From college papers to short reviews and ratings, this blog covers past and present films and literature through the eyes of a recently graduated college student. Malicious Monday - a review of a book or movie that I hated. TV Tuesday - a review of a television show. World-Wide Wednesday - a review of an international book or movie. Throwback Thursday - a review of a classic or dated book or movie. Funny or Freaky Friday - a review of a book or movie based in comedy or horror.
In 1937, the film Pépé le Moko was released in France, inspiring American remakes such as Algiers and Casablanca. The film quickly became popular with the help of a compelling actor named Jean Gabin portraying the main character, Pepe. In the streets of Casbah, Pépé struggled with his inner desire to rule the Casbah and his nostalgia for Paris. The set for Casbah was built by hand and showed narrow winding alleys as well as the diverse group of criminals that retreated within its maze-like structure. The director of the movie, Julien Divivier, encapsulated the tight spaces with class difference, a loyal network of houses and people, and Pépé’s longing for his old sense of Parisian wealth in several scenes within the elaborate set of Casbah.
Within different mise-en-scène, Divivier used frame composition and differing angles to show the contrast between the misfits of Casbah and the high class outside of it, representing the class differences and overcrowding of Casbah. In the introduction shots of Casbah, the inspectors constituted Casbah as a maze that Pépé has escaped to, the shot moves in toward the figure of Casbah on the map, then a wide view of Casbah itself. The shots switch closer and closer from a wide view to panning shots of the narrow streets seen from above, down to eye-level seeing the dirt, grime, and people moving around it to show the normalcy of the uncleanliness. These shots draw the audience in to the setting of Casbah, showing how open it seems from afar but in reality is quite compact. These tight spaces are demonstrated further in scenes where the whole frame is taken up by buildings. When Pépé is moving through Casbah with the Algerian inspector, the shots that follow them are framed in a way that makes everything seem tight and small, like the top of the frame never shows the sky or having a ceiling hang close over the heads of the two men. Connected with Pépé’s own inner struggle, the framing shows no escape from Casbah contrasted with the rich being able to access the open air. When the Algerian inspector encountered Gaby, the love interest and call girl, she was dining in a restaurant with a spectacular view of Algeria. With high ceilings and a feel of breezy openness, there was a clear contrast to the enclosed darkness of the streets within Casbah. The contrast between the working class and high class is connected through Pépé longing for the open air as he remembered Paris. Even though Gaby had access to the open air, as a call girl she was trapped in other ways, relying on the wealth of men. Both Gaby and Pépé were trapped and longed for escape, which they found in each other but are ultimately unable to fulfill due to outside forces.
Pépé and Gaby meeting at a lovely open-air cafe in Algeria (Credit)
Pépé’s downfall is caused by his longing for escape from navigating Casbah to his old upscale lifestyle in Paris which he is reminded of through Gaby. In the mise-en-scène where Pépé first encountered her, there was a clear focus of his attention through close up shots of Gaby’s jewels indicating her wealth and her light skin formed the assumption that she belonged to a higher class. Pépé was drawn into her world even though she herself was not that compelling of a love interest. Pépé was mostly interested in escaping Casbah with her and being involved again in the Parisian lifestyle. In the scene where Pépé and Gaby met again in the streets of Casbah, she was like a beacon in the tight corridors, slightly hidden behind a pillar before Pépé rushed excitedly towards her. Even though their half hidden shots suggested a timid love connection, their meeting halfway confirmed they are bonded through their longing for escape. This pattern of chase between Pépé and Gaby continued up until the end as he learned she is leaving Algeria and rushed after her. He was left behind to be arrested, having been unable to recapture his sense of French refinement and loses Gaby.
Pépé watches in despair as the boat leaves (Credit)
Even though Casbah was full of people hiding from the law, their sense of connection was evident through raids, and showed how the lower class defies authority, yet still answered to figures like Pépé from a sense of imperialism. In a mise-en-scène where a police raid threatened the Casbah, the people took advantage of the maze of houses to hide and escape from the danger of the law. Every type of person is warned, from the prostitutes that retreated inside from their perches in doorways, clearing a gambling bar, and the homeless that sleep in doorways were knocking on doors to announce the movements of the group of police. The network of houses and overall response as the shots panned smoothly through the community showed the connectivity in helping others escape, as the police and inspector were redirected. Even though the area was notorious for crime, there was loyalty through misdeeds. As Pinkerton noted in his historical article regarding the movie, “Pépé le Moko is a product of a colonial culture that expresses pride of possession through touristic rubbernecking” (Pinkerton). So through this exotic representation of community within Casbah, there was a longing for the connectedness of a diverse and international community that is nonetheless controlled by France. There were not explicit historical references, however one could read into the suggestions of the film. Pépé was a white Frenchman who ruled the Casbah in Algeria. Despite his criminal nature, he represented the imperial fantasy of cultures accepting the ruling rights of white males.
Casbah was the centralized setting of a conflict for the residents within and is used by Pépé for his own purposes of escaping the law yet longing for true freedom. The tight spaces within the Casbah emphasized Pépé’s need for escape even though he was held in such high regard by the community within Casbah. Their network and protectiveness of each other from the law displayed a bonded community just trying to survive the everyday. A classic film with wonderful camera work and acting, this would be a great watch for any movie buff. Sparking American remakes in movies and musicals, the story carries well through time by addressing issues of wealth and class. I gave this movie a seven out of ten merely because I personally would have enjoyed a better ending, but I appreciate the build-up of the romance and what it represented for each character.
Game of Thrones contains many dynamic characters who become heroes, Hodor being one of them. His limitation with speech, however, is a confusion to audiences and characters alike. The only word he is able to utter is “hodor”. Thus he adopted the word as his name, although his real name is Walder in the books and Wylis in the television series. The difference in name is probably done to ensure that no one confused him with Walder Frey, the host behind the Red Wedding. Hodor's speech is the same as his writing, the only word put to paper is indeed hodor. Simply put, this is a book filled with repeated hodors with no translations provided. It is a hilarity of the language barrier between Hodor and the rest of the characters in the show translated to a form real audiences can truly grasp.
As a character, Hodor is a constant staple within Winterfell as we are introduced to the Stark family and follow their story through Westeros. When Ned Stark is elected as the Hand to the King, Hodor is left behind to help care for Bran Stark. With their fates tied together, this strong yet simple man lays out the details of his story from his own perspective.
With his limited vocabulary, the book is a challenge for any reader used to the reaches and nuances of the English language. If one is well versed in Dothraki or High Valyrian, the same challenge would present itself. This limitation presents difficulties with decoding the story. However, the background knowledge from the original collection of Game of Thrones as well as telling images from the hit television show, one might surmise the ups and downs of the ever present “Hodor.”
For those who have not read through or watched the full television series, these next analysis will include major spoilers.
After Winterfell is taken over and Bran is chased away from his home, Hodor dutifully carries his young charge on his journey through the unforgiving terrain north to the wall and beyond it. This story details that harrowing flight from Winterfell as each character witnesses the ups and downs of the world. From being attacked by Wildlings, running into dangerous White Walkers, and meeting the Crow. Their story brings them to the ultimate conclusion that you cannot escape your past. For Hodor, his past is defined through his future actions and the connection he shares with Bran Stark. His ultimate fate showed his purpose in helping Bran return to Winterfell in order to be reunited with his remaining family members in season seven.
The formatting of the book itself shows the nuances of spoken word, as every type of grammar is deployed for the reader to gain an understanding of the fluctuations in each hodor uttered. With sentences ranging from one to several hodors, one can only assume the word encompasses many types of phrases. Changes such as capitalization and exclamation points uncover moments of surprise, fear, and excitement. One issue with the format is the lack of capitalization of some hodors when beginning a sentence. Recognizing that this is a stylistic choice to show a calmer sense of Hodor, one has to remember the rules of capitalization, especially when publishing a book connected with such a prestigious series of literature.
The end of the book takes full advantage of a finale ending, with bullet points reflecting a list of what Hodor might have gained from the journey or what he could have done differently. The final two Hodors, with a pause in between, give the reader the impact of a heavy lesson learned. In a moment of remembrance, the final two words recall the scene where Hodor says his goodbyes, in the words he has held onto as his destiny.
This is a fairly useless narrative that reminds me of the humor of blank paged books toting the titles of “Reasons Men are Better Than Women” or “Ways to Cure Stupidity”. The sarcasm is carried through the process of creating wasteful or useless products such as these. This autobiography even happens to have a second volume, all written in Hodor’s own words. Each book can set one back $10-$13, with such little actual content, the publishers definitely rely on the hilarity of wasteful spending and the craze around the show itself. As more of a collectors item, this book is not worth it for those that have not enjoyed the Game of Thrones show or books. This autobiography is more of an inside joke that managed to carry through a publishing house, it isn’t anything truly worth reading but it is a funny collectors item for fans of the show or books. If anything, I suggest you read thereviews on amazonfor this book, as they are just as funny. Those interested in purchasing a copy can find it sold online or in Barnes and Noble.
As one of the most popular television shows of recent years, I’m sure this series has been hashed out, ripped apart, sewn back together and thrown into a trash compactor by many writers, reviewers and fans, but I’m going to go ahead and take a stab at it.
Major spoilers ahead - you have been warned.
It is hard to quantify the cultural impact of this show, despite the enormous re-introduction of fantasy series into the mainstream. From a frantic fandom that spawned spin-offs and merchandise such as dragon plushes to Dothraki language learning (I personally would have preferred to learn High Valyrian - hey! It’s the best language for poetry). All the theories, quotes, cosplays and fan-art amounts to quite a visual impact, but what kind of intellectual or psychological effects has Game of Thrones left behind?
Buckle up kids, it’s time for blood, sex, and violence.
The kind of fantasy series I grew up with upheld a certain standard of disguise in human gore, death, and sex. Deaths were magical, slow, or beautiful; possibly with a spatter of blood on the clothes. Sex was merely a suggestion, a confirmation of the building affection between two characters that led to marriage or a child, never an outright display. Game of Thrones was my first stark look at the realities of medieval times. From the opening of the show, gore and nudity was clear to be a feature. The show somewhat prepares you for its R rating, but the persistent inclusion of these factors becomes a disgusting sort of plot diversion at some points. Many moments depicted raw emotion from the characters and changed them indefinitely, however the inclusion of some moments, such as Sansa’s rape at the hands of Ramsay Bolton, was both unnecessary and tragic. The cruelty that Ramsay exhibited could have easily been directed in a different manner, and Sansa could have still grown stronger through surviving trauma, as she had been up to that point. The rape itself truly broke the last bit of hope for romance or love within Sansa. For many characters, those violent situations shaped who and what they became, but in some cases the violence really should have been toned down. People can change without having such drastic life events occur, and I think the show should have recognized that small moments can sometimes make a bigger impact on characters and the audience.
Women Warriors in a Game of Strength, Wits and Power
While harsh and unforgiving to it’s female cast (see Sansa being raped, Shireen being burned alive, Catelyn betrayed, Margaery blown up, Missandei beheaded) the show managed to include a wide array of female types in its casting and characters. We have Arya, a tomboy turned fighter who is small but fierce. Sansa begins naive and shallow, but grows into a leader. Daenerys is introduced as meek, then unleashed a rage that inspired the masses. Brienne showed brute strength combined with a loving and loyal personality.
Cersei and Catelyn demonstrated the lengths mothers go to when protecting their children. Margaery and Melisandre used their beauty and wits to influence kings and leaders. Ygritte and Yara fought tooth and nail to be considered equals to men. All these women go through a journey, some to death, others to survive, and some to triumph. Even though some of these characters are viewed as evil by most, (Cersei, Melisandre, The Sand Snakes) their dynamic personalities and motivations were a new form of the female villains I had previously seen. With such a long run-time for the show, there was lots of time to make the audience aware of motivations for good and evil characters, whether because of their past or their position in life. Each woman in the show was faced with obstacles having to do with her gender, and they each fought back against this oppression in different ways. The most powerful women often crossed paths, maneuvering their way towards royalty. Arya Stark, Ygritte, Brienne and Yara Greyjoy found they could not be independent this way, so they struck out on their own. They learned to fight and defend themselves, seeking their own justice and following their own rules. My personal favorite of the characters was Brienne. She kept focus on her morals and convictions while exhibiting strength and bravery. Margaery was also a favorite of mine, not only because she was very attractive, but her cunning and people skills were how she almost made it to the top in the Game of Thrones. Any of these journeys could resonate with women, as the variety of personalities and struggles spans age and class to represent strong female characters.
Can’t Hold Them Back: Game of Thrones Heroes
Finding characters that have handicaps that their personality or show isn't centered around can be difficult, and in fantasy even more so. Fantasy imagines that all physical ailments are restored to “normalcy” by the magic and spells within their worlds. Game of Thrones injects its series with characters that have handicaps that do not completely define them or their path. Tyrion is the best example of this. Though he struggled with his dwarfism, being made fun of and despised by his family, he grew to be a strong leader and a smart man. He survived so much more than his family did by following the right moral path. He even led men through battle, overcoming any assumed physical restrictions. Bran Stark himself is crushed by the lost use of his legs, but he overcomes his physical restriction through magic.
He does not fully restore his legs, but he comes to command a position of great power because of his abilities to see through to the past. A historian of knowledge is not likely to repeat mistakes when leading a kingdom already ravaged by war. Even those with mental handicaps, such as Hodor, are demonstrated as heroes within the show (I can never hold a door again). The disease that permeated this fantasy world, greyscale, is shown to be a frightening and debilitating sickness. Jorah Mormont only managed to survive his greyscale by having Samwell Tarly, quite horrifically, scrape off the infected skin areas. Through the days while his infection spread and after he is cured, Jorah continually returns to Daenerys to protect her and be by her side, sacrificing his life for her even after he survived so much. Many of these characters with handicaps are shown to grow stronger in other areas, through magic, education, loyalty and sacrifice. These characters are upheld as heroes not because of their disabilities, but despite them. From a social perspective, this shows that even those with any kind of inability can do great things, and that really resonates with me. The perseverance of many Game of Thrones characters despite their terrible past and present is inspiring.
A Season Finale in Flames: The Garbage Fire of GOT Season 8
I don’t think many Game of Thrones fans were very satisfied with the ending, much less the lead-up to it. The development of the last season took a turn for the worse after the Battle of Winterfell, in my personal opinion. That might have been when Daenerys or the directors truly lost their minds. To turn Daenerys into the kind of ruler that destroyed cities instead of saving as many as she could was a complete 180 from her moral standing. Instead of sticking with the idea that not every character in the show goes crazy from power, the writers decide that Daenerys is a little too unlike her crazy ancestors. How can she not see that this dictatorship of killing is exactly the kind of thing she was trying to save people from and avoid? Was the loss of so many people close to her just too much? Whatever happened, she fully demonstrated that her final role in the show was to burn away the past to clear a future for the Seven Kingdoms and completely “break the wheel.” One of the most disappointing aspects was the lack of magical explanation. What was the power behind Melisandre? Why was Jon’s heritage such an integral storyline for nothing? How did Bran influence the outcome of the Night King being destroyed? Where. Is. The. Dragon??? The ending I had imagined was better than what the show delivered. I had hoped Bran might take a more active role through his Warg abilities, such as fighting mind to mind with the Night King or wrestling control of the Wight Dragon. I thought Jon would be much more involved in destroying the commanders, such as close combat. Daenerys would have come in blazing with her dragons, and moved to King’s landing with a victory and offers of peace. But no, we got a reign of fire and blood instead.
The last few episodes brought on many deaths, to be expected of a show so famous for its disregard for central characters and their lifespan. The hardest of these deaths was Missandei, The Hound, Cersei and Jaime. Daenerys was already prepared to destroy Cersei, she did not need to incite her any further by killing Missandei, but Cersei and Daenerys were so drunk on power at that point that everyone else were pawns in their game. The Hound’s death I could have predicted, and I felt that his storyline had a good end, and a thing he had been fighting to do his whole life was accomplished: besting his brother in combat. Still, I was rooting for him the whole show. Then there’s Cersei and Jamie. Wow. I thought I hated the way Margaery died in the explosion of the Sept of Baelor, but this was one of the most unsatisfying deaths of the whole show. Cersei had a whole load of angry fandom karma, and Jaime had such a promising path to stay with Brienne.
Instead he chose a woman, his sister, who had gone pretty insane at that point, and they died under a pile of rocks. Rocks! I had hoped they would have done Cersei’s death like her walk of shame, or even how they did Littlefinger’s death. If not a revenge killing by the people she had wronged, I wish Cersei had gone out on her own terms, in a way. She is the archetype of a proud woman who would choose when she would die. I don’t know why, at the last moment, the directors injected her with any sort of hope when she demonstrated through countless actions that she had no more hope. Overall, the series ending left watchers with a lot of confusion and questions, as characters built through many seasons were slapped around in the writing room and tossed to the masses of fans like free t-shirts. Carelessly written and formed in order to rush an ending to what could have been a great television show.
Book to Screen: How was it?
When I first got into the show and discovered the books, I jumped at the chance to complete this reading challenge. With a total of 4,244 pages, the task was daunting even for an avid reader. It took me months, but the switch of perspectives from chapter to chapter helped me get through the books. As I read, the show developed through it’s 6th season. I was excited to see the variety of characters and magic I had learned from this vast series. Unfortunately, like any book to film adaptation, characters and plot lines were left out. I did not expect everything to be included, and I was not sorely disappointed. The accomplishments of translating such a complicated series to television must not be overlooked. The graphics, costumes, acting and plot are a lot to keep up with, and they manage at most times to deliver a solid representation from the books. I am very eager to see how the books play out as compared to the series, if the book ever gets released.
Until The Winds of Winter is out, I will keep faith that George R.R. Martin was able to conclude the series or at least provide explanation for the end of the series we witnessed through the show. I would recommend this show to anyone interested in fantasy, action, or drama. The books are quite difficult to get through, but I encourage readers to try as I definitely benefited from reading them.
In Toni Morrison’s classic novels, Tar Baby and Song of Solomon, two female characters, Jadine and Hagar have culminating experiences. These two women at first display a naive sense of right and wrong through their actions or words, but are able to carve out their own ideas of how they ought to operate in their world. Their specific environments have an effect on their internal view of themselves. Hagar and Jadine’s female perspectives show the growth and endurance of women characters within Toni Morrison’s novels, as they navigate relationships and societal expectations.
Song of Solomon
Hagar shares a relationship with Milkman, but he turns her away after he no longer sees her as useful or as desirable to him. The way Milkman breaks up with Hagar through a note shows his lack of consideration, as he refuses to confront her in person and instead communicates through a flimsy piece of paper. In a way, Milkman represents his view of their relationship in the note, detached and filled with meaningless words. From such a perspective, Hagar’s murderous reaction to the breakup makes sense. Milkman would not even give Hagar a chance to try and save their relationship, much less hear her feelings about it. Thus, Hagar’s feelings are trapped in this rage that leads her to try and kill Milkman. Milkman's disregard of Hagar and her feelings causes her to further involve herself with the path of his life in an attempt to stop Milkman from leaving her. Milkman is able to have agency as a man by using the note as a final goodbye, but Hagar is able to claim her own kind of agency in trying to kill Milkman. Even though it is through desperation, Hagar reacted to such an extreme in order to exert her own importance in Milkman’s life, as he showed he did not consider her valuable enough to settle down with her. Even though her task involves murder, Hagar made herself a remembrance within Milkman’s life as he tried to leave her behind. Milkman’s unintended influence of Hagar prompts her change of attitude in several ways. Before Milkman’s rejection of Hagar, she is very comfortable with herself and their relationship. Hagar settles into the possibility of a continuing and easy association with Milkman, but Milkman himself is still growing and not ready to settle. Hagar goes on a shopping spree of physical beautification so that she can regain a sense that she is worthy of Milkman’s affection. Her inability to kill Milkman makes her search for alternatives to once again be relevant to Milkman, falling back onto notions of beauty standards presented by society. Hagar realizes that Milkman is no longer emotionally attached to her, so she turns to physical acts, both for and against Milkman. Hagar’s growth at this point is more of a breakdown that shows how she is influenced by society’s standards of beauty. She knows that they exist, but she has never employed them for herself. Hagar attempts to change not only Milkman, but tries to regain a sense of emotional presence and security. It is only after she realizes that the physical aspects cannot help her that she truly breaks down. Hagar’s desperation shows her strength in even trying to change so drastically to appeal to Milkman after being willing to murder him due to his betrayal. Milkman refuses to recognize Hagar’s importance, so she creates her own in making herself an integral part of Milkman’s narrative. Hagar’s failure to properly demonstrate herself as an individual with her own agency shows how Hagar was failed by society. Standards of beauty are familiar to all women, and Hagar had the option of ignoring them, so long as she had Milkman to rely on as security for her confidence. Once Milkman decides she does not live up to his standards, Hagar falls back on a physical sense of beauty that she could not achieve to explain his detachment. Pilate and Ruth both support her breakdown of herself into a commodity, as they provide the money for her to spend on her shopping spree. Her hair is the main obstacle to this sense of beauty, as her kinky hair cannot be kept in a straight style easily. From many different people Hagar has trusted in her life, there has been a demonstration that she is not enough for them and never will be. It is the moment Hagar loses her strength, she won't ever be able to live up to their expectations and have what she desires: to be considered, at least to someone, as important enough to be loved for who she is. Hagar seems to be a character meant merely to influence the main character, Milkman, to reconsider his treatment of women. Morrison gives Hagar a very tragic storyline that ends in death, never being fully fulfilled from a lack of Milkman’s attention. Milkman accepts Hagar as a sexual partner, thus she is included in his storyline, but once she is left by Milkman, her own story fails to grow beyond a breakdown from a lack of approval. Due to Hagar’s character being so weak in confidence in her beauty or inner strength, Hagar is unable to survive in the world without the approval of male attention. Even though Hagar is employed primarily for the sake of Milkman’s development, she shows the small ways she exerts herself to continue her story, but being unable to fulfill the beauty standards of society, cannot cope with the loss of a marriage or life partner. Hagar's character relies too much on the validation of another man, and essentially digs her own mental grave through this reliance.
Tar Baby
Even though Jadine is also influenced by a man, she has her own set of independence that Hagar does not. Her confidence, stemming from her education and modeling job abroad, bolstered her to the point that she also took charge of her life. When Son attempted to make Jadine adapt to his hometown lifestyle, she discovered that she is not willing to do everything in order to stay with Son. She determined that her love for him was not enough to change integral parts of herself. Jadine seems to take the path that Son desired, to leave behind the community that she did not feel she belonged in. Morrison uses this theme of leaving others behind as a sense of independence within men and women, with Hagar and Jadine taking drastic actions in order to improve how others consider them. Jadine demonstrates to Son that she doesn't need the judgement of him or his community, and takes her leave of them. Jadine knows she is beautiful, and her education gives her a sense of courage, yet she is lost when it comes to having an identity and sense of belonging. Jadine’s modeling jobs confirm her beauty and the classes she's taken confirm a sense of superiority over others, but this same elevation isolates her from connecting with a community. The duality of Jadine's mixed skin color and the opportunities she’s had as compared to others makes Jadine cut herself off from that community mentally. Her reliance on her own physical beauty and artistic skills means Jadine has a very high level of independence because she is secure in her abilities. Even though Jadine has been able to claim her own agency, she was not able to experience a sense of true belonging. Jadine loves to be on the move, always striving to more exciting or looking for new adventures, so being tied down in any way would ultimately hinder her as a person, as she realizes with Son. She enjoys the fast pace of the city, as she was familiar with the flow of the fast pace life. Jadine’s strong confidence within herself allows her many opportunities to travel to different cities and do modeling, even if she seems to cut herself off from other people, she got to have many enriching experiences. Jadine’s assurance in herself helps her realize that she cannot settle down with Son, as the town reveals his expectations of Jadine. Eloe is a small town that Son convinces Jadine to visit with him as he is willing to be with her in the city. Son had an expectation of fair trade: that Jadine would be willing to have a look at what kind of lifestyle he grew up in. What Eloe reveals to Jadine is very different from what Son seeks from his visit, a rekindling of old friendships and recognition of the woman he is able to obtain. Jadine is more of a commodity to Son than the independent woman she is used to being seen as. This is a place that excludes Jadine, not because of her skin color, but because of her being female; something she has always been confident in. Her skin is the thing that makes her unsure of herself most of the time, but her intelligence and beauty have always been an advantage to her, whereas in Eloe they hinder her. The townspeople view her as a thing of useless beauty, an accessory for Son but not one good to settle down with. They cannot glean any useful household skills from their assessment of her outer appearance. Jadine is much more than a housewife, though, and finally realizes that she is not meant to settle into the wife or object that Son desires. Jadine gathers her strength and leaves Son behind in Eloe, refusing to conform herself to a small town lifestyle and viewpoint. She is more comfortable in an environment of fast pace, high population, and no need to slow down. Jadine holds too much sense of talent and education to identify with the small town women of Eloe that tend after husbands, households, and children. This might seem pretentious, but Jadine should be appreciated for her skills and talents, not forced to throw them away to care solely for another. Jadine’s viewpoint shouldn’t be condescended, as she had the right to pursue her dreams, even if that means leaving Son behind. Leaving Son takes strength, even though it seems like she is emotionally detached, she is able to assert the narrative that her and Son are not meant to end up together. Even though Jadine has the will to leave Son to pursue her own ambitions, she has an attachment to him that has to do with her lack of established identity. Jadine is adopted in the sense that her parents are gone from the world and she is cared for by both a white benefactor, Valerian Street, and the black servants that work for him, Sydney and Ondine. She has a complex that grows from this lack of blood connection to the people that raise her, which causes Jadine to strike out on her own to connect with herself. This creates a shield for Jadine against a sense of emotional vulnerability. Son is able to break down Jadine’s protective walls and show her a relationship based on attraction, not just financial benefits. Son is able to tolerate the city only because of Jadine, in the world created in the small apartment they stay in. This is only for a moment in both their lives, as their relationship goes through strains of different personalities and expectations. Son is threatened by Jadine’s independence, and she is able to see why when they visit Eloe. Jadine knows Son wants her to change her life’s direction to devote herself to him, but escapes Son’s influence by cutting him off altogether. For Jadine, opening herself up to Son would mean losing out on liberties she was already comfortable living with.
Jadine and Hagar show Morrison’s projection of two different, but similar, women of color living in a society not built for them to succeed in. Each woman struggles to find a real connection to tether herself to earth, or a story that will matter in their lives. They do not find success with other women, but try to connect with men they believe can protect, nurture, and support them through life. Even though Jadine and Hagar choose to rely on men, they both lose out in the end. With one voluntary removing herself from her lover, and the other being left behind with little regard. Each women goes through the struggle of how others view them, Hagar with her lack of physical achievements, and Jadine unable to fit in properly with mixed race and a refusal to settle down like everyone else. Black women are very unique in their situation, as they deal with oppression from all sides of race and gender.
“Black women are different from white women because they view themselves differently, are viewed differently and lead a different kind of life.” - Toni Morrison
They have to carve out their own ideas about themselves, as Jadine is able to succeed in doing, and as Hagar fails to realize she has the strength to do. Without a tether to their past, and an unwillingness to establish a connective support system, Hagar fails to live through a heartbreak, and Jadine must rely on money to escape from Son. Without that historical connection, Hagar and Jadine both continue to feel lost in their worlds, and in different ways carve out their existence in terms of how they impacted the men they tried to rely on. They find the strength of enduring a world where they are expected to conform themselves to fit everyone else's ideas. It truly shows the difficulty they have and how Jadine and Hagar find ways to be their own women of color. To conclude, both of these women endure events that shape and mold their identity, as their reactions reveal their past, and direct their future actions. In order to grow or evolve as characters, Jadine and Hagar experience love and heartbreak. The actions of the men in their lives lead them to set off on their own or give up when they are left behind. With each man, there is an expectation that they will change in order to mold themselves for his pleasure. Hagar is unable to fulfill this change, and instead embraces death. Jadine cannot stand to change herself, and so she runs away from the constrictive lifestyle Son expects her to live in. Hagar has moments of strength when she disregards the normal way of society by trying to kill Milkman for his insolence, but is held back because of her feelings for him. Morrison displays these two characters in a way that shows how society can break women of color from their harsh judgements and high expectations.
Romans 8:37 Release Date: November 2017 Run Time: 2 hours 13 minutes 6/10 Stars
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerers through him who loved us." - Romans 8:37
This movie is about the struggle of a church that has a minister accused of sexual harassment. Through working on the task force, our main character Gi-sup discovers the many victims of Reverend Joseph Kang, and believes he is guilty. However, once Kang resigns from the church, no one is interested in releasing the stories of the victims or prosecuting Kang for his crimes. We learn that many people are embroiled in the knowledge of this scandal, with their guilt eating them up inside. Throughout this film, we see bible verses pop up intermittently, and doing so helps highlight the hypocrisy of the church and its officials during this unsure time, and how each one also relates to the everyday struggles of a christian. There is a questioning of the ideals a christian should live by and the reality of morals within religion and power one wishes to gain. Even though church members react negatively and action is taken when Kang is suspected of embezzlement, when he gets accused of sexual harassment people demand his return. There is a social divide when it comes to crimes against women. The victims are treated first and foremost with suspicion and disbelief, a damaging notion for anyone who speaks out against rapists. People in the church continually refer to the accusations as rumors and gossip, even after the evidence is released. This movie did not want to display a story of triumph or justice, but of the lack of it for the victims. It showed that if someone has enough influence, they are pardoned for their sins or given a mere slap on the wrist. Even though Kang admits his fault, he refuses to apologize or even acknowledge the victims directly. The main perspective we receive is from Gi-sup, a christian and a member of the church with a bright future. He is in charge of the task force for Kang, but discovers so many victims. We can see him struggle with his christianity while on the task force defending Kang, ultimately leaving the church after finding so much damning evidence. The layering effect of the narrative is sometimes confusing and misleading, as the audience is expected to draw their own conclusions, as well as try and discern who is wrong or right. Because this movie is a drama, it’s more of a slow burn of revelations. Not a righteous ending or wrap up that leaves the audience satisfied, but a horrifying sense of realization. It is also difficult to discern the characters and who is important because there are quite a few people involved, with the movie giving little indication of the characters up until the end.
For me, this film was very difficult to watch and absorb. The focus of the movie was also frustrating, as it was more about Kang losing power than justice for the victims. Gi-sup doesn’t seem like a reliable main character, I think the movie could have been more interesting from the victim’s perspective. There are not a lot of direct scenes with the victims, merely testimony from audio recordings and scenes of rape. The victims aren’t given much focus beyond what happened to them from Kang. There are strange sub-plots going on that draw focus away from the main concept, and not in a good way. They don’t exactly fit well together or tie up the ending. The most profound part of the movie was the testimonies against Kang. The end of the movie was an emotional mess. Though the story was confusing and misdirected, it portrayed a heavy, but true, lack of consideration for victims of sexual harassment or rape within the Korean christian community.
