The Imagery of the House in Remains of the Day Friday, Aug 22 2008 

Drama and Focused Essay and Period Piece and Symbolism Analysis nwbartel 5:18 pm

Remains of the Day is a brilliantly acted movie dealing principally with themes of regret, lost opportunity, and unconsummated love. The movie takes place almost entirely within the confines of the house, which comes to represent the aristocratic way of life – and its decline. Interestingly, in this film we see the aristocratic way of life from the point of view of James Stevens, the butler, who is as much as part of that life as the aristocrats themselves. The decline of the aristocrats is also the decline of the servants way of life.

So strong is the connection between Mr. Stevens and the house that is comes to symbolize him just as much, if not more, than Lord Darlington. The office of butler was evidently a high and respected one. He oversaw all the practical matters of running the household, including hiring, firing and supervising the rest of the servant staff. As such, he was acquainted with the smallest details of the house, as seen when he corrected his staff about the placement of decorative objects in the various rooms, or when he is seen training a younger servant in the exact arrangement of a dinner service. His connection with the house is emphasized more as we see him move in and out of the servant passageways, at one point startling his master with his sudden appearance. He knows the house intimately, and as its manager, the house cannot but reflect some of the butlers character. (more…)

 

Place and Travel in The Painted Veil Friday, Aug 22 2008 

Drama and Focused Essay and Narrative Analysis and Period Piece and Thematic Analysis nwbartel 5:14 pm

The Painted Veil presents a story of redemption in such a captivating and gorgeous way that its scenes and characters all too easily take up residence in the mind, quietly, only to reassert themselves at odd intervals with a surprising insistence, causing a mood of reflection that while not unwelcome is nevertheless often distracting to whatever task is at hand.

It is a rich film, adapted from the novel of the same name by Somerset Maugham. (1) Like any great story, there could be any number of ways to approach it. One of the more obvious avenues is through place and travel. As Kitty, the main protagonist, moves from London to Shanghai and finally to a remote Chinese village, she is stripped of the social conventions and artifice through which she had previously related to the world, and is forced to negotiate a new and more authentic understanding of herself and her relations to others. (more…)

 

Kitty’s Second Chance: Love and Character in The Painted Veil Friday, Aug 22 2008 

Character Analysis and Comparison with Book and Drama and Focused Essay and Period Piece nwbartel 5:09 pm

The Painted Veil beautifully presents the story of a young society woman named Kitty and her redemption from a shallow and self-centered life through her growing ability to love. While there are several significant changes in how her journey toward a better life is portrayed and the particulars of her circumstances, the film nevertheless captures the essential change in Kitty’s character and so remains remarkably true to W Somerset Maughm’s book.

The first half of the film tracing the events taking Kitty from the high society of London to a remote, cholera-stricken village in China contains only minor changes from the book. Her marriage to Walter, move to China, her affair with Charlie Townsend and Walter’s discovery of it and the terrible choice Walter gives Kitty to accompany him to the village or face a scandalous divorce are all very similar. Not surprisingly, the book offers more detail, but the movie admirably portrays the details of the book. (1) (more…)

 

Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring: Catholic “Tragedy” Friday, Aug 22 2008 

Character Analysis and Drama and Focused Essay and Narrative Analysis and Period Piece , nwbartel 1:29 am

Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring are so tightly connected that they could be considered two chapters of the same film. Jean de Florette portrays the Soubeyran’s cruel treatment of Jean, an idealistic middle class man who has resettled his family on a farm he has inherited in Provence, France. The treatment eventually leads to Jean’s death, after which Cesar and his nephew, Ugolin Soubeyran are able to cheaply buy his property from his widow. Manon of the Spring takes place some ten or twelve years later.

Manon of the Spring is a tragedy in the truest understanding of the genre. It unfolds with a relentlessness usually witnessed in plots by Shakespeare or Sophocles. This tragedy, however, is set in a deeply Catholic culture. As Cesar’s tragedy becomes the catalyst for his return to faith, the film turns the the tragic genre upside down, reflecting Christian belief in the supremacy of hope and life over despair and death. (more…)

 

The Lives of Others: Art and Authentic living Friday, Aug 22 2008 

Character Analysis and Drama and Focused Essay and Foreign and Narrative Analysis and Thematic Analysis nwbartel 1:28 am

The Lives of Others follows a playwright, Georg Dreyman, and his actress girlfriend, Christa-Maria Sieland, as they struggle through life in the authoritarian state of 1984 East Berlin. The government maintains tight control of artistic activity, blacklisting or otherwise silencing artists who are critical of the political system.Dreyman’s plays are sympathetic to communism and he is generally liked or tolerated by those in power. When even he comes under full surveillance, however, he achieves in his life what the censors will not allow him to achieve on the stage; he touches the soul of an audience he doesn’t even know he has, and opens that soul to possibilities it had never before conceived.

Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler is the stazi (secrete police) official tasked with spying on Dreyman and Christa-Maria. As the movie unfolds, Wiesler’s naive idealism and belief in the communist project is challenged on the one hand witnessing the blatant corruption and hypocrisy of powerful party officials, and on other hand by a growing sympathy with the targets of his surveillance. (more…)

 

Thoughts on Bella Friday, Aug 22 2008 

Drama and General Thoughts and Symbolism Analysis nwbartel 1:27 am

Bella is the kind of movie that grows on you. My initial impression was that the movie was ‘nice.’ There was something persistent in it, though, that kept the scenes running through my head. The more they did, the deeper my appreciation for the film grew. This film is composed of visually rich scenes and compelling vignettes which become all the more meaningful when contrasted with each other.

Nina, the central character in the film, just got a positive result from a pregnancy test. In her distress, she arrives late to work, for which she is fired. Jose, the chef (and brother of the owner), walks out the restaurant and the film portrays their day together.

For a movie dealing with abortion, arguably the single most politicized and contentious issue dividing the country, the film shows remarkable restraint and subtlety. While I don’t want to get into the issue of abortion per se, I will say that I greatly appreciated the fact that the film examined the issue artistically. That is, there is no sermonizing, lecturing, debating or moralizing in this movie. Rather, themes emerge through gentle conversation and imagery. (more…)