I rewatched Tokyo Story over the last couple of nights, and I may re-watch it again. Yes, I'm supposed to be packing and I'm watching slow Yasujiro Ozu films. I have to feel like I'm doing something intellectually, or I'd be even more depressed than I already am, so there ya have it.
The director commentary on the standard/Blu-Ray double release by criterion is, as one might expect, incredible. There is a tracking shot, which struck me as completely revolutionary for him. Haha. He wasn't quite as strict in his formalism as I thought. Apparently his shot lengths aren't that long either, which the commentator thought would surprise Ozu followers. I would certainly have guessed they'd be longer. It's strange. Ozu films aren't difficult because of shot length (at least Tokyo Story), but because of subject matter and nuance. Very neorealist in their scope, they deal with simple stories about family, and seasons, and nuclear Japanese life.
Touching on an issue close to my heart, the film deals with a fragmented family (mine from divorce and previous marriages), theirs from marriages and death, and the dysfunction of a family in the modern age; the family spend little time together and have little desire to do so.
I found the film much subtler in its exploration of this theme, but commentator David Desser expresses the actions of the family that makes excuses not to interact or be burdened with their visiting family as much more integral and a conscious part of their psyche. Hearing his exposition made the story disturbing - do we really care about each other that little? Our own flesh and blood, the closest to our own genetics, the first we'd protect aside from ourselves, the most common recipient of our own reciprocal altruism?
Again, this is an issue close to my heart, and more complicated than I'm making it seem.
The story involves an adage, or trope, or simple literary device which I won't go into here (as it would require spoiler alerts), but which make the story ring with a clarion call; care about those you should (I'd argue that it runs a broad humanist, altruistic gamut in which we should try to care about everyone)!
Upon watching the film all the way through for the second time, it was painfully clear that this film should be able to, like the amplifier in Spinal Tap, go to 11. Anyway. Adieu.
The Last Films I've Seen
1. Tokyo Story, 1953, Ozu; 10.0.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Monday, January 27, 2014
EPL Gonna miss this place (ALATWA #13) 27 January 2014
It feels really good to be posting on here. I'm not doing it everyday, but just a little bit helps. I'm at the Eugene Public Library (EPL), and I'd like to reflect on my relationship with this place. Lately all of my entries are "life" entries, and not much about what they should actually be about.
I'll quickly change that. A look at the week ahead. Well, it's Monday, and my brother is sending someone to Eugene to help me pack on Thursday, so the week is generally me packing and scrambling around trying to sell a few things! That's it. I've met with friends who I'm very sad to leave and I hope that I get to see a few more before I peace out for the time being.
Most of my friends have left Eugene. Were I to have followed a path of high efficiency, I wonder where'd I'd currently be? Eugene seems like a great place. I'm glad to be heading back to an area near my Dad and Mom.
Ok, anyway, let's talk about the library. I know I got a library card pretty soon after moving here. I always checked out way too many things, and I've had my library account in collections twice. I've never lost or had anything stolen, but I've had things out ridiculously long. I don't own it well enough. You shouldn't check out books or media if you have a hard time managing life, which has always been a bit of a struggle. It's like the Roots album, "Things Fall Apart." I'm guessing that's name after the Chinua Achebe book (yes - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Things_Fall_Apart_(album), which comes from a W.B. Yeats poem)?
I'll quickly change that. A look at the week ahead. Well, it's Monday, and my brother is sending someone to Eugene to help me pack on Thursday, so the week is generally me packing and scrambling around trying to sell a few things! That's it. I've met with friends who I'm very sad to leave and I hope that I get to see a few more before I peace out for the time being.
Most of my friends have left Eugene. Were I to have followed a path of high efficiency, I wonder where'd I'd currently be? Eugene seems like a great place. I'm glad to be heading back to an area near my Dad and Mom.
Ok, anyway, let's talk about the library. I know I got a library card pretty soon after moving here. I always checked out way too many things, and I've had my library account in collections twice. I've never lost or had anything stolen, but I've had things out ridiculously long. I don't own it well enough. You shouldn't check out books or media if you have a hard time managing life, which has always been a bit of a struggle. It's like the Roots album, "Things Fall Apart." I'm guessing that's name after the Chinua Achebe book (yes - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Things_Fall_Apart_(album), which comes from a W.B. Yeats poem)?
Friday, January 24, 2014
In the eug (Friday Life #9)
In Eugene, Oregon on my last Friday here for quite sometime. I've paid rent through the end of the month and this phase of my life is officially over! Crazy.
I majored in anthropology but it feels like my entire life is digging out from the rubble. I can't wait to really grasp life. Vestalee always said to own it. If you show up, you need to own yourself. Own your actions, own all of it.
It's time. No more excuses! Thanks Vestalee.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I majored in anthropology but it feels like my entire life is digging out from the rubble. I can't wait to really grasp life. Vestalee always said to own it. If you show up, you need to own yourself. Own your actions, own all of it.
It's time. No more excuses! Thanks Vestalee.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:W 7th Ave,Eugene,United States
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Lots of things changing (A Look At The Weekend #11) 23 January 2014
Ugh. I'm always asking myself, "how did I get here?" It's a tough question to answer at any given time, but it's gotta be done sometimes.
This week, I have to give my cat away. "I couldn't do that" a lot of you would say. Well, guess what. FUCK YOU. If your back was against the wall and it were the difference between staying alive and not, you would do it. I have no other way of going on living. I can't move in at my brother's (because apparently I'm not tidy enough), and I can't move in at my father's (because I owe my stepmother money and she's really pissed off at me and probably will be for a long time), neither of those homes would accept another cat anyway. I would have to have her live outside, which presents many issues. Her survival, her access to human companionship (only an idiot would say that that isn't an important part of a domesticated cat's life, especially one acclimated to 9 years of daily attention, sleeping with a human, etc), and many issues with me. Guilt (something some of us know nothing about, apparently), frustration, the logistics of giving my cat attention, and many other things. It's for the best, I guess. I need to become more tidy and work on repairing human relationships, and becoming a better person, in a few key areas. I'm perfectly normal in some ways, but there are others where I'm not. Having a cat isn't part of my life scheme currently. I don't deserve one with the place I've gotten myself in.
I still don't know what I'm going to do. I may hurt myself. I can't take this. Tears.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
This week, I have to give my cat away. "I couldn't do that" a lot of you would say. Well, guess what. FUCK YOU. If your back was against the wall and it were the difference between staying alive and not, you would do it. I have no other way of going on living. I can't move in at my brother's (because apparently I'm not tidy enough), and I can't move in at my father's (because I owe my stepmother money and she's really pissed off at me and probably will be for a long time), neither of those homes would accept another cat anyway. I would have to have her live outside, which presents many issues. Her survival, her access to human companionship (only an idiot would say that that isn't an important part of a domesticated cat's life, especially one acclimated to 9 years of daily attention, sleeping with a human, etc), and many issues with me. Guilt (something some of us know nothing about, apparently), frustration, the logistics of giving my cat attention, and many other things. It's for the best, I guess. I need to become more tidy and work on repairing human relationships, and becoming a better person, in a few key areas. I'm perfectly normal in some ways, but there are others where I'm not. Having a cat isn't part of my life scheme currently. I don't deserve one with the place I've gotten myself in.
I still don't know what I'm going to do. I may hurt myself. I can't take this. Tears.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Big game, big days (A Look at the Weekend #11) 16 January 2014
My first official post of 2014!
This weekend is about habit. Trying to change bad habits, that is. This weekend holds some things in store. First, for anyone in the northwest, it's Seattle's chance to clinch their second League championship (first in 2005) and go to their second Super Bowl. It's kinda cool. My dad has always loved the Seahawks and they're my NFL team, I suppose :)
Anyway, I just want to get in the habit of writing in this every day, so until tomorrow, here I go.
This weekend is about habit. Trying to change bad habits, that is. This weekend holds some things in store. First, for anyone in the northwest, it's Seattle's chance to clinch their second League championship (first in 2005) and go to their second Super Bowl. It's kinda cool. My dad has always loved the Seahawks and they're my NFL team, I suppose :)
Anyway, I just want to get in the habit of writing in this every day, so until tomorrow, here I go.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Friday (Friday Life #8)
At my dad's, doing work. Life goes. On :)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
(Film #9)
I've got to say that a few movies have caught me off-guard lately, which I'm going to try to go through in next week's entry. I'm in the process of moving which makes writing more difficult (and thus more necessary), so it's time to take a deep breath and get to it.
I'm nearly finished with Blindness, a film with a couple of heavyweights attached at multiple parts of the process. City of God co-director (and The Constant Gardener) Fernando Meirelles directs the novel by Nobel prize winner Jose Saramago, which has Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, and Gael Garcia Bernal.
It is tough to judge a movie without having read the book, especially one of such magnitude, but this is certainly a movie which requires multiple viewings and I'm not done with the first! Back to that as well. It finishes well and it tells the things about human nature that are true. Some humans will always seek dominance over others. Being blind will make us realize how much we depend upon one another in such a strong way. And finally, having sight restored makes us see how much we take for granted on a daily basis.
The Last Films I've Seen
1. Blindness, 8.2.
2. Looper, 10.0.
Selflessness is often a trait we come upon too late. To see it happen believably and in a new sort of fashion makes it that much more powerful. Couch that in a Sci-fi movie and we have the stirrings of genius. Great movie. I need to see Brick for sure.
3. American horror story, season 2, first couple of episodes. ~7. Fun and twisted, but probably not worth seeing if you're behind on other classic television.
4. Sons of anarchy, pilot, interesting so far.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I'm nearly finished with Blindness, a film with a couple of heavyweights attached at multiple parts of the process. City of God co-director (and The Constant Gardener) Fernando Meirelles directs the novel by Nobel prize winner Jose Saramago, which has Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, and Gael Garcia Bernal.
It is tough to judge a movie without having read the book, especially one of such magnitude, but this is certainly a movie which requires multiple viewings and I'm not done with the first! Back to that as well. It finishes well and it tells the things about human nature that are true. Some humans will always seek dominance over others. Being blind will make us realize how much we depend upon one another in such a strong way. And finally, having sight restored makes us see how much we take for granted on a daily basis.
The Last Films I've Seen
1. Blindness, 8.2.
2. Looper, 10.0.
Selflessness is often a trait we come upon too late. To see it happen believably and in a new sort of fashion makes it that much more powerful. Couch that in a Sci-fi movie and we have the stirrings of genius. Great movie. I need to see Brick for sure.
3. American horror story, season 2, first couple of episodes. ~7. Fun and twisted, but probably not worth seeing if you're behind on other classic television.
4. Sons of anarchy, pilot, interesting so far.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)