End of the 70s, end of the 70s class

70s Film and culture has finally come to an end and as well with my school career. I learned a lot more than I thought I would from this class, especially about film before and during the 70s. It is a “trip” to think of how “rebellious” film had become from the previous decades with their unwritten but followed censoring. Being at the age I am and within the era I live in, it’s hard to have what is displayed to me as being “shocking” or the “first of its kind”. From issues to having an African American as a hero and not guaranteed to be killed, or a female protagonist with real life issues put out in the open was nothing new.
I also found it eye opening on how much of what was happening within the 70s and previously was being displayed within these films. Beyond the obvious issues within the storyline, there was a message within them all. Whether it was to protest the war, our government, or even the way people are treated in prisons. Beyond having a shark problem along the east coast, there was a problem with the government not being upfront to its own people and men were coming together to help one another out, even with their different backgrounds, beliefs, and personalities. I have always noticed people claiming such absurdities of hidden messages within films, such as with James Cameron’s Avatar people claimed it to be anti-American or even anti-human. Granted those are fairly present themes within the film, I just don’t feel the same way about it. Nor do I feel that was the aim of the film or intentional beyond just being part of a story. I don’t know if I can say that movies in the 70s hold more meat to their bones than today’s films, but they surely molded a generation and raised more questions to the viewers, the people.

Assault on the Precinct

Assault on Precinct 13 by John Carpenter was a movie that pushed the boundaries of no reason killing and death. The theme was clearly not picked up or liked by whoever did the remake, giving it a new setting and reasons for why there was an assault. In the original movie by Carpenter, there is a ruthless gang called street thunder, and they rape and pillage the village for no assumed reasoning. There is a key scene that is over-looked in the beginning; the scene has a few gang members, sneaking around. Not sure if they’re running away, or setting up an ambush, but next thing you know several police with shotguns above the small corridor these members are bottlenecked into. The police are unloading, granted these gang members were armed to the teeth, there was no warning. We don’t know what previously might of lead to this, but you can tell there is a significant back and forth battle between the gangs. Yes I included the police as a gang, cause they are, a large organized group. And judging by the first scene they act just like a street gang, brutally murdering people without any warning. I believe this movie was definitely questioning the role of a police officer and violence that can go hand in hand with the job. I think a big question that is asked at the end of this is what is life worth? Who will you trust with yours? If the situation called for it, would you let a convicted murderer protect you?

A Previously Married Woman

I find it purely amazing that the film An Unmarried Woman was not only written and directed by the same person, but the fact that person is a man; Paul Mazursky. The realism of the conversations from the group of women drinking: at what seems to be mid-afternoon, are uncanny. Everyone knows that women talk and gossip a bit (I say “a bit” to spare myself from scrutiny). So when we’re listening to these women talk and revealing a whole lot, you start to feel uncomfortable, because it’s so personal. As they talk about other people and reveal a lot, you almost feel as if they are going to start talking about you. Because they aren’t holding back on what they’re saying just as they aren’t holding back on their drinking. The women reveal their previous marriage failures, marriages based purely on sex, affairs with 19-year-old boys and marriages that are barely holding together. Of course our main character, Erica: played by Jill Clayburgh, has a perfect marriage of 16 years as well as a daughter. All of her friends are envious and like her husband Martin too. Well if that’s not foreshadowing, I don’t know what is. Next thing you know, perfect Martin has been having an affair with a young little number for a year and Erica is throwing up on the side of a New York street. Leaving Erica no choice but to leave the P.O.S.

What really made me like this movie was giving the main character; who was a woman, power and self-worth. Although in the beginning she was distraught after almost 20 years being with a “soul-mate” ended. And starting anew was like forgetting how to ride a bike and re-learning. But she stayed strong and didn’t fall for the next schmuck just cause he happened to get her when she was down. I wouldn’t hesitate to say that she was jaded when it came to men; I almost thought this movie was going to take a lesbian turn. Even in the arms of a “real catch” followed by his smooth talk about pickled herring and great pick up lines (which sealed the deal that this was definitely written by a male), she still couldn’t trust him to have her heart. In the end what went around came around, as quickly as that old dumb man Martin picked up the young mistress; she left his old dumb ass. Fortunately there was no stupid turn in the movie when Martin came crawling back after being dumped. Erica didn’t say maybe, she didn’t give him one last time in bed or anything like that, she kept it real.

Now a little off the previous topic, but to add my feelings of the realism within the characters and the writing, I was able to connect with was during the therapy scenes. I just as Erica have felt the same feelings from going to a therapist. Looking for answers, telling them small nothings, and big some things only to find that they don’t really have the answer. You feel for a quick second a barrier that you can’t connect to them or not getting your message across. Start to think why am I here talking to you if you (therapist) don’t have the answers. Erica comes to a realization, even told, that she (the therapist) can’t live her life. Therapy is about self-realization, because nothing is more empowering to you and your well being than not only just figuring out your problems, but pretty much figuring them out on your own.

Dog Day Afternoon

I loved this movie, not only the fact it was a true event, but it was well portrayed. Now as to whether the way the characters were portrayed was true is a different story. But what really stuck out to me was how Sonny reacted to all the police. The large mob there to serve and protect with a gun in their hand. It was kind of ironic; they’re trying to keep everyone calm, especially Sonny and Sal, yet they have a hundred police officers in bulletproof vests, helmets, and all kinds of safety gear. You have to think who is really safe? Hopefully the Police are aiming to keep everyone alive, but couldn’t make matters worse with the unnecessary volume of police and guns. How can anyone remain calm with hundreds of guns aimed at you from every angle? Especially after telling them to put their weapons down, it took numerous yells from the lead officer. He practically had to physically force their weapons down. It seemed that shooting was inevitable, the police felt something was going it happen and they would be the one to make the move.
It was only appropriate that Sonny started to yell, Attica! Stressing the power-hungry police force. Simple men tasked with a large responsibility, keeping the peace, to protect and serve.

Saturday Night Febrile Disease: Douche bags, Dirt bags, and the Misguided Heart.

Please don’t take the title into consideration when I say this was one of the few movies so far that I was able to connect with the main character. Tony Manero was personable on the level of wanting to change his ways, to grow up and make something of himself. He saw himself wanting to grow apart from his old life and friends. Not that I want to leave my old lifestyle and friends as he did, but to start a new chapter in life. Literally his lifestyle and the path he was taking would have been the death of him and his dancing. I mean look at his younger friend Bobby C. was a prime example of the end result of their lifestyle and beliefs. He got a girl pregnant, had no clue what to do and ended up dancing on a bridge and falling off. Oh the bridge, across the way is another life and a different way with much opportunity. So don’t dance around on the bridge to opportunity and goof off, you might slip and fall.

Like to apologize for my late post, wrote it and forgot to post, let time slip.

Shaft is one bad mother(shut yo mouth)

One thing that struck me to be interesting, that really set that this movie was to emphasize the black hero Shaft, was through the audio quality on his lines. In an early scene where shaft is outside and his friend and colleague Vic Androzzi is chasing him down trying to find out why some guys are out looking for him. During this scene you can tell Shaft’s lines were re-done in post-production and Vic was left to the location audio. Vic Androzzi’s were full of wind and city ambiance making his lines next to inaudible. Whether Shaft’s original location recorded lines were even worse off and they didn’t want to spend extra time and/or money on over-dubbing Vic’s lines is another argument to be made. I also could be looking into this too deeply, as which most people could argue has been done about what Shaft really represents and as to why it was made.

Sicker than the last...

What is truly more violent, frightening and powerful: the thought, the spoken word or the gun? In Martin Scorsese’s work of art, Taxi Driver, we are introduced and follow the life of a taxi cab driver through the slums and flourishing city of New York. The driver’s name is Travis Bickle (Played by a young Robert Deniro) and he is the loneliest and most sleep deprived man in New York. There were two scenes that stuck out to me, where the thoughts (without even being narrated) and what was being said or done within the scene that really inflicted powerful color of these characters.

The first (not in a particular order) was a scene at a convenience store, where Travis stopped off to resupply for his late night shift. Upon looking at the powdered donettes, a small robbery was taking place. Here you can see Travis contemplating on reacting, after all he had just picked up a lot of weaponry from the best salesman I have ever seen. At first I thought Travis would tell him to drop the gun, and act in a formality that an officer of the law would. Next thing you know the robber turns around quickly and Travis reacted like a cold-blooded killer and blows him away.

The shot of him putting one into the robber’s neck is from a security camera like angle, which was extremely disturbing, giving you the whole picture in real-time. Seeing blood spray and items behind the counter fall over from the bullet passing through the robber’s body. Not to mention the robber’s acting of slumping over was phenomenal, I have seen one dead body in my life (outside of funerals), and that was really close to dead human reaction, or un-reaction you could say. You can see Travis realizing what had just happened, and how quickly he reacted, shocked himself. You could see that part of him wanted to pull the trigger and the other couldn’t believe he pulled the trigger. Of course there was another part of him that realized he didn’t have a registered trigger.

The second scene that was equally disturbing and powerful, and it didn’t even require gore or violence. This is probably the creepiest part of the movie or even of humanity itself. Scorsese plays the part and really captures the essence of humanity that is insanity, all just with the spoken word and the thoughts of an angry and lied to man. Travis has escorted Martin’s character to his desired location and he is giving orders to Travis. Tells Travis to keep the fare running, and pointing out the silhouette of a woman in a window and to look at her. Martin tells Travis that’s his wife, but that’s not their place. He starts talking about the awful things he would do to his cheating wife and the African American man she was with. Between Martin’s character ranting about violence and Travis sitting there not verbally responding to him or even moving an inch I was uncomfortable. It was really powerful when they showed the back of Travis’ head from Martin’s point of view, his head doesn’t move an inch and doesn’t look back at any moment look at this maniac.

Even though through most of the movie I was thinking, Travis Bickle is the craziest man in New York, Martin proves me wrong. By displaying that there is always someone crazier and possibly sicker than the sickest and craziest person you know. With that said, I had trouble agreeing with the ending, with such realistic actions and reactions throughout this movie, the ending was the most unreal. Creating a hero out of a guy who had killed four men, the consequences (which were none) wouldn’t happen in the real world. The woman, who kills her abusive husband, would still serve time in jail. Murder is murder, no matter how bad the people are and how badly they deserved it. Not saying that I agree with that.