The Future

I'm going to be a cat lady in the near and/or distant future-- so I loved this movie. I found it rather hilarious, though I don't think that's exactly what the movies angle was. I thought it was interesting how a single stray creature could so drastically alter a person(s) perception of space and time, and their whole world. I think that that idea paralleled well with actual reality. Adopting a pet may sound small, but it's actually a large responsibility-- though it's an animal, you're still now in charge of that pet's life. The same applies to having a baby. There are many challenges that one may have to face, and they can test your limits and make you look at others, yourself, and the world differently. 

The Future

This film is interesting, if not necessarily entertaining, and featured a number of bizarre but oddly realistic scenarios. First, the affair which proves to be the pivotal moment for the rest of the story: faced with self-reflection Miranda July’s character chooses instead to go for a sort of easy, suspended reality which feels always like a dream. The little girl burying herself, the bizarre crawling shirt, the dance which accompanies said shirt and the father’s reaction to it, none of it feels real as if it were a daydream. There is also her boyfriend’s strange obsession and friendship with the very odd old man who shares his furniture; is the character supposed to be a vision of himself in the future and if so why does he actually find it so comforting? I mean, who would aspire to be the guy that sells a used hairdryer and talks too much? Anyways, the film was odd and disjointed and featured prominently a song by Beach House, so I’ll say that I was entertained even if it don’t believe it to have been a very good movie. 

The Future Sucks

I hate Miranda July’s The Future on just about every level. Each character’s actions are defined by a woe is me/self righteous attitude that leaves the viewer only to care for a narrating cat with an irritating and scratchy voice. In my opinion, the film is as deep as a puddle but laughably tries so very hard to come off as thought provoking and insightful. Metaphor by metaphor vagueness and ambiguity grows within the film to the point that the viewer can salvage nothing. To be honest, I really doubt Miranda July has explanations for the script and thought it would stand for itself. Her characters and the world they live in are phony when compared to the realities they are suppose to be portraying and examining. I think it’s a good thing the cat died because living those two protagonists must be more miserable than euthanasia. 

The Five Obstructions

Not until the end of The Five Obstructions did I realize that Lars von Trier was the director of Anti-Christ. For those who have not seen Anti-Christ I will let you in on a secret… it is a GREAT date movie. After viewing the film, I found the idea of the Dogme 95 movement to be fascinating and quickly watched a few Dogme films. The movement does have its negatives and should not be applied universally but does make a unique sub-genre of sorts and is challenging directors to make more unique films. The Five Obstructions is a twist on the Dogme 95 approach and in many ways is quite hilarious and cinematically moving. The documentary style works well for this movie even though I am convinced both directors were acting to portray stereotypic snobbish European directors. And even if they weren’t, well, I still enjoy the movie’s content and still find it comedic. 

Pumzi

This film certainly deserved to be screened at Sundance Film Festival. Not only was this a great film highlighting the modern third world struggle creatively combined with a sci-fi aspect, the film itself raised the bar for up and coming African filmmakers. Reading more into the film, I found that female director Wanuri Kahiu researched classic 1950's films to combine the functional art of African culture with classic techniques of matte painting. Overall, the film was excellent in my opinion, and I enjoyed the revolutionary, trail blazing attitude that it brought.

The Future

Terribly boring film. The only thing I was excited for was the cat and that maybe it would change their self obsessed personalities and save the relationship. But they killed it... Also, I found it ridiculous that adopting a cat would completely change their lives forever. I mean I like the idea that they have to live their lives before settling down, but having an affair/selling plants is hardly living the life. Maybe they were trying to get a message across that I didn't get. Overall I did not like it, but I heard that another film the main actress is in called "Me and You and Everyone We Know" is excellent so I plan on watching that sometime in the future.

The Five Obstructions

I think this documentary was okay, but it wasn't my favorite thing we watched this semester. I think this documentary would have been more enjoyable if you watch The Perfect Human beforehand so you could see more of the changes and creativeness of the different obstructions redone. I thought it was interesting however how Lars sets out to uncover Jorgen's facade as the perfect human and show he is really just a "human human." Though throughout the obstructions Jorgen doesn't make a mess as Lars hoped. And by the last obstruction we find that Lars admits that it wasn't Jorgen, but himself who he was trying to expose. In the letter, Lars writes, " As we all know, it's the attacker who really exposes himself." And he goes on to say that he himself was the one that was obstructed. And if I remember correctly, in the end he sees Jorgen actually as The Perfect Human. So overall I did enjoy it, just not my favorite.

Blade Runner

A pretty legendary film and was absolutely one of my favorite films during the course. Blade Runner definitely shared that same cluttered, dystopian feeling in Metropolis, but I think what was most noticeable for me wasn't the relationship between the elite class and the working class, but what exactly it components and actions actually make a person a person.
The fact that it was nearly impossible to discern who was a human and who was a replicant set up the plot to be pretty confusing at point, which I'm assuming was intentional. The whole movie felt like a Turing test where the audience was the one diagnosing the results.
The scene that struck me the most was actually the last scene between Deckard and Roy. While Roy is chasing Deckard through the rain, a nail pierces his hand and then once on the roof, he had a dove in the other hand. I feel like there's supposed to be some sort of duality or relationship between these two elements; the dove being a symbol for peace and the nail being a noticeable symbol related to Jesus and the sacrifices he made in the bible. So maybe one of the theme's to suggest that there is no peace without some level of sacrifice.

Metropolis

 I've seen Metropolis once before in high school for a similar class and I had a pretty fundamental understanding of the movie, but the second time around I think the underlying themes of the movie hit a little bit harder.
Something that was a little bit eerie to me is despite the technological differences in today's world vs. the time Metropolis was filmed, we still predict very similar outcomes in societal structure and interpersonal relationships with other people; depicted as cold, hierarchical structures with broad gaps between the working class and elite class.
Another particularly notable element to Metropolis was the visceral impact of the film - the clutter, the lighting, etc. all evoked a pretty claustrophobic reaction from myself at least. I was pretty uncomfortable during most of the cityscape shots.
I think it's an interesting relationship and nearly-century-long comment on where we might be headed as a civilization if we continue to veer to our selfish impulses rather than collective enrichment.

the future

I unfortunately didn't really like this film. In my opinion, it was a little too obscure and artsy. Although I enjoyed the quirky characters and cinematography, I thought that the film was just an array of different concepts, left to the audience to put together. Although I enjoy a challenge in a film every now and then, I don't think I'll be watching this film again.

La Jetee

La Jetee makes me want to look into more short films. The way in which the short pictures are used to tell such an in depth, enthralling plot is fascinating to me. Not only is it interesting to think about a third world war and how the world would be effected by it, but it is also interesting to see what the writers and directors captured time travel. One of my favorite aspects of the movie, apart from the use of time travel to change the present, is that the man's burning memory was that of his own death. To me, such a dramatic end seems very French, of course, but very fitting and gripping.

Pumzi

Pumzi, the first attempt at science fiction cinema to come out of Kenya, presents a post-apocalyptic world without water, where humans inhabit self-sustaining colonies, maintained by a controlling hierarchy. Upon receiving a mysterious package of soil coupled with a set of coordinates, scientist/curator of Virtual Natural History Museum (which is as contradictory as life without water). With the soil and her daily ration of water, the young woman manages to germinate the seed, and sets out into the desert, in search of the soil's source. The colony was started in the wake of a water war, reflecting humanity's abandonment of the Earth once it had no more to provide. Inversely, this woman risks her life to plant a tree in hopes that her planet still has a future. This message of giving to the earth more than we take from it is one of the central themes in Pumzi. The planting of a seed is used as a metaphor for knowledge and growth. A fearless fighter for both, the young scientist ventures out to plant the seed, watering it with her every last drop of sweat, shading the seedling, and sacrificing her own life to give her barren planet a chance at survival. Despite obvious time and budgetary constraints, this film is beautifully developed from start to finish with a keen worldly consciousness.

Dante's Inferno

Dante’s Inferno modernizes Dante Allegheri’s classic tale, using paper puppet versions of classic and modern celebrities and politicians to replace the figures in  original tale. The use of puppets initially seemed uninspired, but upon further consideration, I find the medium to be very effective. Primarily, it points out the theatrical hilarity of governmental and societal systems. A prime example is the ring of hell in which lobbyists and congress people are eternally damned to perform in a never-ending musical number. The notion of a staged show works particularly well in the depiction of politicians, because it alludes to scripted dishonesty. Another asset to the puppet show presentation of Dante’s Inferno is the cartoonish nature of the paper puppets. In the post-screening discussion, someone brought up the reference to political cartoons. This film has a very similar tone to politically charged comic strips, providing a like social critique. All in all, the film updates an old tale with a sociopolitical awareness in a way that Dante himself would have (most likely) approved of.

Delicatessen

The delightful dark French comedy, Delicatessen, provides an interesting twist on the notion of a ‘post-apocalyptic future’ by setting this film in the past, as an alternate reality to post WWII France. The war has left France in tatters. Animals are (apparently) extinct, there is intense food rationing, and there is a black market for human meat. The film’s focus is an apartment building run by a greedy butcher, who hires handy men, only to kill them and sell their meat. Delicatessen explores the concepts of greed, corruption, and the morality of eating meat. We see the butcher, who himself is a vegetarian, has plenty of food—several giant bags of grain and corn—hoarded in a private room. Meanwhile, we see the residents of the building contemplate how they’ll manage to get enough food to eat. Though the butcher wants for nothing, he continues to profit from the desperation of others. Despite the far-fetched plotline, this situation is not dissimilar from the current corporate mentality. Delicatessen provides a keen, witty critique of consumptive greed.

The Future

Future was an interesting film to end he class with because it has such a contemporary-style of to energy.  It's a very honest-, and can speak to and be relatable for a good amount of people,  not even in a contextual sense,  but more by thedialogue and the implementation of abstract metaphors.  I think that this style of writing the film adaption to this new indie-contemporary style of writing that is becoming popular.  However, that being said, it is a bit too self-indulgant into its style and its pursuit of a certain style, that it sacrifices the universality that other films like Blue Valentine, or  Take this Waltz are able to make you feel.  It becomes selfish and has a certain level of pretentiousness due to this.  The metaphors, while artistic, are a bit too vague, and they seem to contribute to the film's buryi g of itself  with self-glorification.  I think that it is ultimately too exclusive and elitist to have as an empathetic commentary, and is unsuccessful in its desired relatability, that is found in other movies of the sort.

The Five Obstructions

The Five Obstructions follows a cinematic challenge posed by Lars Von Trier to break his former tutor and close friend Jorgen Leth of his stale objectivity. Jorgen's progression does give this documentary character development, which imposes a narrative feel. However, I couldn't help but feel that each of his recreations of “The Prefect Human” lack the quality of his initial film (at least from what was shown of it during the film). I'm not sure what exactly can be made of this: perhaps it represents either a link between his previous objectivity and his success as a filmmaker, or a fluke in Von Trier's obstructions.  I think ultimately, it’s an affirmation that any recreation of a work of art can never successfully capture the essence of an original. The experiment however, produced a poignant self-reflexive documentary, with just enough narrative to keep the film from feeling dry.

Metropolis

Metropolis is an interesting way to start off this film class. Off of this first movie I am hesitant at what the rest of the year might bring. I did not particularly enjoy this movie as it was long and silent and something I am not accustomed too. That being said, I can appreciate the strides this film has made in the field of science fiction. The effects of this film can be seen anywhere from the clustered city look in Blade Runner to creations of characters in the Star Wars franchise. I have come to appreciate more from the presentation given before the film. The deep seated influences in the film such as New York City and the Tower of Babel are pretty interesting. I think the film did a good job at reflecting on the relations between the rich and the poor. The rich lived in a sprawling garden at the top of the city and the poor lived at the bottom boing all of the hard work. The love of Freder and Maria ties the social classes together. While it was slow and hard to watch, I feel like a more accomplished film student being able to say that I have seen this movie. 

Le Jetee

Le Jetee is my favorite movie that we have watched in class this year. Directed by Chris Marker in 1962. This film was obviously different than any other we had watched previously. Shot almost completely in photographs (except for one scene in which “the woman” opens her eyes), the film portrays a disturbing view of the future. Everyone lives underground, which reminded me of the vegetarians in Delicatessen and a race of German scientists are controlling everything. Like many other films we have watched, WWII seems to be a major influence on the creative minds of the directors of the films. People who lived through this time period were genuinely afraid for the future of the world. It is instances such as these, or national droughts, or any traumatic experience, that I see as a catalyst for these films. I thought that the movie also was creative in its concept of time travel. The full circle ending was not expected and I enjoyed it very much. I feel as though the director made past, present, and future, all appear bleak in their own separate ways. The past seemed to be mummified and holding onto an even farther past. The present was dark and depressing. The future was desolate and emotionless. The only points of happiness in the movie are in memories. I feel like the point the director is trying to say is that memories can be powerful but we cannot ignore the present, we have to make do with what we are given. We cannot live in the past.

La Jetee

La Jetee, a film made in large part with no film at all, relies on pictures to portray a narrative of past, present, future, and the potency of a memory. Set in the bleak aftermath of WWIII, the remaining survivors are subject to scientific trials of attempted time travel. The film’s subject, we learn, is a man with a vague, fleeting childhood memory of a day at an airport, a woman on a jetty, and a man’s final moments. La Jetee presents an interesting relation between past/present/future, memories, and photographs. The film is primarily composed of snapshots, which like memories have the power to take us back, offering a partial view of a time other than the present. In this way photographs and memories are a form of time travel in their own right, though neither can allow us to truly relive the past. Film therefore can act in the same way, as a means of temporal escape.

The Future

The Future is a painfully paced indie film that deals with the finite nature of time as a lackluster couple of 30-something hipsters, Sophie and Jason, realize they have wasted three decades of life doing nothing of importance. Calculating that they have one month left to truly live, they begin making rather lame efforts to seize the day. In the span of thirty days Miranda July’s passive, narcissistic characters manage to do nothing of value, save that Jason sells about four trees. What I did find interesting was July’s use of time in the narrative. The opening scene shows the two on the couch, in their own little worlds, when Jason jokingly remarks about freezing time—the irony of which is, these two people are already frozen in time of their own accord. Later, Jason actually takes on the ability to freeze time, and avoids the impending split from Sophie for a few weeks, as she goes on living as the mistress to a single dad in a parallel time-sphere. Overall, Sophie and Jason prove to be too self-absorbed to function together, managing to run their relationship into the ground while simultaneously killing the film’s only redeemable character with wanton disregard.

And I have never seen worse dancing.

Metropolis

The world of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, reflects a social schism by placing the elite in the ‘penthouse’ suites of the city to revel in their wealth, while the workers—like ants—waste away at the ground level. This dynamic reflects the film’s overall themes of social control and an inescapable socioeconomic divide. The city’s working class are likened to mindless cattle, as Lang implies with the striking visual of the workers coming and going from the factory in rows—obedient, huddled masses being led to the “slaughter” that is the reality of their everyday life. Worked to exhaustion, and forced into submission, these men become no more autonomous that the very machines they operate. This idea of man and machine becoming one is played upon in a few films we’ve seen throughout the semester, most notably, Blade Runner. By pigeon-holing people as mindless/mechanical followers, that is what they become—robotic and obedient, to whatever master moves them.Their fate is inherently self-perpetuating, and firmly reinforced by an oppressive society. Sadly, this notion of the rich getting richer on the labor of the poor is not so dissimilar from today's societal dynamic, close to a century after Lang's cautionary tale.

Blade Runner

Blade Runner is probably the first film that should be included in a film series dealing with "the future." Through its multiple themes and stylistic conventions, Ridley Scott delivered a timeless piece that ultimately dealt with the idea of a changing future. The film draws upon different science fiction and film noir techniques to create an exciting venture into the new world. The future surrounds us, but it is up to us to maintain order and civility in order to assure that the future does not kill the past, but instead continue progressing it. Deckard (Harrison Ford) is the perfect example of this notion, as he, although not confirmed in the film, is part replicant - or at least somewhat of a product of the new world. Deckard uses this to his advantage, however, in his quest to defeat the evils that the future has to offer.

Pumzi

Pumzi is a short film made in Africa. It devolves around a world that has no water left. The film is tied heavily to a real-world problem of droughts in Africa. In the film, a young scientist working at a museum discovers the possibility of there being fertile soil left in the world. The film seemed to turn against real world hierarchies. The leaders of the community were all women and the only white figure in the movie was the janitor and bathroom cleaner. The main character appears as a maternal figure to a bud that she carries out into the desert. The whole ending is very sexual in the fact that she literally waters the seed from her own body sweat and then nurtures it into a tree. The film leaves many questions unanswered but I feel this is due to the short budget in the movie. Overall, I found the idea creative and a new take on a waterless future.

Delicatessen

Delicatessen, a French film by Jean-Pierre Jeunet depicts life in a post-apocalyptic dystopian future (how appropriate!). The people are starving and there is very little food. Despite this gruesome future, the movie is surprisingly light and funny. The characters are bumbling and goofy. Even one tenant who attempts suicide multiple times is halted by hilarious turns of events. The people who live in the aboveground Deli eat people to survive but life in the deli is relatively formal and pleasant. Despite all of the nastiness of the outside world, the daughter of the butcher, Julie, falls in love with the new tenant, Louison, who is to be eaten. Because he is such a nice guy, she falls in love with him and tries to save him. The meaning behind this story is one of hope. Love wins out in the end and the dusty sky begins to clear up in the final scene. All of the cannibals are sent away or killed and it appears as if hope triumphs in the end. The movie as a whole contrasts itself because everything is so dark but one leaves the screening with a feeling of hope and happiness.