first thoughts on Dark City

I just want to start by saying that I am really enjoying this movie thus far. Yes, it is often difficult to understand and calling it strange would be an understatement. However, it has something that is very different (in a good way) from most movies that we've watched in class and most movies in general. I can't seem to place exactly what it is that makes this film so appealing just yet...

One of the points Mr. Bennet was bringing up in class was the concept of the individual and how that comes into play in Dark City. Since the memories of every single person in the city are constantly being erased and re-created, they are never really the same person. Or are they? One of the central questions being posed in the film is whether or not these people are the same or whether it is their memories and experiences that make them who they are. The director (Alex Proyas) is not trying to give us any answers at this point in the movie. He is, on the other hand, making the audience think that people are always the same, regardless of the memories they posess from their earlier lives.

One of the points brought up in class was the man who John Murdoch sees in the hotel and again at the magazine stand who says the same thing. Mr. Bennet suggested that meant that he remembered the phrase somehow from his previous memories. However, I think that it is meant to show that he is the same person, with the same mannerisms, as the individual that he was before. Later on, while the "tuning" is taking place, Dr. Schreber makes a comment (I forget his exact words) saying something like "The rich just keep getting richer." I interpreted this to mean that people stay basically the same no matter how many memories they change. The rich keep getting richer, the people who were a certain way before are the same way after. In essence, the experiment is about trying to see if human nature is dependent on experiences. According to these examples, Proyas is saying no, humans are the same people no matter what their memories, whether real or imaginary, are.

Now this situation becomes much more interesting when the character of John Murdoch comes into question. As he is seen in the movie, the audience has little to no difficulty sympathizing with him. He is portrayed as a good man who would never do something terrible (say, killing a half a dozen prostitutes) so it seems absurd to anyone that the murders he is being accused of could really have anything to do with him. But, we do see in his real memories when they are implanted into one of the aliens that he was guilty of killing the young woman in his apartment/hotel room. Now, according to the ideas formerly presented in the film, logic would dictate that Murdoch would still be the evil murderer he once was, right?

the ending of Midnight Cowboy

I think that the ending of Midnight Cowboy was meant to show that the outlandish dreams that Rico and Joe Buck lived for were never possible. Their dreams and each other were really the only reasons they had to live. Rico thinks constantly about Florida, and asks Joe to take him there when he really should be seeing a doctor. Everything about his fantasy of Miama and his future their are destroyed. Rico dreams of running alongside Joe Buck, but loses his ability to walk. He dreams of all these women calling to him, but none of the women on the bus even notice him until they realize that he has died and that they must ride the bus with his dead body until they reach Miami. Joe, on the other hand, abandons his wild dream and realizes what a more realistic goal would be. He becomes more happy than the audience sees him after he is swindled by the woman in New York. Joe's epiphany gives him hope for future happiness, and Rico's persistance condemns him.

This idea that fantastic dreams that will never come true, and the realization of this, is one of the more predominant themes of Midnight Cowboy in my opinion. Throughout the movie, Joe has several fantasies about what is going on or what he wants to happen. These things rarely are carried out as his mind imagines them, but they are his most desirable outcome. This leads me to believe that the film is trying to show us that the best possible thing will rarely happen, and that refusing to give up on our wildest dreams will only hurt us in the end. Rico never gave up, and probably died because he refused to see a doctor and insisted on going to Florida. Joe realized that his dream of becoming a New York cowboy/hustler would never work out, and his life probably ended much better than Rico's.

I'm just rambling ...

I've seen a few movies recently, mostly the typical popular blockbusters that everyone raves about but simply follow the exact same story lines as their predecessors. I'll be the first to admit that my preferences in film often lead me to watch these common, overplayed films. However, there are only so many times one can endure it without losing their mind. One exception to this long list of disappointing movies is A Clockwork Orange, which i recently saw for the first time. I thought it was an excellent movie, albeit strange (to say the least) and moderately disturbing at times. It actually gives you something to think about once the film is over. A Clockwork Orange was refreshing and reminded me of what watching movies should be about. Any suggestions for good, thought-provoking movies are more than welcome :)

My discontent with today's movies and film culture only increases my excitement for this film class. I am thrilled to be watching movies in this class that have some actual merit to them and contain more than just the cheap tricks that I have become all too used to. Honestly at this point I will watch and enjoy anything so long as it isn't the same as a hundred other movies. All Quiet on the Western Front was a great movie when we watched it in American History last year, and I enjoyed it even more this year. Also, I am looking forward to watching The Seventh Seal again, as it is one of my favorite movies. I'm not sure what to think about Citizen Kane yet, but it seems promising. We'll see...

There's a lot more I want to talk about, but I think this post has been random enough so I'll just save those for later. Oh, since I am unable to figure out how to edit my profile, it will indefinitely mock the JSA and say that I am a fan of bee-keeping and banana horticulture... Thank you Mr. Bennett.

An Introduction

I would write a panegyrical enconium to Mr. Bennett, like some of the other toadying sycophants in this class, but I know that he is too humble to enjoy that kind of falsely obsequious and unctuous servility. Let's just say I look forward to a collegial and intellectually rigorous colloquium.