Gigantic: Swimming in the Deep End
I was going to do a post on Avatar after having seen it just before Christmas, however, another film recently caught my mind and I’m much more intrigued to explore it for the moment. Every once in a while, you see a film that at first leaves you thinking “well, that was odd, but I think I liked it.” While I am very into the films like those of Terry Gilliam and Michel Gondry, even I get caught off guard every once in a while. Later on, however, as the tendrils of the story sink deeper into your mind, you make suddenly wake up thinking, “wait a minute, I think I get it!” So it was when I saw Rebel Without a Cause, and so it is now after having seen Gigantic.
Overall this was a wonderful film, even if it leaves you feeling a bit off-kilter at first. There are some scenes to be careful of if you’re sensitive (read: the massage parlor), but it is worth the investment of your time and a bit of coffee afterwards. Again, beware, for spoilers follow…
Daybreakers Trailer
So, I'm a bit of a trailer junkie. In my spare time surfing around the web, I like to view and download trailers for upcoming movies; I always try to get to theaters early in order to catch the latest "trailer news." I think a lot of the reason why I like trailers so much is that they rarely disappoint: a little creative editing can make any movie look good (don't get me started on how disappointed I was with Pearl Harbor after its phenomenal 1st trailer).
That being said, a few weeks ago I stumbled upon a trailer for an upcoming movie that I got a bit irrationally excited about, so I thought I would share it with all of you. The movie stars Ethan Hawke, who I was briefly a huge fan of after his work in one of my favorite movies, Gattaca (if you haven't seen this gem, make it the next one on your Netflix queue). While much of the premise of this new film might leave us thinking that this one could go either way (and Hawke is certainly capable of flops, see 2000's Hamlet, for example), I think there might be a bit more to Daybreakers than just another vampire flick riding on the coattails of Blade and the recent Twilight movies. Check this trailer out and see what you think.
The movie presents the choice between immortality and humanity, and while one could argue that such a question lies at the heart of most stories involving vampires (ala Interview With a Vampire), it seems to me that most of these films get bogged down in the details of the vampires themselves (how beautiful they are, their long life, speed, strength, etc...). While I may be wrong, it seems that Daybreakers is focussing more on the loss of humanity in gaining such benefits, with the dwindling population of humans being a physical representation of what was happening to the vampires' "souls". Hence, the humans in the movie seek the help of the one vampire that seems to still have some of his humanity left (a bit of heart, if you will). At a larger level, the film poses the same question to us, as technology and "progress" seems to be extending our lives and our beauty, but at the expense of our souls and the "least of these" in the developing world (the source of most of the resources required to sustain our "improved" lives).
Could we be in for another stroke of Hawke's restrained genius, or is this just another undead action movie? Are we - in the Global North - vampires that live our "enhanced" lives on the backs of those in the Global South? Are our souls rotting because of our greed? What if you could live forever, but you would have to give up your humanity to do so?
A quick addendum from my friend Claire: "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matt 16:26)
The Network Always Wins
We're reaching back to a classic on this one... Once again a paper originally written for Gary Schnittjer's Film, Culture, and Theology class, Sydney Lumet's 1976 Oscar winning film Network is a must see for film buffs who are curious about the effect of the TV upon the world of filmmaking. Lumet is a phenomenal director who's repertoire of films puts most other directors to shame; with over 50 films made since 1957, he is also known for being the leader of a pack of directors that made successful transitions from TV to film. This move from one medium to the other can almost be felt in this movie's "affair" with TV.
Once again, beware, for here be spoilers...
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From the moment of Network’s opening montage of Howard Beale in competition with other newscasters of his day, the narration of his declining rating and market share quickly gives us the sense that it is more than simply his shrinking audience that we are to be concerned about. In a way that will become more apparent as the film goes on, it is the very value of Beale’s life that is tied to his market share, a sad fact that goes far beyond the central characters in the story. In a world driven by TV broadcasting and high-stakes consumerism, there is only one bottom line: how one can ultimately turn the events of life into profit. Sydney Lumet’s Network grants us a comical – and at times frightening – vision of a world where capitalism itself has become a god to be served, and a man’s value is determined by how much money he can make for his superiors. It is a world not too far from our own.
Remembered and Forgotten: Memory and Love in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
This post was originally a paper for Gary Schnittjer's Film, Culture, & Theology class at Biblical Seminary in the Summer of 2008. WARNING: Here be spoilers...
The question of whether we are ourselves without our memories is what lies at the heart of Michel Gondry’s visually stunning Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The film asks us the question of whether we would opt for a procedure that could wipe away painful memories and leave us in a state of ignorant bliss; a kind of “blank slate” for our lives. Lacuna, Inc., the company that has developed this process, claims that any kinds of painful memories can be wiped away, allowing the patient to “move on” without the ghost of recollection to bring the pain rushing back again. For many, this might seem a wonderful miracle, allowing a life without regrets, but for our protagonists Joel & Clementine, the immediate gratification of relational amnesia comes with a steep price tag.
About this blog…
Films and I have always been close. The "willful suspension of disbelief" has always come easily for me, and I often will become frustrated when it is disturbed (hence my love for seeing films in darkened movie theaters). Good storytelling can not only invite us to live within another world, but also help us to see our own more clearly, and it is this kind of storytelling that I hope for when I settle in to “read” a good movie.
It is my hope that this blog will offer those that are interested a little insight into the world of film, editing and storytelling, in both recent films as well as some of my favorite movies. One note from the outset: I tend to read film from the perspective of an editor, and also have an eye towards social commentaries, which can make my choices a bit quirky. Reader beware…
I’ll try to post here about every two weeks at first, and we’ll see how it goes from there!