The article "Deadly Statues: Eros in the Films of Jean Cocteau" Greene discusses the idea of homosexuality and homosexuals using signs to gain a sense of understanding and meaning behind gestures and so forth. The article also discusses how the statues in the film are of significant meaning. I couldn't completely decode what the article was trying to say because a lot of it was in French. What I got from it however, was that they are cold, plaster things. They have no heart, no life and are equal to death in that they will never fully be allowed to feel like those that are living. Maybe they can get a glimpse of it but never fully can they achieve that love that these characters long for.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Orpheus
This movie I thought was really well done for it's time period. As oddly as it seems part of me thought some of the movie was like watching an episode of "Charmed" I really enjoyed it's take on the greek myth as well as it's stylistic qualities. Overall I was VERY confused about the reading for this week and didn't really understand what they were talking about. I did find it very interesting hearing the class compare being a poet to being gay at this time in history. They both were supposedly considered crazy and were always looking for signs, symbols or hidden meanings behind everything and everyone which is a different way to look at both poetry and homosexuality. The radio that was constantly sending of signals that Orpheus was so drawn too really nicely supports this idea. He was drawn to the sounds, symbols and ideas that were being expressed and couldn't leave the radio's side, even while his wife was upstairs and dying. What was really interesting to me was how death was a female character that seduces her victims, I thought maybe her character was meant to be this way so that she could make death appear more pleasing than life. I believe that Eurydice, Orpheus' wife represents life and is a polar opposite of death. Her being pregnant especially supports my theory. She is the "ultimate living, she has life growing inside and out" as strange as that may sound. While at the same time "The Princess" is the very touch of death. She quite literally sucks life out of people and makes them her servants. Her very touch made Orpheus cruel to everyone around him, especially to his wife. I found it very interesting how he was forbidden from looking at his wife, who at one point he could care less to look at or be with. He only wants to see her cause he can't. I think that was part of the reasoning for this punishment by the judges. He only wants to look at her when the princess is away. I also think that the idea of sexual cruelty in this film is interesting. Orpheus is cruel to his wife because of his sexual attraction to the princess and to the radio signals. Another dynamic part of this movie is the situation dealing with Heurtebise. He says that he died young and maybe never was loved or able to love and I think his dead self is searching for that love that he never experienced while alive and he finds Eurydice and wants her to be that person to fulfill his love. He sees the baby sock and picks it up and you can tell that he feels compassion for Eurydice and a strong emotion about the situation at hand.
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You bring up a really interesting connection between homosexuality and poetry. It never occurred to me that Orphee's obssession with Cegeste's signals were so tantalizing because of his connection with poetry and the homosexual undertones. This puts into perspective the relationship between the two poets in the beginning of the film. Perhaps their hatred for each other is a subconscious rejection of homosexuality.
ReplyDeleteHowever, did you notice that Cegeste was kind of a tool when we first meet him? He looks drunk, he starts a brawl and his poetry is a book of blank pages. It isn't until he's dead that he seems somewhat of a decent character. Perhaps this has something to do with the powerful female entity that is death? Are these related? Hmmm.
I agree with Kim- when we first are introduced to Cegeste he is a complete fail. He is drunk, a jerk, even Lady Death is getting frustrated with him. His poetry is a book of blank pages, possibly meaning how over rated he is?
ReplyDeleteI feel like Orpheus and Cegeste have those negatives feelings possibly because of sexual undertones, but also because they both are fighting for Lady Death's attention. Orpheus doesn't know it at first, but he will soon be getting a lot of attention from Lady Death.
Both Kim and Hawco make great point in their comments. I feel that Cegeste was a character to be looked upon as the next great poet in the tradition of Orpheus or better than him. However, the brawl that broke out between Cegeste and others was a way for Death to get to Orpheus. After Cegeste was killed by Death's henchmen, she orders Orpheus to accompany her. Cegeste, while a huge, arrogant tool was the road Death took to get to Orpheus
ReplyDeleteSo what does it mean when two poets are fighting for the attention of death? And what does it mean when the biggest tool (and they are both pretty toolish), is also the better poet--so much better that the one with the established reputation ends up inadvertently plagiarizing him after being also inadvertently involved in his death?
ReplyDeleteThis discussion is really fun.
It's not so much that both homosexuals and poets were considered crazy, as that both were considered to have special perceptions--to see things others can't and, as the reading says, both spend a lot of time interpreting codes.