To get to the point, I really enjoyed watching Far From Heaven. Some of the themes expressed (the individuality and choices women can make, even in that time, staying true to yourself, going against social norms) reminded me a bit of the movie Pleasantville, mostly because at the beginning Cathy's world seemed normal and bright-until it quickly downturned into confusion.
Also, I thought the use of color in the film was stunning and very deliberate. After reading the "Color" article, I realized that the reason behind the heavy blue shading during all of the nighttime scenes (to be able to emphasize nighttime but still film in the day), and that was an interesting touch; strangely, had this been a black-and-white film, I would have been able to tell that it was nighttime, but seeing the blue shading in color confused me a for a few moments because I wasn't sure if the blue was supposed to symbolize something other than night. And speaking of color symbols, I noticed that within the structures of the buildings, the portions of the house or business that represented the "man's" domain often had blue walls or carpets. For example, Frank's office, the doctor's office, the living room, and even the car were all blue. Also, although this is a rather inconsistent note, when Cathy supported her husband's beliefs or was playing a submissive role, (such as when she accompanied Frank to the doctor's) she often wore blue.
Raymond, on the other hand, ALWAYS wore earth tones, and even his house was covered with the rich oranges, browns, greens, and a hint of yellow to emphasize his warm, inviting personality, highlighted by the fact that he worked with plants and nature all day. The earth tones grounded his personality even more, if you'll excuse the pun. Moreover, the African American maid employed by Cathy and Frank nearly always wore yellow, and her domain (the kitchen, kitchen table, and part of the dining room) had yellow walls and accessories as well. Even the phone that she answered was yellow, but unfortunately I do not know what the color yellow would symbolize. Neutrality? A distance from her employers?
There were too scenes that stood out to me. The first was when Frank was in the doctor's office hearing about the grueseome treatments to cure his homosexuality. Immediately my eye was drawn to a silhouette of Queen Nefertiti on the doctor's wall. I found it strange that the doctor would have an interest in a prominent Ancient Egyptian figure, who was more popular in ancient Egypt than her husband (and still remains to this day). Why would such a dominant male figure hold the portrait of a famous lady in his office? The other scene that caught my attention was when Cathy heard from her maid about the attack of Raymond's daughter. As she's pleading with her maid and putting on her coat, Cathy looks over to the wall of her living room, and spots the witch hazel Raymond had given to Cathy. While the rest of the room in that shot is muted out, only the bright red flowers in the dull blue room stood out, meaning (to me) that while everything else in her life was "dead," this one spark of passion was still alive.
Okay, I lied...the third and final scene that I am reminded of is that when Cathy fired and bid farewell to Raymond in public (out on the streets), I noticed that her black and white fur coat blended in perfectly with the marble/stone walls of the building. This signified that Cathy was very embarassed and wanted to blend in with her surroundings as she fired the one person who gave her happiness, and it also represented her conforming to societal standards because now she too was shunning contact with a black man.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Thoughts About Far From Heaven
I very much enjoyed watching Far From Heaven last class. I almost found myself in tears at the end because it really just moved me how sad everyone's situation turned out to be in the end. The film really touched me. As we discussed in class I think the dialogue was right on for being a movie made in this century with a setting far from this time.
A particular scene that sticks out to me from the film is when all the housewives got together and were chatting around a table. They were talking about how often their husbands want to have sex. This caught my eye for a few reasons. For one, it was all up to the husbands on how frequently they engage in sexual acts with their wives. It is as though the wives had no say, the men had all the control. Also, the women were acting as though it was a chore for them, something they had to do for their husbands. Most importantly to them, sex was something unenjoyable. It's strange how different time periods view sex. Today women are just as sexual as men and it is an act known to be enjoyable for both. Also this scene was one of the first hints that things weren't as cheery as everyone thought between Cathy and Frank. This was obvious through Cathy's facial reaction to the housewives' conversation about sex.
What I seemed to notice about color in the film while watching it is the frequent use of the colors red and purple. It seemed to me that whenever something negative or bad was about to happen Cathy would either be wearing red or there would be something obvious in the scene that was red. (Example: in many scenes there were red flowers) These negative things ranged from fights with Frank to something to cause gossip in the town. When there was a positive, calm scene or something that made Cathy happy she seemed to be wearing purple (especially around Raymond) and when having happy times with Frank she frequently wore blue. I think this choice by the director is because blue and light purple are calm, cool colors and I think the purpose was meant to portray that tone to the viewers.
I think the setting of this film also showed a lot about gender roles from different time periods. Cathy seemed as though she had no choice but to try to make her marriage work even if it was falling apart. She always seemed so cheery and happy around Frank despite all the problems he was causing her and the family. I also liked how both Cathy and Frank did things that were not approved by society at that time. Frank fell in love with another man and Cathy started to fall for an African American. This shows a lot about their character and how they are a little less judgemental than everyone else in the town. I wish Cathy and Raymond could have worked out. I thought it was sad how Frank got to persue being with the person he really loved but Cathy couldn't persue her feelings for Raymond and fall in love with him. Overall I enjoyed this movie very much!
A particular scene that sticks out to me from the film is when all the housewives got together and were chatting around a table. They were talking about how often their husbands want to have sex. This caught my eye for a few reasons. For one, it was all up to the husbands on how frequently they engage in sexual acts with their wives. It is as though the wives had no say, the men had all the control. Also, the women were acting as though it was a chore for them, something they had to do for their husbands. Most importantly to them, sex was something unenjoyable. It's strange how different time periods view sex. Today women are just as sexual as men and it is an act known to be enjoyable for both. Also this scene was one of the first hints that things weren't as cheery as everyone thought between Cathy and Frank. This was obvious through Cathy's facial reaction to the housewives' conversation about sex.
What I seemed to notice about color in the film while watching it is the frequent use of the colors red and purple. It seemed to me that whenever something negative or bad was about to happen Cathy would either be wearing red or there would be something obvious in the scene that was red. (Example: in many scenes there were red flowers) These negative things ranged from fights with Frank to something to cause gossip in the town. When there was a positive, calm scene or something that made Cathy happy she seemed to be wearing purple (especially around Raymond) and when having happy times with Frank she frequently wore blue. I think this choice by the director is because blue and light purple are calm, cool colors and I think the purpose was meant to portray that tone to the viewers.
I think the setting of this film also showed a lot about gender roles from different time periods. Cathy seemed as though she had no choice but to try to make her marriage work even if it was falling apart. She always seemed so cheery and happy around Frank despite all the problems he was causing her and the family. I also liked how both Cathy and Frank did things that were not approved by society at that time. Frank fell in love with another man and Cathy started to fall for an African American. This shows a lot about their character and how they are a little less judgemental than everyone else in the town. I wish Cathy and Raymond could have worked out. I thought it was sad how Frank got to persue being with the person he really loved but Cathy couldn't persue her feelings for Raymond and fall in love with him. Overall I enjoyed this movie very much!
Far From Heaven= My Heaven
I found the movie Far From Heave to be absolutely beautiful. As we discussed in class, the score was incredible and not often found in many movies today. Additionally, I thought they did a really good job keeping the characters and the scenery period specific, which really adds to the overall feel of the film.
I thought it was interesting that the movie was seen from the view of the woman. Since the director is gay and often focuses on that theme I would think that the film would be seen in his perspective- also his perspective is not one that is always seen. I feel I have seen movies about oppressed women in earlier times and the polite way they are supposed to carry themselves- as perfect wives and mothers. However, it is not very common to see the pressures of men- especially gay men during this era.
I also took note of relationship between Cathy and Raymond. For a black men during that time period he certainly was accepted in his community. He owned his own business, sent his daughter to private school and was able to attend community events (such as the gallery showing) with only minimal discrimination. In other parts of the country at that time, he could face more severe treatment and not be able to build his life in the same way. I also thought it was fascinating that the story honed in on the racial tension between Raymond and other members of the black community. The idea that they threw rocks at his window because he brought a white woman to a primarily black restaurant shows that many black peopled wanted the separation from white separation that white people enforced.
I enjoyed the commentary on the idea of an interracial relationship. That is an area in our racial world that is still not joined in complete equality. Those who engage in these relationships still face discrimination from friends, family and community members for "mixing" the races. It is interesting to compare that time to the time now.
The idea that Cathy did not see herself or act like she was oppressed was well portrayed and I think common for women of her generation. There was an element of her feeling "trapped" but it was not very intense. Had she not discovered her husband's extra marital affair she would have been perfectly happy with him working late in the office and not being available to her for a sexual relationship. It appeared as though she would have been happy tending to the children and the home and that being her largest and only role.
It was clear that if her husband had not left her she would not have pursued Raymond. However, I wonder how much of pursing Raymond was love or fear of being alone. Women built their lives around men at that time and to be presented with a life of divorce and then additionally to be alone may have been too much for her to bear.
I thought it was interesting that the movie was seen from the view of the woman. Since the director is gay and often focuses on that theme I would think that the film would be seen in his perspective- also his perspective is not one that is always seen. I feel I have seen movies about oppressed women in earlier times and the polite way they are supposed to carry themselves- as perfect wives and mothers. However, it is not very common to see the pressures of men- especially gay men during this era.
I also took note of relationship between Cathy and Raymond. For a black men during that time period he certainly was accepted in his community. He owned his own business, sent his daughter to private school and was able to attend community events (such as the gallery showing) with only minimal discrimination. In other parts of the country at that time, he could face more severe treatment and not be able to build his life in the same way. I also thought it was fascinating that the story honed in on the racial tension between Raymond and other members of the black community. The idea that they threw rocks at his window because he brought a white woman to a primarily black restaurant shows that many black peopled wanted the separation from white separation that white people enforced.
I enjoyed the commentary on the idea of an interracial relationship. That is an area in our racial world that is still not joined in complete equality. Those who engage in these relationships still face discrimination from friends, family and community members for "mixing" the races. It is interesting to compare that time to the time now.
The idea that Cathy did not see herself or act like she was oppressed was well portrayed and I think common for women of her generation. There was an element of her feeling "trapped" but it was not very intense. Had she not discovered her husband's extra marital affair she would have been perfectly happy with him working late in the office and not being available to her for a sexual relationship. It appeared as though she would have been happy tending to the children and the home and that being her largest and only role.
It was clear that if her husband had not left her she would not have pursued Raymond. However, I wonder how much of pursing Raymond was love or fear of being alone. Women built their lives around men at that time and to be presented with a life of divorce and then additionally to be alone may have been too much for her to bear.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Far From Heaven (updated)
Blackboard is NOW ACCESSIBLE! So you can now view the Powerpoint lecture on color and cinema.
This link should help you download the chapter on color from Bordwell and Thompson's Film Art. There are several mentions of Far From Heaven. Look over the chapter; you may find it very helpful in understanding Haynes' color structure for this film.
This interesting article by Rebecca Scherr discusses the film (as well as Transamerica) in terms of its representations of race and homosexuality. Read it and share your thoughts.
Also: Have a look at this well written and thoughtful review from Sight and Sound. And here is a great blog post featuring a series of wonderful images from the film.
Blackboard, and Web Bibliography and Resources
I am starting to build a list of resources for the course on this blog; just check the sidebars for a bibliography of web-based readings and websites that will prove to be useful resources.
Also: The Blackboard site for this course is now up and running! I have created a discussion forum for your use (mainly for discussions related to material viewed or discussed in class), as well as a number of readings. Some of these are optional based on your individual research needs and interests. Required readings will be indicated in the title. Please be patient as I continue to create the Blackboard site over the next few days and check often for updates.
The blog will continue to be used for discussion of web-based discussions, i.e., items of interest found on the web, or discussions related to current events or other material we may encounter outside of class assignments.
Also: The Blackboard site for this course is now up and running! I have created a discussion forum for your use (mainly for discussions related to material viewed or discussed in class), as well as a number of readings. Some of these are optional based on your individual research needs and interests. Required readings will be indicated in the title. Please be patient as I continue to create the Blackboard site over the next few days and check often for updates.
The blog will continue to be used for discussion of web-based discussions, i.e., items of interest found on the web, or discussions related to current events or other material we may encounter outside of class assignments.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Orlando
I as well found the film Orlando to be very confusing. I didn't understand how or why the gender switch came about. Was Orlando secretly a female pretending to be a male? Or was Orlando once a male who turned into a female? If the first one is so, how didn't anyone ever notice this? and why wasn't it a big deal once the truth came out? If the second is the case, this is simply unrealistic (considering the time period). But then again, the whole movie doesn't seem to be realistic since Orlando lived for longer than anyone has ever lived before.
One scene that sticks out to me is when there is a war going on at which point in the film Orlando was still portrayed as a man. Orlando's reaction to watching a dying man was a more stereo typical female reaction, especially since it was the enemy that Orlando felt bad for watching die. Two other scenes that stick out to me dealing with gender are: the scene where Orlando fancied a woman in the beginning and they kiss, then the scene where Orlando is with a man in the end. It was interesting to watch the same person interact on a sexual/romantic level with different sexes (also being a different sex each time). Confusing, but interesting.
Even though I find some of the movie confusing, I also find it portraying an accurate message. It shows women how far we have come over the years in gaining rights. Once Orlando was a female, she could not own the house she/he one had when a male. It is sad to think of a time where women don't have the rights that I grew up knowing I had or will have. I loved the use of colors in the film as well, especially Orlando's red hair.
One scene that sticks out to me is when there is a war going on at which point in the film Orlando was still portrayed as a man. Orlando's reaction to watching a dying man was a more stereo typical female reaction, especially since it was the enemy that Orlando felt bad for watching die. Two other scenes that stick out to me dealing with gender are: the scene where Orlando fancied a woman in the beginning and they kiss, then the scene where Orlando is with a man in the end. It was interesting to watch the same person interact on a sexual/romantic level with different sexes (also being a different sex each time). Confusing, but interesting.
Even though I find some of the movie confusing, I also find it portraying an accurate message. It shows women how far we have come over the years in gaining rights. Once Orlando was a female, she could not own the house she/he one had when a male. It is sad to think of a time where women don't have the rights that I grew up knowing I had or will have. I loved the use of colors in the film as well, especially Orlando's red hair.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Women and Film
While reading the handout on Women and film, I found a few things worthy of discussion:
Voyeurism is when someone gets erotically high while watching someone from afar and exhibitionism is when someone gets pleasure from showing a person their sexual parts. I feel as if voyeurism is demonstrated in many films. How often can you a recall a film where a man is watching a woman through her window undress for the shower or bathtub? Do viewers feel a sense of voyeurism as they watch a woman take her clothes off being soaking in a bubble bath?
"The gaze"...I understand from the reading that it is men objectifying women. However, don't women do that to? If I see a good looking man on screen, I will find it immensely hard to look away and will most likely have a crush on him and watch other movies he is in. I'm not really sure how this only applies to women and film.
On another note, I keep thinking about women and sexuality in film. For some reason the film OLD SCHOOL keeps coming to my mind when in the beginning of the film, the main character comes home to find his wife actively participating in an orgy. Yes, the audience finds it funny, but is it because she's an attractive blonde? Or is it because her husband is upset by the act instead of happy that he has a very sexual wife? I wonder how things would be different if a wife walked in on her husband participating in an orgy.
- Fetishism
- Voyeurism and exhibitionism
- "The Gaze"
Voyeurism is when someone gets erotically high while watching someone from afar and exhibitionism is when someone gets pleasure from showing a person their sexual parts. I feel as if voyeurism is demonstrated in many films. How often can you a recall a film where a man is watching a woman through her window undress for the shower or bathtub? Do viewers feel a sense of voyeurism as they watch a woman take her clothes off being soaking in a bubble bath?
"The gaze"...I understand from the reading that it is men objectifying women. However, don't women do that to? If I see a good looking man on screen, I will find it immensely hard to look away and will most likely have a crush on him and watch other movies he is in. I'm not really sure how this only applies to women and film.
On another note, I keep thinking about women and sexuality in film. For some reason the film OLD SCHOOL keeps coming to my mind when in the beginning of the film, the main character comes home to find his wife actively participating in an orgy. Yes, the audience finds it funny, but is it because she's an attractive blonde? Or is it because her husband is upset by the act instead of happy that he has a very sexual wife? I wonder how things would be different if a wife walked in on her husband participating in an orgy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)