Homework (due next class):
47 Comments
Oreste Turchetti
10/7/2018 06:34:27 pm
I watched Inside Llewyn Davis for this response.
Reply
Stacy Fernandes
10/7/2018 10:33:38 pm
I know I have not watched this film, but what stood out to me in your description was the fact that the character Llewyn made no progression as a character nor in his plot. I feel like that notion also applies to the main character in Far from the Madding Crowd. She never expresses any kind of gradual change in her fascination with Mr. Oaks. Though the movie had some flaws in terms of character development, I thought the story was shot wonderfully and the story itself was quite charming.
Reply
Sean Tseng
10/8/2018 09:58:09 pm
I like your focus on Llewyn's lack of progression. Alternatively, I think that could be part of the point of the looped ending, a structural way within the narrative of showing how, after all this, he's still in the same sorry spot in his life. I'm also glad he didn't get some happy ending, since for all the film's lack of direction, whether deliberate or otherwise, it certainly wasn't heading for a "happily ever after." Great thoughts!
Reply
Stephanie Machuca
10/8/2018 10:43:15 pm
I also agree with you; I sort of lost interest at some points of the movie because it didn't seem to be going anywhere and it just kept jumping from scene to scene. I also thought the plot with Diane was going to get resolved, yet it was left unsaid.
Reply
Russell Lee
10/9/2018 05:11:50 pm
I would agree on the reality the film conveys, that folk singers like Llewyn Davis trying to make a living have a rough unstable nomadic type of life- which can be seen as depressive. The circularity of the film and how it ends with the beginning, ending where it started off, is pretty symbolic of many artists' lives. The feeling of immobility can be frustrating for both the individuals experiencing it and the audience watching it in a film.
Reply
Stacy Fernandes
10/7/2018 10:19:03 pm
Film: Far from the Madding Crowd
Reply
Mariam Zagub
10/8/2018 12:52:59 am
I also watched this film. I honestly thought it was pretty good, and that there was more character development than you claimed to see. I think the development is just a bit more subtle. Personally I thought it was interesting to see Bathsheba actually fall for someone and marry him, throwing out her seemingly strict principles about men. I think that showed in her something we haven't seen before: the ability to be swayed and to really fall in love. That being said, she definitely made a wrong choice and I would have loved to see her remain strong in her principles instead, but that narrative would have simply led to no central problem in the story. Also, Mr. Oaks did a lot more than you claim he did. Simply by being quiet, reserved, dutiful, and loyal, he showed viewers one way to win over a woman's heart, especially a woman who does not want to marry because she loses all her rights once she is. I think his characterization showed us how respectful he was of her independence and desire to remain that way. I think that by remaining by her side, he showed her that he would also respect her desires to remain independent, he simply had to show her that he would, especially since it was implied that they would end up together in the end. Overall, I thought this was a wonderful film.
Reply
Tiffany Chen
10/8/2018 03:24:12 pm
I agree with most of what you said, and also maybe I was pre-biased against liking the movie because I knew the background of Bathsheba's name before and was disinclined to enjoy a movie about it, but anyway. I agree that without Bathsheba falling for someone who she thought was right, we wouldn't have had the central conflict, but I disagree that Oaks was meant to show viewers a correct way to win over a woman because his storyline contributes to a problematic view of rejections in society (men will get what they want if they keep trying because women don't know what they want). I think the basis of why Oaks fell in love with Bathsheba is dubious (he saw her riding her horse and immediately fell in love...) and I also think it is implausible for Oaks to have waited so long and gotten to know Bathsheba better without having some kind of change about his feelings toward her. Same thing with Bathsheba ending up "falling in love" with Oaks -- neither have enough development to warrant that specific change. Of course, though, if the point of the movie (and the preceding book) was to simply reflect the biblical story and all the problems in it, they succeeded.
Mariam Zagub
10/8/2018 12:59:34 am
I watched "Far from the Madding Crowd," and I thought the film was executed very well. The background music and wonderful shots of the landscape made the film absolutely beautiful. It actually made me want to give up this student life and become a farmer. For a romantic film I think it wasn't as romantic as I'd hoped it would be, but it makes sense given the setting and time period. There are many films like this about independent women who find a man who either tame them or respect their wishes, but this one was different. Bathsheba had three love interests, one who turned out to be a domestic abuser and the other ended up in jail for killing the abuser. Bathsheba had strong principles that prevented her from settling, but one man she meets changes that, however he turns out to be the wrong one. What I found interesting here was that the man she does end up with loyally stuck around the entire time and was quite respectful of Bathsheba's wishes and desires. It is until he decides to leave that she realizes that she can't part from him and they end up together. I really enjoyed watching this film, and I thought the film shots of the landscape, horseback riding, and farming made it even better.
Reply
10/8/2018 11:17:36 pm
I do agree with your thoughts on the movie. It was different from the romantic movies with an independent woman as the main character. With the three romantic love interest, the movie brings out different possibilities of how love affect each of the four characters.
Reply
Cassiel Chadwick
10/8/2018 12:40:30 pm
I watched Inside Llewyn Davis.
Reply
Oreste Turchetti
10/8/2018 04:11:49 pm
I felt the same way. It's great at conveying that really depressing atmosphere of Llewyn's life, but it doesn't have a real sense of direction beyond that. I thought it was a good watch and would definitely recommend it for people who like sad movies, but I just wish there was something more to it.
Reply
Turese Anderson
10/9/2018 01:37:19 pm
I agree about the palette, it was pretty dreary, with a lot of scenes in almost absolute darkness, with one light only illuminating half the characters' faces. I especially noticed this during the audition scene and the car ride scene right after, to establish a bleak and hopeless tone. I also watched it on kind of a crummy monitor, though, so it made it hard to tell what was going on in a lot of places.
Reply
Tiffany Chen
10/8/2018 03:16:14 pm
I watched Far from the Madding Crowd and I really, really liked everything except for the plot. The visuals and camera work were honestly super aesthetically pleasing, and costuming was amazing and (from my limited knowledge) accurate based on the time period. The acting was pretty good (again, from my limited knowledge). I enjoyed how the protagonist was an independent young woman who at least thought she knew what she wanted and tried to made her own way of life, but I think the plot centered too much around her status as an object of desire to several men. "Bathsheba" is the name of a biblical character who was seen bathing by King David, who then lusted after her and sent her husband to the front lines of his army to be killed so David could have Bathsheba. It's definitely not a coincidence that the character is named such because Bathsheba is not a common name, so I think the movie character is supposed to reflect events of the original Bathsheba's life, making me dislike the plot even more since OG Bathsheba's life was dictated by men who wanted her, and the movie plot focuses on the trials of Bathsheba's relationships with men (but why does she need a man anyway, c'mon). Additionally, the trope of the "right man" being available from the beginning but being patient and waiting for the girl to "come around" and realize his worth annoys me since it implies that men always get what they want, that men should keep trying even after rejection, and also that women don't know what they need/want. I think they could've explored Bathsheba's romantic relationships without focusing so much on the implication that women's worth are mainly determined by how much men want them. I also feel that a lot of (if not all) characters could have used more in-depth development, especially in regards to their relationships and why they felt what they felt. It felt to me that Bathsheba choosing Oaks in the end was just to round out the end of the movie according to the "right man" trope, not that Bathsheba actually developed and realized Oaks was a good match. I can appreciate that the movie seems to be saying not every good thing works out, and that love will eventually find you -- I just don't think it's executed well in terms of character development and tropes used.
Reply
Sean Tseng
10/8/2018 09:52:47 pm
I watched Inside Llewyn Davis, mostly because I saw the cat and I love cats. Gotta say, didn't appreciate the way he treated the second cat ): The film itself was served better as a character study rather than a story I could really invest in because to me, Llewyn just wasn't a great guy. The amount of times he's called an "asshole" or a "dick" sums it up pretty well. Maybe he tries to be better, but the attempts are halfhearted and he never follows through enough to make a difference. This ambivalence between "inconsiderate jerk" and "just human" makes the exploration of his character interesting, but it inevitably made me feel distanced from his progression throughout the story.
Reply
Luc Pogue
10/9/2018 05:20:00 pm
I also watched this movie this week, and I like your analysis. However, I'm a bit confused when you write that you find Llewyn's to be a story of redemption-- in the end, it seems as though he didn't redeem anything. To redeem means to right a wrong, and Llewyn continues to wrong (without righting) throughout the movie. Llewyn literally didn't change at all from the beginning of the movie to the end. I do get that this can be the point, that some people don't really change even when faced with obstacles, yet we as viewers are kind of left with nothing. We get no lesson on how we can grow in the face of loneliness or find meaning amidst failure. Llewyn behaves like an asshole at the beginning of the movie as well as at the end, and it leaves him in (quite literally) the exact same spot. For this reason, I actually found the movie kind of interesting (though far from satisfying) because it defies pretty much the number one rule of plot (having a person change).
Reply
Sean Tseng
10/9/2018 06:45:32 pm
I agree! I wrote that I found it to not be a redemption story, so I definitely agree with your analysis. (:
Cassiel Chadwick
10/9/2018 05:34:13 pm
Beautifully put. And I agree - the Bud Grossman scene is a crucial moment in the film. When a mentor-figure evaluates his work, and gives him a way out. And Llewyn doesn't take it - precisely because he can't forget his old partner. He's not ready for the future, no matter how much he might think he is.
Reply
Stephanie Machuca
10/8/2018 10:27:28 pm
I watched Inside Llewyn Davis. Honestly it was very disapointing movie. But then again the movie reflects the way the character is; he's always disappointing everyone in his life. From beginning to the end, the movie seemed like a full circle, for it begins and ends with him getting beat by that man in all black. You can say that the man represents life at how he keeps getting beat down by all mishaps that occur in his life. It was despairing seeing him go through all this. I kind of expected something good to happen in order to balance out all the bad that has been happening, but nothing got resolved everything felt cut short.
Reply
Javier
10/9/2018 11:49:57 am
Yes I agree that the character was meant to be a depressing and disappointing. The actor did such a great job conveying this. I also liked your observation that is sort of came full circle. It ended how started, ground zero. I think the movie was suppose to have no resolve.
Reply
Eric Hernandez
10/9/2018 05:44:18 pm
I actually really liked how the movie was able to create a relatively constant sad and moody vibe without losing the audience. The moments of happiness were during the exact moments he was playing music which were very refreshing moments, and so many different characters are introduced to keep the plot new and engaging.
Reply
10/8/2018 11:00:23 pm
The film I've watched was Far from the Madding Crowd. The film was great in visual enviorment that fits well in the time and place of the film. Since it was around the time that women had little say during the late 1800's to early 1900's, I've had mostly explected the main heroine to be independent and would eventually find love due to the description of the movie. I was given a partial satifaction from the plot.
Reply
Judith Kim
10/9/2018 12:21:58 am
The video I chose to watch was the Far from the Madding Crowd
Reply
Abigail Magat
10/9/2018 10:23:12 am
I also watched Far from the Madding Crowd and loved the visuals as well. I didn't like the plot all that much either because in the beginning of the movie, Everdeen was so focused on being independent but throughout the movie you can see that she's basically just trying too hard. I felt like they were forcing the concept of a strong, independent female protagonist especially with the idea that she did not need a man. Yet in the end, it just ends like any other love story.
Reply
Rawan Mohsen
10/9/2018 10:42:24 am
The film I chose to watch was Far from the Madding Crowd. I chose to watch this film because of the time setting. I really like films set in the past because it makes me wonder what it was like at that time. The film really reminded me of the film Pride and Prejudice. I did not really enjoy the story as much as I enjoyed the visuals. The film was very slow and the story was not exciting, it just felt like I was just waiting the whole time for her to make up her mind. The film tried to show as an independent woman at first but the second Frank Troy comes and gropes her she falls head over heels. I just really did not enjoy her character and the choices she made. Throughout the film Gabriel Oak stands by her side and when he finally decides to move to America she goes after him. I really wanted him to go to America and live his best life and just leave her but we kind of saw it coming that they would inevitably be together.
Reply
Abigail Magat
10/9/2018 10:43:14 am
I watched Far from the Madding Crowd and I didn't think I'd actually enjoy it. Overall, the scenes were beautifully shot and I definitely enjoyed how there would just be purely scenic shots at some points. In terms of the plot, I thought it was interesting that from the very beginning, the concept of a women not needing a man is so pushed. There was no build up whatsoever, it was the rejection of Mr. Oak's proposal and then onto the rest of the story. Also throughout the movie, the idea of Everdeen not needing a man because she's strong and independent was continuously brought up yet the whole plot revolved around her trying to flirt with Mr. Troy and eventually marrying him, while Mr. Oaks is on the side supporting her through whatever she decided. Eventually, the movie ends like any romance movie which I thought was cheesy and I felt that it could've been different if she just ended up just not being with any man and staying as friends. The plot was just so predictable and the concept of Everdeen's independence was just too forced. But as cheesy as the movie is, I did enjoy it.
Reply
Rawan Mohsen
10/9/2018 01:31:05 pm
Hi Abigail,
Reply
Javier Arias-Romero
10/9/2018 11:47:31 am
I watched Inside Llewyn Davis. As a fan of folk music, it was so interesting to follow the life of your average aspiring musician during the emergence of folk music. It not only showed the harsh reality of the risk entailed with pursuing music as a career, but did so in the context of an interesting time in American history. The 1960's were marked by Civil Right's Protests and the Vietnam War, and they were often referenced in the folk genre. Llewyn tried his hand in the industry and failed, and that was it. Personally, I liked this because we typically see the protagonist come out triumphant, furthering the unrealistic nature of movies. Oscar Isaac's performance was incredible and I believe this movie helped launch his career. And for those who do not know, that really is him singing. He is very talented. I also loved the subtle reference to Bob Dylan in the end. He was the musician that caught Llewyn's eye in the end before he got jumped in the alley. It shows that Llewyn's, and every other aspiring folk singers' competition was the legendary Bob Dylan, almost explaining why he, along with most did not succeed.
Reply
Monse Lopez
10/9/2018 03:00:04 pm
Hey Javier,
Reply
Ryan Aksew
10/9/2018 12:30:19 pm
I watched Inside Llewyn Davis. This film was enjoyable in many ways, though it was also somewhat unsatisfying to me at the end. It was quirky in a characteristically Coen Brothers way, with witty writing, wry humor, and wonderful music exploring the difficult life of a struggling artist. Unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be any real character development by the time the credits rolled. As a result, this film seems like more of a character study, a glimpse into the life of an “everyman” sort of character who means well and works hard but for whom nothing ever seems to go right. What are we meant to take away from this? Perhaps Llewyn’s life is relevant to anyone who’s ever felt like they’re fighting a Sisyphean battle against opposing forces working to unravel them. A kind of cosmic entropy guiding our lives toward destruction in spite of our best efforts. That seems to be what this film and it’s odd ending conveyed most to me. Along the way, it’s music was beautiful and uplifting which underscores the quiet sadness of the film, which has interesting and unique cinematography too. There was a repetition of scenes showing Llewyn falling asleep and waking up, various iterations of the cat, and music played only during performances. These instances and more suggest something of life being akin to a kind of dream state in which we must make our own meaning, i.e. “music.” Beyond any of that, what is the point?
Reply
Luc Pogue
10/9/2018 01:53:04 pm
For this week, I watched Inside Llewyn Davis. I actually had watched this when it came out in 2013, but decided to give it another shot this year since I had forgotten most of the plot. Overall, I like the movie but (as a few others have pointed out) I'm not a huge fan of the ending. The best parts of the film, in my opinion, are the set design and the soundtrack. I really liked being transported back to 1960s New York, even though the movie gave the city a sort of grey and dismal tone. The music is also great, and I've continued listening to the soundtrack a couple times every year since it came out. I love Oscar Isaac's voice, and the song he sings with JT and Adam Driver always makes me chuckle a bit. Yet, this story goes against everything we've learned about plot. The character goes out into the unfamiliar, approaches challenges, and then sort of gives up. It seems as though Llewyn isn't much of a different person at the end of the film, he's still a sort of sad and whiny folk singer. This is particularly clear in the last scene, which mirrors exactly one of the first in which Llewyn is beat up on the street by a shadowy and mysterious figure. By the end of the movie, we perhaps expect Llewyn to act differently in the same scenario, yet he behaves exactly as he does in the beginning of the movie. This begs the question: what has the protagonist learned, and what knowledge should we as viewers gain from watching this movie? Because of Llewyn's unwillingness to change (whether he refuses to see his newly discovered son, his inability to switch jobs, or his frequent tantrums), we are left with a movie that is (although visually striking and euphonious) somewhat unsatisfying.
Reply
Ryan Askew
10/9/2018 05:42:17 pm
I think it’s interesting that you read that last scene as a parallel to the first. To me, it seemed as if it was the same scene exactly. As in, what we witnessed in the beginning of the film was provided more context by the end since by then we saw him heckling a woman the night before. I’m not quite sure what this revelation adds to the experience other than to say that, for me at least, it seems to convey a kind of Groundhog Day-like loop in which Llewyn feels stuck.
Reply
Turese Anderson
10/9/2018 01:59:30 pm
This movie didn't seem like my type of movie by the description, but the other movie didn't either, so I picked this one because the runtime was about 10 minutes shorter and I need those minutes to study for my midterm.
Reply
Michelle
10/9/2018 05:14:29 pm
Hi Turese,
Reply
Turese
10/9/2018 05:28:04 pm
Oh whoops, just realized i forgot to put the name.
Reply
Monse Lopez
10/9/2018 02:56:02 pm
Film: Far from the Madding Crowd
Reply
Atlas
10/9/2018 05:45:12 pm
Hi Monse,
Reply
Michelle Nguyen
10/9/2018 05:11:35 pm
I watched Inside Llewyn Davis because I'm a fan of Oscar Isaac, and although I thought he did an excellent job as the star role, I feel that the movie's overall "vibe" didn't resonate with me. To me, the movie is a little too bleak and depressing for my liking, which mainly because I enjoy more campy and action-packed movies or maybe because the overall tone of the movie is to realistic for me. I felt the anxiety and hardships that Llewyn faced in trying to advance his career, especially the sacrifices he made economically for Jean. While I did feel sad throughout the movie, I think that I felt the most frustrated because of all the things that Llewyn experienced.
Reply
riley robinson
10/9/2018 05:58:18 pm
This was definitely a bleak movie. I agree with you, and I like your use of the word "vibe" to describe what didn't resonate with you. The vibe of the film was certainly strange, and unlike most movies I've seen. Also, your point on realism in terms of the tone is important. More broadly, I think there was realism in all elements of the film, including the plot and the visual aspect.
Reply
Russell Lee
10/9/2018 05:20:04 pm
I watched Inside Llewyn Davis for my response this week. I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of the movie, especially the realistic unpredictability and depth of the characters involved. Inside Llewyn Davis follows the life of Llewyn Davis but not in a narrative format, leading me to believe a non-narrative format gives the audience the enhanced perspective that Llewyn Davis is not in control. Narratives give an impression of control.
Reply
Atlas
10/9/2018 05:38:33 pm
I watched Far from the Madding Crowd this week– not for any particular reason, and more so due to a coin toss. I thought the movie was… interesting, to say the least. I don’t often watch movies with romance as a main theme/ motif throughout, so this movie was quite the experience. From the beginning I was rooting for Gabriel to win Bathsheba’s affection. He was the obvious “good guy” in the movie, especially with how he handles the animals, or speaks his mind (for example, when he calls out Bathsheba for messing with her neighbor’s– Boldwood’s–affections by sending him a Valentine but rejecting his advances). Gabriel was most proven to be the “good guy”, however, through how he never truly pursued Bathsheba throughout the movie; he remained like the gay best friend LOL.
Reply
Jonathan Truong
11/20/2018 08:50:34 pm
I love the comment about the "gay best friend" although I'm not sure if it's pc to say such things. It's true though. And yea I think I also talked about poor characterization in my response, and I agree with your statement about Bathsheba. Not realistic at all, and my suspension of disbelief was really tested.
Reply
Eric
10/9/2018 05:39:29 pm
Inside Llewyn Davis
Reply
riley robinson
10/9/2018 05:50:44 pm
This week I chose to watch Inside Lewin Davis. The film kept me interested, but it wasn't like many movies I've seen before, and in the end I struggled to make sense of it. I've been trying to peace together the meaning of the somewhat disconnected events, and transient characters. For example, what was the meaning of John Goodman's character? I also struggled to understand what symbols in the film represented, as in the case of the cat. Though I may not be able to put it all together, the film definitely made me feel something. Overall, I would describe it as depressingly real and somewhat eerie, especially in terms of the characters who were often inhumanly cold.
Reply
Nick Michael
11/24/2018 04:06:39 pm
I agree with much of what you said. I really enjoyed the film, but I also struggled to understand the meanings of some of the symbols, such as the cat and the other two carpoolers. I still liked the film a lot, though, mainly because of Oscar Isaac's performance and the moments of comic relief ("Please Mr. Kennedy" was outstanding).
Reply
Jonathan Truong
11/20/2018 08:48:27 pm
I watched Far from the Madding Crowd this week. Although it was far from what I would consider an outstanding movie, I didn't hate it altogether. I normally nitpick a lot on cheesy romantic movies but this one wasn't too bad. The only exception I would bring up is the characterization of our main duo. Too many unrealistic stints of dialogue that were jarring and didn't really help further their relationship or plot in any way combined with actions that their characters wouldn't probably do if this was to be more realistic. But in the other areas of the movie, I feel like they did great. There's excellent mise-en-scene and I didn't hate the farm look, which is something I don't say a lot when there's a farm in movies.
Reply
Nick Michael
11/24/2018 02:31:09 pm
I watched Inside Llewyn Davis, and I liked it very much. I thought the highlight of the film was Oscar Isaac's performance as the titular character, and I'm surprised he wasn't nominated for an Oscar for the role. He did a great job of showing emotions in some parts and being stoic in others. One scene that I thought was particularly great (although a little hard to watch) was when Llewyn lashed out at the Gorfeins at their dinner party. I could clearly feel the tension in the room.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |