After seeing most of the Coen brother's films I was shocked when I saw the Hudsucker Proxy. This film is...different. After hearing the discussion in class it is easy for me to say that this film was just the Coen brother's poking fun at Hollywood by venting their feelings through their craft. This interpretation makes complete sense. I see all the evidence in the film that points to making fun of Hollywood, especially the mail room idea. However, I cannot help but feel that this interpretation is a bit of a cop-out.
This was their first studio production. Why would they treat it like a joke. They already got their fears of studio production out of the way in the content of Barton Fink. They knew how the game of Hollywood would need to be played. I think this was their perfect opportunity to create a film that true to their own nature and to appease Hollywood. They have done such since the release of the Proxy. If this really was their attempt at making a film in Hollywood then they did a horrible job, maybe this was their one dud of creativity.
Honestly, to take studio money that many aspiring filmmakers would kill for and to make a joke of a film is a complete slap in the face to fellow artists. If they want to stick to their own quirky films with low budgets then they should have stuck to it rather than selling out, and then making a complete shit film.
Who knows? This film might just be apart of their overall style gone wrong. Hopefully not. I could see some of their style leaking through. They had eccentric characters. This film was also highly stylized. I have noticed in some of their films there is always this one character who talks A LOT! In this instance it was the woman who was the reporter. She was quite annoying and should have been slapped in the face. I was honestly surprised at Tim Robbins. However, Charles Durning and Paul Newman did an awesome job.
I really don't know if I believe this film is a joke or not. I don't want to because my opinion of the Coen brothers would be affected. Part of me wants to believe that they just had a bad idea...but that would also affect my opinion of them. No matter what I do something is affected. Who knows? Maybe the Coen brothers are having a great big laugh right now because we are all giving this film/failure way too much thought. I think I will just erase this travesty from my mind.
Monday, April 25, 2011
The Big Little Lebowski
There are so many things to say about The Big Lebowski. I will admit that the first time I tried to watch this film I only made it through the first half hour. I know what I did wrong. I had all of these expectations of the film. I heard things from my older sister and some friends, so I expected it to be _____. However, this time was I was forced to watch it for this class. I went into my screening with the correct mindset. I expected nothing. I found myself to be completely shocked about this film. It was so awesome! This film was completely different from any other that I had seen before. I believe one of the things that was so different from the mainstream was that it did not present its meaning to the audience. This film requires that the audience chisel what ever they want to take away themselves.
This film allows for many interpretations. After reading the related article I can see the possible underlying meanings. However, after giving credit to those I have my own theories. I think what makes this film so unique is that you can't apply just one meaning of idea to it. It is sort of like life, it is so complex and can be interpreted in different ways depending on the point of view. This film would have never become a commercial success because it does not pander to the average american audience. This film is for the type of people who love cult classics. It is impossible to assign a definition to exactly who those people are, but I will attempt to describe what constitutes a cult classic.
There was one point that was brought up in class that I really liked. A cult classic has a unique quotability to it. There are lines from the film that resonate with the audience. They may be goofy lines, but there is this reason that they seem to apply to our own lives. This points to the reality of the film in question and the all-too-real characters. Also cult films are films that can be watched an unlimited amount of times. I do not know why this is. These are films that never tire the inclined audience. Each new view presents the audience with new things to take away. These films are open to unlimited intellectual conversations. I believe that cult classics are limited to films that do horribly at the box office. What is the fun in having a film like Saving Private Ryan as a cult classic...well it isn't. I could never watch that more than once, and there really is nothing to be said afterwords. The best films always leave the audience thinking. The Big Lebowski does this phenomenally.
This film allows for many interpretations. After reading the related article I can see the possible underlying meanings. However, after giving credit to those I have my own theories. I think what makes this film so unique is that you can't apply just one meaning of idea to it. It is sort of like life, it is so complex and can be interpreted in different ways depending on the point of view. This film would have never become a commercial success because it does not pander to the average american audience. This film is for the type of people who love cult classics. It is impossible to assign a definition to exactly who those people are, but I will attempt to describe what constitutes a cult classic.
There was one point that was brought up in class that I really liked. A cult classic has a unique quotability to it. There are lines from the film that resonate with the audience. They may be goofy lines, but there is this reason that they seem to apply to our own lives. This points to the reality of the film in question and the all-too-real characters. Also cult films are films that can be watched an unlimited amount of times. I do not know why this is. These are films that never tire the inclined audience. Each new view presents the audience with new things to take away. These films are open to unlimited intellectual conversations. I believe that cult classics are limited to films that do horribly at the box office. What is the fun in having a film like Saving Private Ryan as a cult classic...well it isn't. I could never watch that more than once, and there really is nothing to be said afterwords. The best films always leave the audience thinking. The Big Lebowski does this phenomenally.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Cuckoo
Research is imperative to any film with a similar setting to ONFOCN. The film has to seem real. There are millions of people who can relate to how the hospital works. Doctors would be able to point out mistakes. Family members of the committed would be able to point out if a certain character was over-acted. Shooting and acting for a film like this is a huge undertaking. Things have to be researched or the film looses all credibility.
Specifically, this book was written about 13 years before the film came out. In the world of medicine/science information and fact changes rapidly. Ten years is a lifetime of knowledge. I used to own a psychology textbook from the 1970's. If professionals were to read it today many parts of the book would be considered wrong.
Do you know how to play a "crazy" person? I don't. I would feel more comfortable researching the part rather than just walking on to the set.
Both articles make very good points. However, the younger nurses perspective was more detailed than the older nurse. She gave a more comprehensive analysis of the film and the characters within. Both Randall and Ratched were portrayed excellently.
Specifically, this book was written about 13 years before the film came out. In the world of medicine/science information and fact changes rapidly. Ten years is a lifetime of knowledge. I used to own a psychology textbook from the 1970's. If professionals were to read it today many parts of the book would be considered wrong.
Do you know how to play a "crazy" person? I don't. I would feel more comfortable researching the part rather than just walking on to the set.
Both articles make very good points. However, the younger nurses perspective was more detailed than the older nurse. She gave a more comprehensive analysis of the film and the characters within. Both Randall and Ratched were portrayed excellently.
The Wild Western and its Wonders
If anyone were to ask me if Rio Bravo should be considered a western, my answer would be yes. This film is a classic western showing delicate civilization on the edge of a lawless frontier. Rio Bravo has all of those stereotypical western features as well as some unconventional ones.
All the classic elements are there. The revolver, spurs, saloons, goofy minorities, and tobacco. The setting is in the American west. The conflict is between civilized order of the town and between the lawless ranch owner. Chance is the maverick that has his trusty sidekicks like stumpy and the Mexican.
Dude is the nomadic wanderer and the Damsel in distress. This is more unconventional. He is wandering back to his roots after having a bit of bad luck with love. He is a mess. He needs the help of his friends. He needs to be saved. Chance has to do this multiple times in the film. He will save him from alcohol or from the clutches of rancher Nathan.
Rio Bravo is different from conventional westerns because it is not a shootem' up type. Chance is not running out into the west to tame it. He remains defensively in the town to preserve the peace and order. He is just doing his job and arrests a murderer and holds him until the Marshal can get there. Chance will not give into corruption, he will not release Joe to his powerful brother Nathan.
Feather's character is also a bit unconventional for a western. She does not match the typical female archetype in these films. She is not the damsel. She is a strong independent woman who braves death to protect her romantic interest: Chance. This was one of the first times I actually enjoyed a female character in a western. She actually pulls her weight and doesn't just bitch the entire time. The only other character who I admired, even though she was annoying and bitchy, was Little sis' from True Grit.
This film may have some unconventional elements for a western, but that does not mean that it is not a western. It is a real western.
All the classic elements are there. The revolver, spurs, saloons, goofy minorities, and tobacco. The setting is in the American west. The conflict is between civilized order of the town and between the lawless ranch owner. Chance is the maverick that has his trusty sidekicks like stumpy and the Mexican.
Dude is the nomadic wanderer and the Damsel in distress. This is more unconventional. He is wandering back to his roots after having a bit of bad luck with love. He is a mess. He needs the help of his friends. He needs to be saved. Chance has to do this multiple times in the film. He will save him from alcohol or from the clutches of rancher Nathan.
Rio Bravo is different from conventional westerns because it is not a shootem' up type. Chance is not running out into the west to tame it. He remains defensively in the town to preserve the peace and order. He is just doing his job and arrests a murderer and holds him until the Marshal can get there. Chance will not give into corruption, he will not release Joe to his powerful brother Nathan.
Feather's character is also a bit unconventional for a western. She does not match the typical female archetype in these films. She is not the damsel. She is a strong independent woman who braves death to protect her romantic interest: Chance. This was one of the first times I actually enjoyed a female character in a western. She actually pulls her weight and doesn't just bitch the entire time. The only other character who I admired, even though she was annoying and bitchy, was Little sis' from True Grit.
This film may have some unconventional elements for a western, but that does not mean that it is not a western. It is a real western.
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