myanalyticalcrutch-blog

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Elizabeth, 76

“I’m wearing rain boots that I airbrushed green, PJ pants by Joe Fresh that I dyed green, an Uniqlo jacket, a faux fur knitted scarf and Old Navy green gloves. I only wear the color green, because it is such an amazing, positive and loving color. Loving people inspire my style, and happiness that it brings.”

Feb 16, 2018 ∙ Carroll Gardens

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The Dekalog

Written for FS 294: International Cinema on October 12, 2017  

Krzysztof Kieslowski’s first installment from The Dekalog is an ultimate tribute to the duality between faith in God, and faith in numbers and logic. The series as a whole is so heart-wrenching and striking that it became the cause of his more commercial success and wider celebration of him as a filmmaker and artist. He had originally started making documentaries after he graduated film school. This contributes to the realism of Polish life in the 80’s and 90’s that he breaths into his filmmaking. But as any true artist, he had faced some problems with the communist government when it came to the subjects of his films. He was deemed too controversial, as art usually is under strict rule. Poetic film and fiction become an escape and a way around censorship. This is not a new method, almost every single poetic filmmaker has used symbols and poetic methods to weasel their way past the authorities. His films quickly became fascinated with justice, moral and ethical dilemmas, philosophical confusion as well as political control. While filming in courts, he became acquainted with Krzysztof Piesiewicz, a defense lawyer. As a man with a way for words, Piesiewicz becomes Kieslowski’s primary writer for his films. He became his partner in crime, which in an ironic twist, is seen as crime by many people in power.  

Piesiewicz saw Kieslowski as a perfect mix of humanism and Christianity. Kieslowski stated that his relationship with God was highly personal and intimate. This film frames the ten commandments in a very humanist and realistic manner, using everyday lives of regular people living in the same area of Warsaw in the 1990’s. The first time I watched the first installment of this film, I felt almost physically sick to my stomach because of how hard it hit me. I was left speechless and struggling to find the words to contribute to discussion. Faith has always been a subject that I have struggled with. I generally consider myself agnostic, however, I do have a tendency to lean on an almost nihilistic way of thinking. In the film, it is made obvious that Pavel’s aunt has a Christian faith, however his dad’s beliefs are never really labeled. A lot of people might assume since he is a mathematician that he has a more atheistic view of the world. But I got the feeling that it was meant to be more of an agnostic view. Pavel’s aunt mentions at one point that his dad’s belief system does not rule out God, which in turn, rules out atheism as his view point. I used to believe, that if you did not follow a specific religion and did not believe in a God or Gods, that you were automatically assigned the label of atheist, that there was no in-between; and I think that is how a lot of people see religion. Now I see religion itself, has a tree-like structure. Though, I suppose existential belief tree provides a more accurate title. There are many different religions that branch off others, and within those branches are spectrums of smaller twigs.  Maybe someone is a leaf from the Christian branch, but on that branch, is closer to the base of the tree in the Catholic section of the spectrum. Perhaps this leaf loses grip at some point and falls onto the nihilists branch. The nihilists branch, appears dead on the outside already, but it never falls off, and does continue to live, even though no bugs, or parasites will even live off of it. It doesn’t seem to have a point, but that end of the spectrum must exist in order for there to be a balance and the tree does not topple over to one side. With my beliefs in hand, the scene where Pavel is questioning the actual meaning of life, hit close to home. I struggle with the same questions that this young boy was asking, nearly every day.  

In order to explore religion and everyday life, this film also explores the discussion between childhood and death. A question I have often asked myself and others is whether religion is a way with coping with life, or death. In reality it is both, but if we were not afraid of dying, would religion be as prominent as it is? Immediately we are introduced to Pavel as a bright and happy boy. He, unlike many children in poetic cinema, has a healthy relationship with his father and his aunt who acts as a motherly figure. However, when he comes across a local stray dog that has frozen to death in the snow, his thoughtful mind is sent on a journey of understanding what death is and why it happens, as well as foreshadows his own unfortunate fate. Pavel’s father vaguely admits he does not know all of the answers to life and death when being questioned by his distraught son, saying that it is too early for questions that are so mentally and emotionally taxing. I cannot even imagine how my father would have reacted if I was asking him what the point of life was if we’re all just going to die, even now. He probably would have just changed the subject. Pavel’s father, however, being a professor and believer in knowledge and educational exploration, tries to answer his son’s existential questions to the best of his ability. This questioning of life itself comes around full circle after Pavel’s death. We see him struggling with the reality of this shocking event. He is angry at a God that he does not quite believe in, while also questioning the numbers and logic that he has come to rely on so heavily.  

Pavel’s constant thirst for knowledge is expressed heavily throughout the film. When we are introduced to him, he is observing a pigeon eating crumbs that he had placed outside of the window, and then asking his dad for a math equation for him to solve. Even though these situations show that he is very bright and mature they also remind us that he is still a child. When he is given the algebraic situation to figure out, it is expressed with Miss Piggy and Kermit as subjects. It is also told that is near Christmas time. Christmas is seen as both a spiritual experience for some, but also holds a deep connection to childhood for many. In poetic fashion, his Christmas present from his parents will play a part in his death. This film does not leave me with very positive thoughts on life. This little boy was happy, heathy, and intelligent. He was so open to all beliefs. His thirst for knowledge led him to religion classes. He was willing to explore both logic, and faith. So, keeping in mind that the first commandment is discussing loving and following only God, it brings to question the true meaning of Pavel’s demise. It can be read more than one way, as poetry should be read.  

We are left questioning whether his death was punishment or enlightenment. If it was punishment, was it for him, or his father. His father was raised on religion, but believed in logic over God; this sets up the idea that logic and religion are opposing concepts and that religion must be illogical. It is possible that Pavel being taken from his father in the most final way was a punishment for not following the way of God. However, I prefer the view that it was a punishment for Pavel. Not that I wanted the boy to die of course, but again exploring the idea that people see religion as singular, you cannot believe in both sides of a spectrum. Pavel was exploring the mixture of logic and religion when his life was taken from him. I grew up in a very small town where religion and religious beliefs were often brought up during science classes where teachers tried to avoid speaking about the big bang as much as they could. Though there were a few kids who believed that God had created the planet and evolution, there were also a large amount of people that totally disregarded evolution as a possible origin for humankind. I even knew someone who claimed that natural selection did not exist because God would not allow something so violent in his world. These people would often lash out whenever a logical argument was made for evolution by someone else who identified as Christian. They did not think people should mix the beliefs. God should either be the answer for everything or nothing.  

In the beginning of the film, Pavel’s knowledge on religion is much less developed that his grasp on logic. He does not begin to explore it further until approached by the concept of death. The unfortunate truth of death is that we do not know for sure what lies beyond life until we are no longer living. So, it is possible to read Pavel’s death as him finally finding the answer to his question, what is the point of living. The idea of submersion in water brings up the image of the iconic tradition of baptism. It is thought by many people that if you have been baptized, your soul is safe and you will be able to move on to Heaven when you die. Death is the only definitive part of life, but the details surrounding it are still debatable. It is never a question of if, but when, and for Pavel, it was young, before he could understand it fully, he is forced into the experience. Usually when we experience something in life, it leads to our further understanding. However, with death, since we do not know if it is the end of everything, or just a door into another life or another spiritual reality, we can never know if we understand it. It is an ultimate example of the duality between mystery and fact. A shallower way of seeing it could be the belief that God takes all of the best people to be Heaven with him, and that is why he took Pavel, out of selfishness.  

As stated before, Pavel, unlike many of our children subjects, has a balance of masculine and feminine role models in his father and aunt. His father represents the belief in logic and numbers, whereas his aunt represents emotional and religious belief systems. This film argues with itself on whether logic and religion are opposites, or siblings. It seems to come to the conclusion, if one at all, that they, even though they are different, are not as different as they seem. Numbers may seem more logical for one person, while religion makes more sense to another person. The father himself, is in a way a creator. He speaks on the idea of artificial intelligence while in his class room and his computer seems to click on with a personality of its own claiming that it is ready. Along with being the giver of life, not only to this computer personality, but also to his son, he plays a part in taking his sons life. The numbers that he has come to rely on so much, betray him after he figures that the ice will be strong enough for Pavel to skate on. This, of course is a contributor to his manic behavior at the end of the film. He lashes out with a burst of emotions when he goes to the church. He also refuses to get on his knees when the young boys bodies are being pulled out of water. He will not acknowledge the God that allowed this to happen until he is alone destroying the church, having his own personal conversation. This brings back Kieslowski’s quote about having a very personal relationship with God. While he is destroying the church, candles spill and he shows us the image of the Virgin Mary. The candle wax dripping on her picture gives the appearance of her crying. This makes the viewer ask why is she crying? Is it because of the loss of this poor boy? Or because it did not open his father’s eyes and he refuses to accept the lord? Either way, the image is truly heartbreaking and filled me with an almost empty feeling. I myself am not even a religious person.  

The Dekalog left me feeling like I had just found the local stray dog frozen in the snow. I do not like to think about these subjects, because they make me sad and uncomfortable, and I have plenty of those feelings in my life. But I suppose that is part of the point, to make up think about things we do not want to because that is simply part of life. You cannot have life without death and you cannot have death without life.  I often focus the most on the first part and not enough on the second. Though I may take some time before I would choose to watch it again, I would never say that I wish I hadn’t seen it, no matter how I felt afterwards. The films discussion of life, death, logic, and religion, are essential.  

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Pagan Poetry

Written for FS 464: Film as a Visual Poem, on September 18, 2017

Bjork is, like many poetic artists, misunderstood by a lot of people. However, there is a reason she has won awards and gotten media attention, other than her swan dress. She pours herself out into every song, and whether you understand what she is saying or not, you can feel the raw emotion behind it. Both the song and video for Pagan Poetry explore the dialog between love, pain, and lust. Bjork is telling us about her love for someone and the pleasure he gives her along with the pain attached to him. This pain is both wanted and unwanted, almost necessary for the relationship. The abstract images slowly become more clear, revealing different parts of Bjork herself. She is showing herself and becoming more comfortable, realizing what she wants before our eyes, being reborn in a sense. Love is considered sacred in most cultures. It is supposed to be the closest thing to a magical experience that you can have. The worst people can change for love, the true happiness makes them want to be better or opens their eyes to a new point of view. Love can also blind you from the bad things about your partner or the world itself. The shelter of love can both be constructive and destructive.

We witness the piercing of her nipples on screen. Body mutilation is shown as a way of expression and self-love as it is for many people. Many cultures even use it as a sign of honor or bravery. Whereas in many western cultures, tattoos, piercings, and scarification are seen as the sign of someone who hates themselves and others. It is seen as unprofessional and unfriendly, though it is slowly becoming more accepted. But it is also to resemble to piercing pain that love can be related to. The draping of pearls and lacing of the piercings on her back match the weaving of the messages and emotions of love and agony throughout the song. Her vocals are precise but have an animalistic quality, adding to the true emotion of the piece. The love and pain for her is instinctual human nature, but it has such a taboo around it, she must question if it is what is best for her. When her face is fully shown, she is smiling while singing, as though she is in ecstasy. However, as the song goes into a chant of “I love him” she stops singing on screen and seems to be in distress. This chant gives the song and video a sense of ritual, love and pain dialog ritually. One must always sacrifice something for love.

Many marriages end in divorce. I have always wanted to believe that love existed in the beginning or at least somewhere down the line. People are breaking the taboo that you must love one person forever. Love cannot exist without pain. She is wearing a dress by Alexander McQueen, a famous fashion designer, another artist. The dress exposes most of her torso with a mermaid bottom creating an incomplete wedding dress aesthetic. There are pearls, often seen as a feminine accessory, draped from her neck and shoulders. She is breaking taboos and bringing up stereotypes addressed to being a proper woman while she herself is embracing pain with love. She is opening exposing herself and the love and pain coupled with ecstasy and lust. The lyrics also suggest that perhaps there was an openness to the relationship at some point, or perhaps in her last relationship. This brings up the possibility that it started as something solely sexual and for her it developed into other feelings. It is often said that one of the most painful things in life is losing a lover or partner. She yells and shouts with a smile on her face that he makes her want to hurt herself. Shortly after we see an image of corset piercings on her back and blood around the holes. The weaving of these emotions is making her bleed and yet she will not let go of them because they also provide her with a sense of liberation from the bonds of social norms in relationships and as a woman.

People are highly affected by the emotions tied to poetry and music. Our lives are surrounded constantly by music and its effects. Some people argue that particular music can affect us negatively, while others claim that all music has a sense of liberation for individuals. According to legends, Orpheus was the first poet. He is usually depicted holding a musical instrument known as a lyre. In many images, the lyre is being held to his chest and close to his heart. It captures the soul of the poet, his love, his emotions, and all that he is. Music and poetry are to this day seen as way to ultimately expose yourself emotionally and express everything that you are and hope to be. Two important words that have risen from the lyre are lyrics and lyrical. These words are used to describe art from all genres, including music, painting, poetry, and film. All essential to an artist’s everyday life. Lyrics are words, often associated with poetry that are connected to a melody and are meant to be sung, not just spoken, however, there is a thin line that is often crossed between speaking and singing. Poetry itself is very musical. It is aware of rhythm, tones, and patterns. Chants and repetition can be seen in both music as well as poetry. The chorus of many modern songs is extremely repetitive and can evoke the feeling of a chant, especially when we look at genres like rap and hip hop. Rap is a genre that frequently crosses the line between singing and rapping and focuses highly on rhythm and rhyme just as poetry does, whereas other genres may focus more on the melody and the music.

As stated before, there is a thin line between music and poetry and they are often weaved together. They both deliver and story in a very strong, emotional, and intimate way. The artist is aware of all of the elements that go into his piece and strives to capture the essence of being human. This also applies to film, a visual poem. However, it is not a visual poem the same way that a painting is, it has literal movement and stillness contrasting each other. Film is a massive mixing pot of many different art forms. Greek tradition calls the poet and lyrical being, lyricism being strongly attached to passion. Plato had said that poets are enthusiasts. They are expressive, passionate and energized by that passion. To Plato, enthusiasm is a trance. Poets become enraptured by their subjects, they dig deeper and deeper into something and they cannot be pulled out of their art and passions. In The Republic, he says that poets should not be included in the city. They are radicals or have a tendency to embrace radical behavior and thoughts, and this is a danger to society. Poets abandon logic and twist language, they play with concepts like young children poking at dead animal carcasses. They explore depths of opinions and subjects that are taboo and to most people should not be thought about. Tarkovski’s poets illustrate two sides of this. His mad poet is loud and filled with rage. He is disruptive and subjects everyone in his presence to his truth, he scars them with the images of his death and the sounds of his final cried. The wise poet, however, uses silence to contemplate his message. It slowly sinks deep and has a chilling tone about it. He is caught in a silent trance while performing his final ritual.

In a sense, poets create their own language. Shakespeare is one example of a poet literally creating language. He betrayed the known laws of language and created terms and phrases that are still common in language long after his death. His impact on society and art is immeasurable. His plays have been rewritten and stories retold over and over. His plays often put people in the shoes of the poet, entrancing them and inviting them to think about the taboo and unusual. Topics of spirituality and sexuality are often covered in Shakespearean plays and poetry. Lyricism and poetry can represent the elevation of the voice and the gaze from the creation of language. As long as that language is lived through momentum and constantly fed with the energy of the poet and the audience.

Poetry embraces the duality of chaos and order. Many poems have a strict formatting while also exploring the chaos of humankind within its text. Poets whether through literature or image are obsessed with paradoxes and irony. There is a constant idea of the overlap between two things usually seen as opposites. Black and white are colors used frequently as a metaphor even when the concepts presented in the piece explore the many different shades of grey. Modern art often depicts Orpheus as a meaningful hero. He is seen as a representation of the human experience and what it means to be an individual. He is to thank for the many different forms of art and poetry that our lives come into contact with. We have access to so many different ways of expressing ourselves and sending a message to other people. We can connect and embrace other people and individual personalities through poetry while exploring areas of our subconscious we are not always familiar with. Raoul Dufy shows Orpheus surrounded by the sea and nature. In the image, there is a balance between the sky and the ocean. The presence of nature is a representation of how natural poetry is and poet’s deep connection with nature and life. Orpheus is at the center of the world and able to communicate across many platforms and elements. He can dialog with life and the spirit of nature. This lines up with the legend that his power of words and lyricism, he was able to communicate with the entire world, from the biggest creatures, to the smallest, down to small specks of life hardly seen or noticed by humankind. It is said that he could even make stones cry. This legend applies the idea of super natural power to poets.

As creators, artists across all genres adapt a special style so they can be seen as an individual and separate themselves from the works of other famous creators. They often have another artist that helped them discover their art, style, and passion. Visual poets are true visionaries, their gaze being projected with and onto others and sending out sparks of inspiration to other aspiring artists that wish to show the world their point of view. Orpheus’ vision and gaze was so powerful, that he could be seen as an extremely unsettling force. He could dialog with the Gods. I can understand why Plato would want to kick out poets if they could speak to the Gods. Poetry and visual poems explore spirituality and occasionally the spirit world itself. It is often referenced or its image depicted within poetry or films. Poets have a particular charm to them, making them dangerous because this charm gives them the power to speak with many different forms of life and even gives them a sort of power over others. Other people can be put into a trance with the chant of a poet. They can become mesmerized and led away from the dangerous safety of societal norms.

Art is a journey. Film, music, and poetry all take us on an adventure when they attempt to capture the Orphic voice. Their rhythm and voice often embracing a sense of ritual. Similar to how many parts of Bjork’s video do. The act of piercing is a ritual of adulthood and life events in many cultures. Even within modern western culture there is an accepted way to perform the act of piercing one’s body. In Pagan Poetry, she undergoes a journey of self-discovery through love and pain, just as is the poets goal to go on an extreme journey. However, extreme can mean even the smallest things. Because poets look at the world through the grey and in between areas, they do not always see the black and white as the most extreme. So many people accept that life if black and white that it is more extreme to walk somewhere in the middle. Though poets and filmmakers often explore the unknown and unreal, they also have to acknowledge reality. You cannot explore the unknown without first knowing what is known and accepted amongst the masses. Music videos bring poetry, music, and filmmaking together as a holy and transgressive experience. Artists like Bjork explore parts of reality and the subconscious seen as taboo through these art forms. She, as well as the filmmaker, want the viewer to also explore everything from the visuals, to the music, to the lyricism and words. Pagan Poetry explores the Orphic voice with its playful journey through sexuality, risk, love, and pain as one.