Category Archives: 8: NYC Films

Some Things Need to Change

Posted on by
Reply

One of the biggest issues in New York City is the perpetuation of stereotypes and racial inequality. This topic has always been close to my heart, in all areas of inequality in society, not just based on race. Being Jewish, I have experienced first hand what it is like to be racially or religiously insulted. I grew up on a part of Long Island that was not home to a large Jewish population. So, Jewish jokes went around, like the throw money on the ground and if you pick it up you’re a Jew type of thing. Also I’ve heard plenty of times, “ You’re so cheap, you’re Jewish, “ and it tore at my insides every time. If I’m a target of stereotypes and prejudice myself, it certainly isn’t right for me to go out and racially insult people or perpetuate stereotypes. This is the reason that I am so racially accepting and deeply angered when I hear anybody being treated unequally in any wake of society: race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.

The scenes in Spike Lee’s films, Do the Right Thing and The 25th Hour exposed these stereotypes and inequalities. Words were said about the Koreans, the Latinos, the Blacks, the Hispanics, the Chinese, mostly every race you can think of. Those scenes, to me, were like slaps in the face. My immediate reaction was, “Wow, that’s messed up, I don’t want to watch this movie any longer.” After I was able to control myself, I realized how true every word of those scenes was. Spike Lee captured the genuine hostilities, stereotypes, and attitudes of New Yorkers towards other New Yorkers. These stereotypes are never really at the forefront of the lives of everyday New Yorkers, but these scenes shed light on these overlooked feelings and animosities. Not enough people realize that these feelings and inequalities exist and affect major decisions, and some just don’t want to deal with them. The fact is that there existence is undeniable, and those who think that the stereotypes and inequalities that existed from the beginning are gone, are sadly mistaken.

I think Lee’s message is that these stereotypes do exist, that they are wrong, and need to be quelled. Just imagine if you were on the opposite side of all that gut wrenching and heart breaking yelling of the scenes in his two films. How would you feel? We all have something that could be made fun of or criticized in public, so who really has the right to judge other people over stupid minor details? No one does. Whenever I hear something being said on the basis on one of these petty differences, I want to punch the offender in the face. It only proves that the attacker is intolerant and maybe even insecure about his own life. The only thing that stops me from becoming so infuriated and insulting them about some petty detail is that I am a better person, and I don’t need to judge someone to feel good about myself.

The only moments that really stood out to me in Spike Lee’s films were the scenes exposing of the stereotypes. Those moments are also the only times when I can say that I was truly affected throughout the watching of all the films. Those scenes penetrated a moral value inside of me, alerting me to the fact that these things need to change.

NYC- The World’s Madison Square Garden

Posted on by
Reply

I am not a movie person. I really am not, and for good reason. Never in my wildest imagination would I have thought that my first semester in college would include the viewing of seven R-rated films carrying warnings due to their shameless sexual indulgences and carnivorous displays of violence, just like cigarette packages’ general surgeon’s message warning of death. I feel dirty after viewing such films, as if emerging like a rat from a cesspool, covered in feces and urine. By viewing, recognizing, laughing, and commenting on aspects of such films, I am forced to lower my moral and educational standards to suite an audience, similar to a highly educated adult that is forced to speak to a three year old child. You can futilely attempt to argue otherwise, but guess what, this is how I feel and thats something that’s not going to change. I am not posing a debatable claim, I am interpreting my feelings, and no one can do that except myself. I am forced to accept a moral standard that deeply conflicts with my core values, just to offer any valid objective analysis of the film. And to be quite honest, that makes me quite angry on the inside. In fact, when you think of it closely, watching a movie is only one means of recognizing social inequality, racism, or privilege within an environment.  An objective analysis of such aspects can be gained through documentaries (which I love), statistics, history, and social experimentation.  For someone to tell me that he watches a movie to gain such “insightful information” is like someone telling me he drinks wine for the purpose of hydration. I’ll let you digest that ludicrous statement.  Whatever possible messages a movie is trying to get across, there is one element, one thing, one ingredient that MUST always be present…an aspect of entertainment. And oftentimes this necessary aspect distracts the viewer from any potential messages a film had to offer.

For the sake of this blog however, I will put this aside regardless of my feelings and provide an analysis of the works with my true feelings out of the picture, and simply assume the place of the main character in the film. I must emphasize ardently that my ability to do such a task not only makes me uncomfortable, but automatically detracts from the expression of my real underlying feelings about the film, its actors, and messages. I hate to start of the blog on such a sour note, but I feel compelled to provide such an explanation to relive my conscience and provide an earnest, complete reflection on my thoughts and analysis.

With the exception of The Muppets take Manhattan, every other film I have seen in this class has affected me by reinforcing my realistic/cynical (whichever word you prefer to use) view of the city. The films provide a depressing, struggle of survival among the poor and the rich, among the White and the Black. Most of the films are simply a mush in my head, partially because they are so similar to each other. The reoccurring theme in all the films was the status of an individual. In some films, this took on the lens of racism such as Do the Right Thing and Taxi Driver. Other films addressed on the question of status through materialism such as Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Wall Street.

I feel that one specific scene was enacted in three of the films ( if my memory serves me correctly) which an “F everyone” mentality was portrayed. In taxi driver, the the scene took place when the lead character (I can’t remember his name) described the scum of the city. In Do the Right Thing and The 25th Hour, the scenes were almost identical as the director showed people of different nationalities with the main characters shouting racial slurs in the background. My first instinct was a feeling of amusement, havibg come across practically all the statements in the past. Even though we all carry such thoughts in our heads ( or at least know that they exist), most choose to keep such thoughts to ourselves to avoid potential trouble.  The interesting thing for me to ask however was if such a vast array of stereotypes exist in less diverse areas. And if they do, how can someone make any type of generalization against any group they have never seen in real life? What about is? Would our views of a certain ethnicity hold if we visited a person’s country of origin? Or do such views exist only within New York? All quite interesting questions to contemplate if you ask me.

What does seem to be clear from the movies and my personal experience is that tension due to differences does exist, and will continue to exist just like it has from the beginning of time. NYC definitely serves as the Madison Square Garden of potential racial tension in the world. It is no wonder all these films choose to depict some form of it in such a diverse environment

The Class Divide in New York City

Posted on by
Reply

New York City, otherwise known as the Big Apple, is the background for some of the most famous movies of all time, quite a few of which we had to see for this class. I remember the fist day of class reading through the syllabus and seeing movies from the 60s, 70s, and 80s and thinking to myself “Well… this is going to blow.”

However, after watching the first movie Wall Street by Oliver Stone and answering 21 questions in class I was more than surpised, my focus was captured. This movie was not only interesting, but really made me question and debate my life.

I had seen it with a friend, and the first question that came up between us mid-movie was, “If you were in Bud’s position, what would you have done? Would you have played dirty knowing you’d be rich and not get caught?” My friend couldn’t empathize more with Bud, because he agreed he’d do the same. I instead said that  I’d rather not have to live my life looking over my shoulder.

However, from that question, arose many more questions as well as observations. I hadn’t noticed how closely the poor and rich in NYC live, and in all my years here, I have no idea why. There was Greko, a mega rich stock broker who made himself rich at others’ expense. Then there was Bud’s father, the hard working union leader looking out for the airplane employees. In between the two was Bud, the man from a middle class family striving to become the elite.

I found it mind blowing how Stone was able to hand pick what made and didn’t make someone rich. According to the movie, to succeed and be profitable on Wall Street, one must live in Manhattan, because of course that’s where all the rich live. Yet only a borough away was Bud’s working class family’s residence in Queens.

Oliver also cast New York City as THE place to achieve the American Dream. Only there could Bud leave the working class and join the rich. Wall Street really made me take a look at New York City and it’s nature of it. It mad emergency think not only of NYC but of myself and it must have been one of my favorite movies of the semester.

Learning to Appreciate Our Differences

Posted on by
Reply

Racism affects everyone- from the victims, to the abuser, to the bystanders and silent onlookers, to those oblivious to it. Racism is a tree that has its roots latched everywhere. I know what it feels like to be a victim of racism, and I am sure that many of you have experienced some form of it. And so, my favorite film this semester has been Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing.

The film brings to light the effects and results of racism. It showed that when racism is prevalent nobody wins. Radio Raheem lost his life and Sal lost his restaurant. It showed the destructive power of anger, hatred, and racism. A society of such is doomed for disaster.

This film made me wonder if there is a way to effectively eradicate racism. Although many say that education is the key to end racism I don’t necessarily think this is true. Yes, through education others will realize that stereotypes are not true. However, I am very sure that even some of the most educated are racist. I think the key lies in realizing what it truly means to be human: for all to appreciate each other for their differences, not to act oblivious to them; not to be “colorblind”. I know a lot of people who say they are “colorblind” or they don’t see race. I told a lady once, “Well if you didn’t see race you wouldn’t have said you’re colorblind, right?” The conversation didn’t go well from there but it ended with her telling me how racist I was and that I needed to be more open-minded, which was very ironic. Anyways, our color, or any aspect of our appearance for that matter, is a part of us. Saying you don’t see the color of ones skin isn’t the right way to go about things. Look at everyone just as they are and appreciate the difference, the uniqueness, and the beauty of human nature, do not say you are colorblind because you’re not fooling anyone anyways.

Racism can be a touchy topic that many people avoid so I really liked that this film confronted this topic. I also found this film very thought provoking. My favorite part was when Sal’s restaurant was destroyed. The angry mob could of easily attacked Sal and his boys but they destroyed the restaurant. The crowd let out their frustration- and the mob was not only blacks, but is consisted of all races of the neighborhood. Everyone banded together against the injustice that they were all so familiar with. This is a phenomenon I was always interested in. Even when there is dissent in a community or group they will band together against a common evil. I think it shouldn’t take evil to draw us together, but rather humanity should bring us together.

“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.”

-Audre Lorde

 

NYC: The Image of Filth and the Glamour Through Film

Posted on by
Reply

It has always been strange to me the attraction that everyone has for New York City. It’s where I’ve grown up for most of my life, but it never really felt that interesting. Watching all these films about New York City this semester and focusing on them as they pertain to the social issues present and the image that the city has to everyone, I realized that there’s so much more to it than I had ever thought before. There is something about New York that either attracts everyone who is not from here or brings disgusts. New York City has a spectrum for us to view it in, there is the glamour, the wealth, the big flashy lights and tall buildings and then there is the poverty, the filth, and the tenements. There is definitely something about New York City that no other place in the world can emulate.

Despite some of the horrific images of New York City in Taxi Driver, The 25th Hour stood out to me personally. The scene where Travis Bickle shoots everyone was to say the least deranged, yet the monologue that Monty gives while looking at himself in the mirror was the most impressionable moment in all the movies we have seen so far this semester. The vulgarity of stereotypes present in his speech could not have highlighted the images of different groups in a more powerful way. His reference to the Wall Street brokers being like Gordon Gekko and trying to steal everything from those that work hard also demonstrated within the context of this movie the greed that is present in New York in addition to the grimy environment. The contrast in the movie is that through all the filth present, and Monty even being a drug dealer, it showed that there was hope. Monty doubts Naturelle, but she loves him and is willing to wait seven years for him to come back from prison. In all the shabbiness of the world, you would expect Frank to do something about his possible attraction to Naturelle, but he remains loyal to his friend. When he defaces Monty by beating him so badly, the second most impressionable moment in the movie, most would find it horrific; ultimately, he was being a good friend. What he does to Monty is much less than what they would do to him in prison, and he helped him. After this vivid scene, Frank bursts into tears and Monty, who is beaten horribly, makes his way over to Frank to comfort him. In all the corruption and the greed and the filth that we have seen in so many of these movies, The 25th Hour does show that there is justice and hope. Monty does go to jail to pay for the crime he has committed, and the few relationships he has formed have been true to him.

collage

A movie that finds itself on the other end of the spectrum compared to 25th Hour, is Breakfast at Tiffany’s. It is one of the more classic movies of the image that New York City is thought to uphold. I had never really watched movies from that time period, and it really created an image that very flashy yet elegant. Holly comes to New York to create the life she dreams of. She goes about it in a misguided way by attempting to marry a wealthy man, but she wants to find the glamour that the city is known for. The façade that everyone puts on, like Holly exhibits, is the mask that many people put on. Her real name is not Holly, its Lula Mae, and she has no money despite her lavish appearance. This is something evident in society all the time, in order for us to belong, we focus on altering the appearance we give off to the world.

The overarching theme in all the movies we have watched is that no matter what all the negative images of New York City are and no matter how filthy, unjust, or greedy it may be, there is more to life here; there is hope in love, in friendship and in life.

Taxi Driver: Murderous Justification

Posted on by
Reply

There is a harsh reality to living in New York City. In a city this big, it is hard not to get lost in the never-ending hustle and bustle, not succumb to consuming the loneliness the concrete jungle force feeds you. You are beyond miniscule: you can not escape the fact that you are only one person of the 8.4 million in this city, the 316.1 million in this country, the 7.125 billion in this world. One person. How can ONE person of the 7.125 billion make a difference, make a change?

In Martin Scorsese’s film, Taxi Driver, Travis Bickle copes with his loneliness and insomnia. Like many war veterans, he is stricken with mental illness. Travis desperately just wants to make a connection with somebody and maybe even make a change in the world. Travis gets lost within the negative aspects if the city: prostitution, street crime and politics. In such a seemingly horrible place, how can one hope to make a connection with somebody decent? This led to a sequence of scenes where Travis acts on his need to purge the city of its negativity.

This film puts murder into a different light. In Travis’ case, he was not only killing partially to satisfy his own bloodlust, but also to make a positive change in the world. The way the media portrayed Travis’ acts, he was considered a hero and not a murderer, despite the numerous aspects of the act that were criminal. So following that example, is someone a hero for removing an unnecessary evil from the world? If I were to go burn down all the cigarette manufacturing factories in the world, killing thousands in the process, with the justification of “this will make people healthier,” am I a hero or a murderer? The Line between hero and murderer is blurred and fragile.

An Overabundance of Green Colored Paper S***

Posted on by
Reply

When I was a child I used to ask my mother why nothing was free. I thought, wouldn’t it make sense if money didn’t exist? Because then no one would be in poverty, no one would be left out, and everyone would be equal; we could just ask other countries for goods and they can ask us. And she’d sigh and tell me that when I got older, I would understand. And so I did; as the years of my childhood flew past I began to see why my mother never bothered to engage me in these ideas.

In part, these fantasies of creating world peace and equality originated from my experiences in the Dominican Republic. It never fails to amaze me the dichotomy of the rich and poor, not just in my hometown – where there is the extremely poor side where people don’t even have generators to supply electricity or running water versus the side that owns mansions with swimming pools – but all over the country. While some of this comes the fact that some families truly worked hard, honest lives, a large part of it is the result of corruption in the government, professional companies and the drug industry. Seeing this in a country in which I strongly identify with really bothers me, but seeing this in America, a place where I identify with even stronger, is much more disturbing.

Wall Street by Oliver Stone is probably the only movie I’ve seen that manages to completely infuriate and incite me to do something, anything, to stop this gap from growing further. Because it’s knowing that there are people like Buddy who are willing to do anything and everything just to make it to the top, except when their personal lives take a toll of course. But even worse, it’s knowing that there are people like Gordon Gecko in this world that angers me more than just about anything. The way Gecko was easily able to manipulate people was nauseating because I know this exists outside of the movie. This film literally brought to the surface everything I hate about humanity. I’m not saying that we should all live in poverty, but I don’t see the appeal of being wealthy, especially if it means that others suffer at your expense. Throughout the whole thing, I was transfixed and disgusted at the whole thing. And for days after, I kept thinking about how privileged I was. I view myself lucky that I’m not filthy rich, because, in my eyes, its just an overabundance of unnecessary green colored paper shit (I’m sorry, I just don’t think there’s another word for this to express how strongly I feel).

I feel that this film is very representative of our American culture, because we are so geared towards “making it big.” Especially in New York, people come here for fame, money – to live life to the fullest. But, honestly, from this film, I’m very disturbed that people can be so nonchalant about their actions, because I have no doubt that this film mirrors reality for many people around the world. I’m a firm believer that everything you do has a consequence, long- term or short-term, whether you realize it or not. America is supposed to be “the best” but this film just proves that no one area is “the best.” The world is suffering from corruption and greed and some just don’t care. This disregard for others is what true horror really is. That’s what scares me more than anything in this world; it’s not dying, it’s not starving or failing school, it’s fear of what the world will be like in the future, not just in my generation but for generations to come.

What I had never factored into my childhood plan to create world peace was how greedy the human race can be. Realistically, I don’t think this characteristic will ever fade in humans, especially in our capitalistic, competitive American culture. So what can we do? Honestly, I don’t know anymore after this class and watching Wall Street.

“I hear Spike Lee shootin’ down the street.”

Posted on by
Reply

This semester in movies taught me a lot of things – most importantly it taught me that no amount of gentrification can erase the racial tensions that divide Americans, and no film better captures that than Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing.” The movie unapologetically says all of the hidden (and usually racist) things that everyone tries to be too politically correct to say. The scene that resonated most with me was when the different groups in the community curse out the others, hurling all of the racially loaded insults at their disposal. This particular scene has so much power because it really drags out everything that people secretly think of one another. When you see it, it’s hard to say that you’ve never thought or said those things about people.

“Do the Right Thing’s” New York is the most accurate because it shows the melting pot of the city without sugar coating the realities of racism in America. The animosity between the races and the feud between the blacks and the police are still relevant hot-button issues today, so “Do the Right Thing” has a sad sense of timelessness.

Similar to “Do the Right Thing,” Lee’s other film, “The 25th Hour,” also captures the essence of New York. In “The 25th Hour” there is a scene similar to one in “Do the Right Thing” in which Monty soliloquizes in front of a bathroom mirror, cursing out all of the stereotypes of his neighborhood and raging against them. This scene bears a powerful resemblance to “Do the Right Thing’s” even though “The 25th Hour” was made thirteen years later. This shows that even though things change, more things stay the same. There’s still anger and tension, and since “The 25th Hour” tied in with the September 11th attacks, anti-foreigner and anti-Muslim sentiments were high because of fear even though the film didn’t explicitly delve into that.

“Do the Right Thing” made a huge impact on me because I think it was the movie with the most accurate representation of New York without being too idealized or too sensationalized. Moreover, “Do the Right Thing” is also incredible relevant to today’s times and how sometimes deep seated prejudices don’t go away with time.

Happy to be in the Now

Posted on by
Reply

Boy, is college not what I expected it to be. Actually, it is for the most part, there was just one class that totally threw me off guard. I don’t think anyone really has to guess what class that is. Some of the movies I’ve watched for Arts of NYC I would probably never watch on my own, nor would I ever want to watch again. But just because I would never want to watch some of these films again, doesn’t mean that they didn’t knock my socks off. One of the movies that really blew me away was Taxi Driver. It was probably the most grim and dark movie about New York City that I’ve ever seen, and definitely was the film that traumatized me the most. Let me explain.

Taxi ImageFor a long time, I thought I was pretty good at history. I knew how New York City started and even all of the American presidents in order. Taxi Driver really showed me however, that I barely knew the things that actually mattered about the city that I’ve lived in my entire life. I had no idea that the New York City I know now was so different just a few decades earlier. I really was in total and utter shock when Scorsese’s film showed a New York City that was completely different than how I knew it: prostitutes, gangs, drugs, and movie theaters that showed X Rated films (yes this was what traumatized me the most! What has been seen… cannot be unseen). WHAT? How in the world is this the same city that I live in? How was this the city my parents dreamed about when they were young college students in Uzbekistan? How would moving to a place like this give me a chance for a better life than they had? I was so shocked with what I was seeing. Where are the dressed up Elmo’s and Mickey Mouses standing around to take pictures with tourists? Where are the artists selling their work? Where is that excited city atmosphere? I’ll tell you where it wasn’t: IN THIS MOVIE.

Although I was really disgusted by multiple aspects of this film, I was full of joy when I finished watching it. A couple of my friends still had disgust etched on their faces at the start of the credits, but I was simply beaming. Why my strange reaction? Lets just say I was beyond grateful that I never lived to witness such a life in such a gruesome atmosphere. I was thanking Gd that this film was based on New York City’s history, and not on its present. The Disney happy go lucky atmosphere of New York City today? That’s PERFECT for me.

New York City: A Dreamlike or Grim Place?

Posted on by
Reply

I have lived in New York City for my entire life and I cannot imagine growing up anywhere else! I have grown accustomed to certain aspects of this city including the busy morning commute on my way to school, the infinite cabs in every part of the city, the constant pushing and shoving in trains, and just the fast-pace of the city. New York has had a tremendous impact on shaping my identity because many of my behaviors are a direct result of growing up in such a fast-paced city. For example, I am always in a hurry to get everywhere, I know that I always have to be prepared to take a different train route to my destination, and I usually use the presence of cars on the streets (rather than the walk signs) to control whether or not I cross the street. Interestingly enough, the film Taxi Driver strongly affected my perception of New York City. Scorsese portrays a New York City that I am not familiar with- the New York City before Disneyfication.

The protagonist, Travis Bickle, strongly impacted my opinions of the film. From the very beginning, Travis appears to be an exceptional New York cab driver who claims he will not discriminate against his passengers. However, he offers the audience his opinions about the filthy streets of New York and expresses his disgust of the street crime and prostitution. Throughout the film, he proves to be a mentally unstable individual and he made me realize how corrupt New York City once was. Hypocritically, he takes Betsy to a porn film in Times Square despite claiming to be disturbed by all the corruption in the city. His actions are absurd and seem to be as a result of his inability to find himself. Through his actions, it is clear that he is a lonely New Yorker. He even refers to himself as “God’s lonely man” (Taxi Driver, Scorsese 1979).

Bickle

The idea of loneliness in the film shows a grim side of New York City. New York City seems to be such an enjoyable place to live in, filled with many different forms of entertainment and diverse people. Still, the film shows how significant personal connections are difficult to develop. The people in the city don’t pay attention to Travis. He is suffering from loneliness throughout the entire film. Even the crowds that are shown in Taxi Driver are doing their own thing and illustrate how isolated everyone is from each other.

This theme, of loneliness, that Scorsese illustrates made me recognize that some ideas of New York City are misleading. The idea of living in an ideal city is not always accurate. Taxi Driver is now one of my favorite films because it opened my eyes to certain aspects of the City that I seemed to disregard. Films such as this one are necessary to portray the grim and dark aspects of New York because New York is not always an exuberant and dreamlike place.