As soon as I hit "publish post" I realized that I forgot something...
A Scanner Darkly is a really, really cool and interesting movie I watched for the first time in high school. Thank you Mike Koziol (this guy showed it to me). When we were reflecting on Waltz in class, it came up that stylistically speaking, there are some similarities with between these two works.
While watching both of these films, it is easy to forget that they are not live-action. On second thought, Scanner kiiiiinnnnnndddd of is. It's a weird thing to get used to visually, but the story and characters become so much more engrossing than the art itself (*for me, this did not apply in Waltz: I enjoyed the art AND the story the whole time) that it's also easy to lose yourself in the story. In a way, it became part of me as I watched it.
And the best thing is, it's available online! With no downloading or paying of money! Yay college! Here is the link to part 1, for anyone interested. Props to SidAndNancyHQ for making this!
Warning:
that opening shower scene made me squirm a little. But don't turn it off! It actually starts to make sense!
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Praise for Waltz with Bashir
Waltz with Bashir is an exceptionally well made film in many respects.
First, it is artistically unique. I would say beautiful, but that's not quite the word. It's more... rugged. Rough with intention. The first scene is shocking and a little scary to audiences with no context. A big pack of blood-thirsty dogs with yellow teeth and gold eyes runs around destroying the grey city and everything in their way. The yellow, clouded sky reflects in black puddles as claws splash through them, all heading the same direction. Eventually we see that they're surrounding the window of a man whom they threaten. The coordination here brings audience focus to the key elements of the scene: dogs being tough, people fearing/avoiding said dogs, communal attitude of uncertainty and destruction. And what I mean by "coordination" is "color scheme." We see black, grey, and a few shades of yellow. Nothing is clean or pure. Nothing about this life is desirable. And then... it's a dream.
Second, the dialog and character development are absorbing and true to form. Every conversation is very human and reflects all that I know of Israeli culture. A line that caught my attention was, "A human mechanism prevents us from entering dark places." I did not note the exact context, but I think it had something to do with choosing the right path in life.
One character describes how he did not fare well as a soldier in the war, saying that he would sleep and hallucinate when afraid. The use of flashbacks is another remarkable aspect of this work: the character flashes back to being on the water with his fellow soldiers. He finishes vomiting over the side of the ship and falls asleep on the ground. Suddenly, he sees a pleasant-looking woman doing the backstroke, seeming bigger and bigger as she nears him. She stands up in the deep water and we realize she's a gorgeous, naked giant. Blue. She cradles him like a child and backstrokes away, the soldier laying face down on her stomach. He watches an explosion on board from the water (everything is blue/grey but the explosion is ORANGE!), and soon wakes up to find that none of it ever happened; everyone is fine.
On a completely different note, one of the interviewees was leading troops in the war. As a military strategy, he constantly wears patchouli oil; this way, everyone knows where he is by smell. How brilliant is that!? Details like this make the movie truly amazing.
I'd like to point out a few artistic details I noticed, also: Persian rugs, marble bathtubs (really looked like marble), brick walls completely covered in bricks (instead of brick patches and blank space common among many art styles), reflections on water in multiple situations, labels on consumer products like wine, and the shadow of a pretty metal grate or door (that we never actually see) washing over a man as he speaks.
The ending is very powerful. Debbie and H, if you are reading this and haven't seen Waltz with Bashir, I won't include spoilers. All I'll say is, depressing as it is, this movie is masterfully constructed and anyone who hasn't seen it should see it.
First, it is artistically unique. I would say beautiful, but that's not quite the word. It's more... rugged. Rough with intention. The first scene is shocking and a little scary to audiences with no context. A big pack of blood-thirsty dogs with yellow teeth and gold eyes runs around destroying the grey city and everything in their way. The yellow, clouded sky reflects in black puddles as claws splash through them, all heading the same direction. Eventually we see that they're surrounding the window of a man whom they threaten. The coordination here brings audience focus to the key elements of the scene: dogs being tough, people fearing/avoiding said dogs, communal attitude of uncertainty and destruction. And what I mean by "coordination" is "color scheme." We see black, grey, and a few shades of yellow. Nothing is clean or pure. Nothing about this life is desirable. And then... it's a dream.
Second, the dialog and character development are absorbing and true to form. Every conversation is very human and reflects all that I know of Israeli culture. A line that caught my attention was, "A human mechanism prevents us from entering dark places." I did not note the exact context, but I think it had something to do with choosing the right path in life.
One character describes how he did not fare well as a soldier in the war, saying that he would sleep and hallucinate when afraid. The use of flashbacks is another remarkable aspect of this work: the character flashes back to being on the water with his fellow soldiers. He finishes vomiting over the side of the ship and falls asleep on the ground. Suddenly, he sees a pleasant-looking woman doing the backstroke, seeming bigger and bigger as she nears him. She stands up in the deep water and we realize she's a gorgeous, naked giant. Blue. She cradles him like a child and backstrokes away, the soldier laying face down on her stomach. He watches an explosion on board from the water (everything is blue/grey but the explosion is ORANGE!), and soon wakes up to find that none of it ever happened; everyone is fine.
On a completely different note, one of the interviewees was leading troops in the war. As a military strategy, he constantly wears patchouli oil; this way, everyone knows where he is by smell. How brilliant is that!? Details like this make the movie truly amazing.
I'd like to point out a few artistic details I noticed, also: Persian rugs, marble bathtubs (really looked like marble), brick walls completely covered in bricks (instead of brick patches and blank space common among many art styles), reflections on water in multiple situations, labels on consumer products like wine, and the shadow of a pretty metal grate or door (that we never actually see) washing over a man as he speaks.
The ending is very powerful. Debbie and H, if you are reading this and haven't seen Waltz with Bashir, I won't include spoilers. All I'll say is, depressing as it is, this movie is masterfully constructed and anyone who hasn't seen it should see it.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
"It's easier to hate than forgive."
This line really caught my attention in Jobnik!. I agree with it 100% that it's easier to hate than forgive. Actually, I was just in Madison for Halloween and I'd say this situation applies:
My friend was dressed as a Flying Spaghetti Monster. He used painted tubing, basically creating a giant necklace of foam pasta with two brown styrofoam meatballs stuck into the tubing with toothpicks and a pair of huge googly eyes. For those who appreciated the reference, this costume elicited many squeals of delight, high-fives, and generally positive feedback.
We're happily walking along and, next thing we know, a scantily clad girl in short shorts and some skimpy excuse for a "top" said, "EXCUSE me," as she gripped a meatball and ran off into the crowd. It was not playful, friendly, or flirtatious; it seemed that she was trying to destroy annihilate the entire costume. What good would this do her?
Even though it wasn't MY costume, I was really p/o-ed! That was completely unnecessary, I thought, If she doesn't like Pastafarianism, she doesn't have to look at his costume. It's Madison - there were DEFINITELY plenty of other costumes to look at.
I told my friend I wanted to go find that girl and yell at her. "I can take her," I said, noting that she was smaller than me. "No," my friend said, "it's not that big a deal."
Why do people do random vicious things to strangers? It's such a waste of energy. Anyway, I spent probably five to ten minutes of my life thinking lashon harah about this girl. Rather than just moving on with the night and being happy there was still SOME costume left, I lost life time fantasizing about this young woman choking on a meatball over dinner. Or getting served yucky raw meatballs. Or... That's not the point. I'm doing it right now.
Anyway, I STILL haven't forgiven this girl I'll probably never see again! I'd say that it really IS easier to hate than forgive.
ps: I'm not usually this vengeful. It's one thing to respond, and completely another to attack. This attack on my buddy was uncalled for.
My friend was dressed as a Flying Spaghetti Monster. He used painted tubing, basically creating a giant necklace of foam pasta with two brown styrofoam meatballs stuck into the tubing with toothpicks and a pair of huge googly eyes. For those who appreciated the reference, this costume elicited many squeals of delight, high-fives, and generally positive feedback.
We're happily walking along and, next thing we know, a scantily clad girl in short shorts and some skimpy excuse for a "top" said, "EXCUSE me," as she gripped a meatball and ran off into the crowd. It was not playful, friendly, or flirtatious; it seemed that she was trying to destroy annihilate the entire costume. What good would this do her?
Even though it wasn't MY costume, I was really p/o-ed! That was completely unnecessary, I thought, If she doesn't like Pastafarianism, she doesn't have to look at his costume. It's Madison - there were DEFINITELY plenty of other costumes to look at.
I told my friend I wanted to go find that girl and yell at her. "I can take her," I said, noting that she was smaller than me. "No," my friend said, "it's not that big a deal."
Why do people do random vicious things to strangers? It's such a waste of energy. Anyway, I spent probably five to ten minutes of my life thinking lashon harah about this girl. Rather than just moving on with the night and being happy there was still SOME costume left, I lost life time fantasizing about this young woman choking on a meatball over dinner. Or getting served yucky raw meatballs. Or... That's not the point. I'm doing it right now.
Anyway, I STILL haven't forgiven this girl I'll probably never see again! I'd say that it really IS easier to hate than forgive.
ps: I'm not usually this vengeful. It's one thing to respond, and completely another to attack. This attack on my buddy was uncalled for.
Power of the Situation
In psychology there is something referred to as "power of the situation." It explains why people do things they normally would not under particular circumstances. A strong illustration occurred in the 1970s; it is called The Stanford Prison Experiment.
Some researchers put college males into a simulated jail, placing some as guards and others as prisoners. When prisoners did not behave according to the established standards, guards were to punish them. Ordinary young men turned into cruel bullies within a short time. It's pretty amazing - if you have the time, I'd suggest checking it out if you haven't already heard of it. Some guards would make prisoners do physical exercise as punishment, while others would abuse their power by embarrassing prisoners.
Power of the situation is also featured in Maus when a Holocaust victim helps the Nazis, acting as an officer, to save his own skin. I got the feeling he wasn't a bad person, he just was doing what it took to survive. In that particular camp with those particular officers, "what it took" involved putting down, punishing, or harming fellow victims. To be forced into the Holocaust, tortured and mistreated, and then to inflict that kind of abuse on others must have been at least as terrifying (if not more so) than being a victim with the majority. The guy who helped the Nazis was probably so scared he either blocked out the reality of what he was doing to his fellow humans, or disconnected from the situation completely, not even aware of the deeds he performed.
I bring up this concept because being in the Israeli army probably doesn't feel "normal" to anyone. In the beginning of Jobnik! our protagonist complains that she is bored and lonely in her office; however, she would not want someone around who could do her job better. Loneliness is a craving for social interaction and connection. Miriam sleeps with at least three different men during her service. My question is, did she do it because she really liked them, or was it the job she was assigned? If she worked in the kitchen or on a cleaning crew (with other people) instead of in an office (alone), would she still have had those affairs?
Some researchers put college males into a simulated jail, placing some as guards and others as prisoners. When prisoners did not behave according to the established standards, guards were to punish them. Ordinary young men turned into cruel bullies within a short time. It's pretty amazing - if you have the time, I'd suggest checking it out if you haven't already heard of it. Some guards would make prisoners do physical exercise as punishment, while others would abuse their power by embarrassing prisoners.
Power of the situation is also featured in Maus when a Holocaust victim helps the Nazis, acting as an officer, to save his own skin. I got the feeling he wasn't a bad person, he just was doing what it took to survive. In that particular camp with those particular officers, "what it took" involved putting down, punishing, or harming fellow victims. To be forced into the Holocaust, tortured and mistreated, and then to inflict that kind of abuse on others must have been at least as terrifying (if not more so) than being a victim with the majority. The guy who helped the Nazis was probably so scared he either blocked out the reality of what he was doing to his fellow humans, or disconnected from the situation completely, not even aware of the deeds he performed.
I bring up this concept because being in the Israeli army probably doesn't feel "normal" to anyone. In the beginning of Jobnik! our protagonist complains that she is bored and lonely in her office; however, she would not want someone around who could do her job better. Loneliness is a craving for social interaction and connection. Miriam sleeps with at least three different men during her service. My question is, did she do it because she really liked them, or was it the job she was assigned? If she worked in the kitchen or on a cleaning crew (with other people) instead of in an office (alone), would she still have had those affairs?
Friday, October 22, 2010
One more on The Rabbi's Cat
I noticed that the rabbi's relationship with the cat mirrors that of his relationship with his cousin. The rabbi is dominant over his cat; the cousin dominates over the rabbi.
Specifically, the rabbi drags the cat around as he pleases (see blog regarding imperfection) and makes the final decisions regarding the cat's interactions with his mistress (the rabbi's daughter). He chooses when the cat may see her and how he will act around her. You can hang out, but don't talk, the rabbi says. At first the cat says okay; eventually the two do whisper to each other.
The rabbi's cousin pushes the rabbi into certain "decisions." When the daughter wants to marry, the cousin is the one talking to her father. He says, let her marry, she's a great young lady! He's not a bad guy, it'll be okay. Dad says, no, she's my baby. Cousin says, say yes or I'll beat you up! Rabbi: okay. Fine.
Then the cousin proceeds - and don't just say yes. Be nice. It's a shame, because I noted a change of character in the daughter after her engagement. Perhaps it was just my imagination, but she seems more superficial. She worries about her dress and pressures her husband-to-be to buy her shoes. Is she just trying to "look more French," or is that just a cover?
Whatever it is, it made me think of the masks in the Maus series. Vladek wants to seem more Polish, wants to seem more German... so he just wears a mask. The beauty of cartoons is that we don't worry about where he acquired the mask. Did he make it out of things from the camps? No, it's just the way he talks or the subtle mannerisms that make, for example, an American an American.
My aunt and I were talking and she said that if we went to a foreign country people would spot us as Americans a mile away! I said, "What are you talking about?" And she said it's the way we walk, the confidence with which we approach strangers, our manner of talking -- that mark us as Americans.
Specifically, the rabbi drags the cat around as he pleases (see blog regarding imperfection) and makes the final decisions regarding the cat's interactions with his mistress (the rabbi's daughter). He chooses when the cat may see her and how he will act around her. You can hang out, but don't talk, the rabbi says. At first the cat says okay; eventually the two do whisper to each other.
The rabbi's cousin pushes the rabbi into certain "decisions." When the daughter wants to marry, the cousin is the one talking to her father. He says, let her marry, she's a great young lady! He's not a bad guy, it'll be okay. Dad says, no, she's my baby. Cousin says, say yes or I'll beat you up! Rabbi: okay. Fine.
Then the cousin proceeds - and don't just say yes. Be nice. It's a shame, because I noted a change of character in the daughter after her engagement. Perhaps it was just my imagination, but she seems more superficial. She worries about her dress and pressures her husband-to-be to buy her shoes. Is she just trying to "look more French," or is that just a cover?
Whatever it is, it made me think of the masks in the Maus series. Vladek wants to seem more Polish, wants to seem more German... so he just wears a mask. The beauty of cartoons is that we don't worry about where he acquired the mask. Did he make it out of things from the camps? No, it's just the way he talks or the subtle mannerisms that make, for example, an American an American.
My aunt and I were talking and she said that if we went to a foreign country people would spot us as Americans a mile away! I said, "What are you talking about?" And she said it's the way we walk, the confidence with which we approach strangers, our manner of talking -- that mark us as Americans.
Did you say, "tree climbing goats?"
Yes, yes I did.
I was reading The Rabbi's Cat and on page 68 there is a reference I did not understand. Being originally from Wisconsin, I've never seen this kind of thing before.
Here's a bit of context from page 68:
"[My master] doesn't even care about things that used to make us laugh. Like the goats climbing up the acacia trees to graze. Before, he would say, "Look, a goat tree. When they're ripe, the fruits will fall."
Is this a real thing? I started googling and soon I found out - it's real!
Look!
another link...
...and one more for you.
Does anyone else think this is crazy?
I was reading The Rabbi's Cat and on page 68 there is a reference I did not understand. Being originally from Wisconsin, I've never seen this kind of thing before.
Here's a bit of context from page 68:
"[My master] doesn't even care about things that used to make us laugh. Like the goats climbing up the acacia trees to graze. Before, he would say, "Look, a goat tree. When they're ripe, the fruits will fall."
Is this a real thing? I started googling and soon I found out - it's real!
Look!
another link...
...and one more for you.
Does anyone else think this is crazy?
Faulty Math? I like to think it works.
In Maus II Spiegelman appears. He is being interviewed about his work, slowly shrinking into a child. It's a very gradual transition; I suddenly went, Hey, that's a small kid in a big chair! He is overwhelmed by all the press and people. Acknowledging that the author had to select what panes to include and which ones not to include, it was neat to hear outside feedback from a character who is not associated with any of Artie's other family members OR the Holocaust. It also shows that even Spiegelman turns to others for words of wisdom. While he may be brilliant, he is still a mere mortal. He is not a perfect being.
We also see this in Spiegelman's interactions with his father on multiple occasions. We like Artie and sympathize with him, but he does not make himself seem flawless or godlike. His character is almost constantly smoking (I think he spills ash on the carpet once), he can be critical of his dad, and he tends to make his father feel like his son is pushing him away. A scene that made me giggle was when Mala left, and the father called Artie and his cousin to come and stay with him. He wants them to stay all summer, but they only plan to stay for a couple of days. Vladek unpacks all of Artie's clothes into the dresser, and he's always saying things like, (I'm paraphrasing, bear with me) "It's so great that you're spending the summer with me! We're going to have a great time together!" Artie always says that they're leaving soon, but it's an ongoing dispute.
The Rabbi's Cat similarly shows both good and "not ideal" facets of each persona. The Rabbi contradicts himself quite often when it comes to the issue of permitting his cat to have a bar mitzvah. He saya the cat has to be a good Jew, and then he continues to treat him like a cat. The rabbi decides that the cat will be a bad influence on his daughter, and that the cat will stay with him. The accompanying picture is the rabbi walking, holding the cat by the scruff of his neck and dragging him along (pg. 9). At first I thought of a woman carrying a clutch... then a hobo bag... then football players carrying a football. I wanted to give you a decent visual, and then I found this. I can't believe someone actually invented this! It seemed an appropriate comparison.
The cat and the rabbi go to the two-up rabbi, who is also imperfect. The two-up rabbi says at first that God made man in His image, and then that "God" is a word. The rabbi's rabbi thinks the cat ought to be drowned. On page 13, the cat says: "And I tell the rabbi's rabbi that I am God, who has taken the appearance of a cat in order to test him. I tell him that...he was as dogmatic and obtuse with me as some Christians are with Jews." He begs forgiveness, and the cat essentially goes, I'm just a cat. The fact that the rabbi would follow someone so gullible in the first place saddens me. Icing on the cake, a guy who wants to drown a cat. Drowning the cat is the same as the cat eating the parrot.
The cat says that God is a reassuring myth the two-up rabbi uses to assure himself he is not a lonely old man. The cat reminds him that people outlive cats, so the cat will never be alone. On page 19: "And I can tell that my master's a bit angry with me. He's your master and you love him and I just proved to you that he's not all-knowing. You're even realizing that, for all the deference you feel for him, this master is less intelligent than you are. So you have no master, but you don't want to admit that...because you don't want to end up old and alone and without anyone to turn to..." The way this graphic novel is written, the cat is a pretty developed character, as far as cats go. Like all cats, he has personality and a secret life. He watches and observes, stating bluntly what he sees. The cat figure here serves as a slap-in-the-face dose of reality, delivered whether or not solicited. He also has some attitude, and, of course, is not perfect himself.
The good thing is, though, that none of these characters ever claim to be perfect. Some might argue that the cat said he was God, and that God is perfect, but I'm arguing with the cat on this one: What God?
No existence = no flaws. No existence = no perfection. No existence = no existence.
On page
We also see this in Spiegelman's interactions with his father on multiple occasions. We like Artie and sympathize with him, but he does not make himself seem flawless or godlike. His character is almost constantly smoking (I think he spills ash on the carpet once), he can be critical of his dad, and he tends to make his father feel like his son is pushing him away. A scene that made me giggle was when Mala left, and the father called Artie and his cousin to come and stay with him. He wants them to stay all summer, but they only plan to stay for a couple of days. Vladek unpacks all of Artie's clothes into the dresser, and he's always saying things like, (I'm paraphrasing, bear with me) "It's so great that you're spending the summer with me! We're going to have a great time together!" Artie always says that they're leaving soon, but it's an ongoing dispute.
The Rabbi's Cat similarly shows both good and "not ideal" facets of each persona. The Rabbi contradicts himself quite often when it comes to the issue of permitting his cat to have a bar mitzvah. He saya the cat has to be a good Jew, and then he continues to treat him like a cat. The rabbi decides that the cat will be a bad influence on his daughter, and that the cat will stay with him. The accompanying picture is the rabbi walking, holding the cat by the scruff of his neck and dragging him along (pg. 9). At first I thought of a woman carrying a clutch... then a hobo bag... then football players carrying a football. I wanted to give you a decent visual, and then I found this. I can't believe someone actually invented this! It seemed an appropriate comparison.
The cat and the rabbi go to the two-up rabbi, who is also imperfect. The two-up rabbi says at first that God made man in His image, and then that "God" is a word. The rabbi's rabbi thinks the cat ought to be drowned. On page 13, the cat says: "And I tell the rabbi's rabbi that I am God, who has taken the appearance of a cat in order to test him. I tell him that...he was as dogmatic and obtuse with me as some Christians are with Jews." He begs forgiveness, and the cat essentially goes, I'm just a cat. The fact that the rabbi would follow someone so gullible in the first place saddens me. Icing on the cake, a guy who wants to drown a cat. Drowning the cat is the same as the cat eating the parrot.
The cat says that God is a reassuring myth the two-up rabbi uses to assure himself he is not a lonely old man. The cat reminds him that people outlive cats, so the cat will never be alone. On page 19: "And I can tell that my master's a bit angry with me. He's your master and you love him and I just proved to you that he's not all-knowing. You're even realizing that, for all the deference you feel for him, this master is less intelligent than you are. So you have no master, but you don't want to admit that...because you don't want to end up old and alone and without anyone to turn to..." The way this graphic novel is written, the cat is a pretty developed character, as far as cats go. Like all cats, he has personality and a secret life. He watches and observes, stating bluntly what he sees. The cat figure here serves as a slap-in-the-face dose of reality, delivered whether or not solicited. He also has some attitude, and, of course, is not perfect himself.
The good thing is, though, that none of these characters ever claim to be perfect. Some might argue that the cat said he was God, and that God is perfect, but I'm arguing with the cat on this one: What God?
No existence = no flaws. No existence = no perfection. No existence = no existence.
On page
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