Searching for Sugar Man Movie - Case Study Example

Draft 2 “Searching for Sugar Man” Introduction The Searching for Sugar Man movie is a Swedish-British documentary that was written and directed by Malik Bendjelloul. The movie details the various efforts of the two Cape Town fans in the 1990s, Craig Bartholomew-Strydom and Stephen ‘Sugar’ Segerman to investigate whether the rumored death of the American musician Sixto Rodriguez was indeed true and subsequently if it wasn’t true then what eventually became of him. The music of Rodriguez never took off very well in the United States but later became increasingly popular within South Africa but the people here knew very little concerning him. This will be analytical review of the movie Searching For Sugar Man and consequently discuss the rhetorical tools used. Searching for Sugar Man Movie Mystery is an extremely powerful theme that is sometimes incorporated as a significant weapon in the arsenal of the cult artist. However, it is difficult to comprehend what really happens when the legacy of the great artists are so enigmatic that there is no one who seem to know whether they are alive or dead or even retired or simply making the most significant part of their lives in utter secrecy. Further, it becomes serious when the case grows very cold that even the most devoted fans of the artist are left salivating for more information regarding their perceived idol. Indeed, these are some of the questions that characterized the movie “Searching For Sugar Man,” an extremely moving documentary concerning the spookily talented Detroi song writer and singer Sixto Diaz Rodriguez who was professionally known simply as Rodriguez. Dargis states that, “He had this kind of magical quality that all the genuine poets and artists have: to elevate things. To get above the mundane, the prosaic. All the bullshit. All the mediocrity thats everywhere. The artist, the artist is the pioneer.” Indeed, Rodriguez was a great artist was never noticed in American (Dargis 12). Rodriguez had realized two different albums of gorgeous, Bob Dylan-esque moody and social documentary, downbeat lyricism to the deafening silence within the United States in 1970s. When the albums that he had released failed to find the targeted audience, Rodriguez disappeared from the public aye amid the constant rumors that he had killed himself on stage or even overdosed. Nevertheless, while Rodriguez is reported to have lingered in the obscurity within the United States, he managed to rocket to the super-stardom in South Africa where his soulful defiance and anti-establishment rhetoric resonated with the famous youth movement in the open revolt against the legalized prejudice of Apartheid. Dargis asserts that “a hugely appealing documentary about fans, faith and an enigmatic Age of Aquarius musician who burned bright and hopeful before disappearing” (Para 3). The movie has cultivated an air of mystery that surrounds Rodriguez by deliberately and strategically withholding vital information regarding its subject for the maximum emotional impact. Thus technique is indeed dishonest, maddening, and extraordinarily effective. In the first half of the movie, Rodriguez is portrayed as not a man but much of a spirit, a poet philosopher who has been unfairly forgotten and whose perceived disappearance had created an ever growing legend. Like the subjects music, the first half of the movie is portrayed as hauntingly sad, however in the second half, the story narrated through the movie morphs from the point of tragedy to that of triumph. Indeed the movie ‘Searching For Sugar Man’ would be worth watching in honor of the unjustly forgotten music of Rodriguez. It is sickening and saddening that he was ignored in his own country and appreciated as a super star in another country far away from his own. Although the movie appears unabashedly manipulative in the way it tells the story and the structure. For instance, this is evident when Sharkey states that “One of the most telling shots was taken on a winter day in Detroit. Rodriguez, wrapped in an old overcoat and wearing a fedora, is trudging through the snowdrifts, hunched against a bitter wind” (Para 2). This is meant to evoke more emotions and sympathy towards the artist from the audience. However, the movie eventually earns its happy ending and crown pleasing populist appeal through alchemizing trembling inner city pain into the transcendent international beauty. Part of the appeal of the movie, the director has managed to engage cleverly structured documentary that has shaped the movie with mystery. The more the audience learns about the political and cultural impact of the music of Rodriguez in South Africa, and the more exciting snippets of the various songs that come from the sound track; the more the audience yearns for more regarding the artist. Those who were involved in making the films are reported to have travelled from Cape Town to the Detroit to Los Angeles, piecing the various clues that could help in understanding more regarding his life. However, he did not leave so much to actually go on and consequently his mystique undoubtedly assisted in spurring the increasing fame of his music (Rodriguez 2). Indeed one of the themes that come out in the movie is the testament that music or any other form of art has the ability of taking ones life much greater than it was intended whenever it connects with the right individuals at a given right time. Consequently, through random postings on the website and coincidently; the makers of the movie discovered the events following the disappearance of Rodriguez the artist. For an estimated one hour, the greater part of the interviews in the movie is focused on the collaborators of Rodriguez and the individuals who had had used the songs as a tool for social change. However, in its final half hour, the movie is turned to the daughters of Rodriguez who are now grown and who are seen sharing their memories of the unassuming father as well as how he tried and failed to eventually stake his rightful claim on the 1970s folk music. Finally, the movie can be seen to be setting this aside as something that is worth remembering fondly without any regrets or lament (Rodriguez 3). Indeed, the makers of the film tried so much to invoke the emotions of the audience towards sympathizing with Rodriguez and consequently portrayed him as a hero who was never celebrated on his home country. The teaching of this theme is that we should strive as much as possible to celebrate our heroes who could be artists and give them a chance to showcase their talent. The movie has portrayed the people of the United States as bad people who never embraced the music of Rodriguez and those in South Africa as good people who embraced the artistic work of Rodriguez. Framing a movie in the context of the good and bad group does help in any way but rather fuel anger, pluralize the dichotomies, and consequently make the conflict resolution difficult to attain. In the middle of the savage-victim dichotomy is a metaphor of savior that is compelled to rescue the victims (Willoquet-Maricondi 19). It constipates the non arrival of the savior, but the image of the savior is constructed through the people of South Africa. Further, lack of complexity portrayed in some parts of the movie distorts the context that is critical in the understanding of the life of Rodriguez. The film makers provide vague and short snippets of socio-politico perspective of the disappearance of Rodriguez. The movie maker’s choice of Rodriguez as the hero and consequent representation of perseverance story of one particular individual undermines the struggle by other artists not only in the United States but also other parts of the world. Searching for Sugar Man Movie is disturbing and at the same times a hopeful one with vibrant attire, as well as the accurate and smooth rendering of the skin tones. It shows how in the middle of neglect by ones country, a lone individual could have the opportunity of making an enormous difference in the lives of several individuals in another part of the country far from his own. It is extremely powerful movie that is capable of inducing emotions and sympathy among the audience since the events depicted are a true story of what happened to Rodriguez. The movie employs the use of rhetorical devices in expressing the difference that existed between the initial gloomy moods in the film in comparison to the happy mood at the very end of the movie. Some rhetoric devices that were used in the movie include music and comparison between atmospheres of the comparable settings. The creators did not only have the objective of showing to the audience the events that characterized the life of Rodriguez, but also make the audience sympathize with the character. With the rhetorical techniques applied, the creators are successful since they can influence the multiple senses in various ways. Music used in the movie is an effective rhetorical tool since it sets the mood without any need of the visuals. In any good film, this is a necessity since it creates a mood using the multi-modal techniques which have increasingly been proved to be effective as opposed to when an argument was only visual (Willoquet-Maricondi 21). Indeed, despite the few scenes that more not very realistic, the movie has portrayed the true events that took place during the life musical career of Rodriguez and should be a must watch for anyone who wants to understand more regarding the artist. Conclusion The movie tells a story of Rodriguez who was an American folk singer who had his first album fizzled within the United States only to eventually become a hit within the apartheid South Africa. This happened entirely without the knowledge of the artist. The movie portrays information captured by a group of fans who decided to dig dip and found out more information about the artist. The movie invokes emotions about a hero who was never recognized in his home country. Moreover, a theme that comes out in the movie is the evidence that music or any other form of art has the ability of taking ones life much greater than it was intended whenever it connects with the right individuals at a given right time. Indeed, the movie is a must watch for those who would want to understand more regarding the life and musical career of Rodriguez. Works Cited Dargis, Manohla. Rock Musician Shrouded in Mystery of What Might Have Been. New York Times, July 26, 2012. Retrieved on November 21, 2014 from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/27/movies/malik-bendjellouls-searching-for-sugar-man.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=1& Rodriguez, Rene. Searching for Sugar Man (PG-13). MIAMI, 2012. Retrieved on November 21, 2014 from http://www.miami.com/039searching-sugar-man039-pg-13-article Sharkey, Betsy. Review: Searching for Sugar Man is a sweet mystery. Los Angeles Times, July 26, 2012. Retrieved on November 21, 2014 from http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jul/26/entertainment/la-et-mn-searching-for-sugar-man-20120727 Willoquet-Maricondi, Paula. Framing the World: Explorations in Ecocriticism and Film (Under the Sign of Nature). University of Virginia Press, 2010. Read More