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A picture is worth a thousand words. Or, perhaps, one word can convey thousands of pictures. Such a word is “smoke”. And whether it’s the fumes from a cigar or the exhaust from a taxicab tailpipe, it sticks with you beyond physical limitation and human belief. Wayne Wang’s 1995 film “Smoke” unites multiple realities and prospects under a single frame of reference. Put simply, this frame of reference is a two-dimensional photograph, which serves as the narrative motif for the film as a whole, because if one is to pay close attention, it becomes sufficiently obvious that nearly every frame is designed like a still photograph. This is precisely the spirit of the film’s technical style; one must be conscious of the photographic method, which involves virtually no camera movements and refrains from cutting between characters mid-conversation. The film opens to a wide sweeping shot of the subway lurking beneath the backdrop of the Twin Towers; this image presents us with a seemingly dull disposition which challenges us to look further to the morally captivating street-level universe. This premise is explored further as Auggie shows his photographs to Paul; the differences between these photographs affirms the bond between them. One photograph features Paul’s late wife, whose absence has forged an everlasting void in his life. Auggie alternately perceives her lost as so delicate as to rely on exact change and a crowded store. Right after being saved from certain peril by Thomas, Paul insists that he must keep the scales in balance, as per the law of the universe; this directly relates back to his mention of weighing the soul; clearly, human tendency attributes moral generosity with visual results. The characters in this film are confronted with survival and adaptability; accepting differences isn’t so much the solution as the obstacle. What is truly pursued is a universal platform of compatibility that revolves around quiet lies, such as Ruby pretending to be close to Auggie, Thomas feigning passive belonging with Cyrus, and Auggie pretending to be a stranger’s grandson. These quiet lies dissolve harsh realities but we are still left with hidden truths – what few will notice is the time period; Summer 1990 marked the beginning of the Persian Gulf War, when a U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq following the annexation of Kuwait. What Wayne Wang does so brilliantly is distract us from these developments by delivering dialogue and sharp visuals while the news of these developments is playing on the radio. “Smoke” challenges us to not only hear what is being said, but to listen to what reality is being conveyed; solutions need not arise from distant and ideal sources, but from what’s always among us but goes unnoticed. (Word Count: 450)
Hi! I really enjoyed your analysis of the movie; reading your response felt like looking down the lens of a camera into the scenes themselves. Your emphasis on visibility, what is shown, accentuated, and hidden away, brings a unique perspective to each frame of the film. This is vital, especially when paired with the director’s choice to implement different chapters. Your attention to detail stresses the unique dimension Smoke creates, in addition to the cultivation of intricate themes. It makes it much easier to comprehend the complexity of the characters and the presented settings. The prominent use of imagery in the film helps to build a backdrop for New York City and supports the development of the narrative. Overall, the context you provided was interesting and the historical connection you made at the end was very insightful.
Varin your examination of the film is very thorough in the aspect that the average picture can appear simple but then also posses traits and things that call the beholder to look even further. Just from looking at the opening of the movie you identified how it showed the bigger picture within, which I find it amazing to look at from that perspective. There is always more to the story than what is often shown. “Smoke” does a good job with the scene between Auggie and Paul looking at the scrapbook to show how unique and important an image can be. The quiet lies are what creates this cinematic experience of ups and downs as we learn each and every character. The characters use these quiet lies to deal with the hard truths of reality.
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