A Simple Plan

To be honest, when we first started this movie, I didn't like it. It was just too slow and uninteresting. Ever since we finished it, I've been trying to figure out how I feel about it.

I've decided. I wasn't really fond of it, but I wouldn't say it was horrible. I enjoy the Macbeth overtones it employs, especially when it came to Sarah. The character of Jacob was very interesting - he seemed to be a bit of a loser at first, but he was not as stupid as he seemed. He's pretty much the only character we can relate to since he's basically not plotting things, but going along with the plots for the sake of his feelings rather than greed. Sure, he wants to buy the farm back, but it's propelled more by emotion than by a sense of greed. However, that's where the praise stops. The other characters were just completely bland to me. There was literally nothing that made me actually want to watch what happened to them. If we had stopped in the middle and not watched the rest, frankly I wouldn't have cared. It just wasn't interesting enough for me to actually enjoy watching it. I do admit that it slowly started to pick up and later was at a better pace by the end of the movie. I found that around the time where Hank killed Lou (I believe that was his name?) and his wife it started to get interesting, but it didn't get too interesting by the end of the movie.

Overall, not that good, but not bad. Just a bit too bland for me.

Memento

I don't know exactly what to say about this movie. Part of me really likes it. I like how the scenes were ordered. They helped to create the mystery and I like how they lead up to the conclusion of Leonard's actions. However, they also make it confusing. Yes, they're supposed to create a sense of suspense and show us how Leonard's actions and the actions of those around him influence him even after he forgets. But then there's the things that lead up to those actions. The scenes are set up in a way that made it almost confusing for me. I assume that's partly the point because then we sort of understand Leonard's condition - the order of the scenes makes it hard for us to remember what happened, putting the viewer in Leonard's shoes, though they're still clear enough to create a branching story. However, I found that it also ruined the character development of the film because it was somewhat easy to forget what the previous actions of the other characters to the point where it made my head spin. Again, in a way, it puts us in Leonard's shoes, but it's also a bit hard for the viewer to understand everything the first time around.

Not that this is a bad movie, at all. It was very good, but it was a little too hard to keep track of all the events at certain points.

Dark City

...Wow. This is definitely one of those movies that sucked me in within the first few minutes. There are countless things to appreciate about it. First of all, the atmosphere - it was all expressed extremely well in the sets (as well as the special effects in some scenes). Yes it had the typical aspects of film noir, but at the same time the buildings and scenery were extremely well-done. I liked how they actually gave a reason why the sun is never up. While I understand that this is normally one of those things that you don't question in film noir (since it is a staple), it was a little refreshing. I also found it interesting how the director was able to combine sci-fi with the film noir aspects and still make it come off as not too corny. Let's face it, a lot of things with aliens are typically going to be at least somewhat contrived - after all, we know of no other intelligent lifeforms as of yet. So it's up to us to create them in fiction. Most alien races in fiction are going to be that way. While Dark City has some of the aspects of this, it's not distracting in the least bit. That's good for me, since that's usually why I'm not a really big fan of sci-fi.

I think the only thing that really bothered me was Schreber and the way the actor spoke. From what I've read, Schreber is based off a real person who was this way. However, the problem with Schreber is that his dialogue is so stilted that it becomes slightly irritating at some points. It's understandable when we think about all that Schreber has been through, but I feel like he's a little too stilted at times. Then again, we've got a film where the average cut time is 1.8 seconds, so it makes sense because of the way the film was created. In the end, it's supposed to be jumpy and stilted to help create the suspense - which is just what it does.

Musings.

Well, I was absent on Friday, so I obviously have no idea what happened that day. Anyway, I had heard of the genre of film noir before this but never really knew what it meant. However, I never expected it to be basically what we're watching. Anyway, I do like what I've seen of The Asphalt Jungle. Because the characters have something that makes us sympathize with them, it makes them more human. We aren't just looking at a bunch of people going on a heist. They're going on a heist for a reason, or at least for a multitude of reasons that makes the characters seem more realistic. That's what I hate about some films; they can be filled with action but when there's nothing to actually propel the action, you're just watching a bunch of people shooting each other or doing moves that go against all the laws of physics. But yeah, not much to say other than I really like The Asphalt Jungle so far. Or did it finish while I was absent? Because then I would be quite sad. ):

Unforgiven

I don't have much to say about this film. No, it wasn't bad, it's just that my mind's been focused on about twenty other things this past week, so I wasn't able to focus on the film as much as I would have liked. So this entry's short. What I found interesting was how smoothly they handled the Kid's breakdown after he kills his first man - it doesn't feel overdone in the least bit, and it flows with the scene. This is probably because it was hinted at in the scene as he's killing the man and fleeing. I also liked the subtlety of Munny's return to drinking - I noticed it when I was first watching it and thought, "Oh hey, he's drinking again!" I'm sure that many other people saw it before we discussed it, and even for those of you who hadn't noticed it, wasn't it pretty interesting?

Yeah, not much to say at the moment since it's already been four days since we watched the ending and it's 10:46 at night. I need to stop writing these at night...

Final Thoughts on The Seventh Seal

I've been meaning to post this for a few days but haven't had much of a chance to do so.

So, I'm pretty sure that you all read my rant from the other day, right? Well now you all get to hear my final thoughts on this movie. And I still wasn't particularly fond of it. I normally find movies like The Seventh Seal interesting because they're loaded to the brim with symbolism. However, this one just didn't do it for me.

Let's see. Where should I begin? Well, I previously discussed how the symbolism is a bit over-the-top at first. As the film went on, it faded back a little bit and at least felt a bit more "natural" to me. It's definitely still there, but at least it no longer feels like I'm getting a page of symbolism blown at my face. That part was a definite plus for me. But at the same time, there was so much blatant symbolism up to a certain point that I just felt alienated. And that's not fun when you're watching a serious movie. It's probably just a preference. I prefer to have a few things that are clearly symbolic of something. Among the few things that are clearly symbolic of something, I like to have more things in the background that I have to think about in order to understand what they symbolize. This film, for the most part, was very clear in what it was symbolizing 95% of the time. There were a couple of moments where the message was a little more subtle (the wild strawberry scene), but for the most part the massive amount of clear symbolism just alienated me. Or maybe I'm just good at picking some of the less obvious things up, so it all seems clear to me. I don't know.

AND I BET YOU THINK MY COMPLAINING IS OVER NOW, RIGHT?

Haha, nope, not at all.

Now it's time for my main reason for disliking the movie: the characters. They just really, really bored me for the most part. Jons was a bit funny at times, but the main character Antonius was just kind of...bland. I felt like he just spent most of the movie moping around about his main question: Does God exist? And that's about it. Sure, we get to see him be a bit smug and try to trick Death, but we don't see much outside of that. Then there's the squire, Jons, who I actually liked because he provided a bit of comic relief. The family of actors? They provide a little cushioning since Jof gets a little bit of extra characterization during the scene where he's forced to act like a bear (I think?). He later steals a bracelet. What I liked was that it showed us that he's definitely not a perfect person despite all these "visions" he has. The blacksmith and his wife just felt like they were there, basically. Just there. No major reason other than to really add to the character total (seven seals) and move the plot along. Yes, there was a little comic relief with them being introduced, but it just didn't totally do it for me. Finally, we have the mute girl. I found her more interesting than the others simply because she can't express herself in words (for the most part), so she must do so in facial expressions. It felt like there was more emotion and personality in her face compared to most of spoken lines in the movie.

Basically, some characters managed to provide some comic relief for me, but the comic relief wasn't enough to cushion the serious parts of the story. The story just drags, and the characters don't really make it much easier. They're dreadfully boring most of the time except for moments of humor, but the comic relief doesn't save the movie by any means. What it did for me was divert my attention slightly, then go back to the same old boring movie it is.

And I know I'm going to be smited for saying that it's boring, but that's just what I feel. The characters just aren't interesting enough and the plot is too stretched out and slow-moving. It would be one thing if I was actually interested in what was going on with the characters, but I just didn't like them enough to care. It's upsetting because I find the actual themes of the movie interesting, yet I can't seem to like this movie.

Before I finish, I will say that there are still a few powerful scenes in the movie. The final scene is definitely very powerful in a way that I can't describe in words. It's something that you need to see to understand how powerful it is. The scene where Antonius is speaking to the "witch" was also very interesting. It shows you just how desperate the main character is to find his answer. Finally, I found it interesting how Death knows nothing about what happens after death. Really, it was one of the most powerful quotes from the entire movie. It leaves us to think: Is Death an end, or a beginning? If Death knows nothing of what happens, is there truly a God? Or is it something that we make up on our own, varying from person to person? When he said that, it definitely got me thinking.

However, even though the movie made me think about things like death, watching the actual movie just wasn't enjoyable. It wasn't bad by any means, no, but it just wasn't enjoyable. It felt like I was watching a movie about different views on death, and that was basically it. I can't seem to feel what's "amazing" about this movie. I can analyze and decipher why people would find it to be an amazing movie, but I can't feel the same way they do. But that's just what happens in the world of fiction in general, I guess.

The Seventh Seal

So, we've only watched a little bit of this movie. I know it's supposed to get better but I don't know. Part of me is genuinely interested in what's going on, but another part of me just doesn't like the movie at all, especially all of the Bible and death motifs. I get it. The Middle Ages were a highly religious time. This movie is a game with Death. That does not mean that you shove ten different sins and things about death through my ears in less than 30 seconds. IN SONG.

Yes, I know that's very exaggerated, but that's the way I feel about the movie so far.

Then again, I can't seem to come up with any worthwhile dialogue to actually replace that guy's songs, so I guess the songs will have to do. But seriously, it just feels like the director is trying too hard to talk about death. It just feels too in-my-face. Or maybe I just prefer more subtle references. I probably wouldn't mind so much if it weren't in song, and if it weren't clear that it was put there for a reason. I just feel like it doesn't flow. The director obviously has the characters say the things they do for a reason, but it just feels too forced. Maybe it's just me.

And don't get me started on the chessboard. The chess cliche is very annoys me to the point where I almost put this one sentence in obnoxiously big font. Yes, he's playing chess with Death. Okay, that's the main point of the movie. I get it. But chess is so overused in fiction that it just doesn't impress me. It's used in so many different ways and after a while it's just not impressive and almost cringe worthy. I don't care if this was remarkable in its time. Yes, it may be an interesting concept, but at this point in time it's jaded.

Unless this was what sparked the whole chess explosion in fiction.

Yes, I know most of you are probably going to look at this and gawk, but that's just how I feel. Somehow, I'm still interested in this movie. At the same time, part of me just wants to stop watching it. So I guess I'll see how I feel about it at the end of the week.

Just musing on a quote.

So Manny says that being human is worse than being an animal. I'm turning this over and over in my head, picking it apart. On one hand, it's a powerful quote. On the other hand, it doesn't completely make sense. After all, we're all animals, aren't we? Despite the fact that we percieve animals around us, that doesn't change the fact that we have our own instincts. After all, don't other animals percieve us as animals? Their brains may not be as developed as ours, but in the end we're all just trying to live. Not every animal is made the same way. Some have defects. However, when you put it into the perspective of how we view animals around us, it's a powerful quote. The fact that we're human means that we're above animals in a sense. At least, we percieve ourselves to be at the top of everything. Yet, how is it that we can retrogress into a state of complete rage where we can't control ourselves? What makes us revert to our primal instincts? What makes us into animals? It's the fact that anything can trigger this. We can almost instantly snap back to our more savage instincts given the right circumstances, even though we believe that we have gotten past them. It's really a scary thought. That's what makes us worse than animals - we're more flawed and our thought process is so complex that just one variable can alter us completely.

Bleh, I hate thinking about stuff like this. It depresses me too much. On another note, was I the only one who was particularly annoyed by Buck's voice? I get that the characters are supposed to have rough voices - they're criminals, after all - but Buck's voice just made me cringe every time he spoke. Other than that, I really, really liked this movie.

A Strange Connection

You all want to know something weird? You know the whole "rosebud" mystery? I've had this nagging feeling for the past few days that the word "rosebud" was somewhat significant to me at some point.

Now I remember.

It was used as a cheat code in the original PC version of The Sims. Now, for those of you that don't know how The Sims works (I assume most of you do), you basically create a family and a house and simulate their lives. You use your family's money to help build the house and buy things. The Sims is currently in its third series, but also has several spinoffs. Though the game isn't overly realistic, it's pretty fun and has its quirks. Anyway, so "rosebud" was used as the cheat code. It gave your family $1000 and you could enter it as many times as you want. However, there was a quicker and more efficient cheat code that basically maxed out your family's funds without having to retype it over and over again. It was pretty useful for when you wanted to create the ultimate house or to just relax and have a game where you did whatever you wanted to.

Anyway, so I started wondering: Does the "rosebud" in Citizen Kane have to do with $1000 or free money? But then I looked it up and almost spoiled some of the details of the movie. I say "almost" because I only saw it very quickly and refuse to believe what I thought I may have read until I see the entire movie. The use of "rosebud" in The Sims isn't exactly related to Citizen Kane's plot from what I can tell, but it IS meant to be a reference to Citizen Kane.

So yeah, talk about a weird connection there. I know I really didn't discuss some of the more important things that we've seen in the movie, but I couldn't help but post this.

All Quiet on the Western Front - Final Thoughts

Well, we've finished our first movie. I really enjoyed it. I'm actually really happy that I took this class because I wouldn't have seen this movie otherwise. Moving on to the actual movie discussion, I really liked the way the ending was done. I know that Mr. Bennett mentioned that the butterfly scene was filmed after the original ending for the movie was done. I believe he said a different person's hand was used in the scene. I'm curious. How long after they had originally finished filming the movie did they decide to do this?

What I liked about this scene was that it wasn't just an ending. It was almost like a mini-story, told within the constraints of a minute. The hand is reaching for the one beautiful thing left in the world, but just as it reaches it, the hand stops and falls to the ground. Despite the fact that I've watched scenes similar to it in other movies, scenes like this always hit me straight on. The feeling of desperation oozes and you become hopeful that the character will be happy for a split second, even though you know that it's impossible. That's what hurts the most.

...I need to go watch something happier now. Maybe tonight I'll watch my favorite movie, Spirited Away.

First Film Day

Well, today was our first day watching a film. We were watching All Quiet on the Western Front. Most of us that took AP Global last year saw part of it. It sort of brought back memories, though they weren't all that memorable. It was just kind of funny to see a movie that I never thought I would see again after AP Global was over. I mean, we only saw the part where all the students in the classroom are enlisting, but it still has the same effect that it did. It's almost kind of disturbing to see that everyone is so excited to go to war when the reality is that war is a harsh, cruel monster that you can never truly get out of once it swallows you. You may escape its stomach, you may escape the shells, but war forever leaves psychological effects on the soldier. It's pretty depressing that we have to see this carefree mood take a nosedive early on (when we see the former postman issuing orders and speaking like a true general), but such is the way of war.

I can tell that this is a depressing film already, but I kind of wish it wasn't. Then again, I'd rather it be a little bit more down to earth than be something disgustingly sugar-coated. That's all for today, I guess.