Alone: Life Wastes Andy Hardy by Martin Arnold - Movie Review Example

Topic 238 words) Toward the beginning of the semester we looked at three modes of experimental filmmaking: poetic, structural and underground. Which one (or more) of these modes of filmmaking best describes Alone: Life Wastes Andy Hardy (Martin Arnold, 1998), and why? The movie Alone: Life Wastes Andy Hardy encompasses both the structural and poetic forms of experimental filmmaking. The film is structural in terms of the methods used in creating it. Repetitive looping of scenes, in this case, micro-scenes, is a trademark of structural films. Martin Arnold is a true genius in revealing the “hidden messages” by magnifying them from those seconds-long scenes which he achieved by repetitive looping. In terms of content, I could say that the film could be properly classified under poetic experimental films. It evokes melancholic feelings both from the personalities in the film and from the audience. Although satirical, the film creates an uneasy feeling among viewers, especially on the parts which connotes “hidden sexual desires” in a mother and son relationship. What point(s) do you think the film (as a whole) is trying to make? I think the movie is trying to tell us that we should not take movies or any form of media for that matter at face value. There is more meaning in a film than we think. We need to have enough curiosity to look beyond the obvious. In this particular film, Martin Arnold uncovered and revealed what he thinks are the hidden messages contained in what seem to be ordinary scenes from the series Andy Hardy. The message is too clear to be ignored. Experimental filmmaking can be used as a tool to reveal the sublime messages in a movie or song. One just needs an open eyes and a curios mind. Topic 2 (288 words) Sadie Benning’s video It Wasn’t Love (1992) might be described as post-feminist in so far as it thinks of gender not in an essentialist way but rather as a kind of performance. How is Benning’s film shaped and influenced by her own and the broader culture’s understanding of femininity (and lesbian sexuality)? The film It Wasn’t Love tells the story of two persons who have met, become physically intimate, and then separated. There was confusion though as to the sex or gender of one of the personalities in the story. It would appear at first glance that there were more than two persons involved but upon deeper inspection, one would realize that there were really just two persons in the story. The other “persons” in the film were just representations of the different personalities taken on by a homosexual person, in this case, that of a lesbian. In essence, it is the story of a lesbian who is confused as to her role in society and as to her role in relation to a specific person, especially a female like her. I could say the film is a biographical entry of Benning’s realization of her gender and sexuality such that it would be very difficult to discover the message behind the film unless you know something about the filmmaker’s personal background. Discuss the film in terms of gender performativity, and a politics of representation. The film clearly depicts the concept of gender performativity. It shows that gender and how society looks at it is a creation of one’s actions or performances in public. Based on what society sees in you and how you represent yourself, you are then labeled as a male, female, gay or lesbian. The film shows different gender representation within the context of that of a lesbian. It showed the broad spectrum of different gender stereotypes, from the very girly girl to the boyish and to the very manly personality. How we fit into these stereotypes as defined by society defines our gender. In short, the concept of gender and the biases connected with it is a creation of society. Topic 3 (270 words) Todd Haynes’ Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1987) is one of several films screened this semester that has been earned itself a cult reputation. What are some of the reasons for describing Superstar as cult film? The number one reason for the film’s cult status is the fact that it is a forbidden movie. Add the words prohibited, banned and illegal to anything and it would surely raise the public’s curiosity to the highest level. Because it is forbidden, most people only hear or read about it. And they develop opinions and ideas over something they have not actually seen with their own eyes. This forbidden status also makes bootleg copies very much in demand, both to Carpenter fans and detractors. The fact that it tells of the story of the famous Karen Carpenter, who have a wide devoted and diehard fan base herself, is almost an afterthought. Specifically, how has copyright and exhibition contributed to its reputation The legal issue on copyright to the Carpenter songs has resulted to the banning from public exhibition of the film. This ban has made the film more sought-after than ever. Bootleg copies abound and are in high demand. It makes the prospect of watching the movie even more exciting than the movie itself. Had the movie been allowed to be exhibited as it is, it would have just been any other biographical movie. But because it was legally prohibited, the film was catapulted to cult film status. How does Superstar challenge and critique the norms of cinematic representation and spectatorial identification? With its novel and witty use of dolls for the lead roles in the film, Superstar challenges the audience to see the emotions not from the actor’s faces and body language but from the scene itself. It does not rely on close up of actor’s faces that portray the expected facial expression for specific emotions. Rather, it relies on the strength of its story and the symbolisms used in each scene. Topic 4 (241 words) The Five Obstructions (2003) is a “Documentary” collaboration between Lars von Trier and Jorgen Leth, which grows out of von Trier’s (and others) earlier Dogme 95 manifesto and film movement. The film has been described as self-reflexive: a film about filmmaking. What strategies does The Five Obstructions adopt, and to what end? The film adopted the strategy of aesthetic constraints. Veteran filmmaker Jorgen Leth made the five obstructions to his own masterpiece, The Perfect Human, by adhering to the specific limitations imposed by another filmmaker, Lars von Trier. The limitations were used to test Leth’s artistic and filmmaking abilities amidst different sets and levels of difficulties. At first glance, it looks like a simple game between two friends, one daring the other to do a somewhat impossible task which the other enthusiastically accepted. But after watching the finished product, there appears to be a deeper reason for the project, regardless if it was intended from the start or was just an accidental result in the end. I think the two seasoned filmmakers are telling the audience, especially those dreaming of going into filmmaking that nothing is impossible. You do not need to have multi-million budgets to build an impressive set in a picture-perfect location. You just need a reliable camera and an unfailing artistic mind in order to produce a praise-worthy film. What is the significance of a random set of obstructions? I think the random set of obstructions represent the obstacles each of us face in our personal endeavors in life. All of us want to have that perfect life, in a perfect place at a perfect time. But then again, nothing is perfect. Hence, we just need to make the most of our imperfect world to achieve the best that we can be. That is the message behind the five obstructions. Read More