Why is my title “gentrification” backwards? There are three reasons:
[1] It is a hobby of mine to write/say words backwards, ex. my name Miharbe!
[2] I am strange.
[3] Elgar starts the film as a gentrifier but does a total 180 as he becomes assimilated to Park Slope and the tenements grow on him.
The film The Landlord can be interpreted as a tale of gentrification, especially when one analyzes it today. It is incredible to see images of Park Slope then and compare it now, oh how much things have changed!
Elgar is suffering what todays twitter invested culture would tweet “#richwhiteboyproblems.” Oh look he’s trending! ^_^ But in all seriousness, Elgar tries to escape the suffocating hold of his rich, overbearing, dogmatic family at the ripe age of 29. Like a Spanish conquistador he gallops drives into unchartered (by white men/women) lands with the intention of kicking out all the black folk and make a hip and cool bachelor pad. Word. He does have a rough start moving in especially when he faces that intimidating 8-year-old smoking karate kid. But he eventually settles there. However, as the film progresses, Elgar loses his zeal for gentrification and assimilates into the building. In fact, he defends the tenements and their lifestyle to both of his parents. This is where I think the whole Elgar being a symbol of gentrification hits a little snag.
The film is very interesting to analyze visually. Lighting plays a key role in this film. The lighting in all the scenes with Elgar’s family is very bright, coupled by their bright clothing. Conversely, the shots of Park Slope are very dark and grimy. Shadows were cast on a lot of the characters faces. Moreover, the scene between Marge and Joyce has an interesting use of shot reverse shot between the characters. I think this is a brilliant editing choice that showcases the scene of two women of different backgrounds, different races, representing the two different worlds of the film, and how they interact with one another. The use of parallel editing was also interesting in the later scene between Copee and Francine and Elgar. By cross-cutting these two scenes the audience connects these characters together, now if Elgar was really after gentrification he wouldn’t be forming such connections and relationships.
