THIS WEEK ON ESSIES PICS : INTO THE MINDS OF THINGS!

Hello there!

I hope you guys had a good week - I know I did. And I am jam-packed to the ears with films as usual (in fact more so than usual but we will get to the reasons why later on...) This week - guess what - we have another theme! Psychological movies! The idea occured to me shortly after watching my first post (the film I first posted that is) The Murder Of John Lennon. I then stumbled across Looking For Eric, a more personal psychology film and topped it up with the more general "mass" psychology - The Stoning of Soraya M. all hard - hitters. Well, that's the human mind for ya!

happy viewing
Essie

INTO THE MIND OF A KILLER: THE KILLING OF JOHN LENNON

It’s quite a popular gimmick for those a few generations back to ask “where were you when John Lennon died?” “Where were you when you first heard John Lennon died?” And a lot of people who were alive at the time actually remember too… John Lennon… Poet and philosopher to some, a good writer of songs to others, a man who understood marketing and fame very very well to yet others… For me? Possibly a combination of all three… The point is, his death shook the world. There is indeed great tragedy in loosing such a brilliant artist, however, the size of the tragedy sometimes makes us forget one of the most important people in the affair. Mark Chapman. The man who actually killed him…
This film is the story of Chapman. It tells his own story in his own authentic words and gives us a brilliantly clear if rather disturbing image into his mind and the reasons behind his actions – or rather the lack of them. Chapman is married and lives in Hawaii. He is unsettled, slightly “confused” (or so say his friends family and neighbors) but generally considered harmless. There is a lot people don’t know about him though. His love of the film Taxi Driver, his growing obsession with The Catcher in the Rye and its hero Holden Caufield and last of all the mission he feels God has given him through this book. He is the catcher in the rye as far as he’s concerned. And he is about to do his generation a “big service”.
This film is strange and fascinating. And it is by no means easy to watch. Its pace and its editing are as quick, fluid and off the wall is its subject matter, and this is possibly why I feel it does such a good job of portraying him. It is normal for anyone who loved Lennon to want to understand why such a thing had to be done. Chapman is the first to admit he doesn’t clearly know. It isn’t so much a concrete reason it’s more a state of mind, a state of confusion, a chain of thought that somehow ends in an action. You get to the end of the film with the feeling that even if you don’t consciously understand how Chapman’s mind works, you can kind of feel how it works… Not in a sense that you sympathize with him, oh no… It is very evident (despite the many psychiatric evaluations at the time claiming otherwise) just by listening to Chapman’s testimony that he is a very disturbed individual, there is nothing to “sympathize with” about what he did… But aren’t you a little bit curious, academically speaking, what the heck was going through his head as he prepared to pull the trigger? Watch this film and see… I don’t claim it’s easy to watch, never the less, you will not regret the time you spent on it…

INTO THE MIND OF ERIC. OR ERIC(S). OR THE PROCESS OF LOOKING FOR ERIC

Life… Sometimes it’s tough. And when one of those times comes around we are often forced to sit back and reevaluate. Sometimes to pick up something new, get rid of the old, grow or change a little. This is not an “age” thing, it happens to us all no matter what our physical age, and this rather sweet film directed by Ken Loach gives a rather brilliant insight into the human psyche and the process of “growing up” and changing things…
Eric is a postman. He has had it rather tough. Two marriages later he has ended up looking after Ryan and Jess his two stepsons. His daughter from his first marriage is desperately trying to graduate from university –but Eric has to look after his granddaughter a few hours a day for that to happen. Not to mention ferrying said granddaughter between his first wife, Lilly, (who he still secretly loves and misses) and his daughter. His stepsons see him more as a convenience, respect is not exactly a by word in their relationship, so much so that the older son Ryan seems to be getting up to all kinds of no good nonsense without so much as a second thought for Eric, the actual owner of the house. Eric has reached that point in life where you look back and start wondering if you got some stuff wrong… Or right. He has grave doubts on that point, especially where Lilly his one true love (who he himself abandoned) is concerned. He seeks solace in Manchester United and his favorite football player, nay idol, Eric Cantona (who “pops in” to visit Eric from time to time. The two of them have lengthy chats and arguments much to the alarm of passersby and his stepsons). But there will come a time where even Monsieur Cantona’s council isn’t enough. Ryan is in a lot of trouble. And Eric has to really step his act up a notch if he’s to get his little family through this and get a second shot at love with Lilly…
I love films that portray real life so clearly. I’m not talking about films about real events like the Killing of John Lennon or The King’s Speech necessarily. No, I mean films that take real life situations, feeling and emotions and put them on the big screen. Like Away We Go for instance. Grand adventures and emotions, worlds of fantasy and mystery are all very well and good, but we mustn’t forget that real life itself is rarely like any of this, and yet contains a lot of adventure and mystery and emotions just the same… And they are all perfectly worthy of their own moment in the sun, if only because these are the moments our lives are actually made up of. This is a wonderful little gem about looking back and rethinking your life. It’s about those moments you simply know you have to up your game plan if you want to carry on. It’s about “growing up” in one sense, taking responsibility. It’s about finding yourself… And because we all have had or at least can imagine ourselves having such moments that it is so easy to sympathize with Eric. Oh and by the way, yes there is Eric Cantona in it and a bit of foot ball with Eric and the rest of the post office but don’t let that put you off, it’s part of the charm of the film… I mean, guys and their football, right? You couldn’t call the film realistic if they didn’t go together…

INTO THE MIND - OF AN ENTIRE VILLAGE : THE STONING OF SORAYA M.

Although it didn’t reach this part of the world, it appears that this story was a bestselling book before it was a film in the cinema. Now, you may or may not believe this is a true story. There is only one photograph of Soraya that survives, one that was taken when she was nine years old. You may call it just another money making venture, story made up to sell books and tickets. Fair enough – maybe it is. But this story is, as far as we know, the story of countless women in many different countries. It is the fate bestowed to women in countries where, as Zahra says in the film “the voice of a woman has no importance”. If nothing else it is a shocking example of the practice of stoning and how this horrific tradition is regularly practiced in the middle east. It is a tough film to watch but I feel that we owe it to the suffers to hear their story, even if we cannot do anything else to help them…
Soraya lived in a small, almost forgotten village of rural Iran. She had four children, two girls and two boys. She is a housewife, as are most women in Iran – especially in the countryside. Her husband Ali is not a good man. Not only has he turned their two sons against her, he wants to divorce her to marry a new wife, almost a child. Soraya refuses. She will be unable to take care of herself and her two daughters. Ali however is adamant. He is also well connected. He will use his connections and play on the sensitivities of his neighbors in the village to get rid of Soraya once and for all and completely. With no one on her side but her aunt Zahra, Soraya stands her ground. But the very ground will start to crumble from under her soon enough when Ali’s plan begins to bear fruit.
Now, I have not done any real research into the truth or falseness of the story told here. But what makes me strongly suspect the fact that it is real is in fact the characters. The film portrays the grayness of a lot of things in life that are neither black nor white; it shows us how good people can be manipulated or silenced. It shows us how terrifying “the crowd” can be… Soraya is not the typical “heroine” of these stories. She is pretty, but not a “stunning beauty” as is often the case, for instance. She is intelligent and strong but she is also proud and she will sometimes not listen to the voice of caution or reason because… Well because she doesn’t want to hear. And we have to admit we all do that sometimes. Personally, I cried buckets as I watched this one. And I am not a great one for “having a good old cry” either. It is one of those stories that tell us that sometimes the good and the right does not triumph over the bad in this world… And it gives us a rather harrowing portrait of how it comes about… A must see, in my view…

GRANDDADDIES OF CINEMA - THE SILENT MOVIE WEEK : THE GENERAL

Looking back on my previous entries, I’m pretty sure you must be slightly bemused by the fact that my choice of viewing matter seems to be less of a choice and more a series of fortuitous events that lead me from one film to another. I wish I could offer an explanation for it. Say I made it up for your amusement or something. But honestly, that’s exactly what happens. I have an archive of films and I paw through them going “Umm, how to amuse myself today”. I will happen across a film and say “ah, I’ve been wanting to watch that for a while” (not an entirely fair statement seeing as this sentence can be applied to the greater part of my archive) and pounce. I will, perhaps, decide to make a “theme” out of it and sort out some of its “brothers and sisters” in time for next week’s fare but basically the choice of theme is, yes, as random as it looks. Or Devine design (and in this particular case God is working in more mysterious ways than usual but anyways…). In some cases I will haphazardly watch a bunch of films and realize they make a theme (that was last week! I completely unthinkingly watched The King’s Speech on a Saturday and Cry Freedom on the Sunday. In Cold Blood was finished on the same Saturday). In short, if you wonder why and how we have skipped from “historical events” last week to “1920’s silent movies” this week, I honestly don’t have a clue. So there. If you figure it out, let me know – as far as I know I just saw The General with Buster Keaton in it and said “Oh yes, this has been lying around for ages” watched it, loved it and decided to follow it down with Charlie Chaplin and Metropolis the following days… I’m not sure if this is a fitting introduction for such great artists but they were the greatest comedians of our times and the situation is pretty darn funny so I reckon they won’t mind…
The General is not a general per se but a train. And Johnnie Gray (Buster Keaton) is its loving driver. There is one thing / person he loves more than the General and that is his best beloved. Now, the General is a steam engine of course for we are back in the time of the American civil war. And alas, the war has already reached her hometown in the South.His sweetheart's brother and father both enlist at once and she expects Johnnie to do the honorable thing – i.e. enlist as well. Now, Johnnie is more than happy to oblige but the authorities who hear he’s an engineer won’t have him – he’s much more valuable as an engineer, trains are the fastest modes of transport of the time. But his girlfriend's mind is made up. Unless Johnnie enlists, she wants nothing further to do with him. So poor Johnnie labors on as does the war… Until one fateful day, when Johnnie’s General is abducted by northerners… And to make matters worse his beloved ?? is taken hostage. With the two things he loves the most in the hands of enemies; Johnnie knows there is only one thing left to be done. Cross enemy lines and get them back. By himself.
Now this film was made in 1927. When movies were “movies” as opposed to the later “talkies”; no sound, constant piano music, a lot of the action and speech is mimed with “explanations” written on a black screen – you know what I’m talking about… So especially comedies had a completely different way of functioning. Slapstick was, basically, all they had. And heck, were they good at it! Now don’t turn your nose up at slapstick and physical comedy. I know these days it’s more associated with private parts and underwear but remember kids, this was the ‘20s! Bare flesh was a no – no. So were “rude” jokes of this sort. Some little comic twists took me completely by surprise even; I’m just not used to thinking that way! Now, I didn’t actually laugh out loud as I watched this film but I don’t think I stopped smiling once. It is brilliant, funny from beginning to end without once losing beat. You may call it “naïve” and look down your noses at it but well, remember what Zorba the Greek said : “Clever men and grocers, they weigh everything.” – one can have too much of a good thing. Thinking included.

GRANDDADDIES OF CINEMA - THE SILENT MOVIE WEEK: THE GOLD RUSH

Charlie Chaplin’s “little tramp” is, without any doubt, one of the great iconic characters of the 20th century. I mean, I’m sure you know him, even if you have never watched any of his films. He was the best of the entire comic genre; his gags, jokes and mimics have become classic parts of comedy routines. As for impersonating “the little tramp”, well… As we all know that can still make on laugh until one cries (by the way, did you know that Charlie Chaplin actually came second in a “Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest he entered just for kicks?). Anyway, of the many famous films he has left us as his legacy the one we will talk about today is “The Gold Rush”.
It is the height of the great gold rush in Alaska. The land is crawling with prospectors seeking their fortunes. Townships spring up like mushrooms and brave men battle the hardships with the dream of becoming millionaires. Here we find our friend the little tramp. He is not too successful at first. Friends and enemies come along as does Georgia, a beautiful girl who steals his heart in one of the townships. The little tramp may truly have a heart of gold, but will that be enough for him to reach the real stuff lying under the ground?
Now Chaplin’s comic genius in undeniable. Besides, there is a reason these films are timeless – Laurel and Hardy, Buster Keaton, the lot of them. They may be constructed in a completely alien way to modern films, there may not even be any sound, but if stories and technology changes, comedy does not. People still laugh at the same kind of things, and these guys are the ones who “did it first”. Staked a claim if you will – especially Chaplin. But Chaplin’s character had a different appeal as well. He was the little guy standing up to the bullies and outwitting them. Of course this is more apparent in some films rather than others but if you think about general themes it is in fact what Hollywood likes best – and most definitely what we like best: Good triumphing over evil. Only in this case good comes with a warning against split sides – and a ticket for eternal fame.
I once again say as I did in my previous post: don’t let the naiveté or the lack of 3D put you off. Just sit down, see what you make of it. I’m ready to bet you’ll surprise yourself…

GRANDDADDIES OF CINEMA - THE SILENT MOVIE WEEK :METROPOLIS

Now, watching silent comedies that are now considered classics the whole world over is all very well and good; however, it rather gives the impression that nothing serious was ever filmed during the 20’s. Now of course this was a long time ago and a lot of material has been lost since then but there are a lot of films worthy of note. Metropolis ranks high among these last mentioned. The version I watched was the restored version; and sadly a large part of the film is actually lost forever, the version of the film we are able to watch today is the version “reassembled” according to the original script from the unedited negatives. It is edited into a perfectly “viable” film with the original “intertitles” and everything; however, there are chunks (big ones) of footage that are irretrievably lost. Those bits are narrated from the script with modern intertitles. Well, the remaining footage amounts to about 2 hours of film. And when I actually finished watching the film, I found myself bitterly lamenting the lost footage that amounted to no less than a quarter of the film; around forty five minutes in total. Now I am NOT a big fan of sci-fi. Fantastic, things like magic, fairies, wizards and witches yes definitely. Robots and aliens (Dr. Furter excluded naturally) err no, I’ll pass. Generally anyway. However, this one…Oh boy… Fritz Lang, I take my hat off to you, your film kicked ass 50 years before the genre was properly invented…
We are transported to what we can only assume is “sometime in the future” (they weren’t all that particular on setting their stories steadily in time and space back in those days). The world revolves round the giant city of Metropolis. The rich and privileged live in towers high above ground in luxury. Then there is the “workers city”. Situated in the depths of the earth, the workers are basically everyone who is not privileged. Their lives revolve around the 10 hour shifts where they do back breaking work to keep the city’s giant machines working. They seem to be doing their work without questioning it but their patience is growing thin. One day, quite unexpectedly, Freder, the son of Joh Fredersen – the Master of Metropolis – is plunged into this world. And he realizes that as the heir of Metropolis he has many important things he must do to provide peace… But will he be able to mediate between the two sides effectively? And what of his father who is plotting with the city’s inventor over a “machine man” (read robot)? Will good prevail? Or will chaos descend on Metropolis?
Now even at first glance, there are so many messages on so many different levels in this film, you may be forgiven for just reading the plot and reckoning it would be unwatchable. And all this of course on unfamiliar, “soundless” territory. The theme of the workers against the privileged upper classes is easy to spot. There is also much said about the human condition, men working with machines and men being almost effectively turned into machines by modern living. And then there are the machines themselves, not to mention the Machine Man. Of course the “living creation” was a theme pursued since Mary Shelly wrote Frankenstein but this is a whole different level. The setting is such brilliant sci-fi and Lang’s vision of the future so – for want of a better world – realistic it simply blows one’s mind. The whole thing would have been fascinating to watch; the machines and the heartlessness of the modern world is at one point set off with passages from the Bible but ALL those sections are effectively lost. I don’t want to elaborate in great detail but you will be left with more food for thought than you might imagine. So much so that when you look at the names of all the characters one sees clearly that Lang did his level best to make them sound like no real country on earth so no country’s regime would feel offended and think they personally were compared to this “Brave New World”-ish dictatorship.
There are many quintessentially “beginning of the century” things in the film as well. To site but one Freder the young hero for example; he is a typical “Candide”. Unaware of the real world, sensitive, naïve… He faces the “adventures”, learns and grows but his motives, thoughts and reactions remain “perfect” if you will; just a notch on the wrong side of human (not to mention the fact that he is prone to fainting fits and becoming delirious under great psychological strain) but it doesn’t go against the grain. He represents purity and goodness and we are so naturally on his side that we forgive him all of that; that was the case with me anyway… In short, the film knocked me for six. Highly recommended.

TRUE STORY WEEK ON ESSIESPICS!

Hello all!

Well, I gave myself a bit of a scare thinking that I might have to abandon my baby but infact it is back on track - phew!

This week is a tribute to one of my favorite sorts of film - true stories. For your delectation, one of the most talked about Oscar winners of the year, cold blooded murder and a tale of struggle against an unjust system...

just scroll down!- and have a good week!
Essie

TRUE STORY WEEK : THE KING'S SPEECH

A TALE OF TRUE COURAGE – THE KING’S SPEECH
The King’s Speech… What a phenomenon that turned out to be, eh? It has pretty much wiped clean all the major award ceremonies of the season! I don’t claim that every film that ever won an award has to be good, but there were a few reasons why I simply HAD to see this film. First and most importantly, George the 6th of England is by far the historical personage I personally admire the most – more on that later. Secondly, Colin Firth. He is brilliant, he is good looking and anyone who has seen the film tells me his acting was AMAZING in this film… Thirdly, well, every single one of the awards can’t have got it wrong, surely? So I went. I was so deeply affected by it that I’m actually finding it tough to write a review on it… It touched me to the core of my soul…
Bertie – the future King George the 6th – is a quiet man. He is happily married and loves his two daughters, he performs his duties as second in line to the throne as best he is able and lives very happy with the fact that his brother David will succeed the throne and not him. His one problem is though, that he has the most terrible stammer. His wife summons an entire army of doctors, simply to no avail until they meet Lionel Logue (the brilliant Geoffrey Rush). Bertie is definitely NOT amused at the first consultation, but Logue persuades him to carry on. Their work however – that is making good progress – takes on a new urgency when history dictates that Bertie will have to take to the dreaded throne after all. Will Bertie and Lionel be able to battle Bertie’s many demons – including his stammer ? If so, how?
This is the true story of a very unusual, yet truly deep friendship. It is also a story of true courage. This is precisely why I admire George the 6th so much. You see, the world is full, full to bursting with bad things… Battles are plentiful and courage is necessary , even more so if you are to be head of state. However the toughest battles anyone faces are without a doubt, those people have with their selves. Our fears are with us constantly, and the ways we choose to cope with them may well lead us off our chosen path, away from our vocation and happiness. Bertie was made fun of all his life because of his stammer – can you imagine what a dent that would make in anyone’s confidence? Yet he then had to stand up and make speech after speech to his public, this was especially more important seeing that the Second World War had just begun and the public looked to him for direction. Bertie hauled himself up by the bootstraps, conquered his own fears, shyness and even his stammer up to a point and was one of the most popular kings of British history… If that doesn’t deserve respect, I don’t know what does…
And the film? Well… Colin Firth is AMAZING. The thing I found remarkable was that how he was able to “be” Bertie without actually physically looking like him that much… From beginning to end, it was just brilliant, one of the best acting performances I have seen. Ever. Helena Bonham-Carter is also sweet as his wife, standing by him, supporting and comforting him through his trials. Her mimics however have taken on something of Johnnie Depp’s I thought at one point… But they do work together rather a lot, I guess that was unavoidable. Then Geoffrey Rush… Well, the man is so damn good; he almost goes without saying, if you see what I mean… You know what this film is like? Ok, you know how watching a good film gives one a sense of “being full” emotionally. This film is like this too. But this is not any old meal… Not even a steak dinner. This is nothing less than a royal banquet from beginning to end. Do NOT miss it…

TRUE STORY WEEK : CRY FREEDOM

Violence, as we have just said is a terrible thing. And even though we all know this, we cannot seem to be able to find a way to live together without murdering each other on this big planet of ours… Human beings are, of course, complicated, and that makes coexistence all the more difficult… This is even worse when history and prejudice “complicates” things so to speak. On the other hand, of course, we have the people who are ready to stand up and do something for change… People like Stephen Biko. He had set himself a tough task and was quite willing to succeed or die trying. Although Biko ended up dying trying, it is some comfort in knowing that his cause at least, succeeded. He was a black political activist rebelling against the Apartheid Regime in South Africa…
In the middle of the 70’s, Biko (played in the film by a young and very dashing Denzel Washington) was an important political activist in South Africa. His name was widely associated with change. His message was not one of “black supremacy” against the white supremacists but one of equality and humanity. He called on the people of South Africa to be proud of who they were, their culture and their heritage. He tried to break the mindsets setting the whites as “master” and the blacks as “servants” on both sides of the divide. As you can imagine, the Apartheid regime did NOT approve of this point of view at all. Biko had his work cut out because the prejudices ran deep and the opponents weren’t afraid to play dirty. Well meaning white liberals like Donald Wells (Kevin Kline) did NOT help the cause. Wells, the chief editor of a newspaper in Johannesburg is white and liberal. And as far as he is concerned, Biko is just pushing black supremacy; advocating the same regime as the Apartheid, just “switching the colors round”. After a particularly critical article, one of Biko’s close friends bursts into his office. If Wells must write about Biko he must at least get his story right. Thus Wells is introduced to Stephen Biko. The headstrong young activist impresses Wells and gains his respect and in time the two men become fast friends. Wells is now much better informed on the true horrors of the Apartheid… And the horror of it actually hits home when his good friend Stephen is finally “disposed of” by the regime. Donald feels he must share what he has learnt with the world – but in such a regime; this is easier said than done…
So, first of all, make no mistake the film is one of excellent quality. Richard Attenborough holds the helm; Kline and Washington give us a brilliant show of their considerable talents… All this however, does by no means take away from the fact that this is a “film with a message”. The screenplay was adapted by two books Wells wrote on Biko and his time in South Africa, so there is a lot of dialogue put there mainly to express Stephen Biko’s ideas… It started out bothering me a tiny bit, but the whole film is far from being just “ideological”. No, there are clear demonstrations of life under Apartheid rule. As the film progresses – and it progresses quite a bit at a grand 2 hours and 31 minutes – the mood change from politics to adventure… After seeing the theory, we move on to the practice so to speak; and we sweat as Wells does as he tries to outwit the regime to get out of the country and get his voice heard. Hand on heart, it’s no easy task making a film “with a message” and making it exciting at the same time. Attenborough has, basically, succeeded. I mean, as you can probably tell, I possibly wouldn’t have put all the “message” bit in one clump at the beginning (to put it in basic terms!) but then again maybe this is the best way to get a balanced view of the story… Well, I can tell you that both the ideas and the story are most definitely well worth listening to.

TRUE STORY WEEK : IN COLD BLOOD

What is it about modern life that stops us reading? This doesn't happen everywhere, evidently, or to everyone but I was at a party just last night and everyone says they read a lot less than when they were students. I guess it's because we have to concentrate actively on one thing or the other for work for so long every weekday, we don't have the energy in our spare time... Then of course we get out of the habit... Being in possession of slightly more spare time I'm trying to break myself back into the habit... For the purpose I decided to go for something good quality and gripping. Not too taxing - remember I, like a lot of wage slaves haven't read a complete book in a good while - but not too much of a soap bubble either. When one is also naturally picky about what one reads, the task of choosing a book becomes tougher than you might think... I was staring intently at my library for inspiration and I alighted on the Truman Capote novels I have previously written about (Summer Crossing and Breakfast At Tiffany's). Actually there was one more Capote lying around that I hadn't read. It was a true crime novel to boot - and I know this isn't very ladylike but I have always liked true crime novels... It is the book that gave birth to the blockbuster starring Philip Seymour-Hoffman; Capote. I am talking about "In Cold Blood". I had actually seen the film but of course the film was basically about how the book was written not an adaptation of the book itself so I thought why not... Good thing I did, too... No wonder Truman Capote was obsessed with the event...
Now the event that gave birth to this book is quite well known but let's go through them again just to make sure everyone's on the same page... One fateful November evening in 1959, four members of a prominent family in a small town in Kansas were brutally murdered. Herbert and Bonnie Clutter along with their two children Nancy and Kenyon were loved and respected, religious and hard working, in short an example held up and respected by all who knew and loved them...The murder, in its brutality and its seeming lack of motive stunned the entire country; the Clutters had literally no known enemies at all and nobody could think of any reason for this bloodshed. The discovery of the culprits took a good many years and would not have happened if a man in jail at the time had not heard the news, put two and two together and in the end given way to his conscience... The culprits were Richard Eugene Hickock and Perry Smith; they were caught (albeit a good few years after the murders) and accordingly dealt with in accordance with Kansas law (I guess I don't need to spell out how, yes?). In his novel Truman Capote gives us not only a memorial of an upstanding Kansas family and town but also of two men who could murder four people "in cold blood" and then get on with their lives as if nothing had happened. We see their thoughts, their hopes, the way they think... And while their acts and demeanors cannot be sympathized with, one thing is painstakingly clear. These men were not "monsters" but very, VERY human indeed...
I can see why you would not like true crime as a genre, generally speaking... These days a lot of it is gore, sensation; a superficial yarn, nothing more. You may wonder what else there is to it. But think about it. The act of killing is, to me, the single most horrific thing a man /woman can do to his/her fellow man/woman. (And just for disambiguation this for me includes capital punishment, as far as I go killing is killing and unless it's self defense there is nothing to justify it). I'm sure a lot of you would agree with me at least up to a point if not completely. But doesn't this make you curious as to what kind of being actually can do this with such ease and then go on living? Aren't you the least bit curious what went through their minds? Are they monsters? Were they born this way or did something happen to change them? If so, what? Compelling questions, no? Capote does not sympathize with the killers in the least. And there is nothing in this deadly duo's actions that makes it "forgivable". However the portrait painted of them is a clear and objective snapshot of both sides of this sad event thanks to long interviews with everyone from the Clutter family's friends and relations to the two assassins themselves. I assure you this book will compel you to think... Not necessarily happy thoughts, but deep ones and important ones...

THEME OF THE WEEK - BIG IN JAPAN!

Hi folks!

Hope life is treating well, ove here it's snowing and freezing! All the more reason to cuddle up at home with a movie says I :)This week I went for a "Japanese" theme, for those who enjoy a taste of the Orient from time to time - I know I do. Rashomon is a film classic by a classic director and The Borrowers...Well we all need a bit of fun from time to time :)

I hope you enjoy them - see you next week and happy viewing!
Essie

BIG IN JAPAN WEEK : "RASHOMON"

RASHOMON
Now, over time we have been together (and believe it or not it’s over a year now… I can’t quite believe it myself, can you?) You may have noticed that if I like one thing in life it’s a good, old fashioned “whodunit”. Now, when I stumbled into viewing Rashomon for my “a film a day” program I knew very little about it other than it was directed by master director Akira Kurosawa. I didn’t research the film any further; I had already watched “Dersu Uzala” and I thought watching another film by him would be an excellent way to garner the style of the director… I stumbled into a rather original whodunit. This is why I like Japanese art so much. Even if it’s a murder mystery (so to speak) they can put it in a way you never imagined, making the film something you would have never thought of – if you see what I mean. If a change is as good as a rest, I can assure you I feel well-rested after this one…
We are in Japan of the middle ages. A monk and a poor woodman are sheltering from the rain in an old ruined temple. They look particularly glum and thoughtful, so a third man who also runs to shelter from the rain asks them what is troubling them. They have been called as witnesses in a murder trial. They are confused, because the story presented to them is very curious indeed. You see, an infamous bandit has been caught as the suspect; his crime is to have murdered a wealthy man who was travelling from one city to another on horseback with his wife and to have raped the wife . The wife is alive, the husband is dead, but the three of them (the dead man who talks via a medium, the wife and the bandit) can’t agree on the sequence of events or even the way the husband died. Is there a sensible explanation to all of this? Or must we assume that even the dead man is lying, casting doubt on human nature for all times…
Rashomon is actually a very astute study of human nature. Why do men lie? Who is lying about what, and why? I loved the way that the viewer is not the “all seeing eye” but actually knows the same amount as the passer by who listens to the stories. Apparently Kurosawa called this film a “reflection of life”. So true… Everyone has their own interpretation of what is going on around them, or their own version of what they would have liked to happen anyway. Everyone lies to cover up what they feel is lacking in them and around them. When you read up about it, it’s full of technical innovations too, from the first use of the handheld camera to the first time the camera is actually pointed at the sun… It’s a very… Very serene film, pondering sagely about a serious topic. I like the way that in a lot of Asian art, specifically Japanese art, does not place itself “above” the viewers. It doesn’t place itself below the viewer either necessarily. It’s a feeling of mutual respect and admiration, presenting and discussing an argument… Rashomon is no doubt a very important film cinematically speaking, so you should watch it as a cinephile as well, but beyond that, I feel it’s also a very good example of all that is “good about Japanese cinema… A must see in my book…

BIG IN JAPAN WEEK - "THE BORROWERS"

THE BORROWERS

A few weeks back I wrote about Spirited Away by master director Hayao Miyazaki. I also told you briefly about anime and why I like it so much. I have on hand another such dose of escapism. Now, I realize you guys may nor may not be in to anime per se, but this is a story you might be emotionally attached and drawn to anyway...It's The Borrowers! The adaptation is released by Studio Ghibli, founded as I told you I believe, by Miyazaki himself and a great supporter of good quality anime... Now the director for this film is not Miyazaki himself but another Japanese director called . I should know more about him - possibly- but I am very much a weekender when it comes to anime so I just have to apologize profusely, chalk him /her down to the long list of things I don't know and get on with my review...
So, a lot of you will basically know the story of the Borrowers but I'll just go through it again if only to put across the Japanese version of events... Now, I honestly cannot remember the story of the book because I read it sooo long ago but the snatches I remember of it is pretty accurate. So, a young boy is brought to his grandparent's house n the country for a week. This is not a casual visit though, he has a weak heart and is waiting to be operated on. He cannot run and play like others his own age and must rest and spend a quiet week in the countryside for his own good... The house seems like any house only there is one thing. For generations, the story goes, there have been tiny people - exactly the same as us only much, MUCH smaller - have also lived in this house. They survive by "borrowing" things we "human beans" don't miss. As you can guess, this is no simple legend but hard fact. A family of Borrowers, mother and father Homily and Pod with their daughter Arietty live under the floorboards of the house... They have for a long time and the main rule is they must never, EVER be seen. When coincidence brings the young invalid and Arietty together and a friendship blossoms between them however, a lot is suddenly put at risk... The maid Haru is on the war path, and if she can just prove the existence of the "little people", she's going to call the exterminators!!
Now, I am no expert on anime (I saw this film with a friend who is though) and we both think this is a pretty good example of the genre. I mean, there is none of the "magic" anime sometimes contains with the more "eastern" stories. There is however a lot of typical eastern themes present along with family, impossible love and a consciousness for the environment. My friend the expert reliably informs me that Studio Ghibli has made environmental awareness something of a mission, by the way. There is a lot of this theme in Miyazaki's films as well come to think of it. I am all for it but the way it was put in this film kinda stuck out for me... I mean, awareness etc. is all well and good, but I don't like things stuck into things just for the sake of their being there if you see what I mean.... But this was a very small part of the film to give things their due and the film in general was a sweet, endearing little number guaranteeing you an escape from your everyday cares and worries to another world of color and excitement... And that, I believe, is something we all need from time to time...

ANOTHER MIXED BAG: (AND A TIMELESS CLASSIC) THE GOOD, THE BAD THE UGLY

I’m not exactly sure how I never got round to watching a western in my life. I mean, how does one actually skip a whole genre? I really don’t get that (unless Lucky Luke counts – I was crazy about him but I never actually saw the movie just the cartoon, so I’m assuming it doesn’t count…). This occurred to me as I was searching for the answer of that eternal question “What should I watch today?” Almost overwhelmed by the panic brought on by the idea of thousands of films gone unwatched, I scrambled madly for the closest western to hand. It happened to be just about the only one; I think I have one more somewhere but that will be for later. This also happened to be a classic in its own right so I decided my quest of the day had ended… I have to admit that I was intimidated by the length of the film (have a heart it was the first time I faced the genre, what if it was something I didn’t like? It’s nearly three hours long for Heaven’s sake…) but I bit the bullet (so to speak). Now, although I can well imagine that the bad ones can get pretty damn repetitive and boring but very few can beat a good one in my humble opinion. Luckily for me, this was one of the good ones…
Well, meet Blondie (Clint Eastwood) and Duco. Two dastardly characters wanted all over the United States of America for pretty much every single thing you can think of. They’re not so much bosom buddies but business partners. Blondie’s a crack shot, so Duco turns himself in every once in a while, is condemned to hang and Blondie rescues him. Each rescue means the price on Duco’s head goes up, so they just rinse and repeat the act as they go along. Now, the couple are on the verge of getting bored of each other and are in the process of getting what we might jokingly called “a rather messy divorce” when they become aware of ?? million dollars worth of gold bullion stashed away. Now, the problem is that each one is left with half the location but they must work together if they want the money. Now quite apart from the fact that they don’t trust each other further than they can throw each other, not to mention the American Civil War going on full blast around them, they are not the only ones after the money. Notorious bad guy “Angel Eye” is also after the gold and they will stop but neither man will stop at NOTHING to get his hands on the money…
Now you’ll remember a few weeks back when I wrote about “Spirited Away”, how I told you about the benefits of escapism. Now to be fair, period films very rarely fulfill this purpose (they are usually either adapted from a very serious book and/or speak of very serious historical events… Not so with Westerns. Adventure, a different world, a lawless place where a man can pretty much make what he can of himself if he uses his head… The Wild West… I think it’s partly our desire to escape from the day to day routine and have adventures and partly the thought of riding off into the “land of opportunities” with everything to play for yet that attracts us to Westerns… I mean, escaping from the day to day run of the mill is one thing, having a clean slate to rewrite on as you please is a completely different kettle of fish… Well, let’s face it, America was never so wild nor full of opportunities as in its “Wild West” days… I therefore think it’s fair enough to go back and dream of those times every once in a while.. Don’t you agree?

ANOTHER MIXED BAG: TAXI DRIVER

This was a funny film to watch… Almost unrecognizably young Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster on the verge of “being discovered” and Martin Scorsese doing his thing”. Though, as I write this another thing struck me, this was all thirty years ago of course, Martin Scorsese was pretty young too… I’m sure he hoped this film would become legendary but I wonder if he had any concept as to the legend it would become… Hmm, I’m sure there’s a quote on that somewhere… ; ) This was another film I kept meaning to watch but like so many of the great classics fell through black holes… I sincerely hope you haven’t taken as long as I have to get round to this one, and if you have, now is a good time to make a detour…
Travis Brigs (Robert De Niro) is (as the name of the film suggests) a Taxi driver. He is a taxi driver from choice, not necessity. He can’t sleep at night and therefore he works the night shift. He keeps to himself but he has strong ideas, like most people who are 26. He doesn’t really care who stops him but he hates the “scum” that dirty the city and hopes a rain will come to “wash it all away”. He’s slightly obsessive about things (like a girl who works at a party campaign headquarters he falls in love with) and slightly restless (he wants to “really do something” but is not sure what) but he’s basically a normal guy doing a dead end job. But time goes by, his ideas start getting bigger and bigger and when on top of all that eccentric patrons start giving him strange ideas as well, Travis is pushed well and truly to the edge. And if his basic good nature (buried deep beneath various obsessions and strange thoughts) keeps him from falling over entirely, it isn’t going to take much to push him over either…
“Are you talking to me? I don’t see anyone else in the room, are you talking to me?” we’ve all heard this one somewhere, right? I mean, you might not even know which film it’s from but you’ll know the line and you’ll know it was Robert De Niro. Funnily enough, that wasn’t my favorite moment of the film… No, I like the bit right at the end, when he pretends to shoot himself in the head three times. A wonderful touch, seeing as you physically CANNOT shoot yourself in the head three times. I can’t quite describe how it made me feel but it was cross between admiration and being spooked out… And then of course there’s Robert De Niro. We see a lot of him in Hollywood blockbuster romantic-comedies these days (no offence but I’m guessing the only purpose they actually serve in his career is paying the bills) but it’s great to see the master at work. And of course to see true talent in action… Travis’s part contains a delicate balance of psychology and action and De Niro pulls both of brilliantly… Jodie Foster (who appears later on in the plot) is also good and I am always slightly “creeped out” to see actors and actresses we know today when they were so young… Taxi driver, a stab at society and a cry from a generation who was looking for its place in the world… Worth watching more than once, this one…

ANOTHER MIXED BAG : REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE

Rebel without a cause"


Now, forgive me if you're actually a fan, but I'm no great fan of James Dean. I objectively see that he has charisma. He is a good actor, although I ever really saw him act in a certain type of part (which isn't saying a lot really, I've only seen him in two films and this is one of them). I appreciate him, but like I said I could make do without him, if you see what I mean... But still, after having watched it, I cannot help but appreciate the power of the film "Rebel without a cause", especially seeing as it was one of the firsts of its genre... It seems rather infantile as films go in parts, but then again, you have to remember that this was a first. One of the first films that give "youth" a voice. And they are not exactly happy, much to their parent’s surprise.

But let's get ahead with the plot. Jim (James Dean) is a troubled young man of 17. His parents aren't quite sure why, but he just seems to get into trouble a lot. Well, his parents move around a lot as well, so he can't exactly "repeat" his offences but it's pretty much the same story wherever he goes. In their latest location, things don't seem to have altered much. Jim has the bullies of the school on his tail once again - only this time it's actually more complicated as he has a crush on one of the girls in the gang - and the school nut job thinks that Jim is his best friend - not that that matters either, he seems harmless enough. But then the bullies challenge Jim to a "chicky run". It's a potentially dangerous way to prove courage, but the only way of proving you aren't a "chicken". Jim goes through with it, only his opponent doesn't come out alive... This starts a positive avalanche of reactions... The kids are most definitely "not all right". And the parents have to do some serious soul searching if they want to understand why...

Broken home, uncaring parents, parents who just "don't understand". This is all day to day life now, but back in the 50's one didn't talk about it all that much... Heck, this was one of the first films where we see "well meaning but inefficient parents". This is why we needed "youth films" as a genre I suppose back in the day. Around the middle of the century the eminent grownups figured out that young people and teenagers are actually "thinking entities" in their own rights and not just things to be "seen and not heard". They needed a voice, and this is what these films provided... Funny, if you think about it they don't make this kind of "teen flick" anymore. I mean sure, we have films where teens are the heroes but very VERY few films that talk specifically about teenagers and their problems and their lives "out of context" so to speak. Nothing like this, or "The Breakfast Club", heck even "Grease" is one of the films from this genre...Now thankfully, a lot more is said and done about and for young people so they no longer specifically need this art form to reach out... And since the films are all very good films we can watch them as works of art in their own rights, but I think it's kinda important to remember they also had a serious function once. Long, long ago...