Desperately Seeking susan by Susan Seidelman - Movie Review Example

?Film Journals DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN (1987) BY SUSAN SEIDELMAN At times, it emerges that complexities and frivolities of modern life seek a siege. Entertaining cinema at that point of time becomes the need of the hour. If an individual has to seek full entertainment and feel the flavour of comedy truly, he/she needs to watch films like “Desperately Seeking Susan” directed by Susan Seidelman. The film released in the year 1985, and this American comedy has enchanted and allured the minds of its audience since the time of its initiation. The sharp edited film, with the involvement of multiple camera angles and an elaborate scene with equal proportion of light, colour, action, drama and sound makes the film a running commentary of romance, satire, humour and drama on screen. The film, “Desperately Seeking Susan” might captivate many socio-cultural themes, but at the outset it is a full length comedy drama set to entertain audiences watching the film. The film does not contain any serious material apparently then a general inquisition occurs as to what actually is captivated within the short running span of 104 minutes drama that has allured, enchanted and glued the audiences to their seats while watching the film. The romance of the film is definitely inherent within its fanciful plot, extreme comedic actions of the characters, costumes and settings. However, no one can undermine the presence of the two powerful divas on the screen chasing and running after each other and last but not the least chasing madly behind recovering their pair of Egyptian ear ring which they think has been stolen. Director Susan Seidelman employs many devices that were improvised from the Elizabethan comedies in a Shakespearean hue, the devices of mistaken identity, amnesia and farce are employed to build the plot of the comedy “Desperately Seeking Susan” which make the film totally laughter generating. It has been truly observed and remarked that once you get to watch the film, “Desperately Seeking Susan” an individual has no option but to unleash his/her intellectual faculty, stop exercising their grey matters and gobble the jewellery clad divas Rosanna Arquette and Madonna. The film stars Robert Joy, Laurie Metcalf and Aidan Quinn as well. As regards to the plot of the film, it happens to be the weakest part. A bored housewife played by Rosanna sees the classified ad where she views that a place and time has been sought by Susan who wants to fix a rendezvous with a person who is interested to meet her. Getting highly attracted by the ad, Rosanna fixes a meeting with Susan played by Madonna and gets so seriously involved into this meeting and the act of seeking people by Susan that she becomes Susan for a while. The plot of the film is genuinely unpredictable and its ending is the most unprecedented one. Thus, such kind of unprecedented occurrence creates a sense of perplexity amid the viewing audience which in turn can create disengagement. However, there are much more strong appeals and facets of the film which make it worth watching. The film captivates the audience with varied enchanting scenarios presented within the plot which act as a glue for the audience. The in and around of New York city as captivated by the camera of Seidelman is the remarkable thing to watch in the film. The film has moments and those moments are created by a volley of good actors like Aidan Quinn and Robert Joy. Thus, there is no wonder that the appeal of the two ladies Rosanna and Madonna, their exuberant and loud costumes along with voluptuous presence make the film more alluring. A true mark of entertaining cinema is imbibed within the screenplay of “Desperately Seeking Susan” manifested by the screenplay of Leora Barish. When I look towards the phenomena involving the true success of the film, “Desperately Seeking Susan”, it really feels great to acknowledge the use of all the actors even the supporting actors within the film so elaborately that it provides the film a different dimension altogether. The small roles played by Peter Maloney as Magician and the underground characters of New York like Red Glare, Richard Hell, Anne Carlisle and Rockets also come out on screen so brilliantly that the expertise of the directors like Seidelman gets established once again. No one can deny the fact that the sound track of the film had an extra credential and it propelled the career of Madonna to a great extent with the launch of disco scene in the movie with the track “Into the Groove” which cannot be found in the sound track of the film but appears in it. The sound track by Thomas Newman was very peppy and the camera work along with cinematography by Edward Lachman help to take the film an extra leap of few yards on its aesthetic realm. The close shots and the long shots with the collaboration of the cut and cross cut editing by Andrew Mondshein are remarkable. The dolly shots inherent in the film are also awesome and most of the climactic scenes in the film are the resultant of excellent dolly shots. After watching a film like ,”Desperately Seeking Susan” one can find the balanced mix of music, acting, cinematography and an excellent use of editing under one film which has the capacity to make people laugh and entertain only on the pivot of female fantasy, which the film intends to propagate. As a complete family entertainment the film, “Desperately Seeking Susan” assures that American film industry has scope and space for all sorts of audiences (Austin 64). I’VE HEARD THE MERMAIDS SINGING (1987) BY PATRICIA ROZEMA There are only a few films powerful like “I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing”. Powerful not for its plot or action but powerful for the marvellous acting of a single actress Sheila McCarthy who plays the protagonist in the film and leaves behind a long-lasting impression in the minds of the audiences watching the film. When I first watched the film, “I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing” it appeared to me as a neat comedy or romantic drama. However, like its title derived from the famous modern English poet T.S. Eliot’s ‘The Love Song by J. Alfred Prufrock’ which is very allegorical in expression, the film is also crafted in the hue of bafflement and enigma which pops out with newer avenues every time a person watches it. The film, “I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing” is remarkable for its acting, cinematography, relational editing and excellent thematic presentation which almost take the stance of a poetic exuberance manifested through the language of camera. The remarkable comprehension of adult life which intends to believe that certain other people residing in other part of the country are singing aloud in sunshine and the person who is pioneer of the thought is granted either as a fool, or often mistaken and thought as a saint is the predicament of the cinema on which the plot of the film, “I’ve heard the Mermaids Singing” has laid it’s foundation. The film has enough food for thought which can be munched over a long span of time while falling back idly on a late summer afternoon along with dwindling on the couch and concentrating on an untimely nap. The positive purview presented within the plot of the film engages the audience by taking them into a realm of fantasy which in far-beyond their daily chores of uncertainty. Nevertheless, when the serious aesthetic and technical faculty associated with this theatrically released feature film of 1987 is given a critical thought from the close contour only one name out of the entire cast and crew of the film evolves out in an indelible way i.e. Sheila McCarthy who plays the role of Polly who happens to be the narrator of the film as well. It would not be very wrong to quote that the film is all about Polly. Though the plot of the film is kept very simple and it is quite anticipating as well. The simplistic and anticipatory presentation of the plot also facilitates the audience to have a sense of engagement with the entire flow of the movie. The audience tends to know what is likely to happen next with Polly, yet there is enough scope of observation within the film and a strong platform upon which the characters like Polly and Gabrielle can be closely observed and skilfully dissected. This of course is tantamount to the enormous effort and skill of the director and writer of the film, Patricia Rozema. The 81 minutes Canadian film centres round socially awkward, clumsy, inefficient and funny Polly who is a loner and takes bi-cycle rides alone to suffice her hobby of photography. Moreover, Polly is running short of employment and thus is almost convinced to remain the same unless she finds out an employer who starts liking her. Gabrielle, the owner of the private art gallery played by Paule Baillargeon places Polly as her secretary and turns the course of the story in a very romantic, idyllic and fanciful turn. The language of the camera in the film, “I’ve heard the Mermaids Singing “is powerful and the editing is a work of a masterpiece. The credibility of editing is again taken away by Patricia Rozema and moreover the kind of relational editing employed throughout the film in general and in the last scene particularly ensures that the entire work can be said to be a work of a first-rate edit. The cinematography of the film is done by Douglas Koch and the take of the final sequence is almost poetic as it syncs the shots, parallel action and the incorporation of the background score makes the sequence almost like an ending of a fairy tale. Gabrielle and Mary while looking at the photographs of Polly get transported to an imaginative wooden glen which is metaphoric of the beautiful world that is apparently mundane and ignorant and where simple people like Polly inhabit. Rozema has made sure to make the characters appear in a very balanced hue. The actors and specially McCarthy presented so powerful acting that she was able to be sad without showing a single speck of depression on her face. At the same time, they gave funny performances without appearing like clown at all. Apart from McCarthy and Paule Baillargeon, the other actors who illuminate the screen are Ann-Marie MacDonald, Richard Monette, John Evans and Brenda Kamino. The music of the film is also poetic in its tune falling at right pace between the sequences composed by the great music director Mark Korven. Clad till the closure of the film is the mysticism of its thought and content which nobody is sure of. However, one thing becomes sure after the film is watched. It makes a substantial place for Polly into the heart of its audience. Also, the film is a milestone creation in the pantheon of Canadian films and sets the parameters of Canadian cinema to a new height both in the aesthetic and the technical realms (IMDb.com, Inc., “I've Heard the Mermaids Singing”). DAY NIGHT DAY NIGHT (2006) BY JULIA LOKTEV One winter afternoon, upon a very nagging and insisting request of my dearest friend, I sat down to watch the film “Day Night Day Night” and without much wonder, I steadily bathed with my sweat in that chilly wintry afternoon, got goose bumps and shiver down my spine. I still could not come out of the excitement, thrill, suspense and adventure witnessed in the film “Day Night Day Night “directed by Julia Loktev. There are certain films which surpass the mundane parameters of normal cinema and launch themselves as such an intense work of cinematic excellence that it really becomes judgemental to quote upon the pivot of the particular film inherent in its context. Technicality, “Day Night Day Night” is one such film which has surpassed all the parochial categories of criticism and evolved as an excellent piece of drama on screen for its impeccable use of theme and technology which makes the film complete and cohesive at the same plane. First appearing at Cannes in the month of May 2006 and theatrically released in the United States in the month of May again in the year 2007, the film “Day Night Day Night” is having a female hero or protagonist at its centre. This thriller comprises the documentation of a continuous forty eight hours of nineteen years-old undisclosed lady played by Luisa Williams who attempts to develop into a suicide bomber at the Times Square. Amid the thrill, suspense and so much intense and unprecedented plot, it seems that Luisa Williams who has been treated and addressed in the film as ‘she’ has actually stolen the complete show. Luisa, the anonymous character in the film becomes the index of the film. The first part of the film is overtly claustrophobic where the audience find Luisa inside the room of an anonymous motel getting prepared for becoming the human bomb with the help of some men unidentified who come and dress her ready for the execution of the plan. The next half of the film shot in Times Square appears most thrilling and chaotic. The screenplay of the film is extraordinary as the director and the writer of the film both happen to be the talented Julia Loktev. Contextually, there is much to read between the scenes and sequences apart from the formal presentation of the factual and eventful plot. Loktev desired to portray that violence and terror have no colour, sex, race, motif or language. This is the reason that the identity of the suicide bomber is kept anonymous and her motifs remain unidentified along with mysterious forever. The work of the camera and the tight-lipped editing of the shots are excellent. The cinematographer of the film is Benoit Debie and the editing of the film occurs as an outcome of the excellent collaboration between Julia Loktev and Michael Taylor. The use of dissolve in fading in and fading out of the scenes is very strongly projected and the close and the long shots with a lot of dolly shots towards the closure of the film make it technically a sound film. Big close-ups and bridging shots both appear in the film side by side which is so aesthetically managed that audience hardly get a pace to apprehend the upcoming events leaving themselves completely in a trans and trauma into the hands of the director. Apart from Luisa Williams, the film also stars Josh Phillip Weinstein, Gareth Saxe and Nyambi Nyambi. All of these actors play their part well and within their limited scope of performance they excel in terms of their acting which makes the picture perfectly synchronised. The play of light and darkness right from the motel room at the outset of the play till the projection of colourful and chaotic Times Square has appealed the visionary senses of the audiences. Moreover, though the anonymous bomber is said to be dressed in cheap clothes Luisa appeared extremely stylish, dignified and sombre in her single outfit portrayed throughout the entire film. As a matter of fact, her chic body and sharp features captivated the mystic look and indelible expressions which thrust more focus as her vital parts of performance because there is very limited scope of dialogue or verbal exchanges in the film. Towards the closure of the film, during the second half, the shooting at the busy Times Square was not a cake walk for the director. Definitely, the crew and the cast of the team had to take a lot of effort and pain to shoot amid the real crowd. Moreover, the non-expressive and reluctant expression of the crowd evolving on screen might seem very effortless but while judging the technical aspect of the film, it really tantamount to a lot of effort and meticulous skill associated with it. The film “Day Night Day Night” by Julia Loktev is a ninety four minutes drama on screen which has the capacity to keep the audiences glued to their seats with their eyes and mouth wide open in bafflement and surprise (Diduck, “Day Night Day Night”). MADCHEN IN UNIFORM (1931) BY LEONTINE SAGAN Black and White cinemas do not attract the present generation much and I am not an exception is this regard as well. The major reason behind this could be the slow pace of the films. Yet, there are classics which have evolved out of the golden era of Hollywood and years just before the onset of golden era at Hollywood. Very few films have that magnetic capability of expressing immaculate and deep rooted emotions on screen. In this regard, the film “Madchen In Uniform” a cinema from the pre-Hitler era had the capability to touch the deepest chords of human emotions possible with the help of cinematic language. “Madchen In Uniform” is a film that has a limited scope of implementing technological glitches. Nevertheless, the film has the capacity to move the hearts of the cinema goers irrespective of their any kind of special affinity towards any particular genre. The human element of the film, “Madchen In Uniform” surpasses all the technological limitations inherent in the film through its matured and timeless thematic appeal which appears universal in the truest sense of the term. The first film on the subject of lesbianism onscreen or a profound love story between a teacher and a student does engage the minds of the audiences watching the film, “Madchen In Uniform”. Originally made in German language and subtitled in English, I could find a tale of love between two women who are united by the strings of empathy and humanism beyond any objectivity of relationships. The film is directed by Leontine Sagan and is loosely based on the play of Christa Winsloe entitled, ‘Gestem and Huete” (Yesterday and Today). It can be observed from various reviews that Winsloe used to get present on the sets of the film and also composed the screenplay of the film. The film stars Hertha Thiele and Dorothea Weick who push forward the plot of the play where the audiences find tryst with complex human emotions at every fold getting expressed justifiably. The kind of brave attempt which the cinematographer Reimar Kuntze (de) and Franz Weihmayr along with the actors of the film undertakes is an international classic cult till date. Specially, the close shots of the film where the teacher and the student are found in a romantic embrace, coming to each other and locking themselves into the bosom marks is amid the elusive works of camera. As regards to the editing of the film, the entire credit goes to Oswald Hafenrichter. Another aspect of the film, “Madchen In Uniform” which makes the audiences surprised is the creative part of the film directed by Carl Froelich. The costumes, the settings, use of light and shades provide a sense of auspicious feeling for the relationship that grows between a teacher and a student. Furthemore, perhaps all these supporting elements of the film along with its extensively melodious music composed by Hansome Milde MeiBner (de) evokes a sense of reverence for the onscreen relation between the teacher and the student who walk some extra miles of life holding their hands under a different light. The close and the long shots appear parallel in the film and as the film dates back to 1931, the involvement of improvised and cut edged technology is not much used. It can be evaluated that the pure acting of the actresses placed the film into a realm of timeless and universal cult. The actresses work at a certain level which enables the entire film to obtain a magnificent perspective. Thus, the apparent drawback in terms of the lack of use of superior technological features becomes quite insignificant. Moreover, the audience also are engaged with the acting talents presented by the actresses so much that any other aspect becomes quite secondary within the plot. The sequences in the film where the public revelation of the relationship between the teacher and the student culminates into something grossly disastrous and the climax of emotion through the expression of the actors gets its final fulfilment of brilliance and excellent expression of cinematic faculties. To record the extreme and elusive human emotions involved, a good understanding of camera work and a sense of editing are required, both of which find their adequate space of execution in the film, “Madchen In Uniform”. The film “Madchen In Uniform” has some enigma inherent within the plot and cinematography of the film which makes it fascinating and attractive every time one watches it. The charm and the sombre grace associated with the acting and creative work of the cinema shall never make it old. Audiences who are reluctant towards Black and White cinema can get a good overview of the cinematic talents which were operating across the world through the film, “Madchen In Uniform”. Moreover, this film pertinently indicates that Hollywood is not the last resort in cinema making. There are other film-makers across the world who are relentlessly producing cinemas that are equally sensible and at times more sensible than average Hollywood dramas (Foster 322). Works Cited Austin, Guy. Contemporary French Cinema: An Introduction. United Kingdom: Manchester University Press, 1996. Print. Diduck, Ryan. Day Night Day Night. Essays, 2006. Web. 23 May 2013. . Foster, Gwendolyn Audrey. Women Film Directors: An International Bio-critical Dictionary. United States of America: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1995. Print. “I've Heard the Mermaids Singing.” Movies. IMDb.com, Inc., 2013. Web. 23 May 2013. . Read More