Blog Post #2 - A Single Man

In Sontag's "Against Interpretation", one of her main tenants in describing successful criticism is the ability to "reveal the sensuous surface of art without mucking about in it." In reading Roger Ebert's review of A Single Man, it is my belief that he accomplishes this. That is, perhaps as a result of his profession and his audience, or possibly because he isn't arrogant enough to think his opinion the cinema-wide consensus, Ebert does a suitable job of sticking to the facts of the movie. His plot summary coupled with a few facts from the movie make the review one that gives you a taste for what you might see, yet he is reserved enough in his article that the viewer will still go in to the theater with all of their senses still intact, perhaps a bit primed, but still open for interpretation nonetheless.

I'm in agreement with Sontag in her proposal that "transparence means experiencing the luminousness of the thing in itself, of things being what they are." Because of this, I feel that Ebert's review, while certainly less subjective than others, could take a bit more care in avoiding using so many adjectives in his description of Colin Firth. That is, he should let the audience decide who George is completely, without any preconceptions.

The one element of mise-en-scene that stood out most to me throughout the film was undeniably the use of color. In the final scene, George's voice narrates over a high angle shot of his body as he dies from a heart attack on the floor. In this narration, he speaks of "those few times when I could really, truly connect with another human being", referring to it as one of "life's gifts." Tom Ford illuminates these moments brilliantly throughout the movie through the use of color. Most of the film is scene through dull colors creating a sense of dread and emptiness. However, throughout the film there are moments in which George experiences a parting from the harsh reality which he faces for the majority of his day. It is in these moments that colors are more markedly more vivid. Interaction with an innocent girl, a joyous dog, a moment of flirtation that alleviates his seemingly eternal sorrow, and, most importantly, every flashback he has concerning he and his partner during their sixteen years together. In using this technique, Ford accurately depicts the brief solace that George finds in everyday life to help him realize life is potentially still worth living.

Bound By Haiti

Bound by Haiti is an international documentary that focuses on 2 activists from backgrounds that couldn’t be any more different. Yet, by their shared convictions they form an unlikely friendship in trying to better both the people of Haiti and the country itself.

Aaron Jackson is from a privileged family in south Florida where he grew up on a resort surrounded by money and golf courses. He rejected that lifestyle and decided to dedicate his time to giving back to others. His initial contact with Haiti was in dealing with intestinal worms that has run rampant amongst the people and reportedly is affecting 80% of the total population. In the documentary, Aaron explains that he can de-worm 250 children for the price of a pack of cigarettes. The documentary does a good job of highlighting the importance and absurd simplicity of saving thousands of lives for what is essentially nickels and dimes.

John Dieubon was raised as an orphan in Port-au-Prince and spends his time speaking to the people in Haitian villages in an effort to understand and tend to their needs. One of his primary goals currently is building a school for the Haitian children to learn. You can see through clips in the documentary that he doesn’t just want the children to learn, but to not accept anything less than what they deserve. That is, to not regard themselves as 3rd-world citizens just because they live in Haiti, but instead John realizes that they are the future of Haiti and that their generation may be responsible for making huge strides in the country’s development.

Bound by Haiti is definitely a powerful documentary and does a fantastic job of gripping the reality that is Haitians lives and bringing it to an audience that is predominantly ignorant in these matters. One thing that stuck with me were the interviews conducted with those that lost loved ones in the earthquake. In recounting the events and speaking of those they lost, there was a marked lack of emotion in their voices. That’s not to say they weren’t emotionally destroyed by this, but perhaps they were still in shock or were so beaten by this way of life that they’ve learned how to cope with it in accepting that it’s just part of their lives.