Wednesday | January 31, 2007

Vera Chytilova, Daisies

 

       The movie of Daisies had a great deal of connection between the politics between the countries and the daily life of people. It started with some pictures of the war and ended with the same thing. This movie had lots of symbols in it. The idea of picking young girls, which they were filled with youth, beauty, and energy, was to represent the world and it youth and beauty. The world around us was very generous if we were smart enough to keep it safe. Instead of taking care of our lands and countries, we destroyed it. Wars were to the leaders of the countries like a silly game. They just play it for fun and joy. I just saw the two girls were like leaders. In the beginning there were like robot then they had the power to destroy and damage everything around them.

      We saw the girls becoming worse and worse. They were so silly. They did not act like wise or grown up ladies. They were hungry all the time. They would eat and eat and that was all they cared about. It was like a symbol for politics and policies of the wars. The war would destroy and destroy without stopping. The leaders would enjoy the war just like most people enjoy the food. Killing others and damages the country was like feeding their bad souls.

       When the girls entered the hall, the dinner was ready. Even though they were hungry, they did not only take what ever they need. They played with the food with out thinking about the others that they will come after them for the dinner. Furthermore, the broke the dishes and glasses. They dance on the food after they were full from it. At the end we see that the hall was like if there were thousands of bombs were thrown in it. They destroyed every thing. There was not anything that got away from their evilness.

      The funny part though was when they decided they will be good and will fix everything again. They did go back and put things together like the plates and the broken glasses. They did not recognize it was too late to do that. This was a great and obvious symbol of the wars. After you destroy things it is almost impossible to bring it back. After wars, the people who cause the war would not be able to bring back the dead people. They would not be able to bring back the parts of the body that was cut from some people. They would not be able save the small child on the street crying next to his mom’s dead body. It would be impossible to fix what ever was break. Even if they tried to rebuilt buildings and work again or farms and companies, it would take a lot of effort and a great amount of time, by that time some people would die from hunger, cold, and diseases.

      Another interesting view was that one of the girls was wearing a grown of flowers on her head. She mentioned at the beginning of the movie that she wanted to be a virgin. Virgin the symbol of pureness, at the same time her body and her brain was filled with the devil himself. This was the same thing that the leaders of countries do. They say that they are the right side and every one else was wrong. They babble with all good things, but destroy the world on the other side.

       At the end of the story the girls were dying. It was the only solution for them to stop destroying everything around them. They would not be good no matter what happens. The best thing for them is death.

      Finally, we see that Chytilova played a lot with the colors in the movie. Sometimes those colors would show the feelings of the persons at a special moment. It was a new idea of showing all those colors at different times of the movie.

 

 

Posted by Rose at 00:00:34 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Tuesday | January 30, 2007

Milso Forman, Loves of a Blonde

       Love of a Blond started with Andula talking to her friend about the love story she was living and ended with the same thing. At the beginning we did not know that Andula was not telling the truth, but at the end we find the truth. It seemed that she was so desperate for love and she did not see the image as whole. Furthermore, since she was liberating from the believes of her culture, she did not the others to know that she was always punished and got into problems that were so easily to avoid.  She wanted to give an idea that if they become strong enough and do what ever they want, the society would welcome that and accept them. We see that there was a woman teaching them how to behave in this society, and as we saw not every accepted what was said. There are some people who want to try first.      We saw the women were working in a company, so they were isolated from men. At the other hand, the men in the army were isolated from their wives and families. As we see the person who seems the owner of the company wanted to provide fun and refreshment from their daily life. He did not care about them, all he wanted that they go back to work with energy so they would produce more. The leaders of the soldiers wanted them to have fun too. When they came to the city, there was the shock to the young girls. The soldiers were old men. The young girls wanted young men that they are filled with energy and hope. They did not to meet people that were married and too old for them.       When the girls refused to be with the old men, Andula did not give up from her dream. She went and met Milda, the young handsome boy. She thought he was her true love, but he was only playing with her. I did imagine that he was a player. In a conserve society young people usually seems to be nice and embarrassed, but I was shock how bad he was already. In the time she was in his home waiting for him, he was with another girl.     The film was a refection of the society at the time. The society was starting to move toward the path of moderation. When some of the girls stated to give up her cultural values, we saw that the men were fishing on the girls. They had a great deal of opportunity to find an easy prey with the new ideas in their young heads. The movie was showing the society especially the girls, if you want to be free, be free, but try to pick the right person. Just the way the lady was telling them, but in a moderate way. Make sure that no one was using you.      In that period, Czechoslovakia was in between two phases. It wanted to start a new life with more freedom, but it was still so hard for its people. We saw that very obvious with Milda's mom. She was so worried about what will the neighbors say about her son. She cared about the reputation of her household. She was so mean to the girl that put herself in this hard situation. She was still holding on the old vaules, but her husband really did not care. He almost felt sorry for the naïve girl that was a prey for his son. Until today we see some of society still holing on lots of things that the rest of the world left behind. On the hand, the great thing about societies now is that they understand each other cultures and values. Even if each person has his/her own view of life, there is a respectful view to others with all there believes.           

 

Posted by Rose at 23:57:32 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Jiri Menzel, Closely Watched Tranins

  

     Closely Watched Trains was a movie that seems to be comedy, but at the same time it was dealing with major issues in the society. Milos had a major problem. He became to a moment where he thought about himself as a man, but was not able to do what any man can does.  His premature ejaculation ruined his life to the moment where he tried to suicide. The movie was so funny in the way Milos tried to solve his problem asking everybody for help with his premature ejaculation,  but we see it  was not only his problem; it was a problem of any men. Young men do face these kinds of problems, but the society was turning away from those kinds of problems. It was shame and embarrassing to discuss these things. On the other hand, we do not see running from the problem solves it. So Jiri Menzel wanted the people to face it. Milos was a very naïve young man. He did not know much about life nor about women. He was trapped in his bad thoughts about himself until the lady came and offered him help in solving his problem. After that night we saw that his problem was solved and he wanted to go back to his true love Mase, but his faith was waiting for him. He was killed after he threw the bomb on the train, which made him a hero. Masa saw his hat after the explosion of the train. She knew she lost him. At the same time Hubicka was laughing for the victory they did, but he did not know that Milos paid his life for this. Even though Milos became a hero, we knew that he was not that kind of person. It was Hubicka who was supposed to bomb the train. On the other hand, we do give credit to Milos because when the time arrived, he did the job himself, without waiting for Hubicka. Masa was a smart and strong girl. She knew what she wanted. She loved Milos, and did not give up from him. She was the first person who knew that he was deid.

 

     Hubicka was a person who wanted to have in his live with the most joyful creature in this world, the women. He made sure that no women leafs him without getting a kind of joy. Even though, we did not see him always chasing women. Like the young girl who was with him. She was the one that started playing and bothering him while he was sleeping. Then after her mom saw the stamps on her leg, all she blamed was Hubicka and not her daughter for letting him stamping her. At the same time Hubicka was a person who would take responsibilities and fight for his own county and his own believe. He was so happy that he would bomb the train, and he was so worried when the time came for it and he was not able to do it. Hubicka was also the person who provides the help to Milos through the woman who came with the bomb. She was a very kind person. When she hugged Milso, it was like a hug of a kind mother.

     Even thought the movie did mention personal problems, but it also mentioned the general problems the county was going through. It was showing that even the very naïve people could become hero. Bombing the train was a victory. It was not a great victory, but it was the fist step on the ladder of liberty. It was a message to the enemies that they would not give up from their rights, even if they pay their lives for it.

 
Posted by Rose at 23:49:57 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Roman Polanski, Knife in the WAter

 Knife in the water       Even though the movie was in 1960s, but Roman Planski did not mention the war in it. The most unique thing about this movie is that there were only three characters in it, which does not happen usually in other movies, at least for me. I never saw a movie with this limited number of actors.     In the beginning of the movie, it was very quit and clam that gave the audience the scene of something very bad will happen. It was very obvious that the husband was over controlling the women. Furthermore, he was using her to his own advantage. On the other hand, this came to her advantage in different ways. She became a very strong and independent woman. She knew how to handle lots of things. She would not need anyone's help, but maybe all of that strength led her to be away from her feelings and emotions. Even though she was a pretty woman, she was far away to feel feminist. Her hard and fast work would make you feel that she was a solider not a wife. She got used to that  hard job and to his cold heart. She knew how to work and how to do everything but there was that emptiness inside her. Her husband did not seem a romantic person or a person who cares about others feelings or desires. His life was only based on actions. It was like if he only believed in the body, but not the soul. His wife could not change him, so instead she followed him in the same path. She tried to ignore her feelings. She tried to except her life the way it was, but she got lost between the two worlds, the world of herself as a woman and the world of her husband. Even though we see her as a strong and quit woman, she had the motherhood inside her. She had a kind heart not like her husband. She used to cover the guy, feed him cared about him …etc. She treated the young man with kindness and care even though she thought that he was silly and child. When she used to take care of the young man that was not because she loves him, it was just because she is the symbol of Eve, the symbol of kindness and love. Finally, when it came to the moment that she thought he was dead. She could not control her anymore. She yelled at her husband and called him a murder.       Another unique thing about the movie, that even there were only three actors, the name of the young man was not mentioned. It seemed like if he was a symbol for men in general, and a message from Polanski to them. Polanski wanted to send a message   to each man. That man should notice and understand that there was a human being next to them. That human deserve to be treated with care and kindness. The men should not be self centered; they should care about others and their feelings.      After discussing the suffering that the woman had from her husband, an important question comes to the mind. Why did the woman cheated on her husband? Was the desire of sex itself or was it something else inside her. It did not seem to me that it was the sex desire, even though the other man was still young. What it seemed to me that it was a kind of revenge from her husband. It was a revenge for her freedom and liberty. That was the husband that never cared about her feelings as a wife, the husband that controlled her life to the extremist that was what he deserves.     Furthermore, we see at the end of the movie that she did tell him about her affair.  She wanted to hurt him in his feelings just the same way he always did. She put him between two choices, each one of them was worse of the other. He had only one choice of the two. It’s either to except that he was a murder and should pay for his guilt or his wife had cheated on him. It was the point where his wife gains her self control. At the end of the movie, the car stopped between the two ways. He was lost in which way should he takes, and that might be the situation to the end of his life. He will never find the true.         
Posted by Rose at 23:39:30 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Andrzej Munk, Bad Luck

The movie "Bad Luck" by Andrzej Munk was comedy, but at the same time it had major issues in life in that period and until now. It also mentioned the history of Poland at that time. This movie had two things that I want to discuss. Munk's comedy was out of tragedy, the affair in the family that had him as a tutor for their daughter. At this moment a question comes to the mind, was it really his bad luck or was it him. Even though the movie did mention the war and the hard time the country was facing. The most wonderful part to me was when he was in the fields running from the bombs. It was really funny, but had very deep meanings in it. The bombs missed him, but that was not the case to all people. He might be a symbol for people who did escape from their bad death at that time. The movie was comedy. He did not die, even though he was under a great deal of danger. The only reason for that was because the movie was comedy. It was comedy even with his bad luck. When Munk discuss the general idea of the movie which was the time period, he went into the personal discussion and to Piszczyk's bad luck. Was it his bad luck or was it his faults? My personal believed that it was both. When he was a little child, it was not his fault that his father did not take care of him. The only thing that his father cared about was his business. The child was without a mother that would give him the kindness and love he needs and deserve. The boy was lost from his early age and maybe that was the reason that led him to do mistakes in the future. It was comedy that made people laugh, but had a message to each parent. It showed the parents that those young children are human being with feelings and dreams. This child needs care and love. He/she needs to have the right place and time to do his/her homework, and also needs time to play and have fun. The boy felt lonely in home and in school. He had no friends; Instead, They were mean to him and got him in troubles. When he grew up, he could not leave his past behind, it was there in his conscience. He did not want to be lonely again. He wanted to fit in. In the protest he was with both sides. He was not strong enough to do what he believed and to be proud of himself. That was the same reason that led him to lie over and over which got him in more troubles. He lost both of his lovers. He was never married or had children like anyone else. He held different jobs to support himself, but was not able to spend that money on himself. He did not like who he was and did not believed in himself. All these things lead him to his "bad luck." The movie had lots of irony in it. The family that had him as a tutor seemed to be a very respectful family, but it was a family that was filled with affairs and emptiness. The funny part was that the mother use to thing that the devil is inside her daughter while she was the one with the devil. Over here a question comes to the mind, did the mother wanted to protect her daughter because she was afraid she will be like her one day, or was she trying to raise her the right way. She was so strict on her daughter that the daughter became worse and bad even with her keen eye on her. She did not try to influence her daughter with the right morals and to give her self confidence in her self. As a result, the daughter did not care with who she might be. It might be a kind of awareness to the parents on those days, not to control the children to the extremist because that was not the right solution. Finally, she met the right person. I also liked about the film that Munk used to use” fast shots” the action would be running very fast. That was great. It sent the message and at the same time, it was so funny.
Posted by Rose at 17:42:39 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Ashes and Diamonds

Ashes and Diamonds The name of the movie that held a famous quote from a famous poet in Poland, it was a beautiful quote. Is had lots of meanings in it. The movie Ashes and Diamonds by Andresej Wajda was a movie of hope for the future and a reflection of the day. The movie was a story of any family and any person in any age at that time. People was controlled by there believes and values. Each person would not step back for his/her believes. They will continue in the path they picked to the last moments in their lives. At the beginning of the movie Maciek wanted to kill Szczuka who he believed was his enemy with out thinking about anything else in this world. AT the beginning of the movie, he did not care about was he was going to do. He took it as a joke. He did not think about it that much; instead he wanted to have fun in his daily life especially with girls. When he found love, and when he realized how valuable life was. He did not want to die, he wanted to live and taste the enjoyment of this life. We have seen in the movie that he did accomplish his dream of killing his enemy, but he did not feel so cool about it anyway. Further more, he was killed too. He fought the ghost of his death to the last moment. He was crying and did not want to die. The movements of his legs while he was lying was a symbol of fighting for the sake of life, even with the movements slow down, the following kicks were filled with energy and strengths. He was killed in a very young age. He was a symbol for others. There were lots of young men who died in that period. Their early death ended their hopes and dreams and filled their families and close ones with sadness and depression. The movie was a symbol of how many people lost their lives, their valuable lives. The main focus of the movie was the split of the Poland's nation at that time. The father was in one side while his son was his enemy. Each person had his own believes and he was paying his life for that believe. It could be the brothers from the same house. Poland was just a little of ashes, but the question was would the ashes develop diamonds. That was the message and the hope of the movie. This weak (ashes) country might be one day strong, powerful and united country, a country that will be filled with beauty, illumination, and strength just like diamonds. One day the black clouds will leave the county and a bright clear sky will show on again. In the movie, there were lots of symbols. The shows of the church were shown over and over through the movie. It was a symbol that the communist could not erase the religions from the people's faith. The Christianity religion was still there. People continued to do their religious ritual even if it was done secretly. They did not forget God and their faith in him. They did not want to accept communist. The communist would try to control the community but they would not control and erase faith from their hearts. At the beginning of the movie, we see a small girl with flowers in her hand and she wanted to enter the church. It was also a symbol that the religion would not be erased even from the young children. Furthermore, this new generation will grow up in the religion inside their hearts. As a summary, every symbol was telling the communist try all your new ways on us, but not even one way will work. Even though the movie brought up lots of symbols for the ending of the war, the reality was different. There was a bloody river in every corner. This was obvious when the fire work was filling the sky in the same moment Maciek killed Szczuka. Even after the light came on to the world (morning light), it did not come to Poland. Maciek was also killed in the most peak of this youth and in the most moments he loved life, just like lots of other Poland’s young men who paid their lives.

Posted by Rose at 17:33:26 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |