fun with the bible: The Old and New Testaments: The Source of Evil

The Old and New Testaments: The Source of Evil


Looking at the differences between the Old and New Testament the obvious switch from monism to dualism is most prominent. In this paper I will look into the monism of the Old Testament and compare it to the dualism that appears in the New Testament. These two different perspectives on good and evil allow for different ideas about God and his intentions. I believe that the New Testament beliefs allow for people to understand God’s purpose more clearly, in that they have someone else to blame for evil in the world. The Old Testament forces inconsistencies into the actions of God. I will look at these concepts through examples from the text.

In the Old Testament the stories are of the actions of those on Earth finding their way through life by God’s direction. The Israelites look for reward and punishment within this realm of the living. In Exodus we see this in the efforts put forth, in the early chapters by God (or Yaweh) to free his people from the slavery of the Pharaoh. By the words of Jesus in Luke 6.21 ”’Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh‘“, this idea of salvation during life is not consistent with the notions of the New Testament. The New Testament’s people would not have asked to be rescued, they would know that they would find rewards for their faithfulness through this pain after death in heaven. The punishment of the Egyptians is so important in the Old Testament because there is no other place or time for them to ‘learn their lesson.’ This is shown again in the plague of the Philistines in Samuel 5, when they have taken the ark. The tumors are the direct punishment by God, they are something physical and palatable, not an abstract concept like hell.

The reward and punishment of the Israelites holds even more weight than that of other peoples. Repeatedly we see examples in which God rewards those who are loyal to him with prosperity and many decedents: with Abraham, Israel, and Jacob. These rewards extend through the covenant as a representation of God’s immortality and loyalty to these people. This allows for the continuation of the religion, in that there is a reason for following the ten commandments and other laws. In Psalm we see examples of the rewards that included with long life, many children, and wealth: ”dost crown him with glory and honor[...]dominion over[...]all sheep and oxen, and also the beast of the field, and the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea“ (Psalm 8.5-8). We see the worship of those things on earth that represent wealth and prosperity; value is placed on tangible items.

There is also the establishment of inherited guilt. This is seen in Solomon’s son, by Bathshe’ba, dying quickly after he is born. The child is punished, not the adulterer. This is more prominently seen in the example of Saul. This king believes he is going right by God and is therefore confident in his actions, but is actually misguided. His punishment results quickly there after, ”the Philistines slew Jonathan and Abin’adab and Mal’chishu’s, the sons of Saul“ (1 Samuel 31), the children are punished along with King Saul.

The Old Testament allows for visible reactions by God to the actions of humans, although this does provide a tangible religion there is a draw back. When a person does something evil but still lives a long life there is no direct explanation in the faith. The inherited guilt can allow for some of these discrepancies, but in the end a wealthy family that does ill and is not punished gives reason to doubt God. The closest to a solution is that God seems to be a vengeful god who does not always follow his own rules. In Genesis 18 we see that Abraham must convince God that he should not blindly destroy the righteous with the wicked. In Job we see God give permission for Satan (at this point only the adversary to man), ”Behold, all that he has is in your power“ (Job 2.12), to destroy Job’s property and children. Both of these occurrences show God to perform evil acts along with good. Therefore he embodies good and evil. The problem with this for those that worship him is the question of: why worship this God who would commit these terrible acts?

In the New Testament we see an alternative view that allows for a system of faith that is easier to see as fact. The rewards and punishments are promised after death where no one can confirm of deny them actually occurring. Looking into the rewards that are given in life, they are often to those that do not have faith or follow the credence of God. In Acts 8 we see the conversion of Saul to Paul. This man who speaks of murdering the disciples is blinded, but then is brought into the care of Jesus and God and ”increased all the more in strength“ (Acts 8.22). Though changed, he is still rewarded. This is not consistent with the Old Testament in which he would most likely been maimed then killed.

As Jesus travels through the country he heals those that come forward and have faith. This reward for faith allows for visual confirmation of their worship, but that is the only reason it is occurring: so that Jesus can prove who he is, ”healing every disease and every infirmity among the people. So his fame spread though out all Syria“ (Matthew 5.23-24). One is a result of the other. There may be reward in having faith, but the true reward is in heaven: ”’your reward is great in heaven’“ (Matthew 5.12). The healing performed by Jesus seems to only be showmanship to gain that faith. It is not a direct reward for those that follow the rules set by God.

In the parables that are spoken by Jesus there is the explanation for God’s rewarding those that are not consistently faithful: ”there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance“ (Luke 15.7). Like the Psalm of the Old Testament this gives some explanation for the rewards and punishments of the people. This explanation shows God to be chiefly a forgiving god that will rather look on choosing to follow the faith later in life, than being consistent in faith throughout life. This plays well with the idea of a Satan figure because it shows that turning from evil to good holds greater weight, and allows for mistakes to be made. These mistakes make for a more realistic life to be lead by the followers of God.

The rewards and punishments of the New Testament are invisible and those occurrences of pain and bad circumstances can be explained away by the existence of Satan. In the Old Testament everything is meant to represent a reward or punishment for previous actions. Any occurrence that does not fit into this equation of the Old Testament is allotted to the fact that God will randomly smite some one because he does hold evil within him. These two differing religions allow for different conclusions to made about evil in the world. In the old, evil is part of the religion that you believe in; it is part of the god that you love. In the new, evil is part of God’s creation, but not under his control; it is something that you must overcome to be rewarded by God. The monism and dualism prove to be the push for the two Testaments to greatly differ.

i think i got a 'b': Jesus the Man

Jesus the Man

In the Old Testament there are many prophets and leaders of the people. In the New Testament for focus is on one: Jesus. As the son of God, he holds the understanding of the universe and the responsibility of saving the human race. He speaks in parables and paradoxes, and one could say is a paradox himself. But who is he? Through the gospels there is little description of Jesus the man, but through the hints that we are given Jesus seems to be made out to be a normal person with normal flaws. In this paper I will look at his beliefs, actions, and family to find if these flaws are present or not.

In the first half of each of the gospels we hear the parables that Jesus presents, the new rules through which the people are supposed to live by. In this there is the raising of the poor in both spirit and monetary worth (Matthew 5.3 and Luke 6.20 respectively). This change from the Old Testament indicates a favoring and love for those less fortunate. Indicating, possibly, that the author was of a lower status. This along with the influence from Persia and Greece could have created this characteristic in Jesus of believing in those who have less. Also there is his complete disdain for the matter of the flesh that is reflected in Matthew 5.27 with the strict credence against adultery. In chapter 6 of Matthew Jesus speaks against all things of flesh: money, clothing, food, and drink. This sets him apart from his people in that it is human nature to desire those needs of drink food and shelter in the form of clothing or a house, and Jesus does not desire these things.

These beliefs should connect to his actions, but there is a break in the belief from the actions that should result. Jesus’ miracles often present themselves in the form of healing, as seen in Matthew 8.2 when Jesus heals the leper when asked, ”’Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.‘“ This contradicts his devaluing of the flesh. It seems that by healing he is lengthening their lives and thereby denying them access to heaven till a later date. In terms of who this makes him as a man, this indicates a actual understanding for the pains of the flesh even though he states that you should just ignore them. The most contradictory action is the incident with the fig tree. In Matthew 21.18 he smites the tree for having no fruit. This seems a childish thing to do, to kill something because it does not give you what you desire. Also this works against words Jesus spoke in Matthew 6 against desiring food. In Matthew 15.36 he shows the power to feed the masses with seven loaves of bread, and early shows the ability to control the forces of nature, yet here he can only smite the tree and not bring forth fruit. Either he is being shown to be forgetful of his power, or just as willing to smite as his Father in the Old Testament.

Through actions compared to beliefs we see that Jesus is a contradictory man. If only looking into the actions that he makes, we see him to have pity for those in pain, and have the frustration of the rest of human kind of not getting that which you want in the moment you want it. Even in his death we see him asking to be saved (Matthew 27.46). Jesus appears to be a man who thinks big, but acts as any man would in the same situations. He is only of a normal stature in looking at his actions, but his beliefs put him above his disciples.

a crazy danish tv series: Riget

Riget

Through graphic scenes, dynamic characters, and absurd humor Lars von Trier presents a world in which values exist along side the horror that he wishes to present to his audience. Von Trier displays a dark sense of humor in his creations, as seen both in The Kingdom (I and II) and Breaking the Waves. This humor, and von Trier’s film style, create a unique experience perceived through his creations. His distinct style allows for his stories to feel even more extraordinary. In this paper I will explore Lars von Trier’s style though his stories, characters and film elements. I will look briefly into the film “Breaking the Waves” and the new Stephen King’s Kingdom Hospital in which von Trier is an executive producer, but focus mostly on The Kingdom and some aspects of The Kingdom II.

When viewing The Kingdom mini-series themes and values seem to disappear behind the highly entertaining plot and characters, but they are not gone. In this four part series the themes von Trier displays are those of friendship or fellowship, loyalty, and helping those in need. The characters that do not abide by these concepts are punished, such as in the case of Helmer. The characters that follow through with their loyalty and friendship come out with some success, but of course because there is no conclusion everything cannot be rapped up with a nice red bow.

Von Trier does not attempt to strictly follow the traditional rules of film in his editing, cinematography and music. Von Tries includes much high film style in this project, but also there are the aspects that label it as a television series. Looking at The Kingdom as a film it is very inventive, but when looking at it in terms of television, whether series or mini-series, it does not seem so original simply because of the combination of film and television techniques, but for its time it was. Part of this is the editing between stories. Because there is such a complex-multi-character plot the editing must adapt to this. The most common pattern is that one story line is introduced, this continues until tension builds, which is broken by the introduction of a secondary story line. There is only a brief stop on this second story before the audience is returned to the first plot line, but once this concludes (temporarily at least) the second story line becomes the focus. This pattern is modified to include many different plots shown at once, or continues with the same pattern of switching between two story lines as more are added.

The multi-plot format is also reflected in the cinematography. Most of the camera work is done hand held without a Steady-Cam. This adds to the urgency and realistic feel of the hospital (although the plot is not grounded in reality, the idea of a science and hospitals are). The multiple plots are pushed along by this urgency. Without a consistent style in the camera work the audience would feel lost, so it seems this might be why von Trier and his cinematographer chose not to vary the stye too much. Although, there is variation. During a moment of tension or uncertainty of the audience, the cinematography becomes very stylized. This can be seen in the opening shots of The Kingdom with the bleaching ponds and the first moments at the hospital.

In the opening explanation of the history of the land that the hospital is built on, there is a slow monotonous feeling to the era. The absence of jump cuts and presence of fades reflect this. Every shot is carefully chosen and put into place. This continues into the first shots of the hospital with Hensen running out to see the ghost ambulance. The low angle shots give a sense of smallness. This type of shot, in association with the empty halls and ghost ambulance, brings a creepy lonely feeling to the audience. This seems to be how von Trier wanted the stage to be set for his story.

These planned shots that are carefully set and organized are also seen in the slower high tension scenes that periodically appear in The Kingdom. These scenes mostly involve the plot line between Ms. Drusse and Mary. When Emma Mogensen passes on and speaks to Mary there is an amazing shot between the florescent lights down on Ms. Drusse. This shot shows the insignificance of Ms. Drusse compared to the world beyond. Although, not the same type of tension, the scenes in which Helmer escapes to the roof show a similar style. Helmer is looked down upon with the camera circling above him. These shots show his smallness and desperation to escape this “damned Denmark.” Bird’s-eye-view shots are commonly used by von Trier on different occasions of importance in The Kingdom.

In combination with the cinematography, the music and sound sets the tone of the scenes of this mini-series. As the hand-held camera work gives the impression of reality so does the lack of background music. The sounds consists primarily of diegetic sound, or sounds that originate from a source within the film’s world. There is not hip rock and roll songs or corny background music, the only composed music, or nondiegetic sound, is used in very specific moments of tension or emotion. The most common musical theme is the tension music that is played when a ghost appears, or something else unexplainable happens. This theme is mostly used to transition between plot lines, but also used in extreme moments during the action. The other theme that is repeated is the violins that are played at Emma’s death. When other moments of sadness or sweetness occur this music is put in to draw attention to the moment. This use of sound, in my opinion, allows for the von Trier’s story to be the focus, not the presentation.

For von Trier’s the Kingdom to be so effective in drawing the audience in, the characters become of great importance. Each person within this story has a distinct personality, quirks and all. Because of the many plot lines that von Trier has included in this mini-series there are many characters. Often these characters are paired with another to bring the most out of their personality. To begin I would like to discuss the pair of dishwashers. These two characters take the role of interludes in the story. (A concept that von Trier seems to be fond of as this is also seen in the chapter titles in Breaking the Waves.) They offer summary and explanation. Dishwasher 2, the young man, seems to play the representation of von Trier. I say this, clearly only theorizing, because he holds the answers that Dishwasher 1, or the representation of the audience, asks. This question and answer pattern allows for more understanding of what messages von Trier is attempting to present and a greater understanding of the events of the story.

As these two characters are paired to explain, other characters are paired to give dynamic relationships to the story. One of these pairs is Moesgaard and Helmer. As these two are the representation of Denmark and Sweden, respectively, they play a comic role from this perspective. As they play off each other, the story progresses and there is humor. This ‘friendship’ works because of Moesgaard’s kindness and naiveté and Helmer’s dishonesty and deception. Individually these two play very different roles. Helmer is the character to hate, while Moesgaard is the one to be fond of. Often having conversations in the halls of the hospital they solve each others problems, Moesgaard through loyalty, Helmer because he must.

Another dynamic duo is Ms. Drusse and her son Bulder. This mother son relationship brings tension and relatabilty, for the audience. One might imagine von Trier was drawing form his own experience. In this relationship Bulder, although much larger, is pushed around by his mother. Her skill in guilting him into things is clearly something she takes advantage of, and Bulder cannot avoid succumbing to. Although this relationship may seemed severely flawed, it is clear that they have a very loving connection. There is no truly clear example of this in The Kingdom, besides the simple affection Bulder shows for his mother through following through with her requests, but in the The Kingdom II there is more. In the opening sequence in which Ms. Drusse is seriously injured, we see Bulder’s concern and love for his mother.

A pairing that is less direct is the match between Mona and Mary. Much of this match is done through their similarities in situations, and one shot in which the camera focuses down on these two as they sit in the exact same position in Mona’s room. Both are sympathetic characters that reflect a flaw in the medical practice that the hospital is built on. Mary’s part in the mini-series is to drive the plot along for Drusse and those characters that she is involved with. Mona pushes the plot forward for Helmer and those the he works with. Both girls bring about change for the hospital, or at least Mona potentially will if the plot continues as it is. This change is what the opening bleaching pond sequence foreshadows and is clearly the main focus of von Trier’s creation.

Those mentioned above are the main examples of the pairing of characters. The additional characters also play significant roles but in different ways. There is Hook who, as the series explains, keeps the hospital running. He also plays the role of the every man as an attending who does not have the authority he would like. Judith is connected to Hook through their relationship and their being in the same department. She does represent a significant part of the hospital or plot, but is another dynamic of the story. In The Kingdom II her role is larger with Little Brother and his importance. Rigmor is the example of loyalty as she supports Helmer whole heatedly. Her transformation after his betrayal is one of the great dark comedic aspects of The Kingdom. This comedy is also seen through Mogge. As Moesgaard’s son he shares the same traits or comedy and over zealousness. When he goes over board with an idea he falls into a great amount of trouble, as with his chase of Camilla.

These interesting and diverse characters are what make up the world of The Kingdom. Without them the story is simply a traditional ghost story, which it really isn’t. Although von Trier’s series was not able to go beyond six episodes, these characters are simulated in the new creation Kingdom Hospital that Stephen King has adapted from The Kingdom. This is not really connected to the original in terms of von Trier’s concept, but it is interesting to look at the American take on this Danish creation.

In this look at the Kingdom hospital much of the characters are the same, down to names and the look of the actors. Some scenes are exactly duplicated, for example Helmer’s difficulty with the boys in the parking lot. In Kingdom Hospital this is done with a twist to make it work with modern cars’ lack of hubcaps, also with who would be hanging around an American hospital. Another major difference is the part that Hook plays. He is not just an assistant register, but a prominent surgeon who is instructing the character that replaces Mogge (ironically named Elmer-too similar to Helmer to not be a joke). This difference I believe to be inserted because for America the relatable every man must be the best at what he does. He cannot be low on the ranks simply because of the misguided American dream that everyone can make it to the top. The extreme simulates can probably be contributed to Lars von Trier’s presence as an executive producer, but there are some definite differences that follow themes that Stephen King has used in his past works. An example of this is the inclusion of a giant anteater that it seems only the sick can see, King often uses animals in his stories of strange origin. This progression of The Kingdom into a new version for a new audience shows the staying power of von Trier’s story and characters. These are powerful inventions that audiences are drawn to.

Lars von Trier’s The Kingdom is a story of ghosts, friendship and medicine. It is a dynamic story that continues on, although not in the original format. Through it’s plot we are presented with an interesting world in which ghosts and other strangities are a reality. Using a style of realism for this film the audience is even further connected to the wonderful and entertaining characters. The message that von Trier seems to giving us is that you must except the good with the evil. This is seen in his speech during the credits and also in the story he presents. As the characters struggle through there world there is good and bad to each of them. This is why must, and do, love them, both in this creation of The Kingdom and others such as Breaking the Waves.

i don't even remember writing this: Sisters

Sisters


Her shoe laces were untied. The bright white color was changing to a dim beige. Fran watched the muddy water blend with the bleached white of these new foreign shoes. Bright red feet moving step by step did not seem attached to her ankles, her legs, to her body. The mud splashed higher and even the red begin to change. Fran breathed easier. This brown beige change felt like home. It felt familiar. Looking around all this wetness seemed foreign to this place that Fran now lived. Her eyes kept going to her changing shoes. The colors were becoming familiar, the world adapting to her expectations. Looking back now this idea of adaptation seemed silly to Francine. The world did not change because of rain, and it did not change because a small girl wanted it to.
* * *

”I don’t want to move!”

“I know you don’t want to, but its not up to you. It’s not even up to us. We just have to. It’s not safe anymore.” Fran screeched in her mother’s face and stomped off to her room. Her eyes were wet and her throat seared. She knew it was true. Every day the noise of war broke the silence of anticipation. Fran didn’t go to school any more, it had burned down. Anna couldn’t come over to play, she and her parents had already left the city. Nothing seemed fair or right anymore. This coming change scared Fran more than the bombs exploding down the street. But what was even worse was having no control, no opinion that counted.

Turning to the big pink suitcase Fran begin again to fold clothes. There was no avoiding it. There was no need to check on her. Being an independent child, Fran’s mother knew this was what made the move harder for Fran than Jolene. Two years older, Jolene always depended on her mother, her father, her sister and her friends for direction. She didn’t like to make decisions on her own and was easily intimidated. Especially by her sister. Fran took every opportunity to get what she needed through Jolene. The older child trusted Fran with her life. Fran held the same faith in Jolene, but shoe would never admit to it.

”Did you pack all of your shoes?”

“Of course I did, Jolene.”

“Then have you seen my green shoes?” Fran frowned. Those were her favorite ones to ‘borrow.’

“Yes. They’re right here,” she said as she lifted them out of the corner of her bag. Jolene smiled softly and took them to place carefully in her own bag. Everything was conscientiously organized in her green hard suitcase. The shoes were in plastic bags, the tops with tops and bottoms with bottoms. This meticulous order was Jolene’s way of controlling the world. This small space was hers to do with as she would. Fran’s influence was on the rest of the shared space, and would spill over to anywhere else it could. In the resent past generosity had taken hold of Fran. The sisters shared without argument and talked quietly in the corner as their parents looked on. This had started after the beginning of the violence in the city.

Early in the days war, as it just begin to encroach on their home, Jolene and Fran stuck to regular their route. On this day, Fran chatted with Anna as Jolene walked behind. Normally Jolene’s friend Harold would be with her, but he and his family had returned to England after hearing rumors of conflict coming to the city. The walk home took the children past the good sweets shops and stores with brightly colored displays. As they walked their talk was about the boys and homework and evil teaches, but this was spoiled by odd yelling. It came from the bakery owned by the old Mr. Messrini. On sunny days he would be sitting outside waiting for the girls. Mr. Messrini would favor them with special treats when they passed by his way. This unusual noise coming from the quiet shop brought the girls running up to the windows to spy in. All seemed as it was to be expected. Fran stood to lead Jolene and Anna in when a strange man with a gun came into view. His clothes were dirty and his eyes were wild. This man was yelling at Mr. Messrini and his wife. Waving his gun around he told them that they didn’t belong, that they should go home now. Fran didn't understand this. Mr. Messrini had been in this shop since before she could remember. This was his home, she moved to the doorway of the bakery,

“This is their shop. You are the stranger, you should leave.” Fran spoke these words calmly. The dirty man turned and looked to this small girl still in her school uniform. He was shocked by this willful girl. In this moment of silence Mr. Messrini grabbed for the gun, screaming filled the room as his wife opened her mouth. The man’s wild eyes focused on Mr. Messrini and he pulled the trigger. The boom filled the shop and time stopped. Flying through the air, this small scrap of metal made contact with Mr. Messrini’s skull. Bone shattered and blood covered everything. Mr. Messrini crumpled to the floor like a bag of flour. All of his memories and thoughts spilled onto the floor. His wife’s white dress was now red. Her eyes looked from her now empty husband to this stranger who had ended her life. She screamed until her voice gave out. The stranger with the gun turned to her. He looked her in the eye. Her silence was filling the room, overwhelming the man with the wild eyes. Again, the boom of the gun filled the room. A small squeal from outside snapped the tension. The world started moving again. But Fran couldn’t move. The stranger pushed past her and ran down the street. Fran had done this. She had killed two people. Arms pulled her out of the room. Jolene repeated,

“We have to move Francine. Its time to go. We have to go...” Anna’s eyes were wide with fear. The three girls held each other as they walked down the street in silence. A silence that never left them.
* * *

“Jolene, do you think our new home will be anything like this one?”

“I don’t know. All Mummy and Daddy will say is that we are going to Texas.”

“Where is Texas?”

“Somewhere in America.” The war had only brought one good thing for this family, it had brought Fran respect for Jolene. The sisters were now equals. Neither spoke of the day at the bakery. But Fran woke every night in a cold sweet, panting. Her dreams were filled with people dying.

“This is you’re home,” she would say. “Don’t leave, you belong here.” The familiar faces she passed would transform into open mouths silently trying to scream, their bodies would then crumple. Blood would spring from invisible wounds while silence filled Fran’s ears. The world would be turned red by blood. Eventually Fran would jolt awake, white walls and Jolene's peaceful figure would bring Fran back into her home. This safe place that now was no longer safe enough.
* * *

Dust had disappeared from their apartment after Mother’s cleaning. Clean white sheets were draped over the furniture in every room. Under those sheets the beds were now only mattresses, the bookshelves were empty, and the cupboards no longer held the family’s favorite treats. Everything was in boxes on a plane or ship very far away. Childhood was over Fran had concluded. Jolene held onto her pink diary staring at the empty apartment.

“The taxi is here girls. Let’s get a move on,” Dad hollered from the bottom of the stairs.

“Come on you two, we can’t be late.” Getting exit visas had not been easy. Fran had gotten to go with her father to see what it was like. There was a man at the end of the long line, standing behind the window. Fran had been so excited to see this official business being taken care of, but this official man scowled at her. He told her father that it seemed the whole country was emptying out. Guilt returned. She had done wrong. She should stay here and fix it, make it better so people would come home. Fran didn’t really want to leave her home, the apartment on the third floor, the noisy dog on the first, and Aunt Cara were still here. Who would clean her house once Fran and Jolene were gone? Fran never liked to, but the tea and treats after were good. School with Anna, the other girls, even weird Harold, it was all over. All of these people who she would never see again. The fighting had broken everything.

“I”m sorry sir. I don’t want to go.”

“Of course you do, sweetie. Its not safe and your new home...”

“Young lady, you might as well go with the rest of them. If you stay you wouldn’t be able to do any good anyways.” Fran looked up at this scowling honest man. In that moment Fran felt that she should run away as fast as she could. But Fran had to stay. She had to make up for her mistake. She had to fix it. But logic cleared her vision as her father patted her head.

“Don’t say that to my big girl. She thinks she can save the world.” Fran knew this wasn’t true. She knew that she could only pray she wouldn’t ruin someone else in this world.
* * *

Blinding light shown through the small window. Fran leaned closer to look down on her new home. The houses were so tiny, and blue squares filled the landscape. This strange land promised a different life. One of college education, American boys, short skirts, and getting jobs.

“What are all those blue squares, Daddy?”

“They’re swimming pools, Jolene.” Fran was quiet. Everything felt wrong to her. She shouldn’t be here. She should be back home. Jolene sensed that this is where Fran’s thoughts were, she put arm around Fran’s shoulder,

“Everything will be great, Fran. Right Daddy?”

“Yes girls, everything will be wonderful,” but there mother wasn’t so sure. She was so unsure of what his new life would be.
* * *

‘New’ smell flooded Fran’s nose. Everything looked fresh, as if it had never been used before. As the family walked from room to room, exploring their new home, Fran begin to feel cold. This wasn’t home. This would never be home.

“Three bedrooms Fran! Can you believe it?” Fran looked at her sister with cynicism. “Which one do you want?”
“I don’t care. We won’t be here for long anyways. It doesn’t matter.” Mother and Father looked to each other. This wasn’t true. They had no idea if they would ever be able to return to their ancestors' home, especially since they would be getting American citizenship. Fran didn’t know this, and wouldn’t want to. Jolene saw the good in things, the new opportunities that had presented themselves. A wonderful school was just down the street and there were many other people in this neighborhood from the middle east. It could be a great home if things went right. Fran walked meekly into the corner bedroom,

“I guess I’ll take this one...”

“That's fine. I like the one in the middle.” Jolene received a scowl for her good mood. Fran sat by the window of her newly claimed room and thought back to the reason for this new life. No matter how dangerous it was there she could do more there than here. Here she would just have to move through life without even being able to acknowledge the many deaths that were happening right now. Here she was useless.

As Fran thought on how she could change this, the rest of her family begin to unpack and make this their home. Hangings went up in the living room downstairs, dishes and silverware went into drawers in the kitchen, and the sheets came off the newly shipped furniture. Hours passed and Fran finally came out of her room. The house had transformed everything. It now looked just like their apartment back home. The furniture was different, but everything felt the same. New feelings of safety and comfort confused Fran. This wasn’t her home, she shouldn’t be adapting. But after a few weeks, months of living in this new home, in this new neighborhood, Fran begin to relax. Everything begin to become comfortable, to feel like home. Fran felt like she was betraying her country, but then she would forget this for a moment and laugh with her new friends. These moments became longer and longer. The new clothes and shoes started feeling like hers. Everything became normal.
* * *

Red filled every corner of Fran’s vision. She could not run anymore. It was overwhelming her, suffocating her. Hands were grabbing at her, trying to pull her down.

“Let me go! I’m trying to help you, I’m not the enemy!” She screamed and tried to pull herself free, but it was no use. The slimy hands brought her down to her level and she begin to drown in the deep red blood. The world begin to shake and Fran blinked at a new bright light that shown down on her.

“Wake up. It’s just a nightmare.” Jolene’s voice pulled her out of the abyss. Fran breathed heavily as the realization of what was happening came over her. The dreams had started again. She thought that she had moved past this. That she no longer needed to fix her mistakes, but now she knew that could never be. Jolene looked done at her little sister knowing the pain that she was going through. Reliving that terrible day over and over in her sleep. Jolene knew that her sister thought that she had done it, that she had killed them, but Jolene didn’t know how to explain how wrong this was. She feared her younger sister would go insane or do something terrible. Jolene had seen the hidden scares and seen the bloody rags that Fran kept stashed under her mattress. This wasn’t going to go away. Maybe it was time to tell Mom and Dad. But Jolene was afraid that Fran would hate her. She needed her sister’s love. She cared deeply what this younger girl thought of her.

Fran looked down in shame. She didn’t want her sister to see this side of her. Jolene knew her guilt, but Fran didn’t want her to know what it was doing to her. It had paused, but it would start again. She wouldn’t feel anymore. Everything, the whole world, would mute. In moments of terror and confusion Fran would reach for the razor she kept hidden. The smooth slices she made would feel good, satisfying. In these moments, the blood that rushed forth brought some sort of justice. Fran felt that she had paid a small amount of the due she owed. But there were so many scars, and they would take longer to heal. She couldn’t let Mom or Dad or Jolene see them, then they would know her shame. Jolene smiled gently and turned from her sister. Fran breathed a sigh of relief.

Fran stood up and reached for the clothes that Jolene had laid out the night before. Her favorite jeans, a blue button up shirt and her new red sneakers. As she dressed Jolene watched Fran’s scares disappear under her clothes from the doorway. Jolene was so worried after this mornings dream, it had seemed worse. Maybe she should tell Mom and Dad. The girls ate breakfast smiling and chit chatting with their parents. It was a normal morning with American cold cereal and orange juice. The family was at peace. Fran and Jolene were in a state of great contemplation, one thinking of telling the truth, the other thinking of solutions. Fran decided she would pay her price, and Jolene decided she would keep her sister safe by betraying her, but not till dinner.
* * *

Walking home after school, rain begin to fall on Fran’s head. Mud formed in the dirt at the edge of the side walk. The world begin to transform from bright and sunny to dim clouds and browns. Fran found comfort in this familiar color as her shoes merged with the new hue. Ideas of escape raced though her mind. Guilt weighed down on her every move. Fran couldn’t stand it any longer. Even the mud couldn't not stop the red of her shoes from yelling at her. She had to do it soon. A loud rumble begin to fill her ears as a city bus approached. The heavy machine would be her freedom.

Fran had forgotten all about Jolene trailing behind her, and Jolene saw Fran’s plan form in her mind. She couldn’t lose her sister. This couldn’t happen. Time slowed. Fran stepped off the curb, Jolene followed. Fran raced to catch the bus as it accelerated up the hill. Jolene followed. Fran stood with arms spread and eyes closed, then was jolted. Jolene felt the weight of the bus smash her small body, every bone and muscle screamed. Fran’s head hit the curb, red filled her vision and life seemed over. A smile lighted on her face.

over analysis of a "simple" movie: The First 20 Minutes of Lethal Weapon...

The First 20 Minutes of Lethal Weapon...
and the Rest of That Crap

The film, or rather movie, Lethal Weapon (1987) is one that seems to have some sort of influence on every man who grew up in the 1980s and early 90s. This is a movie that is made for men by men. There are moments for the ’dates‘ that are predictably seeing this film, but they are few and far between. This action genre Hollywood film is one that attempts to be deeper than it looks, at least for the first twenty minutes or so... I will discuss those successful moments and those unsuccessful, focusing on the technical aspects that drive the movie, but first looking to the creators to see how their influence is spread.

The director Richard Donner, set the course for the film. What we see in Lethal Weapon we also see in his films The Goonies (1985), Superman: The Movie (1978), and Assassins (1995). There is often a lone hero, or at least heroes that can be classified as underdogs. The action genre appears to be his preference. Through this genre he supports and creates the classic Hollywood ending. After Lethal Weapon, he has worked on films in the same genre and with similar themes, also working repeatedly with Mel Gibson. Donner also worked in television, producing many Tales from the Crypt (1989) television episodes. This implies that he has an understanding of the darker themes and scenes that would be used in that series, and appear in Lethal Weapon. In this genre low lighting and intense music are a prerequisite, and Donner has it mastered.

Another influence is the writer, Shane Black. Lethal Weapon was his film writing debut. In the same year the less successful film The Monster Squad was in theaters, also written by Black. Much like Donner, Black’s films fit into the action genre with titles such as Last Action Hero (1993) and The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996). Black, being only 26 when Lethal Weapon was released has reason for writing an immature film. The limited life experience that Black probably held influences the film in that this author is writing from only what he knows. This fits well with the theme of have fun and not much more that is presented in Lethal Weapon.

Production ideas come through the cinematographer as well, in this case Stephen Goldblatt. Joe verses the Volcano (1990) and Striptease (1996) are a few of those that he has worked on. These films are of very different styles but both show a quality in their attempt to be taken seriously, more so in Joe verses the Volcano than in the other, of course. Editing is essential in the way we see a film. Stuart Baird has worked on Superman: The Movie and Demolition Man (1993). He has also worked with Donner on other projects. The cuts in Lethal Weapon follow the basic rules of editing without any real experimentation, which is consistent with the genre and his additional work.

Moving on to the film, Lethal Weapon opens with a helicopter shot of Los Angeles. This opening sequence sets the stage with darkness and Christmas music. In this film there is an ironic choice of setting for the time of year. Christmas is the background throughout, with the music and the sets. In this particular scene ”Jingle Bell Rock“ is used with the line: ”now the jingle bell hop has begun“. This indicates the beginning of the important plot elements. The music is first and then we come to the decorations as we are presented with the half naked whore. The choice of shot here is a continues long shot that zooms into focus on the young blonde. One of first cuts is is to the blonde using coke from the coffee table where we can see a reflection of Christmas lights. The choice of mise-en-scene is being used to play with these contradictory ideas, Christmas versus drugs.

The theme of contradiction carries over to our main characters. Their introduction to the audience is the most effective part of the film. First we are acquainted with Sergeant Roger Murtaugh (played by Danny Glover) through a picturesque representation of suburban life. A beautiful sunrise shot of a two story house opens the scene. The milk truck pulls up, a neighbor walks by with their dog, we are given an image of American bliss. We then jump-cut to Roger nude in the bath and a ”Surprise!“ from his family. The camera stays on this one shot till the family leaves. For this birthday moment the camera frames the daughter in the middle with Roger the prominent figure. The characters move within the frame to kiss Roger and then leave. This allows Donner to have the focus on whatever character he wants without moving the camera or cutting to a new shot.

The daughter, Rianne (played by Traci Wolfe), is the last to leave. This is where the first cut is as it brings Rianne and her father into a close shot together. She splashes him with water and seems to flirt as she teases him about his beard. The cut draws attention to this moment and brings them in a more intimate position. This choice indicates a Electra Complex, which is recreated later in the film. As Rianne says, ”Bye, Father“ and leaves, the music comes in. This is Roger’s theme. It is a slow calm, stereotypically, jazz sax theme. This stereotyping is typical to in all of Lethal Weapon as the black, white, and asian characters are placed in cookie cutters.

These cutters are seen as the music transitions to guitar and we are introduced to Sergeant Martin Riggs (played by Mel Gibson). Contradictory to Roger’s opening shot, Riggs’ is of a dreary gray beach morning. The scene starts with a crane shot of the beach. There is a golden dog running to the right of the screen, and the camera moves in on the dog as he crosses the street to a trailer park. A jump-cut that follows to a man smoking in bed. His face is covered by his arm as he ’wakes‘ with coughing. On the bed with him is a gun and an ash tray. The guitar theme, Riggs’ theme, fades to the sounds of Family Feud on the TV This is the anit-suburban experience. Riggs is not surround by American bliss, but by the leftovers of society.

As the scene progresses we are shown the emptiness of his life, with the exception of his dog. Sam, the dog, fits into Riggs’ character as Riggs is the lone ranger; and although the ranger is alone he still has his horse, or dog. The shots in this scene are close on Riggs, and then move to long shots from either end of the trailer. As in both, Roger’s or Riggs’, scenes the majority of the movie is done through master shots. Baird’s editing style only uses quick cuts in action sequences to exaggerate the tension. This is, as I said before, by the book editing. Even in conversations between characters Baird uses traditional Hollywood shot-reverse-shot almost without exception.

In the Film so far we have had our characters waking to (nearly) everyday life in their own worlds, and this now continues. The cross cutting between these two environments makes the theme of contradiction more apparent, as the next scene returns to Roger’s same morning. The camera, from indoors, follows two young women who enter from the outside. As part of the representation of the relaxed environment Roger lives in, these two women enter without knocking or announcement. Baird is creative with the cut to a close up of a dropped egg. Roger enters the kitchen and comments on his wife’s skill in cooking. Domesticity continues with the couples conversation, even as it includes some of the information we will need later for the criminal plot.

Roger leaves his wife and the kitchen to attend to his children. After a complaint from the youngest, the eldest daughter comes down the stairs and the sax theme starts up. Roger is gazing longingly towards Rianne in her new dress. His lingering gaze cuts off all words until he is at the door and proclaims, ”God Damn Heartbreaker“. In this we can either assume he is the shocked father of an aging daughter or we can bring in Electra. Roger’s gaze is the male gaze of the camera that persists throughout the film on all women. In this scene alone, no women hold a place of respect. The wife is incompetent, and the daughter is a sex object–and so are her friends as Roger teases them. Even in Roger’s comment to the cat shows him as a ’man’s man‘ who doesn’t like fuzzy things, along with one who is rude to his wife, and sexualizes young women.
Moving through the day, Baird jump cuts to Riggs back (still in the trailer) moving away from the camera. The shot introduces the scene with darkness and then the character brings in the light. A creative way to transition, this introduces us to Riggs’ morning as it directly opposes Roger’s. This choice also shows that the character has control over this environment. Here the shot is motionless, the camera stays at the back of the trailer. In Roger’s scene the camera follows him, and cuts to new locations. This is for practical purposes, but it also expresses the smallness of Riggs’ life opposed to the richness of Roger’s. The foley in this scene take on a humorous light as Riggs puts his loaded gun in his pants and a girl screams on the TV set. This enthusiastic scream acknowledges the phallic nature of the weapon, and the use of Gibson as a sex object.

Then we jump cut to the television show and the wedding photo. With Family Feud on the TV, this severely contradicts the happy wedding photo, but matches our lack of knowledge about Riggs’ past. As Roger ate bacon, Riggs eats a dog biscuit, drinks his beer, then throws the bottle into the television set. With this the creators are throwing contradictions in our face. Roger is happy, Riggs is sad. These two characters have completely different lives, but they are still both kind men as we see in Riggs apologizing to Sam (the dog), and the woman in the picture, then promising to replace the TV. Riggs violently smashing his TV reveals his instability, at the same time sending a none to subtle message to viewers about the evils of TV. This anti-media agenda is repeated throughout the film–which is of course a form of media (how ironic) which matches Riggs self loathing.

In the following scene we return to Roger, beginning with Roger’s back to the camera as he takes off his jacket. This devise connects the two men on a subconscious level for the audience. We are being introduced to them in the same way even though they are very different men. Part of the transition is also the use of Roger’s theme, as before. The Sergeant is at the shooting range and is celebrating his birthday by proving to himself that he still has it. ’It‘ being the ability to shoot accurately. The matches another message that this movie sends: what it is to be a man. This is one example of how the characters in this film define their manhood, and this motif of guns as manhood is repeated over and over. This sends the negative message to young men that violence is what makes you powerful.

In this next episode with Riggs we begin the introduction to work personalities. The jump-cut is to Riggs’ American car and a call to a crime scene. The guitar music that is Riggs’ theme comes in, but with a western twang. We see Riggs as the Lone Ranger. Everything in this next scene sets him up to be the lonely man who comes in to save the day when no one else can, the Lone Ranger. The other police officers at the scene are clueless and the S.W.A.T. is not coming. The cuts are made between Riggs strolling confidently into danger, to the children at whom shots are aimed. Baird’s editing allows the viewer to know what is going on quickly and easily. The quick cuts made in this scene are contrary to the long shots in the earlier introduction sequences. This brings up the tension. All of this enforces the perspective that being reckless is sexy and manly.
In the final part of this sequence Riggs faces the sniper. He walks up the stairs to meet him, as the female officer (with pink manicured nails) tells him that's he’s ”in the line of fire!“ and tries to grab his legs. The camera follows him up the stairs in one smooth motion then jumps to a close up of his face, then ”Hello Mr. Sniper“. Riggs appears completely lost in his anger as he shoots at this sniper, and the sniper shoots back with no accuracy at all. Riggs fires out the clip and then loads another after the villain is very dead. The audience understands now that he loses control when firing a weapon. This is reinforced in Riggs’ next scene.

Before Riggs lost control again, we jump to Roger’s day on duty. The shot is long and stays in the car even after Roger has left. Here we are returned to the events of the opening sequence as Roger is assigned to this homicide. We see Rogers concern for the victim only after he realizes he knows her parents. This matches his attitude towards the hooker in the scene. In this it is confirmed that Roger is an upstanding moral citizen. The scene ends with Roger sitting on the floor in the mess of the hotel room. Head down, nearly silhouetted in the light from the window, Roger’s mood is reflected in his theme music as it fades in.

Moral ambiguity is introduced in Riggs’ next sequence. We start with a close up of duct taped bags of white powder– presumably drugs. This transitions smoothly from the last scene as Roger is left in a room full of the same powder. In contradiction to Roger’s scene, the set is outdoors and bright. The viewers take this as a drug deal with Riggs as the buyer. This is supported in the dialogue and the acting. The acting, although terrible, does promote a convincing scene of a corrupt cop. Since this is a comedy we need some humor, which is given through the dialogue. After Riggs reads the criminals their rights, half-assed, a chase persists through the maze of Christmas trees. The traditional orchestral tension music kicks in and the audience knows to hold its breath.

The scene comes to a head with Riggs begging the drug dealer to shoot him. In the confusion of the moment he takes the gun and threatens the criminal. In an unrealistic manner, which fits with the film as a whole, a fellow officer calmly walks up, while Riggs is still aiming the gun, and tells him its not worth it. This is our introduction to Riggs’ suicidal tendencies. Re-enforcement is given as we fade to the beach. It is a dark shot similar to the one in the morning. Instead of Sam there is a bonfire. The crosscutting editing choice is broken here. We do not return to Roger but continue with Riggs and see the end of his day. In this switch we understand Riggs to be the main character–of course it’s the white character. He is back at his trailer at night. Riggs is drinking and watching a Looney-Toons Christmas special. We cut to what is sitting in his lap: the wedding picture, and a gun in Riggs’ hand. To build the tension quick cuts are used, back and forth between Riggs loading his special bullet and the wedding photo. Even shots of the TV program are included, the director's anti-TV message can’t be missed. The tension ends as Riggs drops the gun and hugs the photo while crying.

After this emotional sequence we are jump-cut to singing police officers. Explanation or Riggs’ behavior is given by the ineffectual cop psychologist. Her conversation with the chief is one-sided and stopped by the men’s room door. This is an obvious statement that this is a man’s world and that women just don't count. We then move to Roger’s world. He is speaking to the ’80’s man‘. The definition of how men are supposed to act is given: they are supposed to cry. Although, this doesn’t actually change anything as the man explains his motivation to cry as not having a woman to fuck. This is enforced with Roger’s whole discounting of the emotional man. Roger then spots a strange man who looks criminal. Here is where the characters meet. They are in the defined wholes as the nervous older man, and the dangerous wild man, as Roger attempts to take down Riggs and is instead taken down himself.

From here we have the buddy picture. We continue on the path of these two characters as they enforce their own stereotypical roles and absorb some of their buddy’s traits as their own–in classic buddy flic form. The rest of the film has the violence and tough guy manner that makes this genre successful. We are presented with racism (with Endo, the Asian torture specialist, and his American accent), sexism (as no female plays an effectual part). The film fulfills the expectation of the audience.

In the first twenty minutes our main characters are introduced in many different scenes in the crosscutting editing that allows for them to be connected and separate. We are given traditional Hollywood techniques’ in Riggs desperado scene, and Roger’s suburban bliss. These contradictory characters are formulated in these opening scenes to express Donner’s message and to relate to the audience. What makes this film worthwhile is the techniques used to present these characters.

my last paper for my first bachelors: Who is Bu Savé?

Hooks, de Lauretis and Gaines:
Who is Bu Savé?

The Girl(2000) is a film that is trying to appeal to those who do not appreciate Hollywood cinema. With a noir sensibility, the film tells the of the romance of two women who are looking for nothing but finid eachother. The main character—simply named ‘the Narrator’ in the credits (played by Agathe De La Boulaye)—plays this noir’s lonely protagonist against the vivacious ‘the Girl’, a night club singer in Paris. A relationship grows as the narrator converts this woman who doesn’t usually take women to bed, into someone who is refusing the attention of her male lovers. Conflict arises as male jealously comes into the picture and the Narrator turns to her pervious lover/friend for help. There is a complex play here that fits into traditional noir, but also blatantly displays a butch/femme lesbian romance.

In the post-World War II world there was an influx of American films into the European market. Within this group of films were those that we think of today as film noir. Named by the French critics that experienced them all at once, this genre—or style, as there is no consensus—is one that has heavily influenced American cinema. Films that are reminiscent of noir are termed neo noir. Taking camera angles, editing style, camera movements, and some plots elements these neo noir productions often are comical parodies of noir or are using this past genre for a specific reason. In Sande Zeig’s 2000 production, The Girl, the choice of using noir elements brings in another layer to the message she is sending with her film.

As a lesbian drama the main intention of the film is to show a normalized lesbian relationship, with an attempt to avoid using the male gaze in the position of the camera. This is partially accomplished through the neo noir style. In traditional noir there is often a triangle relationship that defines most of the action of the film. The three characters that are in the points of the triangle are the hero, the femme fatale and the femme fatale’s husband or lover. This triangle can be described in terms of Freud's Oedipal complex with the hero as the son, the femme fatale as the mother and the husband/lover as the father, as described by Joan Copjec in her article “The Phenomenal Nonphenomenal” (SoN, 193-194). In the start of a classic noir the husband/lover controls the femme fatale and the hero enters on the scene and attracted to this dangerous woman, desires to save her. So here is the competition between the son and the father for the attention of the mother. What makes this more complicated is that the mother, the femme fatale, does not actually desire either of these men, she only desires power. Ironically this is what she represents to them, power or rather the phallus as Lacan defines it. Therefore the film is shot from the son’s perspective and through the male gaze of this character, as Mulvey defines in “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” (FFT, 63).

In The Girl there are these three roles and they are fulfilled by characters that fit with the standard film noir. The hero—named only ‘the Narrator’ in the credits—is a loner who is separate from the world, damaged, as the painter who cannot find inspiration. She narrates the story and dominates the film. The audience identifies from her perspective. We see the femme fatale through her desire for her. The femme fatale is the Girl. She is sexy, has no past and is selfish. Her concern is for her own career and having power over the men that she sleeps with. She is the object of desire for the Narrator, the husband /lover and the audience. The husband/lover is simply named ‘the Man’ in the credits; he is the owner of the night club where the Girl works, he has control over both the Narrator and the Girl as he is a man of wealth and means. His jealously is what drives the action of the film. For what I would like to focus on the character that is most significant is Bu Savé (played by Sandra Nkake). This black lesbian woman fits into the noir formula as the safe, non-sexed woman, who’s role is to protect the hero and guide him away from the temptations of the femme fatale—whether the femme fatale is simply a woman or the phallus as it can be both sex and power.

In the casting of the film we have a traditionally beautiful delicate woman playing the Girl. The Narrator is also a beautiful woman, but with her hair and clothing she is signaled to be butch. This gives the relationship a different dynamic than if it was simply two lesbians in a relationship. Because the Girl is so feminine her exploration into lesbianism is all the more taboo to the straight world; added to this is the butch/femme dynamic that is not entirely positive in the lesbian world, as de Lauretis writes about in her article. Their relationship is obviously one that is not acceptable, especially to ‘the Man’. Counter to this is the connection between the Narrator and Bu Savé. Not only do they both encounter each other in the lesbian world, at a coffee shop, they are both butch and do not venture into the straight world. Their relationship is commutative, they are both artists—Bu Savé writes music—and their sexual relationship is not displayed on screen, therefore not what their relationship is about. They are equals, while the Girl and the Narrator are trying to be something that is just not true, to act as a straight couple as the Girl desires. The Girl is fascinated by the Narrator as a “beautiful young man” and as a new protector once her boss tells her the she can no longer see the Narrator, not as someone she plans on keeping around.

Bu Savé exemplifies de Lauretis’ quote from Audre Lorde’s Zami, “To be Black, female, gay, and out of the closet in a white environment”…”was to be considered by many Black lesbians to be simply suicide. And if you were fool enough to do it, you’d better come on so tough that nobody messed with you” (de Lauretis, 148). Bu Savé is the woman with access to a gun; in the Narrator and Bu Savé’s brawl on the street, Bu Savé is quick to join in the attack and is very aggressive as she uses her belt as a weapon. She is a strong character that also fulfills the butch stereotype. The fact that she is a black woman in this role fits with what Gains says about the Black woman in film, “[she] is either all woman tinted black, or mostly black and scarcely woman” (Gaines, 297). Bu Savé’s butch look detracts from her status as a woman. In comparison with the Girl, the Narrator’s other lover, Bu Savé is hardly a woman. She is relegated to being the aggressive support for the Narrator, not the sexy counterpart to the Girl. Bu Savé is only woman when the Narrator is drawing her, she is only desirable through the Narrator’s eyes at that moment. Looking to another Black role, Gaines description of Tracy in Mahogany is very similar to Bu Savé (299). Bu Savé plays the same supportive role. She is there for the Narrator’s successful relationship, not her own. She steps aside for the Narrator’s happiness, Bu Savé’s own happiness is not part of her consideration in the film. Recasting this film with a white woman playing the same butch role I do not believe would have the same affect. The fact that she is a black woman exaggerates all the characteristics of the role.

The intention of the authors of this film were to break boundaries and force the audience to look at a traditional cinematic formula with a lesbian relationship replacing a normally straight relationship. Challenging stereotypes and what is acceptable in film takes place with the explicit sex scenes and in the choice of a butch/femme relationship. With the casting of Bu Savé as a black woman their could have been a much greater stretch of ideas but The Girl falls short. Bell Hooks describes the limitations of feminist criticism as it almost always ignores race (FFT, 312-319). This binary of criticism—male/female, gay/straight— holds true even in this film that is trying to break down traditional Hollywood cinema. Bu Savé’s role could have potentially been one that also developed into something beyond a standard balck-female role, but she is limited to a supportive function that does not include her as part of the desirable lesbians of the film. In her few scenes of pre- or post-sex there is nothing to bring the audience into the Narrator’s desire for this beautiful woman. Only the Girl is shown entirely in the nude—clearly a signal that she is where our eye should go—and Bu Savé is there only to make the Narrator/Girl relationship work. Hooks’ ambivalence towards black representations, “our bodies and being were there to serve—to enhance an maintain white womanhood as the the object of the phallocentric gaze” (FFT, 310), is supported as this is the only reason for Bu Savé in the film.

The Girl, with noir camera angles, colors and characters, displays a lesbian relationship that is blatant in its non apologetic characters and sexual explicit relationships. It fulfills the expectations of what a neo noir should be, even ending with betrayal and death. The efforts of the filmmakers I don’t believe was entirely met. The relationship on screen is hopeless, as a noir fling should be, but it also does not truly stretch any boundaries. The typical role of Bu Savé limits what the film as a whole can do, and brings into question much of what is being said about lesbian cinema. The perspective of Gaines, Hooks, and de Lauretis does not bode well for The Girl.







Sources:

•Thornham, Sue, ed. Feminist Film Theory. Washington Square, New York: New York University Press, 1999. pg, 58-69, 293-320.

•de Lauretis, Teresa. The Lesbian and Gay Studies Reader. “Sexual Indifference and Lesbian Representation”. New York, London: Routledge, 1988. pg. 141-158.

•Copjec, Joan, ed. Shades of Noir. London, New York: Verso, 1993. pg, 167-197.

•The Girl. Dir. Sande Zeig. Perfs. Claire Keim, Agathe De La Boulaye. DVD, 2000.

randomness of a time past: Jesus is in my Yoga Class

Jesus is in my Yoga class and he seems to be having trouble. As I pull up into my side plank, my arm shakes under my weight; I glance over to see his arm wobbling as well. I strain through the floating that takes the form of a low ‘push-up’, before I breath my way into upward dog, then downward dog. Jesus is breathing hard just like me. As an atheist my first reaction is surprise to see this figure in my class. Has the second coming happened? Was I confused in my belief that there is no god and ‘jesus’ is just a creation of the church? Well no matter, what is Jesus doing taking Yoga? This eastern practice doesn’t fit with the Christian figure balancing in the bird pose two people over. Perhaps this is why he cannot balance like the instructor or like the students who have been taking this class for a couple terms. Jesus is breaking with tradition, therefore God, his father, is punishing him with poor flexibility. That seems rather petty. Then again, Jesus does seem to be shirking his job if he’s puttering around my yoga class and not bringing those who have no sins up to heaven-that is, if this is the second coming. Perchance the joke that my friends and I always make is true: all the interesting people would be in hell, so why go to heaven? Jesus could have decided that it’s just too boring up there and its time to enjoy the simple pleasures of living in purgatory, like yoga.

Looking into the soles of my feet, trying to pull my hips apart and gain some flexibility, I feel my slow breath actually helping me move deeper into the pose. Having concentration in yoga is as important as all the yogi masters would tell you. Wiping away all thoughts but breathing and relaxing into the pose does actually work. One-Two-Three-Four-One-Two-Three-Four. There's one breath. In and Out. Maybe Jesus is just visiting. Maybe every hundred years or so he gets to come down, see what's going on, check to make sure things are moving smooth enough. It has to get boring in heaven. Clouds, cupid-like-angels, it doesn’t seem that conducive to having a good time. Eternity is much too long to hang around and do nothing all the time. Sneaking away for a day, or even for two hours to go to yoga once a week, seems preferable. But why would Jesus choose Yoga? There's weight lifting, pilates, scuba diving, there must be endless chooses for the divine son of God. Supposedly Yoga will bring you closer to spiritual enlightenment. Jesus may have thought he’d have a leg up, being that he is some sort of spirit or whatever he is supposed to be these days. That's a pretty negative view of this figure who is supposed to all knowing, generous, and capable of miracles: That he would ‘cheat’ at yoga, or at least attempt to. Perhaps its just realistic. We all have our faults, weaknesses, Jesus may just be bad a sports. Yoga is a class that attracts those that don’t enjoy heavy exercise.

Breathing again, I lay back into my corpse pose. Jesus is falling into his, arms spread eagle, legs in line. This figure of strength and determination is just human, at least in form. The stories of Mary Magdaline as his lover always seem more real than Jesus suddenly thirty and still a virgin. If the church created him as we see him today, why not go all the way? Change him into an impressive symbol that can intimidate us all; rather than the skinny nerd who grew a bread so he’d look older, and became a carpenter because that's what his dad told him to do. Pity may be more appropriate for this figure who lays fifteen feet from me. My judgment of his strength is of course completely inappropriate in this environment. Yoga is not about competition. Its about finding strength in yourself. Do or do not, there is no try. Judge lest not yea be judged. Coming out of corpse, a bath sounds really nice right now.

writings of a introverted 18 year old: escape

It was a normal day. The sun wasn’t out, the sky was gray. Frye was wearing her standard garb: high-water jeans, army surplus boots, and her favorite bright green Kermit the Frog sweatshirt. Walking along the street, Frye kicked at the leaves that covered the ground. Bus fifty-two was late. It was supposed to be there five minutes ago, but late was normal. Frye had dyed her hair bright cerulean blue just last week, it had been green before that. The bus appeared a couple blocks down and began to slow for its stop. Frye pulled out her dollar and stepped up to the opening doors.

Middle aged, and over weight, the bus driver Joann (as her tag labeled her) traded Frye’s dollar for a two hour pass. The self proclaimed punky girl half-smiled and walked to the back of the bus and sat down in the middle seat. She slipped on her headphones, and out of her backpack she grabbed The Hobbit. She’d read it a couple of times already, but it was a good bus book, something very different from the world she would be sitting in the middle of. Frye calmly began to get lost in her fantasy as the scenery flashed by. Almost naked trees dropped their leaves on the soggy ground. The bright colors that had shown over the gray skies of weeks past now covered the pavement. Rundown businesses lined these decaying puddled streets. Cars that passed the bus were almost as dirty as the rest of this neglected part of town.

The bus turned. Frye kept reading, her CD player blaring the music of the Ethiopian Gigi, as the bus followed its normal route. Gigi’s lighthearted voice played to contrast what Frye’s surroundings. People got on and off. There was an old man who had to push his way to the back because no one would give up one of the priority seats. There was a young mother with two kids. The kids were loud, continuously asking, ”Can we have candy for dinner?“ The mother’s clothes were rumpled, her socks didn’t match, and her face sagged with the exhaustion someone her age shouldn’t know. There was a kid, about twelve, he was trying to look tough with his oversized clothes. There was a couple. They were probably near the end of high school. The boy laughed and poked at the girl’s side. She smiled and poked back.

They were all normal people. Frye tried to lose herself in the music that played in her head, but it didn’t help. She glanced up and saw the old man sitting two seats away, their eyes met, then she saw an old dirty apartment. She entered through the front door, number 5B. It was musty, hadn’t been cleaned in months. The grubby orange shag carpet matched the brown and brass furnishings that filled the room. There were newspapers heaped up against the walls along the front hall. Dirty dishes sat on the coffee table in front of the TV. Through a doorway she could see the mess that was piled in the kitchen. But that's not where this vision directed her. Frye turned, went past the open entrance to the bedroom, to the bathroom at the end of the hall. The door was just open. There was a linoleum floor. There was blood on the linoleum. And there was the old man with a cracked head on the linoleum.

Frye shook her head. Looking around bus fifty-two, she could see that the man had already left. Frye attempted to regain her concentration. Back to the dwarves and the hobbit. The treasure hunters were just ending the adventures of Misty Mountain. They were full of food and lying down for a pleasant rest. The mother and her two little kids got off at the next stop. A smartly dressed business man stepped on and took their place. There was a middle aged woman with a giant purple purse that had boarded behind him. They all seemed to be in their own little worlds, lost in thought. Frye was trying to be lost in the thoughts of Tolkien.

The bus bounced. Frye looked up. She saw the young couple. They saw into her eyes. She saw a street corner. The sky was a gorgeous blue, the sun was shining. There was a tall street sign that proclaimed it was Madison and Sixth. The young man was yelling.

“Why would you think that I wouldn’t care?!” he shouted.

“I don’t know. Okay? I just don’t know! I thought if you were leaving it wouldn’t matter.”

“I’m leaving, but I’m coming back.”

“How do I know that? You’ll probably just get shot.”

“Don’t you trust me?”

“Of course I trust you. I just don’t trust the other people around you. Besides, if I quit school and move it just means you’ll have a new address to write to, correct? It doesn't really affect you.” She turned. She had moved into the street. He yelled. He tried to grab her, but the red truck was moving too fast. She barely pivoted in time to see the red as it hit her.

Frye flashed again. She was someplace else. Her eyes flew along side a bullet as it skimmed through the air. The small piece of metal smashed into the skull of the young man in uniform. He wasn’t much older than when she’d seen him scream with the horn of the speeding red truck.

Frye was back on bus fifty-two. The young couple was sitting where they had been before. The girl was resting her head on the boy’s shoulder, her eyes closed. Frye breathed deeply, slowing her racing heart. She breathed another long breath, asking herself again why she rode the bus. Frye’s thoughts slipped back to when her eyes were always puffy from crying, to the many desperate trips she made to the police station, reporting crimes that hadn’t happened, and to the times she had to soak her clothes to erase the spattered blood of those that died in her head and in front of her eyes. Frye composed her thoughts and went back to Tolkien’s world. Gigi’s repetition of ‘zomaye’ and the consistent beat of the drum played in her head. Joann, the bus driver, turned left onto Twenty Eighth. The city blurred outside the dingy windows. The smartly dressed business man checked his watch. The twelve year old kid shifted in his seat. The middle aged woman reached in her purple purse for a sandwich. The young couple still sat peacefully.

The bus stopped again. A rush of people got on and sat down. There was a group of teenagers and within their group there were six distinct conversations. A twenty-something woman all in black, carrying a Starbucks apron, sat down across from them. There was another woman in her early twenties. She had an overstuffed backpack and a textbook in her lap. There was a very tall man. He sat staring out the window. The din of the conversations reached past the beats Gigi sang. Frye tried not to listen. Gandalf, Bilbo and the dwarves were entering Mirkwood.

Frye looked up to see the twelve-year old kid looking at her. She looked back and saw him much older, lying in a bed, not moving. There was a pill bottle tipped over on the bedside table. It was empty. A woman was sobbing on his chest. Frye turned away. The middle-aged woman with the giant purple purse met her gaze. Frye tried not to see it, but she couldn’t stop. She saw the woman on the pavement. There were red and blue lights circling, reflecting in the growing puddle of blood that had formed under the woman’s chest. Frye closed her eyes. She shook her head. Her hand rose to pull the wire. As Joann pulled the bus to its next stop, Frye put her book away and stood up. It wasn’t worth it. The visions were too much today.

Frye stepped off the bus. The doors closed and the people pulled away. Her image came pouring back as the silence around her formed. Frye flashed to an empty street. It was night. There were no stars in the sky. The moon was also dark. There was a sidewalk next to the brick wall of a building. Around the corner there was an alley. Almost no light reached in, but Frye saw down the long aisle. There she was. Her hair was cut short and dyed black. She lay still on the wet pavement. Her clothes were torn. There were big purple welts on her exposed skin. A large gash was on her forehead. The blood had dripped down onto her favorite bright green Kermit the Frog sweatshirt. Frye blinked and kept walking. She couldn’t shake it.

rantings from high school.

A wave of complete terror washed over her as the lay on the ground. She attempted to push away from the tall dark figure that loomed over her. Both knew what would happen is something didn't interfere. The bright street light barely reached the corners of the dim alley, but she could see the grin on his face. There was no place to move. She had reached the wall. The cold hard bricks against her back reflected the resolve building in her. Strength, rage and absolute confidence filled every inch of her being. She begin to to push off the wall and rise to her feet, but he kicked her. Blood streaming down her face, she fell back to the ground almost unconscious. It was pointless. Her fate was sealed, the dark figure came down on her and...

Xan's eye's flashed open. A cold sweat dripped down her spine, "Oh god..." she mumbled while blinking away sleep and the vivid nightmare. She could still feel the hands as they tore her clothing. "Where did that come from?" Xan pulled back the sheets and stretched. It was seven o'clock, she was going to be late. Pulling on her normal drab black dress, Xan set out for another day in the ever stimulating eleventh grade.