything for him. He relies on music even in the apartment when they are waiting for the man to get home. This is why it is so significant that the cd player saves his life when he is shot at. The one thing that he has chosen to rely on and turn to in a sense, has been the only thing to save his life.
In the end, Danila chooses to go to Moscow, which is a tad humorous, because it was always his brother who said that the better life was in Moscow. It is at this time, that he takes his brother's advice after telling his brother what to do and who he will be instead of killing.
Also, after Danila has killed the 2 men in the apartment in order to save the 'weakling's' life, he wipes his palm on his pants, as if he is trying to cleanse himself of their blood, both physically and mentally. He knows how to kill and he does it well, but he never harms an innocent person and only harms in order to protect the innocent. In this regard, he does not necessarily want their blood on his hands, and may be trying to rid himself of this.
The irony of something else struck me. Throughout the movie, Danila is constantly looking for the same cd by Nautilus. His cd player seems to help him think and it is the source of everything for him. He relies on music even in the apartment when they are waiting for the man to get home. This is why it is so significant that the cd player saves his life when he is shot at. The one thing that he has chosen to rely on and turn to in a sense, has been the only thing to save his life.
In the end, Danila chooses to go to Moscow, which is a tad humorous, because it was always his brother who said that the better life was in Moscow. It is at this time, that he takes his brother's advice after telling his brother what to do and who he will be instead of killing.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Little Vera
This movie struck me because of it's portrayal of the un-ideal life. The characters were sometimes hard to sympathize with due to their massive and often mistakes. I found it difficult to relate to a single character, although I think that the brother was the easiest to sympathize with.
The apartment was extremely run down and the movie consisted of a lot of things most people in sociey deem unacceptable for the youth of the world to partake in. However, with the combination of everything, I felt that it this movie gave a different perspective from what we are used to, and was extremely different from the movies we have watched in the past.
The apartment was extremely run down and the movie consisted of a lot of things most people in sociey deem unacceptable for the youth of the world to partake in. However, with the combination of everything, I felt that it this movie gave a different perspective from what we are used to, and was extremely different from the movies we have watched in the past.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Koмиссар continued..
..because I forgot about the last two pages of my notes!
Anyway, in the second half or so of the movie, after Kirill's death, the first image of her true motherhood is as she walks through the town and the workers stop to watch her. For the first time, Vavilova truly looks like a motherly figure and seems to have begun her change.
However, immediately after, she runs from the familiar soldiers. Whether to still hide her 'condition' or simply out of fear of confronting the past, she runs across the bridge as if it is the bridge and her journey from her old life to her new life. She stops at the end of the bridge to cry as if she has reached a place where the soldiers cannot reach her.
Soon after, the old woman speaks for the first time. However, it is not translated on the subtitles and therefore, I wonder if even when the movie is viewed, if the viewer is not supposed to understand this woman's words. It is the only time she speaks throughout the movie, and therefore it is questionable to the importance of the movie.
Along with the growth of the other characters, I found the husband's growth very vivd also. In the beginning he yells and throws his things everywhere screaming that he does not understand why he has to give up his bed. He hates that Vavilova is there and does nothing to help in the beginning other than be in the way during labor. However, towards the end, as the Tsarist armies approach, he is the first to say that she is welcome to stay as long as need be.
Also, the wedding party that heads through town heads directly into the fog where they seem lost in the inability to see. Taken to mean, that through these hard times, the death and pain that follows is expected. The fog represents Vavilova's inability to understand still her current situation and the despair she currently still feels.
For some reason, the trams that the husband constantly brought up reminded me of when Rudolph always mentioned television being the future in Moscow does not Believe in Tears. He felt it was the future, but inevitably came to the realization that his beliefs would not come to be.
The emphasis on the hands as they sit in the cellar was also important at the end of the movie. Vavilova is the only one who does not partake, but each of the dancing hands are shown. However, as Vavilova converts everything to her daydream, the dancing hands are changed to hands crying out in pain or sadness. As the Jews are oppressed and marked, the husband outstretches his arms to the skies as if to ask, why they are in this situation. This can easily be related back to Vavilova's current situation.
The colors in this movie were striking. Due to the fact that it leaves the black and white generality of the rest of the movie and moves into a red filter for the oppression dream.
Then comes the second appearance of the horses, as the Red's horses [without riders] run in the opposite direction of the marching White army.
Anyway, in the second half or so of the movie, after Kirill's death, the first image of her true motherhood is as she walks through the town and the workers stop to watch her. For the first time, Vavilova truly looks like a motherly figure and seems to have begun her change.
However, immediately after, she runs from the familiar soldiers. Whether to still hide her 'condition' or simply out of fear of confronting the past, she runs across the bridge as if it is the bridge and her journey from her old life to her new life. She stops at the end of the bridge to cry as if she has reached a place where the soldiers cannot reach her.
Soon after, the old woman speaks for the first time. However, it is not translated on the subtitles and therefore, I wonder if even when the movie is viewed, if the viewer is not supposed to understand this woman's words. It is the only time she speaks throughout the movie, and therefore it is questionable to the importance of the movie.
Along with the growth of the other characters, I found the husband's growth very vivd also. In the beginning he yells and throws his things everywhere screaming that he does not understand why he has to give up his bed. He hates that Vavilova is there and does nothing to help in the beginning other than be in the way during labor. However, towards the end, as the Tsarist armies approach, he is the first to say that she is welcome to stay as long as need be.
Also, the wedding party that heads through town heads directly into the fog where they seem lost in the inability to see. Taken to mean, that through these hard times, the death and pain that follows is expected. The fog represents Vavilova's inability to understand still her current situation and the despair she currently still feels.
For some reason, the trams that the husband constantly brought up reminded me of when Rudolph always mentioned television being the future in Moscow does not Believe in Tears. He felt it was the future, but inevitably came to the realization that his beliefs would not come to be.
The emphasis on the hands as they sit in the cellar was also important at the end of the movie. Vavilova is the only one who does not partake, but each of the dancing hands are shown. However, as Vavilova converts everything to her daydream, the dancing hands are changed to hands crying out in pain or sadness. As the Jews are oppressed and marked, the husband outstretches his arms to the skies as if to ask, why they are in this situation. This can easily be related back to Vavilova's current situation.
The colors in this movie were striking. Due to the fact that it leaves the black and white generality of the rest of the movie and moves into a red filter for the oppression dream.
Then comes the second appearance of the horses, as the Red's horses [without riders] run in the opposite direction of the marching White army.
And on the first through fifth day, God created the potato.
The first thing that caught my attention was the repeat of the lining up of bullets. I believe it was Chapaev [i think!!] where the bullets were taken out and lined up equally for no apparent reason.
The girl that beats up the doll made me laugh a little, because it is untypical of a little girl [or at least the typical female child] to decide to beat up the doll. Also when she calls out "you tramp!", it was later repeated by the father, and is most likely the place that she learned it.
There were a few spots in the movie where the scene changed suddenly. Or the mood had an underlying implication and then changed drastically.
As the three kids fight in the bathtub, it is all in good humor. They laugh and fight, and even the mother laughs as she tears them apart from eachother, but immediately after, the sounds of war are heard in the distance and then come rumbling down the street.
The shot of Vavilova's stomach as she crosses the room struck me, because immediately after, the two mothers/soon to be mother's contrasts are bluntly shown. The motherly figure that loves her children without fail and the mother that does not want her soon to be son are vividly colored. It is the first time that someone truly argues with Vavilova's want to have an abortion.
Along with her pregnancy, I found it strange that they never truly mention how far along she is. Even when the conversation is mentioned, the answer is whispered.
The birth of the child was an interesting concept on it's own. Vavilova, as she drifts in and out of consciousness, seems to revert to what is familiar [war] in order to conquer the unfamiliar [labor and birth]. As labor starts, the shot drifts from dry cracked earth to the sand that the wagon is stuck in. This could be interpreted as Vavilova's movement from the military to her new life as a mother and the struggle that goes with it. Although it appears nicer [the sand], motherhood still bears it's difficulties and ultimately can be 'harder than war'. However, the sand is nicer to the touch, whereas the cracked earth seems tough and has spaces that are 'missing something.'
The upside down shots, similar to those in Ballad of a Soldier caught me due to the repeat.
As Vavilova attempts to push the wagon by herself, it represents the fact that she suddenly feels alone in this feat. The random steel machines in the war dreams seem to be everywhere. The men with picks [??] and the larger steel machine seem out of place on the beach, but are likely to represent her want to have an abortion and lose the child on this journey through motherhood. They may also be representative of her difficulties throughout this new experience.
As Vavilova believes she is going to die, the horses without riders are suddenly shown, emphasizing her could-be death.
The girl that beats up the doll made me laugh a little, because it is untypical of a little girl [or at least the typical female child] to decide to beat up the doll. Also when she calls out "you tramp!", it was later repeated by the father, and is most likely the place that she learned it.
There were a few spots in the movie where the scene changed suddenly. Or the mood had an underlying implication and then changed drastically.
As the three kids fight in the bathtub, it is all in good humor. They laugh and fight, and even the mother laughs as she tears them apart from eachother, but immediately after, the sounds of war are heard in the distance and then come rumbling down the street.
The shot of Vavilova's stomach as she crosses the room struck me, because immediately after, the two mothers/soon to be mother's contrasts are bluntly shown. The motherly figure that loves her children without fail and the mother that does not want her soon to be son are vividly colored. It is the first time that someone truly argues with Vavilova's want to have an abortion.
Along with her pregnancy, I found it strange that they never truly mention how far along she is. Even when the conversation is mentioned, the answer is whispered.
The birth of the child was an interesting concept on it's own. Vavilova, as she drifts in and out of consciousness, seems to revert to what is familiar [war] in order to conquer the unfamiliar [labor and birth]. As labor starts, the shot drifts from dry cracked earth to the sand that the wagon is stuck in. This could be interpreted as Vavilova's movement from the military to her new life as a mother and the struggle that goes with it. Although it appears nicer [the sand], motherhood still bears it's difficulties and ultimately can be 'harder than war'. However, the sand is nicer to the touch, whereas the cracked earth seems tough and has spaces that are 'missing something.'
The upside down shots, similar to those in Ballad of a Soldier caught me due to the repeat.
As Vavilova attempts to push the wagon by herself, it represents the fact that she suddenly feels alone in this feat. The random steel machines in the war dreams seem to be everywhere. The men with picks [??] and the larger steel machine seem out of place on the beach, but are likely to represent her want to have an abortion and lose the child on this journey through motherhood. They may also be representative of her difficulties throughout this new experience.
As Vavilova believes she is going to die, the horses without riders are suddenly shown, emphasizing her could-be death.
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