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An Erotic and Chaotic Family Vacation

La Cienaga (or “The Swamp”) is an Argentinian film about a large family escaping the city to go to their vacation home for the summer where the tensions, and temperature, are high. Mecha and her husband, Gregorio, bring their teenage children. Mecha’s cousin, Tali, brings her small children. The film comments on issues of class, as a rich family interacts with lower-class, and sexual attraction, as Mecha and Gregorio’s daughter is attracted to the live-in maid. The film is also overtly sexual and extremely relationship-driven. 

One scene that clearly demonstrates scopophilia is in the very beginning of the film, where the family is seen spending a day by the pool.  The family's matriarch sips a drink whilst wearing a bodysuit that emphasizes her cleavage; in this sense, the patriarchal construction of the female sex discussed in Mulvey's article is evident even with older women.  She has no dialogue, yet is extensively panned over in a way that accentuates her chest; she encompasses the central image of the scene, despite her lack of contribution.  Therefore, this exhibits the idea of "women as objects," since she was shown as nothing more than a busty woman in a bodysuit; she is an object subjected "...to a controlling and curious gaze."  

The film rejects mainstream Hollywood ideology and is more of an example of alternative cinema. It is chaotic, not aesthetically pleasing as most mainstream films are. It also does not have a concrete plot line, but moves around to different interactions between characters. 

The film looks, or “gazes” into someones world, and creates a separation between the person watching the film and the world of the cinema.

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False Portrayals of Racism

         Million Dollar Arm was released in 2014 by Disney. This movie like many Disney movies has underlying themes that the average child would not pick up on, but many times these themes are very controversial. The controversial theme in Million Dollar Arm is racism and exploitation of disadvantaged people. J.B. Bernstein knowing that his sports agency was failing went to India to find Cricket bowlers that could have the potential to play in the MLB and bring money to his agency. He exploits these young men from the beginning by promising them the world without actually seeing them as people. He only saw these young Indian men as business ventures. To further exploit them, he holds a contest to find the best pitching arm. He does this without any prospective tryouts for the MLB or any connections for these tryouts. While both winners of the contest ended up in the MLB, Bernstein gave them too much false hope initially.  

        I think this movie is racist because it takes kids from the slums and makes them feel like they were the saviors, when in fact, they weren’t.  An example of this is when Jon Hamm asked, “do you play cricket?” to the boy throwing the javelin, assuming that because he was Indian, he played cricket.  The movie cover also only shows Jon Hamm, and not the boys.  This story put the boys in a compromised position because of the fact that they were poor and did not know any better when a white man came to “save them.”

        The article talks about racial groups and how they are misrepresented because history is told by the side of the victor.  Everyone saw them in their cultural, “laughable,” demeaning ways but in reality, these are real people.  It speaks to the idea that every culture has demeaning ways towards other cultures.  Unfortunately, race seems like it will always be a contributing factor as to how people see one another.  We have to try to reduce racial tension, but the reality is that it will probably always be there.  Just like with people as individuals being unable to understand the background and hardships of other individuals, so too is there a disconnect between racial groups and the inherent struggles that come from being a member of that group.  

         Million Dollar Arm and the article can relate in the sense that Jon Hamm takes these boys and then makes them feel inferior because of the fact that he needed them for the competition.  Jon Hamm’s character takes on a similar role of exploiting lesser people to that of Black girl that our class both watched and read out in this article. He did not see these boys as people, nor as his equals, rather only as a business venture.  Jon Hamm’s character thinks that by taking them from their homes and into America, that he is doing these boys a great service.  They have never seen America or its culture before.  In reality, though, he is demeaning these boys by removing them from their homeland and puts them in an unfamiliar situation in which he expects them to perform.  Jon Hamm’s character doesn’t see the boys as real people and this causes many issues throughout the story.  

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While watching La Haine, I couldn't help but notice the similarities between the French society in which it's set, and our current society in America. Both are defined by political upheaval and unrest, as the people rise up against the authority of the law. The riots in response to the unjust beating of the Arab boy in France can be compared to those found in the United States after the killings of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Freddie Gray, and more. Vinz and his group of friends surround the policeman when he attempted to evict them from their rooftop headquarters, just like how angry and fed-up Americans surrounded the police during the heated Baltimore confrontations. Additionally, Said discusses the disappearance of a policeman's weapon during the chaos, while his friends mention their wish to know who found said weapon. This hatred and want for revenge against the police is also found in many American rap songs, as they reference their disregard for the traditional power of the police force.

“How Bridget Was Framed: The Irish Domestic in Early American Cinema” speaks about the Irish maid in “A Servant’s Revenge” and how it was a cipher for the problems facing the middle-class families as the role of women changed. Women of the household were required to provide cleanliness to her family. This resulted in the hiring of maids who in it of themselves provided dirt into these houses. Maid, frequently Irish ones, were hired to show power and position of the new woman of the bourgeois class. This significantly affected the Irish class because they were forced to work long hours and exploited making it hard to socialize once in America with other Irish immigrants. Films of this time misrepresented “Bridgets” out of the desire to have humor in cinema. Rather than showing them overworked, they showed “Bridgets” as manly, incompetent and dirty. This speaks to the time period in general as many Irish immigrants were put in ghettos and were provided limited opportunities for growth solely based on their ethnicity. 

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A Glimpse into Another World

“Black Girl” relates in many ways to “For an Imperfect Cinema.” They tie together in the quote, “it is possible that art gives us a vision of society or of human nature and that, at the same time, it cannot be defined as a vision of society or nature” (page 3). This quote is portrayed in the movie when Diouana gives her new boss an original African mask as a gift for hiring her. Her bosses have fake African art throughout their house which they believe gives a vision of African society, but when they receive an authentic mask they realize how inaccurate their artwork is. Secondly, despite the film being based in the 1960′s Diouana is treated as a slave and animal. While her bosses believe she is just taking care of the children and being a maid. Diouana knows her tasks go beyond those jobs especially since she never left the apartment upon going to France.

“The new outlook for artistic culture is no longer that everyone must share the taste of a few, but that all can be creators of that culture” (Page 6). This movie shows that society can be the creators and interpreters of culture. We can gain perspectives from other cultures, but we may never be able to relate to them. Movies such as “Black Girl” allow us to get a glimpse of the culture and gather our own interpretations rather than relying on stereotypical views of the culture. We then no longer have to rely on tastes of a few because we can see it ourselves. 

Shot Analysis

42:33-44:34

Extreme Wide Shot: Diouana and Man walking in Africa

Medium Shot: Diouana and Man getting picture taken 

Wide Shot: Still getting picture taken 

Wide Shot: Diouana being followed by man

Wide Shot: Man sitting smoking

Medium Close up: Diouana 

Cutaway: Of buildings 

Medium Close up: Diouana thinking 

Medium Close up: Man answering Diouana

Wide Shot: gardener watering grass

Medium Close up: Diouana and man talking 

Wide Shot: Diouana near steps 

Wide Shot: Man sitting on ledge 

This scene showing Diouana and a man talking about her moving to France and they were walking around the park thinking about the future. Diouana talks about her concerns, but also her excitement of being in France. The shots strategically set the mood and drive the action for this scene. 

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Synopsis

In “A Woman Under the Influence,” Nick is a hardworking man involved in construction; however, hardships stem from his marriage due to his wife’s mental condition.  Suffering from severe mental disabilities, Mabel acts erratically, prompting anger and misunderstanding from her husband.  Eventually, after a stay in a mental institution, the family realizes that her condition has only remained the same, and comes to terms with their situation.

A Women Under the Influence reveals two of five movie-dialogue conventions. The first it fulfills is that the movie advances and supplies pertinent background information. Mabel gathers pertinent background information when she is sitting around the table with her husband Nick’s coworkers. She pretends or forgets the names of many of his coworkers and asks who they are and a little about them.

The second movie-dialogue convention it fulfills is when the movie breaks one of the movie-dialogue convention rules. Due to some of Mabel’s psychiatric problems, she cannot have a normal flowing conversation. The conversations are frequently awkward and she often asks questions about things she should already know about. Mabel also frequently does not respond how you would typically expect in a movie. Her conversations are not flawless, they are disjointed and her responses are broken and include stutters.  

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A Parisian Take on Love

Movie Scene Description (Breathless)

Setting: After speaking to Character B, Character A is in the street speaking to Character C, waiting for the police to arrive

A: Speaks with C while next to car

C: Hands A his bag of money

C: Takes out gun and hands it to A

A: Hands gun back to C

C: Once again hands gun to A

A: Tosses gun back into C’s car

Police: Arrive on the scene brandishing weapons

C: Throws gun to A

A: Picks up gun

C: Drives away

Police: Fire a shot at A

A: Runs away from police

B: Chases after A

A: Collapses

B: Stares down at A

A: Smiles, utters last words, and dies

B: Contemplates A’s last words while looking into camera

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Screen Film Shots

Closeup: Of A standing next to B in his car

Extreme Closeup: Of A with cigarette in mouth

Mid Shot: A talking to B who is still in car

Extreme Wide Shot: car driving road

Close up: of Policeman

Wide Shot: police getting out of car

Wide Shot: A looking down walking

Closeup: B driving away

Wide Shot: A picking up gun

Medium Closeup: Police shooting A 

Extreme Wide Shot: A grabbing his back since he was shot as he is running away

Medium Closeup: C running after A 

Extreme Wide Shot: A falling to ground but still running 

Cut in: A on ground after falling face forward

Medium Closeup: C still running after A

Closeup: A on ground smoking cigarette 

Extreme Closeup: C shocked and realizes A is going to die

Extreme Closeup: A showing pain on ground and says some words

Extreme Closeup: C upset and taking in what A just said 

Extreme Closeup: A says his last words and shuts his own eyes, dies

Extreme Closeup: C taking in what A said before he died, stares at camera, outlines her mouth with finger 

Movie Scene Description (Cleo from 5 to 7)

Setting: Character A and B sit in back of cab after shopping

time: 16:05 - 19:00

A: Speaks to B about ID

B: Asks if A is tired

A: Tells B she has no life in her

B: Tells A that is only the case because she is tired

Random Man: whistles at A and makes rude comments to her, asks if she lives with her parents 

A & B: laugh after random man’s car drives away

C: turns on music, A is singing on radio, asks A if she likes songs

A: responds that she doesn’t like this song, complains that the recording is awful, needs to be redone, asks to have music turned off, tells C that it is her singing

C: doesn’t know it’s A on the radio, says she loves the song and doesn’t hear it much

A: Says it is always playing

B: Asks A what’s wrong

A: Says she feels nauseous 

B: Mentions that the windows are open, 

A: puts her head out the window

C: Asks if A the music helps 

A: Replies that it doesn’t help

C: tells A she likes the radio because it gives people work, driving gives people work but is dangerous for a woman, but she likes it 

A: Asks C if she is afraid at night

C: Asks what she would be afraid of 

Camera pans to Voodoo dolls in window display

A: Asks what is going on

B: Says it is the art students

Art Students: surround the car

A: is petrified 

B: Says the students are only trying to have fun

Car gets pelted by trash 

Scene Film shots 

Closeup: Of A and B getting into taxi

Closeup: A and B conversing in back of taxi

Longshot: of rode in front of them

Closeup: A and B conversing

Wideshot: pans right to left

Wideshot: of random man in car

Medium closeup: shows from side view of A and B laughing, and C driving

Cutaway: to store front of African masks/dolls

Wide Angle: side view of A 

Cutaway: to store front with dolls 

Wide Angle: side view of A with hand out window

Closeup: of A shocked when art students approach car and B laughing

Extreme Wide-shot: of art students surrounding car while driving 

Closeup: of B looking out window

Wideshot: of what B is looking at outside the window

These two scenes are very different. The first scene is very dramatic and shows action, whereas the second scene is more conversational. The first scene puts emphasis on the film. The second scene is much more anticlimactic and focuses on the conversation rather than the images. Cleo from 5 to 7 has more diverse shots compared to Breathless. Breathless however in the final scene shows extreme emotions captured strategically by the shots. 

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A Mother’s Attempt to Reconcile

This movie depicts an estranged mother reuniting with her son and the rest of her extended family. They spend a lot of time talking about topics that the average family would consider taboo for holidays. Krisha struggles with her addiction to both alcohol and drugs throughout the film, and despite claiming to be clean to her family but she gets exposed because her family realizes she still has her addiction to drugs and alcohol.

“What is important in film is the feeling of continuity with joint shots and sequences while maintaining unity and cohesion of movements” (Wilson & Baudry, 44). Director Shults uses this technique to add corkiness and feeling to the movie. With this technique, he grabs the audience’s attention because they never know what clip will come next or when the scene will change.  

Krisha is the transcendental subject for the entire film. Although the scenes are different and include other people, she is the main focus of the film. “This elision of the body ‘making sense’ in its own right is grounded in ‘the idealist assumption that human experience is originally and fundamentally cognative’” (Sobchack, 58). The director uses what they shoot and the camera to emphasize certain body movements to portray cognitive emotions in her mind into visual depictions such as Krisha’s thought process when she is uneasy. The director also does a great job of portraying the intensity of her around her son, Trey. Based on her body language and the camera movements the viewer is able to understand that she has a deep and dark past that has caused damage to her family. 

Movie Scene Description

Setting: Character A and B sit together on a sofa while engaging in dialogue (around 30 minute mark)

 B: Stares longingly at A

B: Assures A of moral transformation

A: Refuses to acknowledge B

A: Continually nods head in ignorance of B’s claims

B: Begins to cry and grows anxious over A’s apathy

A: Stares at ground

B: Compensates for A’s attitude by taking blame for discomfort

A: Angrily responds to B

B: Apologizes profusely and begs for forgiveness

B: Goes to comfortingly touch A

A: Shifts his position away from B

B: Tells A of her love for him

A: Leaves room

B: Sits alone in sadness (reflects)

B: Takes out cigarette and begins to smoke

  SCENE

Setting: See Movie Scene Description

 Mid Shot: B becomes teary-eyed while detailing moral transformation to A

Closeup: A grows impatient with B’s claims

Medium Closeup: B grows anxious and worried over A’s indifference

Closeup: B becomes distressed and cries as A leaves room

Extreme Wide-Shot: B sits on couch, staring into the distance

Cutaway: Focus moves to hallway filled with paintings

Key: A = Trey, B = Krisha

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A Linear Bike Ride

"The Kid with a Bike" (2011) is linear in terms of the narrative structure. The plot begins with a twelve year old foster child yearning for a parental figure. Even though he is later taken in by a kind woman, named Samantha, Cyril struggles to move forward knowing that his father rejected him. Trying to cope with his past, Cyril turns to rebellion, hurting the only person who cares about him.  Eventually on his journey, he realizes that she is the person that can turn his life around and make him happy.

According to the article, “Thread Structure: Rewriting the Hollywood Formula,” by Evan Smith, many of today’s films stray from this linear story in that plot lines drop in and out imposing on traditional three act story structure.  In this movie, we follow the journey of a single protagonist (who wears red clothes throughout to signify importance) from the time that he is in a foster home until the point where he walks away from being assaulted by the newsstand guy’s son.  The film shows a slice of his life (where he is growing up) in a linear fashion.  In contrast, a film like "Pulp Fiction" has a thread structure with multiple characters (each the hero in his or her own mind) and storylines intertwined throughout.  "The Kid with a Bike" does not manipulate time and space.  There are no flashbacks involved and the story unfolds through Cyril's own actions.  Aristotle would agree that this film is an action that is "one and entire, the parts of it being so connected that if anyone of them be either transposed or taken away, the whole will be destroyed or changed."  

Although there is not a definitive ending to Cyril's story, it avoids being convoluted with additional character storylines to manipulate the overall message of the  film.  Rather, in films like "Pulp Fiction" we see multiple characters show up in multiple storylines and from different points of view.  Additionally, "The Kid with a Bike" has one potential villain, Cyril's father, who the audience cannot sympathize with.  The dealer is simply a supporting role.  Thread structure movies have multiple villains affecting multiple heroes.  The story of this film is fueled by one dramatic event in which Cyril's father abandons him.  We then follow Cyril's struggles and growth in a linear fashion.  The scenes in this film are ordered in a way so that we can follow this growth of a protagonist.  Still these scenes of growth are not fully linear and this is acceptable because we do not experience life in a complete linear fashion.  Aristotle states "Unity of plot does not consist in the unity of the hero.  For infinitely various are incidents in one man's life which cannot be reduced to unity.(Part VII)".  We see these moments of ambiguity in the life of Cyril, specifically at the end of the film where he walks away from trouble and keeps living his life.  I feel that the plot is relatively simple in that there are not many instances of reversals of the situation of surprises in the plot.  However, the story still has great depth in terms of the tone and loaded emotion that Cyril encounters throughout.      

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San Soleil

San Soleil is a documentary created by Chris Marker. It was released in 1983.

This movie is about a man’s travels to far away lands such as Japan and Guinea-Bissau. It is narrated by a woman who he wrote letters to. The film explores and studies the people and culture of these countries.

I am first going to connect this film with the article, “The Ontology of the Photographic Image,” by Andre Bazin and Hugh Gray. The documentary, similar to the article, shows how art imitates life. The article talks about the evolution of photography, history, and culture, discussing from the mummification process of the Egyptians all the way to modern photography and film.

The woman narrator in the film expresses another man’s experiences in these countries through words, images, and art (via the letters he wrote to her). In this sense, she is “embalm[ing] time,” or freezing the moments in order to share them with others. She opens the film by saying these moments that are “suspended in time.” 

The film does a good job of transporting those watching from their seats at home to the countries depicted in the film. The quick cuts to different images and short videos (in montage style) immerses people into these locations. It accentuates the culture and style of the film. In the article, “Montage as Resonance,” Daniel Fairfax discusses how this is a common style used in Marker’s films.  We are convinced to interpret what we see in the images as truth.  Film is its own unique language and the director can shape our interpretation of the world through the utilization of images. 

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(Wong Kar-wai) Sets The Mood

 In the article “On Directing Film” by David Mamet, we read how camera placement, directing actors, and the use of montages can greatly influence storytelling in film.  Wong Kar-Wai is very strategic in how he uses these elements in his film “In The Mood For Love” in order to create tension, develop characters, and pass time as this unique love story unfolds.

Several times in the movie we see how the camera is placed at a low angle in a narrow hallway, often from a distance.  This voyeuristic style makes the viewer more of a passive participant gazing at the development of a relationship between two neighbors whose spouses are having an affair.  The camera is also usually placed to emphasize Mrs. Chan’s features as if we are seeing her through the eyes of Mr. Chow in passing by.  The camera placement creates a tension between the two.   

In one specific scene, Wong Kar Wai moves the camera between the two characters between their two apartments to show what is going on in the characters’ minds.  This is one technique he uses for character development.  We also learn a lot about Mrs. Chan’s character when she acts out how she is going to expose her husband’s affair.  Finally, Wong Kar-wai uses the montages, or “succession of images juxtaposed so that the contrast between these images moves the story forward in the mind of the audience” to pass time and show development of this relationship.  With reoccurring music and fast paced action, the montages start with Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan as neighbors coexisting in hallways which eventually proceeds to deep romantic conversations.