Louisa Andrusko-Film Clips 1-31-2011

1. Bunny:
The curiosity mixed with fear that the Bunny experiences entering the oven can be related to Otto’s mysterium tremendum. While death is the great unknown, its lack of answers often catalysts humans into questioning the meaning of life and consequently what happens after death. I found it interesting that the short film, “Bunny,” was placed on the same disk as the light-hearted film “Ice Age.” The stark contrast confused, as well as intrigued, me. Further, her life is so mundane, or profane, the oven serves as her admittance into the sacred. The oven, a great source of heat, could be symbolic of fire—which often suggests change. Someone brought up the idea that perhaps it was all just a dream, that perhaps the bunny died in her sleep. This reminded me of the Buddhist notion of time and space, or the idea of liberation from time. Was death ultimately liberating for the bunny, because it reunited her with her dead husband? On the other hand, did she truly break samsara? The underlying religious tones of the film contradicted the simple, dialogue-free film, making the audience debate the relationship between tremendum and mysterium.
2. Northfolk:
The shortness of the clip viewed in class made it difficult to make too many course and film connections. While the visual aspects of the film were appealing, one can only guess the symbolism of the film. One of the main themes of the film was nature. The opening scene in which the church is completely open to nature suggests the interconnectedness of nature and religion. The inevitability of change, death and nature, intertwines in the beginning of the film, causing us to assume someone is going to die. As discussed in class, religion plays a profound role in our understanding of life, as well as death. The undignified coffin tied on top of the car lead me to think about death as undignified as well. Even the young, sick boy is not immune from death, nor was the young boy in the Decalogue. Religion can serve as a source of comfort as well as a source of answers. However, attempting to explain religion is like attempting to explain nature, frustrating and inconceivable.
3. Paris, Texas
This film was my favorite of the six clips we watched in class. The relationship between communication and distance was a theme throughout the film, highlighting the different ways in which we communicate and travel. The climactic scene in which the main character is reunited with his wife is complex and emotional. How can two people be so close in space, yet so distant at the same time? He is constantly trying to connect with his wife through different means of transportation (train, phone, car) but cannot break through the “wall” between them. This proves that distance is much more than an empirically measured thing. Moreover, in regards to distance, the main character is continually running into obstacles, or barriers. His concerned brother, the mirror at the brothel are the physical manifestations of the emotional distance between him and his estranged wife. The peaceful nature of the mountains and valley contradicts the main character’s unsettled and restless heart. It’s interesting how he can walk among nature so determinedly, yet be separated from it at the same time.
4. The Wall:
“The Wall” by Pink Floyd clashes religion, music, education and culture through an explosion of imagery and symbolism. While the images themselves are disturbing to say the least, the meaning behind them is much easier to relate to and understand. The idea of the conveyor belt in the education system argues that students are forced to lose their identity, or creativity, in schools. The headmaster as a puppet suggests that it is not him that is creating these laws, but rather those who control schools—the government. Once children graduate, they are bred to become players, or “meat” in the grand orchestra of imperialism and capitalism. The climactic judgment scene uses music to demonstrate the battle between the main character, Pink, and his surrounding culture. However, the idea that we are encouraged not to think for ourselves, or to rebel against social norms, is not something new to young adults. Further, I believe the provocative and outrageous imagery not only demands the audience’s attention, it also demands reflection about the self as well as hegemonic ideals. The revolution by the kids is especially shocking because children are expected to adhere by all rules, especially in the classroom.
5. Cabeza de Vaca:
The intertwining of religion and war reminded me of “Apocalypse Now.” The attempt of the Crusaders to implement religion, and in a way order, was similar to the war in Vietnam. The main character realizes the injustice and cruelty at the end of the film when he sees the imprisoned Native Americans. Further, his varying reliance on faith throughout the film was similar to the different characters in the Seventh Seal. As we follow Cabeza on his journey through captivity to freedom, we see his conflict with nature as well as with God. His inability to defeat, or trick, nature demonstrates the struggle for people to make sense of death as well as a higher being. The drums heightens the intensity as well as anticipation as Cabeza runs from his captures. Further, the back and forth shots between the captured lizard and Cabeza is interesting because it once again compares him to nature. In the end, Cabeza becomes overwhelmed by a sort of power as he heals the man’s eyes. Essentially, Cabeza has given up on the profane and given into the sacred. By doing so, he is accepted and trusted by his captives, making his transition back into the profane even more difficult.