The city of lost children is a surrealist film that portrays a very interesting world with some rather unique characters. Arguably my favorite aspect of this film is the wide range of intriguing characters, all of whom possess striking individual characteristics; physically, psychologically and emotionally. The way these characters interact with each other is just that much more engaging due to their often opposing differences.
The best example of this is the contrast and relationship between Miette and One. Miette, while young, and small, is exceptionally mature for her age. She is the leader of a guild of thieves, and clearly can accept her own mortality. One, on the other hand, is a exceedingly large character; his most distinguishing characteristic is his strength. Ironical though, is that One is one of the least mature characters; from his hair, to his apparel, to the way he talks and interacts with other characters suggests that he has the maturity or mental state of a child. When these two characters meet, they bond in to a tight brother and sister relationship. In the end, the two eagerly risk their one life to protect the other.
Age becomes an important motif in this film. It is no accident that the two most integral characters, One and Miette have such great age differences. The film draws on this theme throughout by clashing Krank and toddlers, as Krank attempts to steal their dreams. Near the end of the film, Krank attempts to steal Miette's dreams; the resulting battle ends with Krank almost successfully draining Miette's youth.
The bond 0f family is an important theme in this film. What makes this more interesting, is the fact that with the exception of One and his little brother, family in this film is always figurative in one way or another. The bond between the experimental family (Krank, the mother, and the clones of the original) illustrates that they all consider each other family and go through no small amount of sacrifice in striving to make each other happy. This goes to show that a bond stronger than blood can be make between people unrelated.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Blade
Aside from being a typical Hollywood modern kungfu film, blade offers several points or relevance to the vampire genre, reinforcing several cliches while debunking others. The single most interesting facet of blade is that the protagonist is a supervampier; a half vampire half human that possesses all of the vampire's strengths, and yet none of their weaknesses. Blade, as he is called, is invulnerable to sun garlic and silver, interestingly enough the character is African American. I can't recall in modern history many examples of black vampires in film, so I found it interesting that the filmmakers would cast Westly snipes. The role race plays in this film raises some questions. One might wonder if there is significance in this, that the single black vampire, more resistant to sun, takes down an empire of predominantly white vampire brood.
Aside from raising racial questions, Blade breaks away from the typical vampire iconoclast in other ways. One such example that I don't see in many other vampire movies is the way in which vampires are portrayed. Blade paints the picture of vampires that are predominantly hip youth's; the scene in which the protagonist is introduced is a vampire rave. The movie's antagonist uses technology to bring about a new order within the vampire ranks; even his entertainment acts as a system of defiance to the older vampire ranks. Furthermore, it is uncommon within this film that vampires are seen in typical vamp goth attire. Many vampires don sexy white lingerie, or other fashions embraced by rave culture.
The connection between sex and vampires, however, is one way in which Blade chooses not to stray from the mold. Most of the vampires are sexually charged characters; with the exception of the older ruling class, all the vampires seem to exist in a realm of pleasure; sex and partying is seen in almost every gathering of youth vampires.
An interesting correlation to the sexual motif in the movie is the connection between sex and power. From early on in the movie, one can notice that power dictates sexual energy. In the first rave seen it is clear that the most sexually charged characters are the most powerful one's. The vampires, clearly more powerful than the sole human, give no attention to the human while a practical orgy rages on amongst the vampires in the background. Later on in the movie Blade is given a second chance at life when the female protagonist decides to give her blood to him. The bloodletting scene is very obviously a sexual metaphor, from the act itself, to the characters reactions, even to Blade's figurative climax after his thirst is satisfied.
Aside from raising racial questions, Blade breaks away from the typical vampire iconoclast in other ways. One such example that I don't see in many other vampire movies is the way in which vampires are portrayed. Blade paints the picture of vampires that are predominantly hip youth's; the scene in which the protagonist is introduced is a vampire rave. The movie's antagonist uses technology to bring about a new order within the vampire ranks; even his entertainment acts as a system of defiance to the older vampire ranks. Furthermore, it is uncommon within this film that vampires are seen in typical vamp goth attire. Many vampires don sexy white lingerie, or other fashions embraced by rave culture.
The connection between sex and vampires, however, is one way in which Blade chooses not to stray from the mold. Most of the vampires are sexually charged characters; with the exception of the older ruling class, all the vampires seem to exist in a realm of pleasure; sex and partying is seen in almost every gathering of youth vampires.
An interesting correlation to the sexual motif in the movie is the connection between sex and power. From early on in the movie, one can notice that power dictates sexual energy. In the first rave seen it is clear that the most sexually charged characters are the most powerful one's. The vampires, clearly more powerful than the sole human, give no attention to the human while a practical orgy rages on amongst the vampires in the background. Later on in the movie Blade is given a second chance at life when the female protagonist decides to give her blood to him. The bloodletting scene is very obviously a sexual metaphor, from the act itself, to the characters reactions, even to Blade's figurative climax after his thirst is satisfied.
Pulse
While I know such a comment isn't a particularly effective means of video or literary analysis, I must say I really enjoyed Pulse (Kairo). I found the film very tense; I was on pins and needles for a majority of the film. What really pleased me about this film was the successful balance between suspense and payoff. A major flaw with many horror films (American and otherwise) is that they have difficulty balancing elements of suspense and the payoff moments where the monster or antagonist is revealed. I found both the suspense and the moments where the ghosts were revealed very frightening. Particularly the scene in which a female ghost slowly walks up to one of the survivors, I found it balanced nicely between suspense and visceral thrill; the scene had no gore, and yet still managed to be frightening due largely to unnatural character movement.
Another aspect of this movie that I found particularly effective was the believability of the events that transpired. Most horror movies involve a single or group of survivors or protagonists being pursued by a single or small group of villains; this film however, pits the entire populace of the dead against the living; the end result is the rapid destruction of all living things by either self destruction or murder by the hands of the ghosts. I honestly can't remember if this happened in the American or Japanese adaptation, but one thing that really stuck out for me was how the filmmaker portrayed the death of humanity. Instead of fire, explosions and chaos, the end of mankind ended in pulse with a silent helpless despair, wherein suicide took just as many lives as the ghosts. Instead of showing solely the deaths, this movie showed the results; gradually dwindling numbers of students in class, the slowly emptying population visible on the streets. For some reason this portrayal of the end of the world made much more sense to me; the silent, remorseful demise of life made it seem that much more believable. Coupled with the explanation (technology inviting our demise), made Pulse's apocalypse almost appear plausible. I think I might go and stock up on red duct tape right about now.....
Another aspect of this movie that I found particularly effective was the believability of the events that transpired. Most horror movies involve a single or group of survivors or protagonists being pursued by a single or small group of villains; this film however, pits the entire populace of the dead against the living; the end result is the rapid destruction of all living things by either self destruction or murder by the hands of the ghosts. I honestly can't remember if this happened in the American or Japanese adaptation, but one thing that really stuck out for me was how the filmmaker portrayed the death of humanity. Instead of fire, explosions and chaos, the end of mankind ended in pulse with a silent helpless despair, wherein suicide took just as many lives as the ghosts. Instead of showing solely the deaths, this movie showed the results; gradually dwindling numbers of students in class, the slowly emptying population visible on the streets. For some reason this portrayal of the end of the world made much more sense to me; the silent, remorseful demise of life made it seem that much more believable. Coupled with the explanation (technology inviting our demise), made Pulse's apocalypse almost appear plausible. I think I might go and stock up on red duct tape right about now.....
A Wild Sheep Chase
A Wild Sheep chase presented a unique literary adventure. The most striking characteristic of the novel was how un-striking it was; many of the themes and events the book grappled with involved mediocrity and blandness; it was how the novel dealt with this ideas that I found particularly interesting.
A Wild Sheep Chase follows the classic model of extraordinary events happening to someone particularly ordinary; Murukami acknowledges this fact often, infact making it an integral theme within the book. The reading isn’t allowed to escape the pressing mediocrity of the main character, even when presented with grief, intrigue, and peril, the protagonist doesn’t show an ounce of excessive emotion. Near the end, when He smashes a guitar, the reader is just as jarred as the Sheepman; up until that point the protagonist had gone about all his actions almost completely devoid of enthusiasm or concern. That he would suddenly show such a violent outburst doesn’t even feel like it comes from the same character, and sure enough, we learn that the outburst was an intentional ploy to shake up the Sheepman/rat. I found it fascinating that despite the fact that I may see a thousand simulated explosions and murders a day on television and video games, I was more than slightly disturbed by the protagonist’s outburst. I found this rather impressive, as I would never expect the author to be so successful in surprising his readers so effectively.
If this book was focused solely on mediocrity, I doubt I would have gotten past the 1st page. What truly engaged me in this book was the tone and writing style Murukami used to describe the angst of mediocrity. His writing style often digressed into an existential, flowery prose, much more poetic than descriptive. I found this use of philosophical linguistics both engaging and informing. The usage of these literary techniques contrasted nicely the prevalent mediocrity, almost as if to suggest that the blandness of the protagonist’s existence allowed a greater territory for his mind to wander. In this way, I did not find it jarring in the slightest when Murukami would drift between exposition and fluffy philosophical ramblings.
A Wild Sheep Chase follows the classic model of extraordinary events happening to someone particularly ordinary; Murukami acknowledges this fact often, infact making it an integral theme within the book. The reading isn’t allowed to escape the pressing mediocrity of the main character, even when presented with grief, intrigue, and peril, the protagonist doesn’t show an ounce of excessive emotion. Near the end, when He smashes a guitar, the reader is just as jarred as the Sheepman; up until that point the protagonist had gone about all his actions almost completely devoid of enthusiasm or concern. That he would suddenly show such a violent outburst doesn’t even feel like it comes from the same character, and sure enough, we learn that the outburst was an intentional ploy to shake up the Sheepman/rat. I found it fascinating that despite the fact that I may see a thousand simulated explosions and murders a day on television and video games, I was more than slightly disturbed by the protagonist’s outburst. I found this rather impressive, as I would never expect the author to be so successful in surprising his readers so effectively.
If this book was focused solely on mediocrity, I doubt I would have gotten past the 1st page. What truly engaged me in this book was the tone and writing style Murukami used to describe the angst of mediocrity. His writing style often digressed into an existential, flowery prose, much more poetic than descriptive. I found this use of philosophical linguistics both engaging and informing. The usage of these literary techniques contrasted nicely the prevalent mediocrity, almost as if to suggest that the blandness of the protagonist’s existence allowed a greater territory for his mind to wander. In this way, I did not find it jarring in the slightest when Murukami would drift between exposition and fluffy philosophical ramblings.
No Such Thing
The first thing I noticed about no such thing was the unique portrayal of the monster. Most often in movies, literature or gaming, the antagonist or specifically the monster is illustrated as just that: a monster. We expect monsters to be malicious, thoughtless creatures, motivated by carnal desires at best, the selfless desire for evil at worse. The monster in No Such Thing however, gives us a different interpretation of the idea of a monster.
Instead of being a thoughtless creature motivated by a will towards evil, the beast in No Such Thing seams to be more interesting in avoiding suffering. This beast is clearly intelligent, possessing a certain quality of class and dignity, despite his grotesque physical appearance. The beast appears at first glance just a temporal fluke of nature, a biological mistake. We soon see however, that this beast is not just a deformed human being. He possesses supernatural powers, such as the ability to breath fire, superhuman speed and strength, possibly even the ability to teleport. The most notable of the beasts abilities is his invulnerability, which bears great significance to the story.
It becomes clear rather quickly that while this creature was born a physical anomaly, he was later made into a monster, in that it was due to his own suffering at the hands of humans that he came to commit atrocities towards humanity. Compounding the issue is the problem that this monster cannot die; even after he has given up hope on life, death in not an option for the monster; he is forced to continue his suffering. In this way, the greatest contributor towards his monster like pathos is the lack of the human condition; he cannot die. Because this monster cannot stop his suffering, he is bound to grow more monstrous over time. It is suggested therefore; that the main reason the beast lashes out is due the frustration that he cannot end his own suffering.
Instead of being a thoughtless creature motivated by a will towards evil, the beast in No Such Thing seams to be more interesting in avoiding suffering. This beast is clearly intelligent, possessing a certain quality of class and dignity, despite his grotesque physical appearance. The beast appears at first glance just a temporal fluke of nature, a biological mistake. We soon see however, that this beast is not just a deformed human being. He possesses supernatural powers, such as the ability to breath fire, superhuman speed and strength, possibly even the ability to teleport. The most notable of the beasts abilities is his invulnerability, which bears great significance to the story.
It becomes clear rather quickly that while this creature was born a physical anomaly, he was later made into a monster, in that it was due to his own suffering at the hands of humans that he came to commit atrocities towards humanity. Compounding the issue is the problem that this monster cannot die; even after he has given up hope on life, death in not an option for the monster; he is forced to continue his suffering. In this way, the greatest contributor towards his monster like pathos is the lack of the human condition; he cannot die. Because this monster cannot stop his suffering, he is bound to grow more monstrous over time. It is suggested therefore; that the main reason the beast lashes out is due the frustration that he cannot end his own suffering.
zombie survival guide
I found the zombie survival guide a really fun read. What surprised me about the book was the matter of fact-ness of the literature; the book presented information in such a way as to portray zombies as factual entities that were known to inhabit our realm. At the time of reading this book I had never read such a fictional how to book, and I found the presentation very amusing. The author really committed to the presentation of his work; he did not tentatively assert the weakness of zombies, but boldly stated histories and facts regarding the monsters. This gave the book a more authoritative tone, imbuing it with a heightened sense of believability.
Aside from the presentation, I was amused as to how in depth and descriptive the book was. Zombie survival guide detailed zombie killing strategies, histories, and even debunked common zombie myths, all of which I found fascinating. What really interests me about this book is just the level of detail and effort that went into describing this phenomenon. This goes to show the level of fascination our culture has with zombies. Despite being a fictional creature, zombies have been an integral part of pop culture for such a great period of time that they are starting to gain a sense of respect or legibility. Our culture has become so familiar with the monsters that we now know there traits, how to deal with them, and even likely outcomes of their outbreak, based upon variables such as speed of outbreak, communicability, and zombie strength.
It is due in part to our cultures familiarity with the monsters that we are allowed to have books such as the zombie survival guide. Since we know how prevalent the zombie topic is within our society, one must begin to ask why are zombies so popular?
The zombie genre by no means originated in modern media such as television and video games, but one could easily state that a combination of zombie video games and movies are the main proponents of zombie’s recent popularity. The zombie genre is depicted in different lights depending on the source. In the classical resident evil school of thought, for instance, zombies are seen as lumbering beasts, only a threat due to helplessness therein of humanity. More modern adaptations within the resident evil universe however, paint zombies as the helpless beasts; hordes or the undead fall easily under the might of almost superhuman protagonists. The latter variety of the genre draws more appeal from male youths, garnering favor by playing off of the male love of carnage.
Other outlooks on the genre play off of other motifs. In both 28 days later, and 28 weeks later, the reoccurring theme is that humanity, not the infected are the beasts. The zombies are seen as thoughtless monsters, amoral and therefore blameless of the evils they commit. Humanity, on the other hand, possesses morals; this just makes it all the more harrowing when mankind perpetrates injustices more heinous than those committed by the real monsters.
Aside from the presentation, I was amused as to how in depth and descriptive the book was. Zombie survival guide detailed zombie killing strategies, histories, and even debunked common zombie myths, all of which I found fascinating. What really interests me about this book is just the level of detail and effort that went into describing this phenomenon. This goes to show the level of fascination our culture has with zombies. Despite being a fictional creature, zombies have been an integral part of pop culture for such a great period of time that they are starting to gain a sense of respect or legibility. Our culture has become so familiar with the monsters that we now know there traits, how to deal with them, and even likely outcomes of their outbreak, based upon variables such as speed of outbreak, communicability, and zombie strength.
It is due in part to our cultures familiarity with the monsters that we are allowed to have books such as the zombie survival guide. Since we know how prevalent the zombie topic is within our society, one must begin to ask why are zombies so popular?
The zombie genre by no means originated in modern media such as television and video games, but one could easily state that a combination of zombie video games and movies are the main proponents of zombie’s recent popularity. The zombie genre is depicted in different lights depending on the source. In the classical resident evil school of thought, for instance, zombies are seen as lumbering beasts, only a threat due to helplessness therein of humanity. More modern adaptations within the resident evil universe however, paint zombies as the helpless beasts; hordes or the undead fall easily under the might of almost superhuman protagonists. The latter variety of the genre draws more appeal from male youths, garnering favor by playing off of the male love of carnage.
Other outlooks on the genre play off of other motifs. In both 28 days later, and 28 weeks later, the reoccurring theme is that humanity, not the infected are the beasts. The zombies are seen as thoughtless monsters, amoral and therefore blameless of the evils they commit. Humanity, on the other hand, possesses morals; this just makes it all the more harrowing when mankind perpetrates injustices more heinous than those committed by the real monsters.
Frankenstein
Marry Shelly’s classic titled offered some interesting insight as the first title in the literature of horror and science fiction class. What I find very interesting is that this title, while an iconic representation of the horror genre, doesn’t remotely portray the contemporary view on horror literature. One cannot, however, anticipate modern horror from early 1800’s literature.
I began reading this story with some expectations of the so called, origin on modern horror. I was anticipating a fast paced ride involving gruesome deaths (complete with gory descriptions), and more suspense. In short, I found the book surprisingly devoid of either suspenseful elements or visceral thrills. By todays standards I feel like the story played out more like a drama than a work of horror.
Another thing I found interesting was that there wasn't as much of a clear cut definition between monster and man, hero and villain. In the end, after hearing Frankenstein's monster's story about his attempt at integrating himself into the household of the family he spied on, I began to get the feeling that Frankenstein's monster was as much a victim as his creator, if not more so. I found it particularly shocking that Frankenstein would destroy his monsters bride; his only escape from a life of loneliness. After that event, I began to lose pity for Frankenstein. It felt as though all the suffering that had befallen him was deserved; he had the means to end his own suffering, to appease the monster and bring his family to safety. I was rather angered with Frankenstein when, after being informed that his monster only wanted a bride, he proceeded to take a rather lengthy vacation while his family members waited at the mercy of his vengeful monster. I was really pleased that even with this early crack at horror, Shelly avoided a clear cut, this is evil, this is good, portal of morality and of villains. Her characters are nuanced, and illustrate believable characters who's morality lie in a gray area instead of being completely good or completely evil. I see often time in modern literature or film that authors will try to imbue a sense of grittiness to their protagonists, or conversely a likability to their villains. I find Shelly's technique much more interesting; Frankenstein isn't obviously a good guy with a few flaws; in the end it is impossible to distinguish whether or not Frankenstein aligns more within good or evil.
I began reading this story with some expectations of the so called, origin on modern horror. I was anticipating a fast paced ride involving gruesome deaths (complete with gory descriptions), and more suspense. In short, I found the book surprisingly devoid of either suspenseful elements or visceral thrills. By todays standards I feel like the story played out more like a drama than a work of horror.
Another thing I found interesting was that there wasn't as much of a clear cut definition between monster and man, hero and villain. In the end, after hearing Frankenstein's monster's story about his attempt at integrating himself into the household of the family he spied on, I began to get the feeling that Frankenstein's monster was as much a victim as his creator, if not more so. I found it particularly shocking that Frankenstein would destroy his monsters bride; his only escape from a life of loneliness. After that event, I began to lose pity for Frankenstein. It felt as though all the suffering that had befallen him was deserved; he had the means to end his own suffering, to appease the monster and bring his family to safety. I was rather angered with Frankenstein when, after being informed that his monster only wanted a bride, he proceeded to take a rather lengthy vacation while his family members waited at the mercy of his vengeful monster. I was really pleased that even with this early crack at horror, Shelly avoided a clear cut, this is evil, this is good, portal of morality and of villains. Her characters are nuanced, and illustrate believable characters who's morality lie in a gray area instead of being completely good or completely evil. I see often time in modern literature or film that authors will try to imbue a sense of grittiness to their protagonists, or conversely a likability to their villains. I find Shelly's technique much more interesting; Frankenstein isn't obviously a good guy with a few flaws; in the end it is impossible to distinguish whether or not Frankenstein aligns more within good or evil.
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