Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts

With the release of the eighth and final Harry Potter movie this July (Deathly Hallows II), it seemed as if an era had come to a close. My friends and I had grown up with Harry Potter, and I remember eagerly awaiting the release of the last few books and devouring them as soon as they came out. It seemed appropriate to mark the occasion of the last movie's release by going to a midnight showing with a group of friends and dressing up like the nerd that I am. (Nowthat was a fun night.)

I was extremely disturbed and horrified by what I witnessed today in school, and it made me wonder whether some people will ever grow up and see something beyond their looks, apparel, excursions, and morning hot cocoa or coffee.

Someone had set up a hot water urn in the student lounge today and provided cocoa mix, whipped cream, and marshmellows. That is all very well and lovely, and I am sure all my classmates were thankful for that, especially since if they had a free period or a few minutes between classes, they could enjoy a nice cup of hot cocoa. When you are learning and running around all day, preoccupied with your studies, refreshments are always very much appreciated.

But as we were going to Holocaust class, I noticed a few girls calmly making themselves a drink in preparation. They mixed the cocoa powder in with the boiling water, elaborately placed whipped cream on top, dropped a couple of marshmellows in, and were all prepared to go learn about the Holocaust. I asked them whether they were planning on taking that to class, and they replied that of course they were. One of the girls said that we will be watching a video. The implication was that footage of the Holocaust and hot cocoa go together well.

We were watching Genocide today, a video containing personal narratives of experiences in the Holocaust as well as extremely graphic footage of Jews being killed, of rotting skeletal corpses being swung and thrown into pits, of entire piles of corpses lying around in the death camps, of ovens and burned bodies, of the dead and the dying.

I felt physically sick at those sights, and a few girls were crying. And there were those girls, enjoying their hot drinks as if nothing happened, as if nothing mattered. One of them wanted more whipped cream to go with her movie drink, so she walked out and returned with the entire container of whipped cream and proceeded to enjoy herself thoroughly while horrifying images flashed before our eyes and survivors' testimonies were read of the cruel things they had to endure and of their separation from their beloved parents and of the agony of knowing that your entire family has been wiped out.

I heard this girl whispering with her friends, laughing loudly at the beginning, etc.

And I wanted to get out of my seat, walk over to her, and strangle her. (But I thought that it would not go over well with the school or her parents, if you know what I mean.)

You would think that by the time a girl reaches that age, she might acquire a bit more sensitivity, especially when dealing with a subject like the Holocaust. Is that really too much to hope for? Do such girls ever grow up? Because, quite honestly, I am beginning to despair of that.

Have you ever had one of those days when you just cannot stop thinking about a certain novel? It seems to follow you wherever you go, and it is in your mind no matter what it is you are doing at the time.

That is what is happening to me today with Anne Bronte's novel, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. When I first read it, I could not get it out of my head either. But now, I don't see why it should be occupying my thoughts so much. I recently mentioned the BBC series in my post on period pieces, and yesterday I decided to watch it again.

Perhaps that is why the novel found its way into the essay I had to write for the Touro English placement exam today. One of the choices for the essay was "Knowledge is power" vs. "Ignorance is bliss." What a wonderful topic, I thought, and I decided to do it. I claimed that knowledge is, indeed, power, while ignorance often leads to misery. As one of the proofs, I mentioned The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, and how Helen's ignorance led to misery and pain. Had she known her husband's true nature and the hopelessness of changing or reforming him, she would not have married him. At the time that she accepted his proposal, she was unaware of the extent of his debauchery. Ignorance is bliss? I don't think so. That ignorance caused her to get stuck with an abusive and unfaithful husband.


I remembered bookmarking some pages in my copy of the book to which I wanted to go back, so I just took it off the shelf again and thought I might as well post my thoughts and some quotes I liked.

Helen, the main character of the book, once said, "I hate talking where there is no exchange of ideas or sentiments, and no good given or received." I too prefer real, thorough conversations to small talk, but when everybody around you is so attached to small talk, it is difficult to avoid it. Whenever there is a silence, people feel the need to fill it instead of simply enjoying the moment. Why must something always be said, though? If there is nothing worth saying, would it not be better to remain silent?

Another thing I appreciated was the following exchange between Helen and Mr. Markham as they observed the beauty of nature:
Helen: "I almost wish I were not a painter."
Mr. Markham: "Why so? One would think at such a time you would most exult in your privilege of being able to imitate the various brilliant and delightful touches of nature."
Helen: "No; for instead of delivering myself up to the full enjoyment of them as others do, I am always troubling my head about how I could produce the same effect upon canvas; and as that can never be done, it is mere vanity and vexation of spirit."

I often feel this way in regard to my writing. Although I love to write and it is something I do on a constant basis, there are moments when I feel as if I cannot fully experience something because I am busy thinking of how I can get it into writing. Even though I appreciate having what to write about, it is sometimes a bit overwhelming because I feel I cannot go onto the next experience until I have done justice to the previous one.

Here is another quote from Helen that adequately describes what my feelings are toward writing: "This paper will serve instead of a confidential friend into whose ear I might pour forth the overflowings of my heart." I tend to do that a lot; I avoid confiding many of my thoughts, and my idea of sharing them is to write them down in a notebook. Although I am sitting here now and typing up my present thoughts for my blog, it is nothing compared to what I keep between me and my notebooks.

It is wonderful how often books mirror your own thoughts and how accurately they do so. I found it to be especially true with this book, which is, I suppose, why I wanted to dedicate a post to it.

Netflix has taken to suggesting movies for me on my homepage based on my previous ratings or interests. Sometimes, they make the most inane assumptions about me and my preferences. For example, because I watched The Duchess, Netflix labeled me as someone who likes "heartfelt movies featuring a strong female lead," when in reality, I just wanted to see Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes in it. On the other hand, some of their assumptions are correct. For example, they correctly guessed that I enjoy "witty British movies based on classic literature" because of my interest in Pride and Prejudice and Vanity Fair.

But you can never completely trust Netflix to tell you what you'll enjoy. In fact, you can't trust anyone, because it depends on you and your personal preferences. I, for example, most enjoy pre-20th century period pieces, preferably based on classic literature.

As summer approaches, many of us find ourselves with a lot of time on our hands. While I am not suggesting that my readers should spend their summer watching films, I will suggest a few films from among those I recently enjoyed in case my readers do find themselves looking for something good to watch. In this post, I will focus on ten period pieces that I liked (mostly based on books), in no particular order.

1. Wuthering Heights -- I have watched a few versions of this film (including one in French), but my favorites were the ones from 1939, 1970, 1992. The 1939 version stars Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon, both of whom play their parts very convincingly. One of the things I liked about this version that I did not see in other versions was the emphasis on Heathcliff and Isabella's relationship. I somehow found myself sympathizing with Isabella more because this film gave the viewers a bigger view into her life. The 1970 version, starring Timothy Dalton and Anna Calder-Marshall, was also very beautifully done. (Interesting fact: Anna Calder-Marshall and Laurence Olivier later played together in King Lear, after having acted in different versions of Wuthering Heights.) The 1992 version of Wuthering Heights was the first one I ever saw. While Juliette Binoche's interpretation of Cathy was slightly annoying, Ralph Fiennes was perfect for the role of the tormented Heathcliff.
2. Gone With the Wind. Need I really say more?
3. North and South -- This is a BBC series containing four episodes, about a young woman in England who moves from a rural town to an industrial town and has to adapt to her new surroundings and the coldness displayed by the Northerners. This series is easy on the eyes, relaxing, and leaves you with a smile on your face. There are some sad parts, but the ending makes it all worth it.
4. Pride and Prejudice. I have watched four different versions so far, but my favorite remains the 2005 version, with Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen. Although it is nowhere near as long or as faithful to the book as the BBC version, it has a certain dream-like quality to it and the lighting techniques give it this feeling of tranquillity and sunshine that make it totally worth it. The costumes were delightful as well. Another thing I loved about this film was the soundtrack. I often listen to it as I am doing my homework, writing, or relaxing. I probably would not want to admit how many times I saw this film or how many times I listened to the soundtrack on repeat, but you get the idea. (The 1940 version of Wuthering Heights starring Laurence Olivier is also worth a mention, although I was disappointed by the costumes. The women's fashion was off by a couple of decades and they were wearing wide skirts over big petticoats. Pride and Prejudice is a Regency novel, so they should have been wearing the empire gowns typical of that period.)
5. Sense and Sensibility. Yes, another film based on a Jane Austen book. I can't help it -- she was really good at what she did! My favorite version of this movie is from 1995, starring Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, and Alan Rickman.
6. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. This BBC series is based on a book by Anne Bronte, the least famous of the three Bronte sisters, but just as talented. Unlike Jane Austen's works, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is a typical Bronte novel -- dark and dramatic. It is about a young woman who marries a reprobate with a penchant for drinking and tries to escape and rebuild her life once she realizes that there is no changing him.
7. Jane Eyre. Another Bronte novel, this time by Charlotte. There are a few versions out, but I could not find one that struck me as being superior to the rest, so I will pick and choose. If I could, I would combine Timothy Dalton's interpretation of Mr. Rochester (from the 1983 BBC series) with Samantha Morton's Jane (from the 1997 version). I do recommend both though.
8. Little Women (1994). This is one of the films that I remember watching when I was a little girl and would gladly watch over and over again now. Jo is one of my favorite characters, as I can relate to her so well.
9. The Importance of Being Earnest. This is a very light, fun comedy based on Oscar Wilde's play, with Reese Witherspoon and Colin Firth.
10. Becoming Jane. Could my list possibly be complete without a film about the woman behind the literature? I am fascinated by most movies that are based on the lives of authors, composers, artists, etc., and this film about Jane Austen's life is no exception.

The most reasonable thing to do after having a miserable day at school is to rant about it to the first person who will listen, then indulge in the most fattening ice cream available, and finally attempt to forget about it by blogging on a completely different topic. So here I am.

Last month, upon Netflix's recommendation, I watched a DVD titled Lost in Austen. According to Wikipedia, it is "a four-part 2008 British television series for the ITV network, written by Guy Andrews as an adaptation of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen." I love Jane Austen's works, so I am usually interested in any DVD that is connected either to her or to her books. This DVD was no exception. I would recommend it to anyone who has read and enjoyed Pride and Prejudice.

Lost in Austen is about Amanda Price, a young woman living in 21st century Hammersmith. She is a big fan of Pride and Prejudice, and it is obvious that a lot of her life revolves around her favorite book. After a hard day, she curls up on her couch with the novel and escapes into this fictional world. After discovering a secret door that leads from her apartment to the Bennets' house, Amanda exchanges places with Elizabeth Bennet and tries to blend into society in this new world. What she soon realizes though, is that she is unwelcome. Society, for the most part, rejects her, and although she is in the world of her dreams, her life there becomes unbearable. Instead of being able to enjoy herself because she is finally a part of her favorite novel, Amanda is miserable since everything seems to be going wrong. Although there is a good ending (it wouldn't be Austen if it wasn't), it is not just a pleasant fantasy. For Amanda, it is a stressful series of events during which she is often confused, upset, frustrated, or angry.

The thing that struck me most about this DVD was this proof that fantasy differs from reality.

We often wish for something, thinking about how wonderful it would be, without realizing that what seems perfect in our heads might prove to be disastrous in reality. If it is not for you, it cannot make you happy no matter how much you wish for it. A dream can easily turn into a nightmare if it is a dream that was not meant for you, but which you nevertheless obstinately pursued.