Bunny
The short clip has many different aspects of religion and life tied into the story and one must look below the surface to see the meaning the director is trying to portray in his story. We see the contrast between life and death as Bunny is still alive while her husband has previously passed on. The differing of emotions is clear as she remains sad and lonely, especially seen when she picks up the picture of the two of them together and reflects upon the time they shared. This speaks to the ravages of time and the toll it can take upon oneself when you lose people who are important in life. As the story progress we see a parallel between light and dark as she is in the dark to begin (sad, lonely) but then sees the light at the end of the tunnel (oven). The oven is the end of the story and sends many different messages that can be left to ones own interpretation. The oven is a sense of transformation as the point of an oven is changing from one state to another. She sensed the oven calling her (the bright light and rumbling) and was fearful of the power it was conveying. This mysterium gave way to tremendum as she wanted to die yet was scared of what was to come. As she climbs in she gives way to her will as she succumbs to the calling of the afterlife. The imagery used was powerful yet sad as it hurts to see anyones will for life decline due to the extenuating circumstances they are given.
Northfolk
This was an interesting film that consisted of a lot of symbolic imagery. I'm not sure of the overall meaning of the film but the individual clips shown helped to show how framing can portray to the viewer what you want them to see. In the first scene when they show the church against the backdrop of mountain it shows the openness nature can have and symbolizes God's vastness. It shows we are connected to nature when in fact the irony was they had to pick up their stuff and move else where. Another scene that was interesting to me and symbolize mainstream society versus those who don't conform was the image of the buffalo and the boy going in opposite directions. Lastly, the coffin on the car gives the viewer a perspective of death that we normally don't see. The mood and scenery was ominous and filled with dark clouds and you could feel despair in the air. The unnaturalness associated with moving the dead after they had been buried, let alone on the top of a car gave a weird feeling as we were able to maybe see a crossing over from the profane to the sacred in this instance?
Paris, Texas
This was my favorite of the film selections we watched in class. The opening scene was especially powerful as we see a desolate man in the middle of the desert with a suit and tie. The music helps to set a somber tone and create an unnatural setting as we view the corporate-like looking man. The picture painted here is about civilization or the lack thereof. Civilization in the film is represented by mailboxes, telephone lines, and roads and as he moves away from civilization he is left with no communication. It could be said that he is searching for meaning and destiny in his life but has not found it yet. Scenery that lends to the aforementioned ideas include the car passing him by as they go in opposite directions, the gnarled rock mountain versus the green pastures when he is talking to his normal brother who views him as messed up. The traveling is an escape from reality that allows him to not face his fears and his problems. Towards the end of the movie he confronts his reality and talks to his wife at the brothel, we are able to see a great portrayal of reconnection through the imagery of there faces being imposed upon each other through the glass.
The Wall
This was my least favorite of the clips and extremely hard for me to grasp and understand. The film centers on war and life in British society afterward, the mood is gloomy and filled with despair. The conveyor belt was symbolic in the sense that it made individuals robotic and faceless. The irony here is that with education your supposed to think for yourself, yet they became workers and cogs in the machine until they rose up and rebelled. Another interesting part, along with the title, is the actual wall itself and how it enslaves us. This parallels with society today as technology absolutely holds us captive as we are self reliant upon it and cannot think for ourselves. The imagery was vivid and trans-formative and goes to show us that the system creates who we are as individuals.
Cabeza de Vaca
This film was about a Spanish prisoner who got captured and has to cling to his faith before giving in. The prisoner tries to escape and is brought back by the sorcerer. The is symbolized in the lizard being tether to a stick inside of a circle. The World of Shaman is in the circle and thus the prisoner cannot escape. He gives in after his rant when he finally breaks down and cries while also praying. As he is uttering a poem the audience is made aware of his captivity in the light of being a slave. He finds comfort in his outer-worldly experiences and this leads me to believe that he has found solace in the sacred world.
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