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I completely agree and, as you said, I think Ursula’s artwork is representative of what it truly means to be genuine and create art that you want to create. There are no criteria for beauty or art and Ursula embodies this through her unrestricted and limitless work. She follows her vision no matter where or what medium it brings her to and, as a result, is able to sustain her passion through this freedom. As you said, in a larger context, satisfying the human spirit is essential in keeping the world spinning. Doing what we want or need to do allows us to contribute to society and could, in itself, be our contribution to the world around us.
I completely agree with both of your comments and I was similarly moved by Ursula’s work. I also found it interesting and inspiring that she so readily moves between different mediums. As you’ve both wonderfully put it, this represents her creative vision and perseverance, at large. I think it’s also indicative of her willingness to take risks and create art without limits which is a common thread we’ve seen among the visitors to our class. She chooses freedom within all her pieces and this really stuck with me because, as Katherine said, choosing to be free within art can be an incredibly difficult thing to do. In addition to her use of different mediums, I personally found the piece, “mama, your legs” an exhibition of just how much bravery and passion Ursula approaches her art with. To create a mechanical sculpture like this one without much prior experience with these types of sculptures seems very daunting but Ursula created the piece without hesitation because it’s where her vision and desire to create art led her. After seeing Ursula’s use of different mediums, I hope to be as free and open as she is with her art one day.
@Anna, this is a really good point and I completely agree that Johnny’s acting at the fair as well as the relationship between Mateo and the girls were noteworthy parts of the performances within the movie. In terms of the scene at the fair, as Ash and Cory said, Paddy Considine seemed to bring an intensity to Johnny’s character which was integral to the main themes of the film. After Frankie’s death, Johnny frequently describes feeling like a ghost. He acknowledges his grief at the conclusion of the film, but his occasional moments of intensity fit perfectly into his journey away from numbness and towards humanity. Considine’s acting highlighted this change and, as you said, was a particularly moving representation of the relationship between Johnny and his daughters.
@Jane, your response was really insightful, and it definitely made me reconsider some of my initial impressions of the movie and its characters. As you said, the frequent cutting between simultaneous scenes emphasized the mysticism and cyclic nature of life and death that was developed through the film. In addition, in terms of Christy’s narration and camcorder, I previously thought that her perspective captured the innocence of childhood. However, after reading your reflection and looking back on the film, I see how easily she discerned and took on the conflicts within her family. This was upsetting to watch but, at the same time, it was essential in revealing the reality of the situation the family lived in. It also made me wonder how the film might have appeared from a third person omniscient point of view.
There were many poignant and significant moments through the film In America. Each scene served as a critical point within the whole movie’s narrative. However, if I had to choose one scene of particular importance, I think that I would consider the scene at the hospital, where Mateo’s passing occurs simultaneously with the first movements of Johnny and Sarah’s baby, a major turning point in the film. This scene symbolizes Mateo’s warm and lasting effect on the family which is further highlighted when Johnny and Sarah find out he paid their hospital bills and later name their baby after him. It also beautifully captures the interrelatedness of life and death. The film’s cross-cutting between Mateo and the baby at this moment represents the movement of death into life. Death becomes the seed of new life and, through this characterization, marks a turning point in the characters’ internal struggles. The film is structured around Christy’s three wishes to her deceased brother Frankie and is charged by Johnny and Sarah’s guilt for his death. Following the characterization of death that occurred after Mateo’s passing, the family and specifically Johnny are able to work through their grief and guilt. In the final scene of the movie, Ariel, Johnny, and Christy imagine Mateo going home like E.T. in the night sky and they wave goodbye to him. Christy implores her father to do the same for Frankie as her third and final wish. Although he initially struggles to do so, Johnny says goodbye to his son. This moment was a culmination of the cycle of life and death depicted in the movie and it reflected Johnny’s return to humanity after being a ghost of a person following his son’s death. It also highlighted the themes of hope and belief that were developed through each character’s perspective in the film. In my opinion, the scene which portrayed Mateo’s passing alongside the baby’s first signs of life was a turning point that drove the story to this ultimate conclusion and made it possible for Johnny and Sarah to work through the grief that plagued them. Overall, I thought this scene beautifully illustrated the connection between life and death and allowed for the resolution of each character’s struggles as well as an articulation of the film’s main themes by its conclusion.
Your reflection on what Solomon represents in Let the Great World Spin was really thought-provoking and it definitely made me reflect on how similar we can be to him. As you said, the disillusioned view of the justice system and world, in general, that Solomon has feeds back into the flawed perspectives we hold on to. The contrast between Corrigan, who actively tries to help and understand others, and Solomon is poignant in the novel. It is a reminder of how important it is to be open and “expand our worldview.”
I thought your reflection on the differences between Corrigan and Ciaran was very insightful and I also really liked how you emphasized the contradictions within Ciaran as an extension of the contrast between him and Corrigan. I never really thought about the contradictions in Ciaran’s actions; however, after reading your response, I realized that some of his actions and words contradict and seem similar to the internal struggle that Corrigan faced. Likewise, Ciaran resembles his brother because he remains a mystery to us as Leondra said. Although we read through his perspective for a part of the novel, he primarily discusses Corrigan. We begin to see him become more accepting, but we aren’t able to see through his changed perspective by the end of the novel. However, based on the information we do get, NYC and the people he meets like Tillie seem to be the main reasons for his change as he begins to appreciate and recognize the individual value and dreams that everyone has.
Your reflection on identity was really beautiful and inspired. It definitely made me think about what our identities are and whether we can even define them. As Jane wonderfully put it, Thomas and many of the characters in the film use their identities as a means of lying to escape from the harsh nature of reality. Overall, the ambiguity of all the characters’ identities and the identity of New York, in itself, emphasize the uncertainty of our identities. As you said, the city allows us all to “drift through as we please.” We’re often told that New York is grounded in reality, but Smoke shows us that, perhaps, New York is a place for fantasy and dreaming through the different identities we take on. In some ways, I think New York is a bit of both and, through this lack of clarity, becomes a character of its own within the film.
I thought your response to the fluidity of identity in our lives, in the film, and in New York was insightful and a somewhat freeing concept to think about.I thought your reflection on interpersonal lying and the prevalence of lies in our daily lives was really thought-provoking and it definitely made me see the film in a new way. The characters in the narrative seemed to use lying as a means of holding on to their dreams and hopes for themselves. In other words, the lies the characters tell create a path for them to be who they want to be. Without these lies, they fear facing what reality could have in store for them. Eventually the characters’ use of lies to dream become indistinguishable from the truth as is the case in Auggie’s Christmas Story. As you said, our lies are often tied to our cores and perhaps this isn’t such a bad thing because we are “innocent when we dream.”
