I really enjoyed this film. I had never seen a Kung Fu movie before and really loved the humor it brought to this genre. Although, i've never seen a Kung Fu movie in it's entirety I did have an idea of what they were like and how they worked. The way that this movie made fun of other Kung Fu movies was really hilarious to watch. In class we learned about Wuxia heros and how they are a combination of noble nights. The hero is this movie is very similar to that character type. I really enjoyed the way that this film was so post-modern. It was funny to see scenes and concepts that were almost identical to that of the "Matrix", "Star Wars" and Bruce Lee films.
The references that it made to these other movies was both witty and enjoyable to watch. In class someone asked if in 100 years post modernism will still work, I believe that it will still be in existence but will be in a different way. What was really cool about this film was the symbolism that was used. For example the young woman carries the lollypop that she had since she was a little girl and it represents the kindness that she held on to from her "hero" that saves her from the bullying boys.
This film was really unique. I especially enjoyed all of the different characters and their individual personalities. Each scene brought a new spin to the film and a new quality to it. I really liked the dance number that was almost broadway like, by the ax- gang. I am interested in what other films out there are similar to this one.
This film gave me a new perspective on Asian film making and really opened up my eyes to this type of movie. It was really cool to see a movie that incorporates both humor and references from so many other film genres and styles.
My favorite character was the landlady. She was super funny to watch and very over the top. Her character was dramatic and comical and really brought something great to the film.
This film was so awesome to me. I really enjoyed it overall. I loved the over the top material girl attitude and ridiculous lifestyle that they live. The movie as mentioned in class was definitely mean girls meets Jaw breaker. I really loved how it was done and how it kept you guessing as to how it was going to end up until the very last scene. I was literally on the edge of my seat when the bomb was ticking and had thoughts of how they were gonna stop or start the bomb in my head. I really wanted her just to run in the auditorium and like yell bomb or something or tell them to get out..but in the world that Veronica lives in nobody would most likely believe her or listen and many people would think that she was crazy. The psycho peace loving teacher probably would calm her down through nonsense talk and ask her how she felt about not killing herself or something annoying. I loved the character of J.D it was like we really, scary as it is got the taste of a crazy, troublesome teen that was in fact dangerous. We as much as we were scared of him and disgusted by the murders wanted him to somehow be justified as a hero similar to harry lime. I didn't see him as a hero though, he just was screwed up and needed some obvious help. Veronica was spineless and as much as she thought she was standing up to the enemy leader, heather and taking a stand of her own, she just falls in to the same trap by being J.D's bitch and doing what ever he says but in a much more tragic way, not embarrassing others but killing them.
In the reading it talks about all of the references that are made in this movie and others of it's time and how they are important to this type of film. To me the film was great with them but also could have been great with out them. The reading talks about the two main songs in the film. One que sera sera, what ever will be will be. I LOVED that song and how it opened and closed the film in to different tones. It was so perfect. I just thought it fit so well. The other song, teen suicide don't do it, just added to the satire of the whole thing and made the film a lot more ironic.
Off topics I really enjoyed watching J.D's finger being blown off my the gun it really was the cherry on top of post modernism, whether it meant it or not it took a gesture and took away the meaning.
This movie to me was very entertaining. It was really funny the way it was done, I especially loved the character of Shaft and his super masculine mannerisms. The whole thing really worked everything from his pun on words name to the stereotypical characters that really tie the whole thing together. For me the film was definitely a way of introducing a strong black male character for one of the first times in the history of hollywood. Shaft's character is very confident and is sure of himself in a way that many "manly" characters today lack. He's not all muscle, he says what he means and he means what he says. He stands up to the biggest and the baddest of people and won't take any shit from anyone. He's a ladies man that can have any woman he wants basically and similar to many other movies with a strong male character he lacks the emotion that is usually in a relationship. The language, calling everyone baby and cool cat was very funny and definitely 70's the theme song was perfect too.
In class we talked about how the film was possibly a political statement and that he represented the leader that gets things done that may have been missing in the other political groups of this time period. He represents the guy that has a mixture of influences and power and has an understanding of more than one point of view.
In the readings it discusses how in the 2000 Shaft the "gangster" factor is kind of over done and that there is a lot of over the top music, violence and other things that make the film less impressionable. The original Shaft doesn't need these over the top things to make a statement and honestly the film itself is enough on it's on. It's funny, and refreshing and definitely portrays the 70's in a light that isn't always shown in the cinema. The music in this film is very cliche and very funny every time a new track comes on. It was really interesting when we discussed in class the influence this film has had on culture, style and music. Movies really can create a way of life that affects an audience more deeply than it is predicted too. Film has a great ability to shape a way of life and to introduce a character that the audience would like to aspire to be like or to be that powerful, cool, or attractive. This film was about the man that everyone could depend on, wanted to work with or to date. It was very funny to see the way the other characters interacted with him. I really enjoyed this film
While viewing this film in class I was really surprised by how different it was from the other films that we have watched so far. In class we learned about exploitation in films of this time period and para cinema films. This film to me didn't feel like it was exploiting the audience but rather the audience of Kowalski in the film.
I really enjoyed the film in that it was fun to watch and guess what would happen next to him and where he would end up in the final part of his race to California. There were a few things in the film that "Super soul" was saying to try to insinuate that what Kowalski was doing was getting his freedom, and was the last cowboy or hero of his time, to me I don't think he was a hero at all. In fact a lot of his life was quite the opposite of heroic. Whenever he tried to be heroic, for example saving the girl in the cop car from getting raped, he failed tremendously. I think that when he heard the radio and "Super soul" telling him all of these positive things and making him feel like he was a star he started to believe it himself. The crowd in town starts to question if he is also, we the audience almost believe for a mil sec that he is heroic. Then we stop and think, for what? What could he possibly be called heroic for right now, in this situation driving this car so fast.
I think that the naked rider, could represent freedom and being a member of society that doesn't belong, so could the snake tamer, the man with the drugs that lives with the naked girl, and "Super Soul" They all are a little different from the vast majority. They represent the group that Kowalski almost desperately wants to be a part of, but really doesn't have that "thing" to put him in that category. I think that is why he drives so very fast. He wants to, its something he knows how to do and has trained for, he is against the police for their injustice BUT most of all because he wants to do the best at something and to stick out as different.
In the reading they talk about the open road and how the american west has wide open spaces, cowboys. These wide open roads are regulated and run by the government for the government with our permission to use them while abiding to their rules. How can one be completely free, on a regulated place? If that's what he's looking for he may be chasing an impossible freedom and should look for it in a different way or place.
Overall I really enjoyed this film, everyone loves a good car chase and whether we know why or not we're routing for Kowalski to get there on time. We want him to succeed. I really don't think he's the last hero, he just wanted something a little more exciting and I guess he got it. I think the ending had to happen the way that it did. It was the only way he could truly be remembered and the only way he could "win" I suppose. He didn't have to stop or surrender as gruesome as it is to say.
I really find this film to be fascinating every time I watch it. I studied this film last semester in Milan, Italy where I studied abroad. It was interesting to hear the italian perspective of the film that my professor brought to the table mixed with us (the students) american view points. We studied Fellini quite a bit and read a book called "The Cinema of Federico Fellini"which was a very interesting break down of Fellini's works and had awesome explanations of the reasoning behind his ideas and unique works. One thing that definitely sticks in my mind from this is the influence Picasso had on Fellini's ideas, Fellini studied Picasso's sketches and used those to base his characters especially, Sylvia in "La Dolce Vita".
Watching the film again in class, here really was a slightly different experience because I noticed things the second time that I missed out on the first time. I think part of it may have been because I now recognize more of the Italian words in the film and spent less time reading and more time viewing the film which does allow for a slightly deeper look in to the events taking place. What I loved about the film was the experimental story telling that Fellini uses. He introduces Marcello through his interactions with other characters in the film. What kind of bugged me about the film was that there is no real climax, or change. It's more of just a continuous story that is taking place.
The article was very interesting to me because it talked about the religious properties of the movie and the reaction it stirred through out the italian world and the film world. Many Italians were very offended by the film. In Italy my class discussed this in depth. We talked about other films that depicted this situation such as "Divorce Italian Style", in that film the characters plan on seeing "La Dolce Vita". The men were discussing the rumors of what the film was about many people called it a "porno" and many women were not happy about their husbands watching this movie. The religious aspects of the film are also very interesting. We have that opening scene with Jesus "flying" above the city. I don't believe Fellini was anti-religious in doing this, I think he's making a statement to the audience. In a way he is saying there doesn't have to be just one way of living, we can enjoy ourselves in other ways and have fun in a more carefree way, he goes for shock value not for insults.
This film to me was beautifully shot. It has images that are absolutely terrifying yet gorgeous. However, this film made my brain absolutely hurt at some points. After a little while I was like "what is going on" then I would feel like ok, I am getting this I understand and then once again something completely irrelevant would happen and the cycle of my confusion would start all over again. The entire thing definitely seemed dream-like, which is supported by the article "Philosophical Films: Last Year at Marienbad". I had another take on it though, I also think this film was very much like a twisted fairy tale. "A" loses her shoe, or her heel breaks and "X" comes to the rescue helping her walk and escorting her back. They live in an "alice in wonderland" type of world that they can't escape. Other reasons I compare this film to a fairy tale are, "X" thinks he's a the hero, prince charming saving "A" from "M". I also aside from that theory believe that maybe "X" is another example of a character obsessed. Maybe he's just one of those people that sees a girl that he's never met or talked to and becomes so wrapped up in her that he thinks he knows her and has been with her and loves her and that she loves him back. As creepy as this theory is, he is pretty creepy and it makes sense to me. I feel like he's so convinced that he knows "A" that he confuses her to the point of her asking herself "do I really know him, have we met before" Her and her "husbands" marriage seems to be on the rocks, with him being questionable of her and the "shooting" scene, maybe she has had affairs in the past that she has put behind her or made herself forget. The french gardens are very symbolic to the people of this film. I believe one line is something along the lines of "here the gardens are rocks, stone, cement. The people are very similar their personalities are empty and at times they don't even speak or move, they are like the very statues in the gardens that they are trapped by. A memorable quote from the film is "you're like a shadow, yet you want me to come closer" I believe "A" says this to "X". This quote pretty much sums up their relationship. He follows her like a shadow.....(stalker) and he wants her to be with him, to love him to go away with him...(hello you're freaking her out). I also think this quote summarizes the movie in a way. I feel like it kind of is saying, this world is like a shadow that won't disappear when you're watching it, yet it tries to draw the audience in deeper, this in turn personally confused me to the point of being pulled away from it a little, if that makes sense...or maybe I'm just over thinking this. Sorry if this was really confusing but I guess that sums up my feelings towards the whole thing.
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.
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.
