Hon 121 The Cinematic: Final

1. Hon 121 The Cinematic:Final By, Syeda Asad

2. Part A Pan’s Labyrinth and Dream-Works

3. What interested me most about this class… …were our group discussions. We split our class work into reading assignments and films. Almost everything we studied in this class was new material for me, and I’ve never studied the concept of “time” in this way before. For example, “ The Circular Ruins” by Jorge Luis Borges and “One Hundred Years of Solitude” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the first couple of stories we were exposed to in class, were a bit difficult to grasp at first. “Pedro Paramo” by Juan Rulfo was a crucial part of our curriculum. These stories, although intriguing, were confusing after the first read through. Once we got together and broke things down, analyzed characters, analyzed sequences of events, and gained more insight on the concept of non-linear narratives, the stories became not only intriguing but fascinating. I was able to appreciate our stories because we were able to talk about them as a group and put our heads together to brainstorm. There are many things I cherish from this class, including learning about the concepts of elements of fairytales and anime, of novels and cinema, as well as non-linear narratives in fiction and film. I had never even given a thought to non-linear narratives before this class, but now I am proud to say that even I can create a successful non-linear narrative, even though I’m an amateur at it.

4. My favorite film was… …Pan’s Labyrinth by Guillermo del Toro. Although Memento has been a classic favorite of mine for many years, watching Pan’s Labyrinth for the first time in class was like a breath of fresh air. I’ve seen war films (Pan’s Labyrinth took place after the Spanish Civil War) and I’ve seen fantasy films, but I have never seen a film with both elements. It was a film that incorporated adult themes as well as childhood imagination. It reminded me a little of epic films like The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Harry Potter franchise. All of these films had fantasy, with the main character on a quest for something. There is desperation in these films, which keeps you at the edge of your seat. However, in The Lord of the Rings, the reality includes the mythical creatures. In Harry Potter, mythical creatures are a reality as well, but the story is centered around magic. Pan’s Labyrinth, on the other hand, separates mythical creatures into a vibrant world of imagination, separate from the dreary and despondent reality. Where Harry Potter relies on witchcraft and wizardry, Pan’s Labyrinth utilizes the imagination of a child.

5. Pan’s Labyrinth

6. Freud’s Dream-Work Freud applied distorting operations to repressed wishes. Because of these distortions, which he called ‘’dream-work’’, the manifest content of the dream can be very different from the latent dream thought reached through analysis. He said that the latent content is approached by reversing these distortions. The distorting operations included: • Condensation: this is where one dream object stands for several associations and ideas. Therefore, "dreams are brief, meagre and laconic in comparison with the range and wealth of the dream-thoughts". • Displacement: this is where a dream object's emotional significance is separated from its real object or content and attached to an entirely different one that does not raise the censor's suspicions. • Representation: this is where a thought is translated to visual images. • Symbolism: this is where a symbol replaces an action, person, or idea.

7. Meshes of the Afternoon and Dream-Works:We can apply Freud’s Dream-Works to Maya Deren’s film Meshes of the Afternoon. For example… This picture shows “symbolism”, where a symbol can replace an idea. I imagine that she’s pressing the key to her mouth, symbolizing that her mouth is sealed and she can’t communicate to us. This picture shows “representation”, where a thought is translated into visual images. Looking at this picture, I feel that the woman is confused- she feels like two different people. She doesn’t know what is the truth, what is the reality. She doesn’t know if she can trust herself. 

8. Man Ray and Dream Aspects This is called “Larmes”. This image shows “representation”. The glass beads represent tears. This is called “Rayograph”. This image also shows “representation”. In this image, I see two people kissing, on a couple of pillows, perhaps on a bed. However, two hands seem to be trying to block the image, as though it is something meant to be repressed, or forbidden. Also, the image is goes up in smoke, showing that the kissing is illusive. 

9. Hannah Hoch and Dream Aspects This is called “Pretty Maiden”. In this image, I see “condensation”, where this one image stands for several associations and ideas. She is trying to depict the contradictory and faceless roles of being a woman This is called “Grotesque”. In this image, I see “condensation” as well. This one image is questioning the notion of identity and gender roles. 

10. Jerry Uelsmann and Dream Aspects This is called “The Man in the Study”. I’m really fond of this image. I can see how this would be a part of a dream. It shows “condensation”- so many ideas are expressed at once. There is no ceiling to the room, and so the man has no control over what God throws down at him. The door is open, but we can’t see what is on the other side. The man is contained on the little book on the desk, so perhaps his knowledge is minimal. The man is very small compared to his room, and so we know that he feels very small compared to the universe. This is Untitled. This image is another example of “condensation”. It seems as though the man wants to get through the door, to unchartered territory. However, he can’t just easily walk the path. It’s hard for him to get to the door because walking through water is harder than walking on ground. 

11. Jonathan Borofsky and Dream Aspects This is called “Walking to the Sky”. This is obviously an example of “symbolism”. I believe Borofky wants to show how we are always trying to climb to the top. We all want to reach the highest point of success in some aspect of our lives. And so we have to walk a straight narrow path, without straying, otherwise we will fall off and never reach our destination. This is called “Dancers”. This image shows “symbolism” to me. I feel as though he erected the sculptures in this large size because he wanted it to represent how the dancers’ spirit was larger than we are. I feel spiritual when I see this image. 

12. Akira Kurosawa Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. He was born in March 1910 and died in September 1998. His career lasted 50 years, and he directed 30 films. He is known as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in film history. In 1989, he won an Oscar for Lifetime Achievement, "for cinematic accomplishments that have inspired, delighted, enriched and entertained worldwide audiences and influenced filmmakers throughout the world." After his directorial debut with Sanshiro Sugata, his films afterwards were made under the watchful eye of the wartime Japanese government and they had nationalistic themes. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Kurosawa's birth, the AK100 Project was created. The AK100 Project wants to "expose young people who are the representatives of the next generation, and all people everywhere, to the light and spirit of Akira Kurosawa and the wonderful world he created.“ To mark the 99th anniversary of the birth of Akira Kurosawa, Anaheim University launched the Anaheim University Akira Kurosawa School of Film at the Beverly Hills Hotel on March 23, 2009. Two awards have been named in Kurosawa's honor, the Akira Kurosawa Award for Lifetime Achievement in Film Directing, awarded during the San Francisco International Film Festival, and the Akira Kurosawa Award, awarded during the Tokyo International Film Festival.

13. 7 Films of Akira Kurosawa • Sanshiro Sugata (1943):His directorial debut It was first released in Japan on 25 March 1943, and eventually released in the United States on 28 April 1974. It is based on the novel of the same name by Tsuneo Tomita . It’s about Sanshiro, a strong stubborn youth, who travels into the city in order to learn Jujutsu. Upon his arrival he discovers a new form of self-defense: Judo. The main character is based on Shiro Saigo, a legendary judoka. • The Most Beautiful(1944): This is a drama film written and directed by Kurosawa. The film is set in an optics factory during the Second World War. • No Regrets for Our Youth (1946): This was written and directed by Kurosawa in 1946. It is based on the Takigawa incident of 1933. Susumu Fujita's character was inspired by the real-life Hotsumi Ozaki, who assisted the famous Soviet spy Richard Sorge and so became the only Japanese citizen to suffer the death penalty for treason during World War Two. • One Wonderful Sunday (1947): This was co-written and directed by Kurosawa. It is in black-and-white. Yuzo and his financée, Masako, spend a Sunday together in Tokyo. They are trying to live on 35 yen. • Seven Samurai (1954): This was co-written, edited and directed by Kurosawa. The film takes place in WarringStates Period Japan. It follows the story of a village of farmers that hire seven masterless samurai to combat bandits who will return after the harvest to steal their crops. • The Bad Sleep Well (1960): This was directed by Kurosawa. It was the first film to be produced under Kurosawa's own independent production company. It’s about a young man who gets a prominent position in a corrupt postwar Japanese company in order to expose the men responsible for his father's death. It was Kurosawa’s “Hamlet”. • Ran (1985): This was written and directed by Kurosawa. It is a Japanese period drama about the fall of Hidetora Ichimonji , an aging warlord. The story is influenced by “King Lear”.

15. “Dreams” by Akira Kurosawa “Dreams” is a magical realism film based on Kurosawa’s actual dreams at different stages of his life. This already makes it different from “The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie” by Bunuel, because that film didn’t have a magical element. “Dreams” is based more on imagery than on dialogue, unlike “Discreet”. In “Discreet”, a lot of the film was about dialogue, and word play. “Dreams” consists of several dreams and the dreams are in eight separate segments. “Discreet” was not in this format- it was non-linear, but it was not divided up into different segments. Most of its scenes revolved around the same main group of characters. Some of the dreams were terrifying and agonizing to watch, like “The Weeping Demon”. The “nightmare” segments were very dark. Although “Discreet” also had some parts with dark themes, it was more surreal than it was scary.

16. Kurosawa’s films should be remembered because… …he isregarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in film history. He has a worldwide audience, and he has also inspired filmmakers from around the world. At a time when Japanese culture turned away from western films, Kurosawa’s family believed that films were a positive educational experience. He was not afraid to make films with nationalistic themes. He had a distinctive cinematic technique. For example, he would place cameras farther away from the actors, so that their performance wouldn’t be affected by the cameras. He was affectionately dubbed "Emperor", for his dictatorial directing style. He was a perfectionist, and he spent a lot of time and effort to achieve the desired visual effects. He even had his actors “bond” with their costumes. Kurosawa edited his films himself during production, which was unusual for a director. He didn’t use “finished music” during his films. He was deeply influenced by Japanese culture, such as the Noh theaters and the Jidaigeki period drama genre of Japanese cinema, as well as Shakespeare. We can see this through his work. Kurosawa should be remembered for his precision and uniqueness.

17. This scene is from the segment “The Peach Orchard”. Here, the living dolls realize how much he loved the blossoms, so they agree to give him one last glance at the peach trees with a dance. This is one of the happy endings in this film. It shows that there is forgiveness and redemption for those with pure intentions. This is a scene from “The Weeping Demon”. This is one of the nightmare sequences. Here Kurosawa exposes the dangers of this world, like the consequences of a nuclear holocaust. He brings attention to man’s mistakes. We see abnormal mutations like the horned demons and gigantic dandelions. This is a scene from the final segment of the film, “Village of the Watermills”. There is a funeral procession, and instead of mourning, the people joyfully celebrate a proper end to a good life. The village people have forsaken the influence of modern technology and live in a cleaner era of society. It is a harmonious, and cheerful way to end the film, giving the viewers hope for a better future.

18. “Bright Lights” Non-linear Narrative: An original piece by Syeda Asad

19. Muffled sounds. Her ears felt like they were filled with cotton. God, she had the biggest headache in the world. Hmmm. Why couldn’t she open her eyes…? Whatever, head hurts to think about it. Her body felt like lead. She must be in one of those dreams, where you know it’s a dream, but can’t wake up, and you’re body feels like it’s pinned to the bed. Oh well, she thought. He’ll just have to make the coffee this morning. And then his face flashed behind her closed eyelids. ~%~ It smelled sterile. It smelled like life and it smelled like death. As I walk down the hallway, there are bright lights and unending, nonsensical patterns of tiles on the ground. Everyone is walking. Not walking, but rushing, quietly, and slowly. The bright lights show everything. No one can hide anything from the bright lights. They point out your imperfections, and reveal your blemishes to the whole world. Perhaps just as bad as the bright lights are the smiling faces behind the desks. Smiling, but vacant. They see so many people like these people everyday, they’ve lost their sympathy and compassion for the new arrivals. Everyone is rushing. They’re rushing, ignoring the smiling faces, and annoyed with the bright lights. Finally, they reach their destination.

20. She reaches a hand out blindly, and feels his hand. A smile forms upon her lips, eyes still cold, still feeling curiously weighed down. She squeezes his hand. His hand lay limp in hers, unresponsive. Surely, if it was her dream, he would be squeezing back… right? A wave of noise crashes through her ears at that moment. Nonsensical. Buzzing, wailing. She…doesn’t…understand… ~%~ The young man is in front of everyone else. He’s gorgeous. Curly black hair, warm brown eyes, magnetic personality, and a smile that had men and women alike floored. He spoke, and they listened, no matter how old or how young. Gentle as a cloud, and as masculine as a lion with an enormous mane. They wanted to be like him. Everyone wanted to be him. He’s gorgeous. Or at least he was until about 26 minutes ago. Until 26 minutes ago, she was with him.

21. “Ma’am? Ma’am! Can you hear us? I need you to listen closely…” And on and on he continued. How rude, she thought. Who does this strange man think he is? And there goes that annoying wailing sound again. This is ridiculous, she thought, struggling to open her eyes and banish the disturbances so she can get back to her peace. When her drooping lids finally obeyed, her eyes were met with a glaring color of red. ~%~ So... what? Does everyone go in? This is what they’ve been waiting for, right? Then let’s get on with it babe, rock and roll. Do it or don’t. It’s what she says, even when there was just no other way. She would say this, and they would listen. Her kind of aura, the one others envy, attracts people to her. Everyone looks at her and they fall in love. She doesn’t even have to speak and they know she’s worth all the treasure in the world. She’s not  model-type, you know, the six-foot tall, light hair, light eyes, magazine cover-girl. No, that’s not her. She has real beauty. She smells of jasmine, and her movements are like those of a feather. There is a smile plastered on their faces after speaking with her for less than a minute. She’s beautiful. Or at least she was until about 26 minutes ago.

22. Pain. Shooting, searing, stabbing pain. What did she do? Truly, God, she was sorry and she’d never do it again. Promise. Swear. Just please, stop the hurting. And where is he? Why isn’t he with her? She wanted him, so badly. Perhaps…maybe… if she closed her eyes again, maybe he would find her… ~%~ Right in front of the door, his hands on the handle. Waiting. The touch of the metal door handle is cold. The entire place feels cold. There’s nothing warm about where he is at all.  The door is cold. The walls are cold. The floor is cold. The ceiling is cold. The air is cold. And now, Goddamn, cold hands. It’s taking too long to open the damn door. Go in already! He gets shoved out of the way, and so do I, by an evil impatience. He looks lost, and scared. What’s going on? I don’t understand what’s going on? Where is she? I need her. Doesn’t she know I’m waiting for her? Where is she? The lady at the desk just looks. She doesn’t have anything better to do than to pretend like she’s working hard. This way, she has an excuse for being grumpy. Right before he loses it, she comes. Like an angel, she floats to him. I’m here baby, let’s go. Relieved at the sight of her, he grabs her hand and they walk through the door. What to do now? Pacing, contemplating whether or not to go in. Just go through that door. And there they stand, staring at the bed. His face and hers equally paled. Her lips were no longer a rosy pink, but void of color. His eyes had lost their gleam. What seemed to shock them was the sight before them. The once vibrant couple, now lying on cold, sterile, beds.

23. “God, they were gorgeous.” “They say she held out longer until she realized he was gone.” “Yes, they were beautiful.” “Yea, until about 26 minutes ago.” “No, they’re still beautiful.” Bright lights show everything… except to those who can’t see.

24. Sources… • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pan%27s_Labyrinth_poster.jpg • http://laist.com/attachments/tony/panslabby.jpg • http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%20America/Hellivision/pans_labyrinth4.jpg • http://www.piggynap.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/pans-labyrinth.jpg • http://images.starpulse.com/Photos/Previews/Pans-Labyrinth-movie-10.jpg • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream_interpretation • http://www.alamut.com/images/2001_misc/mayaDerenKey.jpg • http://www.tate.org.uk/images/cms/13345w_marina_warner_10.jpg • http://media.photobucket.com/image/man%20ray/blacksummersnight/black01/ManRay-Tears-1930.jpg • http://www.artinthepicture.com/artists/Man_Ray/rayograph.jpeg • http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vY5RzwlvdwM/SZ8SLDQd5SI/AAAAAAAABGo/jmLf1tkxLv0/s400/H.Hbg.jpg • http://navasse.net/remixCCEBA/lightsandshadows-hoch-lg.jpg • http://scarvalho82.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/the-man-in-the-study-jerry-uelsmann.jpg • http://www.photography.ca/i/photographer/uelsmann1.jpg • http://lh4.ggpht.com/_YDI8LZBMx_Q/Sfd5XcEPZQI/AAAAAAAAJRA/3XL5FKWr-bk/IMG_4491.JPG • http://www.denvergov.org/Portals/539/images/TA_dancers.jpg • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akira_Kurosawa • http://billsmovieemporium.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/dreams02.png?w=497&h=332 • http://www.genjipress.com/img/dvd/2003/B00007G1ZC-046.jpg • http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://theviewspaper.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/dreams.jpg&imgrefurl=http://theviewspaper.net/once-i-had-a-dream-movie-review-of-akira-kurosawas-dreams/&usg=__Q_lmYayMvXIsQX0BB8BKtHXr97M=&h=219&w=540&sz=10&hl=en&start=85&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=6vQgIsWfzTbDfM:&tbnh=54&tbnw=132&prev=/images%3Fq%3Ddreams%2Bakira%2Bkurosawa%26ndsp%3D21%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D84%26um%3D1