Well I'm not even sure where to start about last week. The first films we watched that were black and white and silent made me want to rip out my hair. I've never actually seen a silent film and it was very frustrating for me to try and pay attention without being able to hear anything. I thought how they shot some of the scenes were interesting, like when she was climbing up on the beach then it goes to her climbing on the table with all the people sitting around there. I also liked the stair scene even though it completely confused me. I had no idea where she was in the house or if she was on the floor or ceiling or wherever. It was also interesting how they shot the guy who was running after her in all those different poses and would freeze him in time. Overall the camera angles made for some interesting and different shots and the sense of no real time in the film.
Then we move to the baby movie. Even though i'm a girl, this movie pretty much horrified me and i'm not having kids anytime soon. I'm not even sure why, but for some reason this film just bothered me. I did like the beginning though with all the cool lighting effects from the window. I thought they did a good job with that and that it was pretty. It showed how much the guy and girl cared for each other which was also nice. After this though it all went down hill for me, and it doesn't help I don't do well with blood. I'm not sure why this film was such a shock to me. It's something that happens in most people's lives, and it's not like it's something that isn't well known about. I know that I'm a very shy person so being in a room with a bunch of other people and having to watch this film just made it awkward for me. I feel that having a baby should be something that is private and not shown to everyone.
The short film with the wings was very cool. I liked how it probably took him a long time to piece each one of those shots together but then they going flying through the shots. My mind was going crazy trying to concentrate on the actually wings but it was hard when everything was moving so fast. It's interesting how someone can take something as small as wings and make them into a film like that.
The film with the trees was interesting too. I never thought that you could actually paint like that and make it work. It was interesting how different things look just when you change the lighting like dimming it or making it brighter.
As for not being a film student and never taking a class like this before, these movies jsut start to confuse me more and more. Hopefully i'll have something better to say later on in the next movies.
As for the readings, those also confused me. They made a little more sense after we talked about them in class and I liked how they talked about photograhps and how they can be used at metaphores. I love photography and love the fact that you can take a picture and it's literally a moment in time that has been frozen forever.
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I must also agree with you, these movies were not my cup of tea either. It sounds like you enjoyed Brakhage more than Deren; which is exactly how I felt. I feel as though his works spoke to our eyes, while causing us to view a perception differently than from what it really is in reality. Watching the moth film, made us feel as if we were the moth. Everything flying by on our glittering wings so fast. Deren just felt like a confusing mind trip with no real meaning to be grasped mentally. I did however enjoy watching a party become a ballroom dance. That was pretty cool.
ReplyDeleteThese films may be seen as more difficult because, as we discussed in class, they lack narrative. Instead of watching a film with the intent of mastering an understanding, perhaps you could allow yourself to just see. You will probably enjoy the viewing experience a lot more if you're not stressing on "getting it." I find for me its helpful to really think critically about a film after its finished rather than during. If I allow myself to see, I find I have a more physical reaction to watching a film, which is an equally valid means of understanding.
ReplyDeleteIf you watched these short films, especially "Window Water Baby Moving," without placing meaning on the visuals it would have been a completely different experience. Instead of seeing blood and reminding yourself that you are squeamish, you would have probably noticed the texture, hue, the way the soft light lit the surface.
So basically, I think you need to stop thinking so much and just watch!
Yeah, the baby film was kind of a shock. It's not really something you would expect to see done artistically so it's wrenching in a way. However, it certainly does portray things in a different light (no pun intended). He manages to edit it in a way that just blends all the different aspects together into one moment almost showing birth as an almost separate existence in life. After being pulled away by that, it kinda made it easier to look deeply at the other films so even though it's awkward, it does have an effect on how we view life.
ReplyDeleteInteresting discussion. Julie, I like how you just sort of go with your confusion. That's perfectly ok. You're noting your responses, which is appropriate, because they are part of the experience. As sms suggests, both filmmakers ask us to see with our eyes as purely as possible, and try to suspend the storytelling parts of our brains that needs us to 'get' things. The reading was reasonably straightforward, even though there was a lot of verbiage. Both discussed, from different perspectives, how cameras interact with and sometimes even shape reality.
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