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Friday, December 17, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)
Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)
Country of Origin: United States
Language of Film: English
Released in United States March 29, 1985
Directed by Susan Seidelman
Starring: Rosanna Arquette - Roberta Glass
Madonna - Susan
Aidan Quinn - Dez
Mark Blum - Gary Glass, Roberta's husband
Robert Joy - Jim, the man who placed the "Desperately
Seeking Susan" ad
Laurie Metcalf - Leslie Glass, Roberta's sister-in-law
Anna Levine - Crystal
Will Patton - Wayne Nolan
Peter Maloney - Ian the magician
Steven Wright - Larry Stillman D.D.S.
John Turturro - Ray, the master of ceremonies at the Magic
Club
Anne Carlisle - Victoria
Giancarlo Esposito - Street Vendor
Richard Hell - Bruce Meekr
Ann Magnuson - Cigarette Girl
Awards: Arquette won a BAFTA Award for her portrayal of Roberta
Rosanna Arquette was nominated for a Golden Globe for
Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical.
The film also received a nomination for a
César Award for Best Foreign Film.
The New York Times film critic Vincent Canby named the
film as one of the 10 best films of 1985.
Desperately Seeking Susan was released in 1985 and it was directed Susan Seidelman. This film is unlike other films we've screened during the semester as it is probably the closest film to our generation, and it is a comedy. The film is about a boring housewife who becomes obsessed with a stranger, Susan, who lives very wild and rowdy life. In an effort to escape the normalcy of her everyday life, she starts trying to follow Susan. A man eventually mistakes her for Susan because of her jacket and tries to jump her in the park. She ends up bumping her head and losing her memory. Supported and befriended by another man who believes she really is Susan, she begins to take refuge with him. Her optimistic view of living like Susan eventually takes a couple of wild turns as the film progresses. Maybe she should have been grateful living the life of a Fort-lee housewife.
The biggest film theory present in this movie is feminism. Madonna’s character, Susan, symbolizes female empowerment. She is confident, determined, capable, and strong. All of which are characteristics that feminist theorists believe all women have. The housewife’s effort to drop her current lifestyle for that of Susan's is another example of feminist movement. Roberta was trying to escape the expected roles of being a wife that society placed on women at the time. Her experiences while living as Susan helps her finally feel free. The film also has a little bit of Auteur theory as I feel this was a movie that Seidalman created with a certain direction in mind. Also, this film contains glimpses of the formalist film theory as the music and color was chosen to give the specific feeling of the 80’s.
The two articles I used for this blog entry can be found here and here. The first article notes that the movie is a quarter century old, pokes fun at the stylish clothing, and states that this is Madonna's first lead role in a movie. The latter part of the article consists of an interview with Seidelman, where she jokingly admits that vanity was not a part of the title of the film. She says that the film is about finding who you truly are on the inside. She also points out that the bridge in the film is a metaphor. Jumping the bridge from being a housewife to a rebellious life. Another interesting fact is that the scenes in the film were chosen because she had been there in real life. The second article comes from Roger Ebert. He speaks about how the film is a series of double reversals.
This film was definitely one of the more enjoyable films we watched this semester. It's probably because I tend to enjoy the more modern films over the early classical film eras. The film definitely had its funny moments. It also had a little bit more sex appeal compared to prior films we’ve watched. I would definitely recommend this film to 80’s film buffs as well as those infatuated with Madonna.
Spirit of the Beehive (1973)
Spirit of the Beehive (1973)
Country of Origin: Spain
Language of Film: Spanish
Released in Spain October 8th, 1973
Released in United States September 23, 1976
Directed by Victor Erice
Starring: Fernando Fernán Gómez - Fernando
Teresa Gimpera - Teresa
Ana Torrent - Ana
Isabel Tellería - Isabel
Ketty de la Cámara - Milagros, la criada
Estanis González - Guardia civil
José Villasante - The Frankenstein Monster
Juan Margallo - The Fugitive
Laly Soldevila - Doña Lucía, the teacher
Miguel Picazo - the Doctor
Awards: Chicago International Film Festival: Silver Hugo; 1973
San Sebastián International Film Festival: Golden Seashell, Victor
Erice; 1973.
Cinema Writers Circle Awards, Spain: CEC Award; Best Film; Best
Actor, Fernando Fernán Gómez; Best Director, Víctor Erice; 1974.
Fotogramas de Plata, Madrid, Spain: Best Spanish Movie
Performer, Ana Torrent; 1974.
Association of Latin Entertainment Critics: Premios ACE, Cinema,
Best Actress, Ana Torrent; Cinema, Best Director, Víctor
Erice; 1977.
The Spirit of the Beehive centers around an enchanting six-year-old girl named Ana who attends a traveling movie show of James Whale’s classic Frankenstein and becomes haunted by her memory of the film. This memory begins to shape her worldview and affect the way she sees the harsh world around her. The story takes place in 1940 following the Spanish Civil War and offers a deeply moving look at a troubled nation trapped under Franco’s tyranny. Director Víctor Erice bathes the film recurring metaphors that give the film a timeless and delicate quality. Luis de Pablo’s musical focus adds to the somber mood of the film.
This film could be interpreted as a film about blind faith. Ana shields here eyes when watching the movie of Frankenstein, and in the classroom she puts the eyes on the wooden body and Isabel tells Ana to close her eyes and if she believes in the monster he will come. Isabel shares none of the whimsical imaginings of her sister; whereas Ana tries to escape life's harshness. Now, the monster, Frankenstein, is used in this film as a mystery in both image and figure. And even if we don't believe the story being told, it's enough that we believe in Ana's belief.
The film also has a theme of sight. Erice is seemingly conscious of the nature of the cinematic methods as he critiques and at the same time applauds childlike belief in the noticeable. The film opens with a screening of Frankenstein in the town. For a film to begin with a film within certainly acknowledges the interaction occuring, as we see over the heads of numerous Spanish villagers the projected image of Frankenstein’s monster; our view is exactly where the film projector stands, as if the projector and the actual camera are the same unit. Later in the film, the theater, apparently the only public building in town, is used as a makeshift morgue when the convict is brought in dead. Instead of visually hungry children gazing entranced at the screen, there is a corpse. The image is dead, and it has deceived us. The empty square that the projected film filled is a grey box, and the man that Ana believed was the spirit of the beehive is just a dead prisoner. He commends to us that Ana, the pure but non-emotional child whose assumptions propelled her to goodness and generosity.
Spirit of the Beehive is beautifulf or not only depicting a child in her natural element but also leaving the viewer with no choice but to recall what childhood was and should continue to be. The film’s casting couldn’t have been better either. Ana was precious without being precious. Víctor Erice used the curiosity inherent in childhood into the skepticism toward sight. The eyes can’t be trusted. If you enjoy movies that like Pan’s Labyrinth, then this is definitely the film for you. Its definitely a must see.
French New Wave - Band of Outsiders (1964)
Bande a part (Band of Outsiders), filmed in 1964 and directed by Jean-luc Godard, is a loose adaption of the pulp novel ‘Fool’s Gold’ by Dolores Hitchens, in which a trio of cynical and bored youths plan a robbery that is doomed to fail from the start. It is Godard’s homage to the American gangster B-movies. Many critics believe this film to be one of the best introductions to his style and the French New Wave. The plot is more secondary to the characters and mood. It is a film that follows two petty criminals Franz, a shy, hesitant young man and his friend Arthur, a self-assured rogue who hatch a plan to rob loot from the house where Odile (Karina) lives with her aunt. Odile is a confused, insecure girl who they meet through English class and begin a torturous love triangle with. If you’re looking for a film that emphasizes the radical experimentation of the French New Wave, then this is a good film to catch.
Un Chien Andalou
Un Chien Andalou
Un Chien Andalou is a surrealist short film made in France by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dali. It is one of the most well known surrealist films. The film is non linear, and with no plot, although it has some titles which make no sense. Its visual aspects can be described as controversial and groundbreaking for its time. The film is at times potentially offensive, with scenes that attempt to shock the viewer. It also features surprising camera angles and other film tricks. I really didn’t have interest in the film due to its lack of plot, but I found that some of the images and scenes were interesting. To me, the best part of the film was when the straight razor sliced through the eye. If you enjoy watching disturbing films, then this is a must see.
Un Chien Andalou is a surrealist short film made in France by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dali. It is one of the most well known surrealist films. The film is non linear, and with no plot, although it has some titles which make no sense. Its visual aspects can be described as controversial and groundbreaking for its time. The film is at times potentially offensive, with scenes that attempt to shock the viewer. It also features surprising camera angles and other film tricks. I really didn’t have interest in the film due to its lack of plot, but I found that some of the images and scenes were interesting. To me, the best part of the film was when the straight razor sliced through the eye. If you enjoy watching disturbing films, then this is a must see.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Article Response 2
Film of Paul Bowles Short Story Rediscovered
By RANDY KENNEDY
This is an interesting article about You Are Not I, a film directed by Sara Driver in the 1980s. The film is inspired by a short story written by Paul Bowles. According to the article the film is about a woman who escapes an insane asylum. In an effort to protect herself from being sued, she sent a copy of the film to Bowles, who was living in Turkey at the time. Much to her surprise, Bowles showed great praise for the film. She eventually released the film and it received a great cult following. Unfortunately the one print she owned eventually got damaged. For sometime she thought that the film was gone for good, but a film librarian at the University of Delaware recovered the copy she sent to Bowles. The fact that this film has the allure of uncovered treasure certainly intrigues me. This definitely makes this a flick worthy of watching.
By RANDY KENNEDY
This is an interesting article about You Are Not I, a film directed by Sara Driver in the 1980s. The film is inspired by a short story written by Paul Bowles. According to the article the film is about a woman who escapes an insane asylum. In an effort to protect herself from being sued, she sent a copy of the film to Bowles, who was living in Turkey at the time. Much to her surprise, Bowles showed great praise for the film. She eventually released the film and it received a great cult following. Unfortunately the one print she owned eventually got damaged. For sometime she thought that the film was gone for good, but a film librarian at the University of Delaware recovered the copy she sent to Bowles. The fact that this film has the allure of uncovered treasure certainly intrigues me. This definitely makes this a flick worthy of watching.
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