Last night, I attended the Royal Albert Hall to see Bob Dylan. Of all the singer/songwriters I admire, I have seen him the most often and without a doubt, predictability is something that he cannot be accused of.
Upon arrival in the auditorium, the usher was clearly anxious to reinforce the fact that cameras were not permitted. He added that this would be a strictly enforced policy even before the concert started and sure enough, it was. Within seconds of a couple of gentlemen sitting down, they were involved in a dialogue with the same usher over their usage of a camera. Now, the phenomenon of not taking photos and videos at Dylan gigs is not a recent occurrence. Having said that, looking at the lighting setup last night, if you could get a decent photo or video in those conditions, you would have to be a professional photographer. The lighting seemed to be generated by what looked like large Anglepoise lamps and a couple of low level stage lights. Occasionally, more extravagant lighting effects were generated but this seemed to be the result of back projection. The old faithful 'eye' symbol that Dylan has been using for many years as a back projection was apparent for the majority of the gig.
So why would Dylan and by extension, many other artists not want their images captured for public perusal (The Eagles are apparently even worse)? In defence of artists, there must be nothing more disconcerting than the flash of a camera (I remember getting Anna Friel's autograph outside the stage door where she was performing 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' and as she came out the press etc literally overwhelmed her with their cameras, she seemed positively happy to simply sign an autograph for me). Cameras are intrusive. They block the sight lines of other audience members and disrupt the performers. Bob Dylan is 72. His stage performance has changed significantly over the years. He rarely plays guitar and now regularly sits at a keyboard. Having said that, from a performance perspective, his occasional sojourns to centre stage armed simply with a harmonica is exciting to behold. He has the stance of a fighter (he boxes) and as he ages, he actually seems younger and happier. He does not like his photo taken. I like to think this has as much to do with his need to be remembered in the moment.
In terms of my concert experience last night, it was the first time that I have attended a Dylan performance with an interval but I guess, it is physically demanding pushing yourself non-stop year in year out. Also the gig started at just after 7.30 pm, so thus it was over by 10 pm. I respect the rationale behind an early start time. Maybe, it is also accommodating for the audience who are ageing with Dylan? I have been a fan for twenty one plus years. I am nearly forty. I heard his music for the first time in 1992. It's an odd and uniquely thrilling sensation to share the lives of people you admire over time. You are reminded of your own mortality but not in a negative way. The changes in your mental and spiritual outlook influences how you regard the work produced by the artists that guide you through life.
By admiring your heroes, you learn to accept yourself. After all, they reflect you and your needs. You don't want to be them, you want to understand them and learn from them. It's fascinating to realise that they need you as much as you need them. Audiences of all artists and mediums are essential ingredients in the creative process.
So what did I learn last night? I learnt that Dylan's current set list is more rigid than in previous years with only the odd variation in song from night to night, probably to stop him from getting bored. I guess this gives him the opportunity to experiment with the songs' arrangements. 'Tangled Up In Blue' and 'Simple Twist Of Fate' were both subject to lyric variations. Dylan is one of only a handful of artists who toys with his songs. He seems to see them as pliable and indeed, it does suggest quite rightly that songs and indeed, any creative work should not be viewed as finished. Interpretation cannot be predetermined. The meaning of one song can change from person to person and indeed, the songwriter probably feels differently about his creations as the years go on. Dylan focused his set list on his current album 'Tempest' and clearly he enjoys performing songs from his more recent albums. He only played about a handful of songs from his 60s and 70s output. I was overwhelmed as ever by 'All Along The Watchtower', which remains the most astonishing song owing to its seeming simplicity yet complexity in live performance. It is melodically and lyrically a masterpiece and in performance is like a piece of clay that is moulded into unique forms based on the musical arrangement. Dylan, if you want to perform a 60 minute version of this song, I will be there, salivating in the corner. A final lesson from last night, perhaps, darkness befits a living enigma, arguably the most important living singer/songwriter. Thanks, Bob for everything!
Barry Watt - 28th November 2013.
Afterword
Anglepoise lamps are copyright to Anglepoise.
The Eagles are a little known American band. Perhaps, best known for their 'Hotel California' album which is copyrighted to Asylum Records.
'Breakfast at Tiffany's' was on the Theatre Royal Haymarket in 2009. Very good performance from Anna Friel and a nice adaptation of the story by Truman Capote.
'Tangled Up In Blue' and 'Simple Twist Of Fate' both appear on 'Blood On The Tracks' (Columbia Records).
The album 'Tempest' is copyright to Columbia Records and is well worth a listen.
'All Along The Watchtower' first appeared on Dylan's album 'John Wesley Harding' and has been covered by pretty much everyone since. Arguably, the most versatile song of all time. Discuss... ;-)
BW
Thursday, 28 November 2013
Saturday, 16 November 2013
Shunga: Sex and pleasure in Japanese Art at the British Museum - A Gilded Lily for the Discerning Adult.
Last Sunday, I attended the 'Shunga: Sex and Pleasure in Japanese Art' exhibition at the British Museum with my partner. It was Remembrance Sunday, a little after 11am and the exhibition was reassuringly and surprisingly busy. It was an eye-opener in every sense.
'Shunga' is used to describe a body of art works that were created in Japan between 1600 and 1900. They are essentially erotic illustrations and paintings depicting various sexual practices. Unlike most forms of later pornographic material, they are quite explicit. They are also delightfully imaginative. I also felt that they probably speak volumes about the culture that produced the works.
As I walked around the exhibition, my partner and I gazed at the various works and I was just as interested in the demographic of the visitors who had chosen this day of all days to embrace their desires and needs or those that they had overlooked as time passed. There were people of all age groups. I am sure that there were some children too but the acts of carnal desire etc would have meant little to them except providing some quite distinctive illustrations of their possible futures. So perhaps, there is an argument for taking children along to erotic art exhibitions if only to point out that there is nothing obscene about sex if it is consensual and you are over the age of consent? It also enables the parents or guardians to illustrate that the images offered in the media and indeed, by this exhibition are just that, representations of archaic acts that are simply repeated. The other people attending the exhibition included tourists who had clearly had this exhibition recommended to them or else had simply stumbled on this exhibition, having been led to the British Museum and had some time to use up prior to their afternoon visit somewhere else. Then there was the elderly couple of ladies who gazed at the images joking with each other.
I enjoyed the range of images on offer and the fact that they were available like many forms of explicit material discreetly and surreptitiously. The Japanese Government of the time did not condone the art form, although it was regularly marketed as an aid for newly wed couples. What intrigued me about the art works on offer was the range of stories depicted in these images, some suitably fantastical, woman being abducted by an Octopus and then enduring the sensation of said Mollusc performing some bizarre variation of cunnilingus on her. Then I noted, the detail of the backgrounds of the sexual acts. The attention to detail applied to the storage units and cooking utensils. Then as everyone noticed, it was interesting how many of the compositions included images of maids, babies and animals looking on as the respective couples continued their acts clearly not aware or else delighted that these willing and unwilling voyeurs were there to see the balletic exertions. One interesting fact came out of the exhibition that I feel needs to be aired. Apparently, Chinese art of the time depicted the male and female anatomy more realistically and to size. Japanese art from this period is about excess. Huge penises being the order of the day. One artwork playing up the 'fictional' penis competitions where men would measure up their members against each other. How little has changed over time and indeed, even between cultures.
A final point, the sexual acts on offer were many and varied. All sexual preferences were catered for. After all, these works were often commercial and where there's a demand, there must be a supply. Something for everyone in this closet industry.
I recommend this exhibition, particularly if you want to explore the delights of a form of art that does not need to hide its eroticism behind dark curtains. I can imagine school trips to this exhibition. Okay, maybe not but if you wish to see an influential style that inspired the likes of Picasso then you could not wish for a more thrilling couple of hours in an austere setting.
Barry Watt - 16th November 2013.
'Shunga' is used to describe a body of art works that were created in Japan between 1600 and 1900. They are essentially erotic illustrations and paintings depicting various sexual practices. Unlike most forms of later pornographic material, they are quite explicit. They are also delightfully imaginative. I also felt that they probably speak volumes about the culture that produced the works.
As I walked around the exhibition, my partner and I gazed at the various works and I was just as interested in the demographic of the visitors who had chosen this day of all days to embrace their desires and needs or those that they had overlooked as time passed. There were people of all age groups. I am sure that there were some children too but the acts of carnal desire etc would have meant little to them except providing some quite distinctive illustrations of their possible futures. So perhaps, there is an argument for taking children along to erotic art exhibitions if only to point out that there is nothing obscene about sex if it is consensual and you are over the age of consent? It also enables the parents or guardians to illustrate that the images offered in the media and indeed, by this exhibition are just that, representations of archaic acts that are simply repeated. The other people attending the exhibition included tourists who had clearly had this exhibition recommended to them or else had simply stumbled on this exhibition, having been led to the British Museum and had some time to use up prior to their afternoon visit somewhere else. Then there was the elderly couple of ladies who gazed at the images joking with each other.
I enjoyed the range of images on offer and the fact that they were available like many forms of explicit material discreetly and surreptitiously. The Japanese Government of the time did not condone the art form, although it was regularly marketed as an aid for newly wed couples. What intrigued me about the art works on offer was the range of stories depicted in these images, some suitably fantastical, woman being abducted by an Octopus and then enduring the sensation of said Mollusc performing some bizarre variation of cunnilingus on her. Then I noted, the detail of the backgrounds of the sexual acts. The attention to detail applied to the storage units and cooking utensils. Then as everyone noticed, it was interesting how many of the compositions included images of maids, babies and animals looking on as the respective couples continued their acts clearly not aware or else delighted that these willing and unwilling voyeurs were there to see the balletic exertions. One interesting fact came out of the exhibition that I feel needs to be aired. Apparently, Chinese art of the time depicted the male and female anatomy more realistically and to size. Japanese art from this period is about excess. Huge penises being the order of the day. One artwork playing up the 'fictional' penis competitions where men would measure up their members against each other. How little has changed over time and indeed, even between cultures.
A final point, the sexual acts on offer were many and varied. All sexual preferences were catered for. After all, these works were often commercial and where there's a demand, there must be a supply. Something for everyone in this closet industry.
I recommend this exhibition, particularly if you want to explore the delights of a form of art that does not need to hide its eroticism behind dark curtains. I can imagine school trips to this exhibition. Okay, maybe not but if you wish to see an influential style that inspired the likes of Picasso then you could not wish for a more thrilling couple of hours in an austere setting.
Barry Watt - 16th November 2013.
Saturday, 2 November 2013
Morrissey - The Nation's Favourite Grandson.
Today, I finished reading 'Morrissey: Autobiography'. Having finished the book, which has caused some rumblings in the world owing to the decision made by the publishers, Penguin, to release it under their 'Classics' imprint, I am left with the same feeling I had when I started, his life is in his songs. The revelations begin and end within the bridge/verse/chorus structure, which occupy his creative mind. In the Acknowledgements, Morrissey tellingly emphasises this point:
Whatever is sung is the case.
(Page 470 - 'Autobiography')
The Autobiography reads like a dissection of his current life, using the past to explain how he is where he is today. What is most fruitfully revealed is a man who wants something that he only seems to get on stage. The audience are his fuel, his meaning for being. Everything else that matters to him is only hinted at. Just his love of the audience, music, unwavering veganism and his love/support of animals/birds/fish shines from the pages of this tome.
In many respects, he remains the blank canvas onto which his listeners and audience members project their own needs and aspirations.
Having briefly expressed my view of the 'Autobiography', I feel it worthwhile to expand upon Morrissey's significance to me, as everyone has an opinion of Morrissey whether they like him or not.
I got into Morrissey in a quite haphazard way. I remember taping a radio recording of Morrissey's Drury Lane concert in 1995 for a friend's brother and being intrigued by his vocal style and lyrics. I remember being particularly struck by the song 'Jack the Ripper', with its moody intensity. I remember being told that Morrissey had been the lead singer in a band called The Smiths when I stupidly heard my first Smiths' song in the Student Union bar of Greenwich University and had stated 'that guy sounds like Morrissey'.
Through my growing interest in Morrissey, I purchased a fanzine called 'A Chance To Shine', where I made contact with a friend I am still in touch with today (Louise had placed an advert in the Contacts section). I was pleased to discover that mutual tastes in music often mirror other mutual interests. Through our friendship, she has introduced me to other types of music, particularly the band Love and Scott Walker.
I finally saw Morrissey live in 1999 at the Forum in London, his set was just under eighty minutes and I seem to remember at least a couple of stage invasions. The phenomenon of stage invasions is curiously only really apparent at Morrissey gigs. The sight of predominantly men clambering over the security to grab, hug and touch Morrissey's hands is still a potent sight. He regularly condones the act and only seems to edge away when the advances seem too aggressive. I have seen other Morrissey gigs since and I was unlucky enough to have a ticket for one of the London Roundhouse gigs he didn't perform owing to illness. Indeed, one of the frustrations of being a Morrissey fan is the realisation that the chances of his cancelling a gig go up exponentially the longer the tour. But I guess this is to be expected, as your body can only take so much.
The fanaticism surrounding Morrissey is scary. There are monthly nights dedicated to Morrissey and The Smiths at The Star and Garter pub in Manchester, where only Smiths' and Morrissey music is played. Seeing so many men dressed elegantly with freshly groomed quiffs is a surprisingly engaging sight. Oddly enough, I have never felt the need to try consciously to look like Morrissey, although occasionally by accident, I do! (I was once told this at a Morrissey night).
As I have grown up with Morrissey, I have witnessed him change from someone inspiring and possibly, an Everyman figure to someone who seems filled with hate and vengeance. His views range from intelligent and funny to vindictive and deliberately controversial. His musical output obviously seems to reflect this progression in some respects, although his lyrics still retain a sense of humanity when they are not steeped in a veil of self-pity. Don't get me wrong, I believe he is entitled to explore his feelings in any form he chooses, yet if you are feeling down, certain songs will make you feel even worse. Also there are times when I just want to hug him.
Reading the 'Autobiography' has left me with the same view of Morrissey, he is a great singer/songwriter, a pervasive performer on stage and possibly the most insular person off-stage. He stated once in an interview with Jonathan Ross (if I recall correctly) that he could count his friends on one hand and he wasn't joking. His sexuality as it always should have been is his concern. The 'Autobiography' hints at relationships with both men and women. The only sensation I feel upon reflecting upon this 'Autobiography' is his deep need for a child, but his own child not an adopted child as a P.R. stunt, someone he can care for unconditionally.
Morrissey will always be the man who got away. I just wonder what he is escaping from.
Barry Watt - 27th October 2013
Afterword
'Morrissey: Autobiography' is out now and is published by Penguin Classics. My one quote was borrowed from the 'Acknowledgements' page on page 470.
'Jack The Ripper' appears on various Morrissey albums and on the single 'Certain People I Know'. It is on the live album, 'Beethoven Was Deaf' (HMV).
BW
Saturday, 5 October 2013
'The Last Yankee' - Clarity in the Throes of Illness.
Last night, I saw a play at the Print Room in London that reminded me why I love the theatre. 'The Last Yankee' by Arthur Miller was originally performed as a twenty minute one act play as part of a festival at the New York Ensemble Theatre in 1991. It was subsequently expanded to a two scene play and staged in New York and London in 1993. Thanks to my sister's play collection, I can confirm that it was staged at the Young Vic and starred Helen Burns, Peter Davison, David Healy and Margot Leicester (Zoe Wanamaker was also in the initial run of the show; she was subsequently replaced by Margot Leicester).
As the play is comprised of only two scenes, it is comparatively short but its potency still resonates twenty years after its first performances as a two scene play. 'The Last Yankee' is set in a state mental hospital in America. Two women are being treated for depression as inpatients, whilst their partners attend when they can to visit their spouses.
My first observation of the play in its current staging was the construction of the mise-en-scene. The audience walk around a corridor which has been constructed to resemble a hospital corridor with signs leading to the Reception area and the hospital rooms. Also such details as a map of the institution are included on the wall to heighten the audience's understanding of the size of mental institutions.
The first scene in the play is set in a waiting room, so when the audience reaches the performance space, we are invited to sit in rows around the space which is also notable because of an occupied bed in the corner (occupied as it later transpires by a stagehand who helps to set up the next scene as though a confused patient performing elaborate cleaning rituals. Also significantly, the occupied bed is mentioned in the original play, although the occupant remains stationary in the original 1993 productions of the play). The first scene is a dialogue between the two male characters in the play, Leroy Hamilton and John Frick talking about their partners, once they have overcome the initial tensions that often overwhelm men in waiting areas and other social situations. Small talk clarifying hospital procedure and reflections on the parking area leading to more profound and telling reflections of male attitudes to mental illness. Arthur Miller successfully evokes the male tendency to rationalise and understand even those things that cannot be rationalised:
Frick. I just can't figure it out. There's no bills; we're very well fixed; she's got a beautiful home... There's really not a trouble in the world. Although, God knows, maybe that's the trouble...
Leroy. Oh no, I got plenty of bills and it didn't help mine. I don't think it's how many bills you have.
Frick. What do you think it is, then?
Leroy. Don't ask me, I don't know.
(Scene 1, Page 4)
The focus on the male attitude towards their wives' illnesses is touching and accurate. They cannot solve anything that doesn't have a physical basis through monetary transactions or material means. Yes, they can pay for their wives to be treated but ultimately, they cannot step in and improve their wives' lives directly. They can only offer support.
The second scene which breaks down into three distinct sections, one involving the two wives talking (Patricia Hamilton and Karen Frick) then Leroy and Patricia conversing followed by an ensemble section. As the two women talk, it becomes apparent that Patricia's character is gradually reaching a state of contentment, not shared by Karen Frick. This is suggested by a conversation when Karen seeks advice from Patricia (who she is clearly devoted to) as to where to shop for daily necessities. Karen keeps forgetting and worries about getting things wrong.
As Patricia states to Karen:
Patricia.... I'm wondering if you've got the wrong medication. But I guess you'll never overdose - you vomit at the drop of a hat. It may be your secret blessing.
(Scene 2, Page 18)
Patricia does not suffer from the same indecisions, having stopped her medication for twenty one days (her choice). The audience subsequently learns that Patricia's brothers committed suicide providing a strong causal link to Patricia's depression (or maybe, that's simply my male assumption?)
The section where Leroy and Patricia explore their previous lives together and where they are now contains one of the most telling and beautifully expressive exchanges in the canon on play writing:
Patricia. There was something else you said. About standing on line.
Leroy. On line?
Patricia. That you'll always be at the head of the line because... (Breaks off.)
Leroy. I'm the only one on it.
Patricia.... is that really true? You do compete, don't you? You must, at least in your mind?
Leroy. Only with myself. We're really all on a one-person line, Pat. I learned that in these years.
(Scene 2, Page 28)
The acute realisation that ultimately all of our struggles are with ourselves is the point at which progression can be made. Prior to this, we are dependants, circling our families seeking answers and reassurances. When we step outside of the pattern of dependency, we become more adept at exploring our own needs and feelings. Support is necessary but not at the expense of our own feelings and values. In many respects, this section of the play is the crux of the playwright's intent. The primary lesson of the piece.
The subsequent section in which all of the characters are together and Karen dances, reveals the essential truth that Patricia and Leroy's marriage is ultimately more growth promoting that the Frick's relationship where Karen feels under appreciated by her husband. John Frick's seeming embarrassment of his wife is heart wrenching as she tap dances.
'The Last Yankee' in its current incarnation at the Print Room starring Andy De La Tour as Frick, Paul Hickey as Leroy, Kika Markham as Karen and Matilda Ziegler as Patricia, perfectly realises the fluidity and beauty of Miller's prose. The play is an ensemble piece, so highlighting individual performances would be detrimental to the audience's appreciation of the play. It's a play about mental illness, relationships and ultimately about the force within that keeps us going. You choose the force... Love, survival, God or something else? It's your life.
(Barry Watt - 5th October 2013)
Afterword
All quotes are extracted from 'The Last Yankee' by Arthur Miller. The play edition published by Methuen Drama in 1993.
'The Last Yankee' at the Print Room finishes tonight. I hope that it transfers somewhere else. It's brilliant.
B.W.
As the play is comprised of only two scenes, it is comparatively short but its potency still resonates twenty years after its first performances as a two scene play. 'The Last Yankee' is set in a state mental hospital in America. Two women are being treated for depression as inpatients, whilst their partners attend when they can to visit their spouses.
My first observation of the play in its current staging was the construction of the mise-en-scene. The audience walk around a corridor which has been constructed to resemble a hospital corridor with signs leading to the Reception area and the hospital rooms. Also such details as a map of the institution are included on the wall to heighten the audience's understanding of the size of mental institutions.
The first scene in the play is set in a waiting room, so when the audience reaches the performance space, we are invited to sit in rows around the space which is also notable because of an occupied bed in the corner (occupied as it later transpires by a stagehand who helps to set up the next scene as though a confused patient performing elaborate cleaning rituals. Also significantly, the occupied bed is mentioned in the original play, although the occupant remains stationary in the original 1993 productions of the play). The first scene is a dialogue between the two male characters in the play, Leroy Hamilton and John Frick talking about their partners, once they have overcome the initial tensions that often overwhelm men in waiting areas and other social situations. Small talk clarifying hospital procedure and reflections on the parking area leading to more profound and telling reflections of male attitudes to mental illness. Arthur Miller successfully evokes the male tendency to rationalise and understand even those things that cannot be rationalised:
Frick. I just can't figure it out. There's no bills; we're very well fixed; she's got a beautiful home... There's really not a trouble in the world. Although, God knows, maybe that's the trouble...
Leroy. Oh no, I got plenty of bills and it didn't help mine. I don't think it's how many bills you have.
Frick. What do you think it is, then?
Leroy. Don't ask me, I don't know.
(Scene 1, Page 4)
The focus on the male attitude towards their wives' illnesses is touching and accurate. They cannot solve anything that doesn't have a physical basis through monetary transactions or material means. Yes, they can pay for their wives to be treated but ultimately, they cannot step in and improve their wives' lives directly. They can only offer support.
The second scene which breaks down into three distinct sections, one involving the two wives talking (Patricia Hamilton and Karen Frick) then Leroy and Patricia conversing followed by an ensemble section. As the two women talk, it becomes apparent that Patricia's character is gradually reaching a state of contentment, not shared by Karen Frick. This is suggested by a conversation when Karen seeks advice from Patricia (who she is clearly devoted to) as to where to shop for daily necessities. Karen keeps forgetting and worries about getting things wrong.
As Patricia states to Karen:
Patricia.... I'm wondering if you've got the wrong medication. But I guess you'll never overdose - you vomit at the drop of a hat. It may be your secret blessing.
(Scene 2, Page 18)
Patricia does not suffer from the same indecisions, having stopped her medication for twenty one days (her choice). The audience subsequently learns that Patricia's brothers committed suicide providing a strong causal link to Patricia's depression (or maybe, that's simply my male assumption?)
The section where Leroy and Patricia explore their previous lives together and where they are now contains one of the most telling and beautifully expressive exchanges in the canon on play writing:
Patricia. There was something else you said. About standing on line.
Leroy. On line?
Patricia. That you'll always be at the head of the line because... (Breaks off.)
Leroy. I'm the only one on it.
Patricia.... is that really true? You do compete, don't you? You must, at least in your mind?
Leroy. Only with myself. We're really all on a one-person line, Pat. I learned that in these years.
(Scene 2, Page 28)
The acute realisation that ultimately all of our struggles are with ourselves is the point at which progression can be made. Prior to this, we are dependants, circling our families seeking answers and reassurances. When we step outside of the pattern of dependency, we become more adept at exploring our own needs and feelings. Support is necessary but not at the expense of our own feelings and values. In many respects, this section of the play is the crux of the playwright's intent. The primary lesson of the piece.
The subsequent section in which all of the characters are together and Karen dances, reveals the essential truth that Patricia and Leroy's marriage is ultimately more growth promoting that the Frick's relationship where Karen feels under appreciated by her husband. John Frick's seeming embarrassment of his wife is heart wrenching as she tap dances.
'The Last Yankee' in its current incarnation at the Print Room starring Andy De La Tour as Frick, Paul Hickey as Leroy, Kika Markham as Karen and Matilda Ziegler as Patricia, perfectly realises the fluidity and beauty of Miller's prose. The play is an ensemble piece, so highlighting individual performances would be detrimental to the audience's appreciation of the play. It's a play about mental illness, relationships and ultimately about the force within that keeps us going. You choose the force... Love, survival, God or something else? It's your life.
(Barry Watt - 5th October 2013)
Afterword
All quotes are extracted from 'The Last Yankee' by Arthur Miller. The play edition published by Methuen Drama in 1993.
'The Last Yankee' at the Print Room finishes tonight. I hope that it transfers somewhere else. It's brilliant.
B.W.
Saturday, 6 July 2013
'The Bling Ring' - Like totally sick...
'The Bling Ring' (15) is director's Sofia Coppola's new film and the production credits reads like a family tree of the Coppola family. But I state that neutrally... Make your own mind up about the film. It's a film based on 'true events' as documented by a 'Vanity Fair' article. The fact that these two facts are emphasised adds an ironic touch to this film. The film documents the activities of a group of young people dubbed 'The Bling Ring' owing to their propensity for the superficial accoutrements and accessories of a morally bankrupt generation. Essentially, in order to obtain the celebrity lifestyle that helps them to be the 'in crowd', they steal from celebrities. But tellingly, they steal only those items which they feel will help forward their status. Money is stolen when it can be found but this serves to fund their escalating drug habits.
A couple of the characters including Emma Watson's character are brought up by a mother who espouses new age philosophy with her daughters. Most notably, as they get up the mother gives them a life affirming statement to chew on, prior to sending them out into the outside world. Amusingly, later in the film, the mother clearly obsessed with 'The Secret' by Rhonda Byrne, offers a 'vision board', which is covered with images of Angelina Jolie and the girls are asked to identify the actresses' key qualities. They choose the superficial; Angelina Jolie's 'hot husband' and her 'hot body'.
My enduring memories of the film are the scenes of larceny and the ironic fact that the celebrity generation with its endless need to feed the public with every detail of day to day life on social media sites has left them vulnerable to attack. Indeed, the group pretty much just slide a glass door to get into certain properties. Also Paris Hilton apparently used to keep her key under the door mat. You may as well just wave a sign saying 'Rob me'. Additionally, there is one young man who is part of the group who in many respects serves as the counterpoint to the others. He initially questions the unlawful entries and robberies then it becomes clear that the beauty of high heel shoes and clothes are as much of a lure to him as to his friends. His repressed homosexuality is apparent for all to see but never acted on as he explores his boundaries and becomes more and more addicted to cocaine.
This is a highly successful film, tearing through the superficialities of a consumer society, so obsessed with image that it fails to perceive the damage it is causing to the touchscreen, Prada kids with their vastly reduced capacity to feel. The music soundtrack adding to the hedonistic ride. You leave the cinema with one extended finger raised towards the fashion industry and another finger raised in the direction of the media. 'The Bling Ring' is like totally sick...
Barry Watt - 6th July 2013
Afterword
'The Bling Ring' (15) is currently showing in most cinemas.
A link to the 'Vanity Fair' article, 'The Suspects Wore Louboutins' by Nancy Jo Sales is included below and the article is copyright to the author and to Conde Nast.
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2010/03/billionaire-girls-201003
Prada is copyright to Prada.
A couple of the characters including Emma Watson's character are brought up by a mother who espouses new age philosophy with her daughters. Most notably, as they get up the mother gives them a life affirming statement to chew on, prior to sending them out into the outside world. Amusingly, later in the film, the mother clearly obsessed with 'The Secret' by Rhonda Byrne, offers a 'vision board', which is covered with images of Angelina Jolie and the girls are asked to identify the actresses' key qualities. They choose the superficial; Angelina Jolie's 'hot husband' and her 'hot body'.
My enduring memories of the film are the scenes of larceny and the ironic fact that the celebrity generation with its endless need to feed the public with every detail of day to day life on social media sites has left them vulnerable to attack. Indeed, the group pretty much just slide a glass door to get into certain properties. Also Paris Hilton apparently used to keep her key under the door mat. You may as well just wave a sign saying 'Rob me'. Additionally, there is one young man who is part of the group who in many respects serves as the counterpoint to the others. He initially questions the unlawful entries and robberies then it becomes clear that the beauty of high heel shoes and clothes are as much of a lure to him as to his friends. His repressed homosexuality is apparent for all to see but never acted on as he explores his boundaries and becomes more and more addicted to cocaine.
This is a highly successful film, tearing through the superficialities of a consumer society, so obsessed with image that it fails to perceive the damage it is causing to the touchscreen, Prada kids with their vastly reduced capacity to feel. The music soundtrack adding to the hedonistic ride. You leave the cinema with one extended finger raised towards the fashion industry and another finger raised in the direction of the media. 'The Bling Ring' is like totally sick...
Barry Watt - 6th July 2013
Afterword
'The Bling Ring' (15) is currently showing in most cinemas.
A link to the 'Vanity Fair' article, 'The Suspects Wore Louboutins' by Nancy Jo Sales is included below and the article is copyright to the author and to Conde Nast.
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2010/03/billionaire-girls-201003
Prada is copyright to Prada.
Sunday, 30 June 2013
'Immersive Theatre' or who were you when the lights went out?
This blog entry has been waiting in the back of my mind for ages, so to provide me with a little relief, it's time to write it. Now, that has to be the worst opening I have ever written but all will be explained.
As an introductory digression, from memory I recall an absolutely wonderful quote from the film theorist Andre Bazin in his essay, 'What Is Cinema?':
Every new development added to the cinema must, paradoxically, take it nearer and nearer to its origins. In short, cinema has not yet been invented!
(Andre Bazin - 'What Is Cinema?')
As a statement, this may seem paradoxical but if you consider that as a cultural form, the film experience has altered since it began. For example, the introduction of sound in 1927 and the addition of 3D. Soon, Huxley's vision of the 'Feelies' from 'Brave New World' could come into being. Imagine feeling sensations through your chair in the cinema or at home. So how can you offer definitive interpretations and conclusions of something that is in a perennial state of change?
Now the theatre is a similarly transient cultural form of expression. The safe world of the audience member sitting in the auditorium watching actors performing within the proscenium arch punctured by an interval (or more or none) then off home has always been an inaccurate distillation of what is a two way interaction between the theatre group and the audience. Admittedly, some performances involve less in the way of direct audience engagement with the cast. So long as we cough, sigh, laugh or sigh at the appropriate moment, we have satisfied that production's needs. Brecht, Artaud and the many other theatre practitioners who effectively came in and began to break down these preconceived notions of distance between the theatre group and audience were only perceived as 'different' and or 'extreme' because people fail to recall that Shakespeare's original audiences were far more rowdy and upfront than many later audiences. There is a written etiquette of theatre attendance but this varies according to the venue and to be fair, given the chance I feel that the audience would prefer the chance to express how they feel about the production that they have paid to see or to become more involved in some way.
'Immersive theatre' just takes that very natural childish need to engage and to understand the world around us in a more proactive way. But let's immediately discard the notion that 'immersive theatre' requires us to act. Normally, just like any form of theatre, it is about observation. I have seen and been part of productions that have broken down the perceived distance between the audience and performers but these have been in the minority. Indeed, as a form I have objections with 'immersive theatre' precisely because the audience are not as involved as much as they could be. As such, the productions have left me with this sense that something was missing. Normally, I feel that the special something that is missing is a sense of plot or even structure. Most 'immersive theatre' productions seem to be fairly free flowing and although, they do lead to an end point of types. It is not always satisfying or fulfilling. I go to the theatre to be stimulated on some level and if the performers are going through the clockwork motions of a wind up toy, how can I empathise with the performers and the production as a whole?
Now over the years, I have seen a variety of performances that could be defined as 'immersive theatre'. I won't list them all here but I will list the ones that I can remember and offer my memories of them. Trendy words that now appear on many tickets and websites associated with 'immersive theatre' are 'promenade performances' and 'site specific'. Now, I will look at how the productions I have seen or experienced have matched those criteria and what the terms mean to me. Also whether I felt satiated by the performances.
Office Party - Pleasance Theatre, London
This production ran for quite some time and was both a 'promenade performance' and 'site specific'. I went with a group of people and significantly, the production used two buildings, one was the theatre and the other building was next door. Effectively, the production was set around an office Christmas Party. When we arrived, we were handed badges effectively dividing us into different groups including Cleaners, Accounts and Managers. Some badges had stars on them. I guessed what the star meant (star bearers were those members of staff who were being made redundant). Initially, we were taken off in groups and given a little talk about the company and how it had not been that successful this year (well, that's the talk I got). The news that I had been made redundant in the production horribly tied in with a restructuring at work, which resulted in me at risk of losing my job. But for some reason, this did not bother me unduly within the context of this production, so I can't recall whether I had my new job at that point. Then we played a really rubbish game of hide and seek before being led to the main theatre for the proper party. This involved party games such as passing a balloon between your legs, short cabaret performances and moments of potential dramatic tension such as when the Manager came down thanking everyone for their services that year and those of us who had been made redundant felt inclined to retort with a well justified jeer. Overall, my memory of the night is primarily associated with a beautiful moment towards the end of the evening when I had a dance with the fictitious Manager of the company, who had a drink problem and who stated that I had always been his favourite, I retorted, 'But you made me redundant?'
Personally, the production could have done with a little more in the way of character development. As it was, it simply did what it said on the tin. It was a party. In fact, I have seen more dramatic tension at work Christmas dos than this production wished to portray. It was fun but not essential.
The New World Order - Shoreditch Town Hall, London
From one extreme to another, whereas 'Office Party' was fun yet insubstantial, this was very well constructed. Scarily so. One of the few productions that has disturbed me. It was based on a handful of Harold Pinter's short plays, the overtly political ones such as 'Mountain Language', 'One For The Road' and 'Press Conference'. This was possibly one of the most satisfying 'site specific promenade' performances I have seen.
We entered the venue at a specific time and were groped by security. Then divided into groups. Bits of the plays were played out in different sections of the venue. 'Press Conference' took place in a conference room with members of the audience joined by photographers etc. Then an interrogation took place in an official council room and members of the audience were invited to sit around the table where the authoritarian figure tore apart the poor guy sitting next to me. As the evening progressed, we were taken all around the venue. One play took place on a staircase between two cast members. The nasty stuff occurred downstairs around the basement with its cold concrete walls and the audience were literally pushed around by scary police figures and various people were interrogated. At the end of the evening, the door is opened and we are firmly directed out.
I ended up outside the back of the venue unsure where I was and feeling very drained. Owing to the nature of the performance, Amnesty International leaflets were handed to us before the performance started. If Pinter had still been alive, I am sure that he would have approved of this production of his works. Human rights violations being one of his key concerns during his life. As an 'immersive experience', bar being tortured, it succeeded in engaging me.
Hotel Medea - Hayward Gallery, London
The single most successful 'immersive performance' I have yet taken part in. It started at 11.30 pm and ended at 6.40 am on the rooftop eating a breakfast with the cast members etc as the sun rose on a huge table. I could write an essay on this production and the people who know me tire of my constant references to this. It's structured around the Greek tragedy of Medea which you didn't and don't need to understand to appreciate this production. Effectively, the evening broke down into three sections. The audience were more actively involved during the first section for obvious reasons. As the night went on, the audience involvement was less physically active. You truly haven't lived until you have prepared a man and woman for their wedding by washing down their bodies and applying jewellery, seen another scene from three unique perspectives. The most radical one being from a bunk bed wearing pyjamas, whilst a woman strokes your hair and reads you the story of Medea and Jason from a fairy tale. Oh, you were also offered cocoa at this point. Another memory involves dressing as a woman to infiltrate a special female cult and passing secret messages to other men dressed as women. By the end of the evening, when the bodies of two dead young men are laid
out and we are invited to put teddy bears and flowers on and around the bodies and to offer our condolences to the grieving mother, Medea whilst Radiohead's 'Motion Picture Soundtrack' played in the background was one of the most emotional moments I have experienced. This was simply brilliant and does continue to be put on in various venues internationally.
Bush Bazaar - The Bush Theatre, London
Basically, just a lot of fun... You paid one amount to get in then paid small amounts for each of the performances you chose to watch. Sometimes, the fees were fixed but mainly not. The event was extremely 'site specific', in the sense that the theatre had just moved into its new location and every area was used for the production. One event involved a woman who hoarded in one of the toilets and the audience members were spoken to as though members of the council team responsible for helping her to get rid of her possessions. Having suffered from OCDs in the past and also aware of the emotional significance of objects, this was fascinating as she proceeded to explain the relevance of each random item. There were many other small performance pieces too. A group of fictional refugees performed a show about their lives in the garden area out the back and a friend and I still talk about the performance in the water tank room, which I really can't describe using the written word but it involved purifying by nymphs.
The variety of performances on offer made this feel a truly satisfying experience, slightly tarnished by the realisation that you couldn't see everything on one visit.
The Drowned Man - A Hollywood Fable - 'Temple Studios' - Paddington, London
I attended this 'site specific promenade' performance with a friend last Sunday. Basically, it's a converted fire station. As the production is still running, I don't want to spoilt it too much for anyone who wants to see it. It's alright. Not life-changing. It did demonstrate to me the possible flaws with 'immersive theatre' though. Essentially, it felt like a cross between a series of Lynch films and 'Berbarian Sound Studios'. The audience upon arrival were instructed to wear masks and to remain silent throughout the performance. It last three hours and had staggered start times. The cast performed several elaborate dance sequences and somewhere, there was a series of related plots that could loosely be seen as interpretations of films. The sets were amazing. A trailer park, Lynchian rooms with chequered floors and a woodland scene. Outside of the performances, you could walk around. Now my most satisfying moments came about when I simply wandered around the sets after the cast had gone. The attention to detail was something else. Sorry, Punchdrunk, your performance was more about style and less about content. It was good but it good have been so much better. I would love to have the basic concept of the performance explained to me as the climax was so anti-climatic that I left feeling, 'Is that it?'
To conclude, the enduring popularity of 'immersive theatre' seems to be connected to a childish need to play, which remains as we enter into adult life, although do not believe that 'immersive theatre' is always by its nature participatory. Quite often, the audience is simply led by the cast through well constructed performances. I long to see a performance where the audience determines the progression of the action. The element of choice seems to be limited to where you want to walk around various buildings. I guess I want to be the director of the dreams that someone else wishes me to experience.
Afterword
Andre Bazin quote is half remembered from 'The Myth Of Total Cinema' which appears in 'What Is Cinema? (Volume 1) (Page 21) (University of Calfornia Press, 2005).
'Brave New World'- Aldous Huxley (Vintage Press).
The plays are copyright to their respective companies and playwrights. Pinter's plays can be read in various editions published by Methuen.
'Motion Picture Soundtrack' is a Radiohead song and appears on their album, 'Kid A' (Parlophone).
Barry Watt - Sunday 30th June 2013
As an introductory digression, from memory I recall an absolutely wonderful quote from the film theorist Andre Bazin in his essay, 'What Is Cinema?':
Every new development added to the cinema must, paradoxically, take it nearer and nearer to its origins. In short, cinema has not yet been invented!
(Andre Bazin - 'What Is Cinema?')
As a statement, this may seem paradoxical but if you consider that as a cultural form, the film experience has altered since it began. For example, the introduction of sound in 1927 and the addition of 3D. Soon, Huxley's vision of the 'Feelies' from 'Brave New World' could come into being. Imagine feeling sensations through your chair in the cinema or at home. So how can you offer definitive interpretations and conclusions of something that is in a perennial state of change?
Now the theatre is a similarly transient cultural form of expression. The safe world of the audience member sitting in the auditorium watching actors performing within the proscenium arch punctured by an interval (or more or none) then off home has always been an inaccurate distillation of what is a two way interaction between the theatre group and the audience. Admittedly, some performances involve less in the way of direct audience engagement with the cast. So long as we cough, sigh, laugh or sigh at the appropriate moment, we have satisfied that production's needs. Brecht, Artaud and the many other theatre practitioners who effectively came in and began to break down these preconceived notions of distance between the theatre group and audience were only perceived as 'different' and or 'extreme' because people fail to recall that Shakespeare's original audiences were far more rowdy and upfront than many later audiences. There is a written etiquette of theatre attendance but this varies according to the venue and to be fair, given the chance I feel that the audience would prefer the chance to express how they feel about the production that they have paid to see or to become more involved in some way.
'Immersive theatre' just takes that very natural childish need to engage and to understand the world around us in a more proactive way. But let's immediately discard the notion that 'immersive theatre' requires us to act. Normally, just like any form of theatre, it is about observation. I have seen and been part of productions that have broken down the perceived distance between the audience and performers but these have been in the minority. Indeed, as a form I have objections with 'immersive theatre' precisely because the audience are not as involved as much as they could be. As such, the productions have left me with this sense that something was missing. Normally, I feel that the special something that is missing is a sense of plot or even structure. Most 'immersive theatre' productions seem to be fairly free flowing and although, they do lead to an end point of types. It is not always satisfying or fulfilling. I go to the theatre to be stimulated on some level and if the performers are going through the clockwork motions of a wind up toy, how can I empathise with the performers and the production as a whole?
Now over the years, I have seen a variety of performances that could be defined as 'immersive theatre'. I won't list them all here but I will list the ones that I can remember and offer my memories of them. Trendy words that now appear on many tickets and websites associated with 'immersive theatre' are 'promenade performances' and 'site specific'. Now, I will look at how the productions I have seen or experienced have matched those criteria and what the terms mean to me. Also whether I felt satiated by the performances.
Office Party - Pleasance Theatre, London
This production ran for quite some time and was both a 'promenade performance' and 'site specific'. I went with a group of people and significantly, the production used two buildings, one was the theatre and the other building was next door. Effectively, the production was set around an office Christmas Party. When we arrived, we were handed badges effectively dividing us into different groups including Cleaners, Accounts and Managers. Some badges had stars on them. I guessed what the star meant (star bearers were those members of staff who were being made redundant). Initially, we were taken off in groups and given a little talk about the company and how it had not been that successful this year (well, that's the talk I got). The news that I had been made redundant in the production horribly tied in with a restructuring at work, which resulted in me at risk of losing my job. But for some reason, this did not bother me unduly within the context of this production, so I can't recall whether I had my new job at that point. Then we played a really rubbish game of hide and seek before being led to the main theatre for the proper party. This involved party games such as passing a balloon between your legs, short cabaret performances and moments of potential dramatic tension such as when the Manager came down thanking everyone for their services that year and those of us who had been made redundant felt inclined to retort with a well justified jeer. Overall, my memory of the night is primarily associated with a beautiful moment towards the end of the evening when I had a dance with the fictitious Manager of the company, who had a drink problem and who stated that I had always been his favourite, I retorted, 'But you made me redundant?'
Personally, the production could have done with a little more in the way of character development. As it was, it simply did what it said on the tin. It was a party. In fact, I have seen more dramatic tension at work Christmas dos than this production wished to portray. It was fun but not essential.
The New World Order - Shoreditch Town Hall, London
From one extreme to another, whereas 'Office Party' was fun yet insubstantial, this was very well constructed. Scarily so. One of the few productions that has disturbed me. It was based on a handful of Harold Pinter's short plays, the overtly political ones such as 'Mountain Language', 'One For The Road' and 'Press Conference'. This was possibly one of the most satisfying 'site specific promenade' performances I have seen.
We entered the venue at a specific time and were groped by security. Then divided into groups. Bits of the plays were played out in different sections of the venue. 'Press Conference' took place in a conference room with members of the audience joined by photographers etc. Then an interrogation took place in an official council room and members of the audience were invited to sit around the table where the authoritarian figure tore apart the poor guy sitting next to me. As the evening progressed, we were taken all around the venue. One play took place on a staircase between two cast members. The nasty stuff occurred downstairs around the basement with its cold concrete walls and the audience were literally pushed around by scary police figures and various people were interrogated. At the end of the evening, the door is opened and we are firmly directed out.
I ended up outside the back of the venue unsure where I was and feeling very drained. Owing to the nature of the performance, Amnesty International leaflets were handed to us before the performance started. If Pinter had still been alive, I am sure that he would have approved of this production of his works. Human rights violations being one of his key concerns during his life. As an 'immersive experience', bar being tortured, it succeeded in engaging me.
Hotel Medea - Hayward Gallery, London
The single most successful 'immersive performance' I have yet taken part in. It started at 11.30 pm and ended at 6.40 am on the rooftop eating a breakfast with the cast members etc as the sun rose on a huge table. I could write an essay on this production and the people who know me tire of my constant references to this. It's structured around the Greek tragedy of Medea which you didn't and don't need to understand to appreciate this production. Effectively, the evening broke down into three sections. The audience were more actively involved during the first section for obvious reasons. As the night went on, the audience involvement was less physically active. You truly haven't lived until you have prepared a man and woman for their wedding by washing down their bodies and applying jewellery, seen another scene from three unique perspectives. The most radical one being from a bunk bed wearing pyjamas, whilst a woman strokes your hair and reads you the story of Medea and Jason from a fairy tale. Oh, you were also offered cocoa at this point. Another memory involves dressing as a woman to infiltrate a special female cult and passing secret messages to other men dressed as women. By the end of the evening, when the bodies of two dead young men are laid
out and we are invited to put teddy bears and flowers on and around the bodies and to offer our condolences to the grieving mother, Medea whilst Radiohead's 'Motion Picture Soundtrack' played in the background was one of the most emotional moments I have experienced. This was simply brilliant and does continue to be put on in various venues internationally.
Bush Bazaar - The Bush Theatre, London
Basically, just a lot of fun... You paid one amount to get in then paid small amounts for each of the performances you chose to watch. Sometimes, the fees were fixed but mainly not. The event was extremely 'site specific', in the sense that the theatre had just moved into its new location and every area was used for the production. One event involved a woman who hoarded in one of the toilets and the audience members were spoken to as though members of the council team responsible for helping her to get rid of her possessions. Having suffered from OCDs in the past and also aware of the emotional significance of objects, this was fascinating as she proceeded to explain the relevance of each random item. There were many other small performance pieces too. A group of fictional refugees performed a show about their lives in the garden area out the back and a friend and I still talk about the performance in the water tank room, which I really can't describe using the written word but it involved purifying by nymphs.
The variety of performances on offer made this feel a truly satisfying experience, slightly tarnished by the realisation that you couldn't see everything on one visit.
The Drowned Man - A Hollywood Fable - 'Temple Studios' - Paddington, London
I attended this 'site specific promenade' performance with a friend last Sunday. Basically, it's a converted fire station. As the production is still running, I don't want to spoilt it too much for anyone who wants to see it. It's alright. Not life-changing. It did demonstrate to me the possible flaws with 'immersive theatre' though. Essentially, it felt like a cross between a series of Lynch films and 'Berbarian Sound Studios'. The audience upon arrival were instructed to wear masks and to remain silent throughout the performance. It last three hours and had staggered start times. The cast performed several elaborate dance sequences and somewhere, there was a series of related plots that could loosely be seen as interpretations of films. The sets were amazing. A trailer park, Lynchian rooms with chequered floors and a woodland scene. Outside of the performances, you could walk around. Now my most satisfying moments came about when I simply wandered around the sets after the cast had gone. The attention to detail was something else. Sorry, Punchdrunk, your performance was more about style and less about content. It was good but it good have been so much better. I would love to have the basic concept of the performance explained to me as the climax was so anti-climatic that I left feeling, 'Is that it?'
To conclude, the enduring popularity of 'immersive theatre' seems to be connected to a childish need to play, which remains as we enter into adult life, although do not believe that 'immersive theatre' is always by its nature participatory. Quite often, the audience is simply led by the cast through well constructed performances. I long to see a performance where the audience determines the progression of the action. The element of choice seems to be limited to where you want to walk around various buildings. I guess I want to be the director of the dreams that someone else wishes me to experience.
Afterword
Andre Bazin quote is half remembered from 'The Myth Of Total Cinema' which appears in 'What Is Cinema? (Volume 1) (Page 21) (University of Calfornia Press, 2005).
'Brave New World'- Aldous Huxley (Vintage Press).
The plays are copyright to their respective companies and playwrights. Pinter's plays can be read in various editions published by Methuen.
'Motion Picture Soundtrack' is a Radiohead song and appears on their album, 'Kid A' (Parlophone).
Barry Watt - Sunday 30th June 2013
Monday, 27 May 2013
'Something in the Air' - A product of individualism in an age of political apathy.
'Something in the Air' ('Apres Mai') is a French film written and directed by Oliver Assayas. It is set just after the turbulent events in France in May 1968 i.e. the student protests and a widespread disgust of the European Governments and their involvement in the Vietnam War. Perhaps, unsurprisingly, the focus is on the young people and their activities. These activities involve the creation of pamphlets, attendance of quite radical youth activist groups espousing a form of Communism that is a million miles from the watered down rhetoric regurgitated by the drum beating Socialists today hanging onto the coattails of the unions. They also just have fun together. This fun ranges from harmless, the creation of art to the rather more risky, promiscuous sex, acts of violent protest including spraying graffiti on the school walls/windows featuring political slogans and artwork and throwing things at security. Drugs are also a prominent feature of the youth culture depicted in the film.
The film flows like a stream of vignettes. The characters travel about, joining other groups. The nature of subversive film is explored. Questions arise exploring whether revolutionary films should be created using a 'revolutionary syntax'. Traditionally, this has been the case, consider Eisenstein's films with their 'montage of collision' (stark juxtapositions of lines, shapes and images forced against each other). Revolutionary films by their nature do seem to be altered by their material. There are main characters in this film but they serve as symbols of a greater whole. Their triumphs and mistakes are the triumphs and mistakes of a generation.
One sequence which will stick with me for some time to come involves a girl telling her boyfriend that she is off to have an abortion. He asks if she needs company. When she refuses, he suggests a couple of paintings she can see at a gallery once she has left the clinic. You do not see the abortion but you do see the girl visiting the paintings of a group of men and women respectively. She literally and figuratively stuck in the middle of the two paintings, which are on adjacent walls. Her face, a canvas of suffering after her abortion.
'Something in the Air' is a subtle and delicate exploration of lost innocence. You see these characters develop and change as their politics become more subdued with age. The soundtrack also surprises with its use of songs by Nick Drake and Tangerine Dream rather than the tendency of most modern directors to use the now clichéd handful of songs to evoke the Sixties and early Seventies. The Moody Blues' 'Knights In White Satin', Procul Harem's 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' and pretty much anything by Donovan being the usual directorial choices. It is a film I wholeheartedly recommend.
To open up a dialogue with you gentle reader, is it just me who feels that the United Kingdom has never really had the political activism of other European countries? The Teenagers and youth of today are more interested in binge drinking and beginning each sentence with the word, 'Like' than exploring the subtleties of political change. The terrible riots were not about retribution for a perceived wrong or act of atrocity. They seemed to be more indicative of the actions of a group of Lemmings concerned slightly more with the latest trainers and mobile phones and appearing hard in front of your mates than metaphorically holding up a mirror to society and screaming aloud, 'society is going wrong'.
Sadly, there is nothing in the air today, bar the smell of testosterone, aftershave and the smell of Greggs' sausage rolls.
Barry Watt - 27th May 2013
The film flows like a stream of vignettes. The characters travel about, joining other groups. The nature of subversive film is explored. Questions arise exploring whether revolutionary films should be created using a 'revolutionary syntax'. Traditionally, this has been the case, consider Eisenstein's films with their 'montage of collision' (stark juxtapositions of lines, shapes and images forced against each other). Revolutionary films by their nature do seem to be altered by their material. There are main characters in this film but they serve as symbols of a greater whole. Their triumphs and mistakes are the triumphs and mistakes of a generation.
One sequence which will stick with me for some time to come involves a girl telling her boyfriend that she is off to have an abortion. He asks if she needs company. When she refuses, he suggests a couple of paintings she can see at a gallery once she has left the clinic. You do not see the abortion but you do see the girl visiting the paintings of a group of men and women respectively. She literally and figuratively stuck in the middle of the two paintings, which are on adjacent walls. Her face, a canvas of suffering after her abortion.
'Something in the Air' is a subtle and delicate exploration of lost innocence. You see these characters develop and change as their politics become more subdued with age. The soundtrack also surprises with its use of songs by Nick Drake and Tangerine Dream rather than the tendency of most modern directors to use the now clichéd handful of songs to evoke the Sixties and early Seventies. The Moody Blues' 'Knights In White Satin', Procul Harem's 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' and pretty much anything by Donovan being the usual directorial choices. It is a film I wholeheartedly recommend.
To open up a dialogue with you gentle reader, is it just me who feels that the United Kingdom has never really had the political activism of other European countries? The Teenagers and youth of today are more interested in binge drinking and beginning each sentence with the word, 'Like' than exploring the subtleties of political change. The terrible riots were not about retribution for a perceived wrong or act of atrocity. They seemed to be more indicative of the actions of a group of Lemmings concerned slightly more with the latest trainers and mobile phones and appearing hard in front of your mates than metaphorically holding up a mirror to society and screaming aloud, 'society is going wrong'.
Sadly, there is nothing in the air today, bar the smell of testosterone, aftershave and the smell of Greggs' sausage rolls.
Barry Watt - 27th May 2013
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