1,000 Times Good Night – New York New York

In Insatiably, She Leaps Into the Fray, Stephen Holden describes the plot of a new movie (1,000 Times Good Night) that opened on Friday. Juliette Binoche stars as Rebecca who is a war photographer.

Following the theme of my peers, I thought I would choose an article about an war artist. I stumbled upon this article about a war photographer who risks her own life just for the adrenaline and the story. Holden believes that in a way Rebecca’s work is a “form of atonement for good fortune that she feels she doesn’t deserve.” Her husband, played by Game of Thrones actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, finally decides to no longer put up with Rebecca’s dangerous job after she gets wounded on an undercover story about the Taliban. However, while on a trip with her daughter to a refugee camp in Kenya, Rebecca is unable to distance herself from a surprise attack on the camp. She submerges herself back into her work and passion.

It is refreshing to hear about movies that are not about your stereotypical and predictable damsel-in-distress helplessly waiting for the knight to “rescue” her. This movie ties in many different themes, such as sexism, family, and even self-conflicts. I plan on seeing it soon and hope that it lives up to my expectations.

Beatrice Margolin says:

October 26, 2014 at 10:08 pm

I love the premise of this movie, both because its theme of war is extremely relevant in today’s world and because it follows what seems to be a uniquely-crafted female lead. From what I garnered based on Stephen Holden’s article, the protagonist, Rebecca, is passionate about her work and unrelenting even in the face of danger because she knows her task is an important one. Female leads are not as commonly seen in films as many may think, nor are they often shown outside of their love lives. Rebecca definitely comes off as a multi-faceted female lead and the film as a whole takes many social and political strides.

Isabel Vulakh says:

October 26, 2014 at 11:39 pm

It sounds like a very interesting movie! 😛

holdencoreystein says:

October 27, 2014 at 6:37 am

Today, there seems to be a small shift in the attitudes women have in the middle east. For a long time I feel the media has portrayed middle eastern women as obedient, abused, and “second-class” citizens, but now we hear more and more of women taking a stand for themselves and continuing to do and practice what they want to do and what they believe in. Some historians we argue that we are in the Third Wave of feminist movements and it is clear that the effects of this movement is not only limited to the confines of Western society. On the whole, this sounds like a potentially suspenseful and action-packed movie and I would probably be interested in seeing it myself.

nicholasleung says:

October 27, 2014 at 10:32 am

I love suspense and historical movies that take a very different point of view i.e. not the soldier, or the leader, or the politician, etc. The fact that this movie takes a stance from the photographer’s POV is really interesting. It also comes to show how powerful the arts are, and how they can encourage will power for Rebecca to get back on her feet and continue her passion. Great review!

krystalau says:

October 27, 2014 at 12:00 pm

This movie sounds very interesting and I agree with you that it is not your typical damsel in distress, which is a nice. It stands out from other movies and seems very unique. This is very relevant to our class, since we have been talking about war a lot lately. I agree with Nick that is is really cool that the war movie is based off the point of view of a photographer instead of a soldier. The character Rebecca sounds like a very strong woman, and I feel like she will be a big inspiration to girls everywhere.

stephenesses says:

October 27, 2014 at 1:15 pm

I think the idea of this movie is fantastic. I have always wondered why professionals in many fields will put their life on the line for their work. Whether it is a weather man in the eye of a storm or reporters in war struck lands, they all follow this idea. It really amazes me that people put work in front of their own lives, and shows their passion for their work. Only someone who really loves their job would die for it, and these are the people who should really be celebrated within those industries as successful.

christosbakalexis says:

October 27, 2014 at 1:16 pm

This very much reminds me of the films we watched in class last time. Making movies that challenge the social norms of society and escape the confines of predictable mainstream blockbusters, is extremely interesting. I cant wait to see it!