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…
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.