I seem to have a general theme of sexual perversity among many of the films I’ve seen and written about for this blog. Well, what fun would it be if such a wonderful theme were to come to an end? None at all, at least that’s what I say. So, today the fun continues, and it continues with one of the most brutally truthful, openly erotic narrative films I have ever seen. Shortbus, the newest film by John Cameron Mitchell of Hedwig and the Angry Inch fame, tells intertwining stories of the sexual lives of a number of New York residents. The story centers around main character so and so, perfectly troubled gay couple James and Jamie, and Shortbus, a sexual arthouse of sorts, home to a diverse collection of liberal New York’s finest and strangest.
So and so is at first a happily married sex therapist (though she adamantly prefers the term “couples counselor”) who has sadly never experienced an orgasm. After counseling James and Jamie, she begins to explore her sexuality when they invite her to Shortbus in an attempt to help her expand her sexual horizons. Her visit to Shortbus quickly opens her eyes to an extensive world of unabashed eroticism. James and Jamie, on the other hand, struggle to keep their relationship together as James, a former hustler, battles depression and has trouble letting Jamie past the shield of his skin.
Conservative critics complain of Shortbus’ raunchy subject matter and moreso of its “explicit,” real sex scenes (yes, I said real). Denouncing the film as pornographic, these people fail to realize that while the film is about being unashamed of a kind of spectrum sexuality, it is not necessarily specifically about the act of sex. Instead, to Mitchell’s credit, the film concentrates on the lives of its characters who constantly search for themselves, for love, and lastly for pleasure. It is not nearly as concerned with penetration and money shots as it is with human connections and interactions. Consistent subjective shots and tear-filled reaction close-ups work to connect the viewer with the film’s main characters as they dig inside themselves, searching for something they may not fully understand yet. Deeply touching and honest, Shortbus moves viewers while refusing to judge its characters and the decisions they make.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
If you want to see a film that strays about as far from classical Hollywood cinema as possible, check out Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song. Though extremely excessive in style, disjointed in editing, and somewhat pornographic in content, Sweet Sweetback’s importance lies in its representation of views normally disenfranchised and denied a voice. It is refreshing to see a film that openly and honestly critiques the brutal abuse of power by a predominantly white police force. Representations of race relations on film, especially at the time of this film, existed as a repetitive proliferation and perpetuation of a commonly held us versus them, good versus bad, white versus black mentality. This film and others historically labeled as “Blaxploitation” films do not avoid portraying the controversial voices of controversially oppressed populations while heavily critiquing the power dynamics of U.S. society.
Plot-wise, Sweet Sweetback is full of blunders and nonsensical happenings. Everything that unfolds does so without much reason or at least without much explanation (for example, Sweetback fills a gunshot wound in his abdomen with a mixture of sand and urine and the wound is healed quickly). The viewer is able to make just enough connections between extensively long scenes and illogical dialogue to create some sort of linear story, though even this can be difficult at times. Jump cut after jump cut certainly doesn’t help, although in the film’s defense, perhaps these can be understood in ways similar to the French New Wave (…unlikely?). Regardless, the value of Sweet Sweetback lies mostly in its excessive representations and its challenging of power dynamics.
Plot-wise, Sweet Sweetback is full of blunders and nonsensical happenings. Everything that unfolds does so without much reason or at least without much explanation (for example, Sweetback fills a gunshot wound in his abdomen with a mixture of sand and urine and the wound is healed quickly). The viewer is able to make just enough connections between extensively long scenes and illogical dialogue to create some sort of linear story, though even this can be difficult at times. Jump cut after jump cut certainly doesn’t help, although in the film’s defense, perhaps these can be understood in ways similar to the French New Wave (…unlikely?). Regardless, the value of Sweet Sweetback lies mostly in its excessive representations and its challenging of power dynamics.
The Science of Sleep
The Science of Sleep is yet another testament to my love for the genius of Michel Gondry. This film may perplex some people, but if you’ve ever seen any of Gondry’s numerous and brilliant music videos, you’ll have a fair warning. Gondry’s beautiful, unfiltered creativity spills itself onto the screen with this quirky film about love, life, and imagination. Purposely complex and confusing, Gondry shapes the viewing experience as an increasingly posthuman one, cleverly mixing the real world and the dream world of main character Stéphane. As Stéphane’s mother explains halfway into the movie, Stéphane has always had trouble separating his dreams from reality (much like Gondry himself). The point of the film is not, however, to force the viewer to separate the worlds for Stéphane, but to realize and embrace the beauty of NOT dividing the two. For Stéphane, there is no “trouble,” as his mother suggests, at all; instead, he lives his life without the barriers of concrete reason and reality.
Excessively eccentric proportions, blending in and out of reality without notice, and jumping from one language to another all exist as markers of Gondry’s critique of the human emphasis on rationalism. The world in which Stéphane is forced to live constantly derides his unique mindset, considering it a disability rather than a gift. Though the conclusion may suggest otherwise (Gondry purposely leaves it open to viewer interpretation), Stéphane finds love in Stéphanie, one of his mother’s tenants, who seems to be his female counterpart and compassionately opens up troubles in his dream world. Stéphane becomes somewhat obsessed with Stéphanie and his inability to separate dreams and reality complicates their creatively inspired relationship. It is interesting to note how Gondry’s use of handmade visual effects (perhaps better termed camera tricks) cross the boundaries between both of Stéphane’s worlds. Nearly all of the visual effects used were actually employed on set by hand (for example, Gondry put the entire office set on giant springs and had people physically bouncing it to film a scene where the room is moving and characters are stumbling). This use of completely real yet completely unrealistic effects suggest the ability of both reality and imagination to coexist peacefully.
Excessively eccentric proportions, blending in and out of reality without notice, and jumping from one language to another all exist as markers of Gondry’s critique of the human emphasis on rationalism. The world in which Stéphane is forced to live constantly derides his unique mindset, considering it a disability rather than a gift. Though the conclusion may suggest otherwise (Gondry purposely leaves it open to viewer interpretation), Stéphane finds love in Stéphanie, one of his mother’s tenants, who seems to be his female counterpart and compassionately opens up troubles in his dream world. Stéphane becomes somewhat obsessed with Stéphanie and his inability to separate dreams and reality complicates their creatively inspired relationship. It is interesting to note how Gondry’s use of handmade visual effects (perhaps better termed camera tricks) cross the boundaries between both of Stéphane’s worlds. Nearly all of the visual effects used were actually employed on set by hand (for example, Gondry put the entire office set on giant springs and had people physically bouncing it to film a scene where the room is moving and characters are stumbling). This use of completely real yet completely unrealistic effects suggest the ability of both reality and imagination to coexist peacefully.
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