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You made a lot of good points, Cristian. I liked how you commented on the art itself and Daniel’s personality, because both seem to be the complements of one another and a key to understanding his motivation and purpose as an artist. The idea of being “blind” is something that is literally confronted in the creation of the artwork we saw, but even more profound than that is the blind analysis and open mindedness we likewise exhibit towards the art. It is important that we are receptive to the media as a whole as well as its capabilities. Unlike you, however, I did honesty like Daniel’s work because it seems to defy all conventions and communicate something entirely out-of-the-box to someone like me, who has no serious background or experience in music. Nonetheless, to constrain Daniel’s work to a single “genre”, like jazz, for instance, doesn’t seem to do justice to the artform as a whole. Ultimately, Daniel’s presentation wasn’t about jazz or the music in itself, but how uses the music’s unique qualities to connect to others.
@kirsten To dissect this film and pinpoint a specific turning point seems challenging, but I think you chose a prime example; Mateo’s death coinciding with the birth of the Sullivans’ baby is indeed no coincidence, and bears much symbolism. This phenomenon results in major physical, mental, and emotional changes for all the characters, and is therefore an ideal turning point. It issues a newfound sense of confidence and wisdom for the Sullivans in terms of coming to terms with the past and the loss of Frankie, while also enabling them for the future. Your analysis illuminated the ephemeral nature of tangible realities while highlighting immaterial riches; indeed, Mateo’s greatest contributions to the Sullivans were his hospitality and affection, as well as his generosity, which will impart an everlasting legacy. I liked how you commented on the cycle between life and death; while Frankie’s death seemed to have blinded the Sullivans, Mateo’s passing restored their insight and composure. Rather than having to struggle with the burdens of guilt and unfulfillment, universal hope materializes on the horizon, as symbolized with the vision of E.T. in the night sky, which you accurately described as a return to humanity.
@Javier This was a noteworthy observation, Javier. I’m glad you brought this up because I was also displeased with Mateo’s character development. You really hit the nail on the head; something that’s important to realize about this film is that virtually all the characters are dynamic and undergo major physical, mental, and emotional transformations. When the Sullivan family first arrive at their new home, they’re asked if they are cops, because “all cops are Irish”. We are immediately confronted with the damaging impressions of stereotypes, which the movie fails to resolve in a logical manner. Like you said, our initial observations of Mateo present him as suspicious and even dangerous. There was absolutely no transition into overcoming this form of judgment; we are just shown in a split second that he is hospitable and compassionate, and therefore the effect of his hidden persona was less potent. In the trick-or-treating scene, I was even convinced for some time that his kindness was insincere, and that he had sinister intentions.
Despite their innocence and naivety, it is truly a mystery that Christy and Ariel were not even in the slightest frightened or startled by Mateo’s appearance and apartment. Clearly it takes courage to confront a stranger in a new land but this courage is blind if there is a complete absence of proper judgment. Your mention of Jack Torrance in The Shining was interesting; Kubrick indeed was brilliant at painting a uniform portrait of his characters as with the drill sergeant in Full Metal Jacket, who we are able to like and dislike at the same time despite our limited knowledge.The brilliance of Jim Sheridan’s narrative film, In America, comes not from bold symbolism or a larger than life plot, but from its subtle acknowledgement of the personal mental, physical, and emotional toll of surrendering identity in the face of the first world standard. Indeed, a sad reality many immigrants face is the inevitable loss of parts of their culture and philosophy during the processes of self-transformation and universal acclimation. But key to this film is the heartfelt, individual crusade taken by each member of the Sullivan family, as exhibited by the first person perspective of Christy, whose reserved sentiments and naive optimism characterize the narrative as a whole. The very first glimpse of the characters is through Christy’s camcorder, which is the literal embodiment of the raw and non-discriminating perspective marked by her innocence and bewilderment. Christy is the ideal narrator for this story; she bridges the gap between the past and present. Both the past and future are distant to her, but she brings them together through her memories of Frankie and the three wishes he bestowed. Christy’s silence upon being questioned by the border officer perhaps signals timidity, distrust, or detachment, but we are quick to understand her passive dissent of the seemingly hostile and foreboding new life that America holds.
In the film, the camera makes itself known by individualizing shared experiences; the characters are cleverly blocked in each scene, with the principal subject in the foreground while the other characters remain out of focus. Christy herself says that people in New York all seem like actors. Nonetheless, she finds solace through her observations, which gradually reveal a growing sense of maturity. Christy’s newfound independence serves as an indication of her dynamic persona; at the end of the film she manages to put her camcorder down and embraces the present. So effective is her emotional storytelling that we are able to feel the immense void left by Frankie’s loss even before truly understanding the circumstances of his death, and are capable of letting go of him without intense retrospect. With the firsthand perspective of a child we are challenged to resist the inevitable routines of judgment, persuasion, and animosity spawned from the irreverent plateaus of stereotypes and moral ambiguities that consume the American social landscape. The blind nature of this approach to the environment is invaluable, for without it, neither Christy nor her sister would have befriended Mateo and maintained a deep connection with him that irrevocably altered his outlook until his very last breath. With Christy’s first person perspective comes a sense of refined silence; the most touching moments from In America arise from the beauty of human interactions in a strange and desolate world.
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What instantly struck me about your observation was that it was both cautious and avoids the short-sighted assumptions we easily succumb to when confronted with someone like Lara, who upon first glance embodies all the reckless stereotypes of the 1970s and has followed a linear path through her upbringing, which you accurately coined as “traditional”. But this linear path is finite, and cut short by the social and cultural restructuring of America. Blinded by the materialistic wasteland America has become, Lara resists the “sea change” of America and fails to confront the bittersweet relics of the past. How clever is it that she should abandon her old boyfriend, a Vietnam veteran and Nixon advocate, for the more self-indulgent and corrosive Blaine? I’m really not exaggerating at all when I say that you hit the nail on the head; Lara truly embodies the consciousness of America, and the nation’s duty to not only guard against but confront the ills of materialism. Witnessing the deaths of Corrigan and Jazzlyn certainly wakes her up to the more subtle and unexplained phenomena of the world, and encourages her to abandon the carefree contention of her two-dimensional life as an “artist”. Her active disposition in reversing the tides of human indifference and callousness are equally reassuring and inspiring.
To pinpoint Claire as the torch-bearer for the hope of humanity was a brilliant observation. Confined to the ample commodities of her penthouse and the regular meetings with the same four women, we are led to believe that Claire’s passive disposition in an utterly rigid environment forges a parochial world-view. Yet Claire is the opposite, and challenges the advent of human conflict with the expanse of human possibility and inevitability. I easily share your respect for Claire, for she is one who has the courage not to speak out but to keep silent, and not to act out but to think critically. It is easy to succumb to the idea that Claire, rattled by inherent, real-time nervousness, shields herself from the afflictions of the outer world, but the truth is that she exercises caution and measured judgment in order to make sense of the loss of her son and the wide spectrum of societal ills. The phrase you used, “soft compassion” crystallizes Claire’s delicate nature and her constant strive to lace intimacy out of even the most distant memories and sensations. We are able to identify with Claire so deeply not because she has suffered the harsh reality of the world around her but because she feels helpless and misguided in her struggle to end human suffering. As you mentioned, she is different for thinking against the tides of indifference and venturing out of her comfort zone.
The observation you made about the characters being lonely despite being surrounded by many others everyday in a crowded city is priceless. This phenomenon is easily overlooked and readily undervalued. You made it clear that isolation is a universal struggle for the characters and in many ways, it is not only inherent but also a preference, especially for Paul, who is constantly challenged with his wife’s absence. As you said, Paul is unable to forge a sense of compatibility with Rashid, even though deep inside he longs for intimacy. Rather than conveying the unifying outer dilemmas, I liked how you paid attention to the internal struggles of these characters, who were often very ambivalent in regards to stepping outside their comfort zone or maintaining their rigid dispositions. Perhaps the most brilliant metaphor you employed was by comparing Paul’s isolation to being in prison, and describing his perception of having company as “having a cellmate”. This idea vividly illustrates the lack of vibrant color and optimism which characterize the freedom of creative expression. Paul, after all, is a writer and it is only by the encouragement of Rashid that his work soars to new heights. I liked how in the end you indicated the potential of smoking to bring people together and dissolve the plagues of isolation.
The unifying principle of mutual understanding and interdependence that you identified is both significant and worthwhile. You highlighted an amazing observation that is very easily overlooked; despite the spontaneity which embodies the lives of the characters in “Smoke”, there is still a high degree of self-consciousness within each individual that enables him/her to instill a positive impact on their surroundings. Each character is challenged with moral obligations, which ultimately reveal the interconnectedness between them. I was impressed by your analysis, because you decided to delve deeper into the abstract message being conveyed rather than blindly accept symbols at their face value. It is easy to take Paul and Thomas’s relationship for granted. Paul can appear dismissive and distant at times while Thomas may seem desperate and isolated. Yet it becomes clear that their strengths collectively forge an intangible bond between them and their weaknesses open their eyes to self-improvement. I was really interested in the fact that you described the roles of these characters as “oscillating” which is evident. Paul and Thomas are constantly challenged to display courage and show support for the other, and this leads to their winding path towards redemption. Your analysis of “the character with arguably the roughest circumstance” was brilliant as well. For her brief appearance, Felicity seems like a very flat character, without much concern for her mother’s sacrifice. But I liked how you mentioned that we see her regret in the very last moments; this final reaction could have easily been omitted without much complication to the plot of the film as a whole but the decision to reveal it to the audience indicates the multifaceted dimensions of the characters and the obstacles which can inhibit even the simplest communications.
