Review of The Human Condition

Here it is.

The Sweet Hereafter

My review is up.

Finishing The Human Condition.

Wow. Dan and I just finished the last part to The Human Condition and this poor, poor man. I can't decide which is more depressing, this or The Weeping Meadow. Though I cried at the end of that one, and didn't cry at the end of The Human Condition, though it still impacted me in a different way.

This is a 9 and a half hour epic long film, but I do recommend you watching it. It is worth it. You will be pulled into this man's life and struggle and come to care about him. He's really well developed, and you do see him changing over time. It's amazing what these people during The World Wars had to endure. Will they ever get a break?

Dan identifies with the lead character, Kaji, in that he stands up for what he believes in and what he knows to be right, he is overlooked and treated like shit by those who despise him for this very quality, and he seems to get a lot of bad luck. The character is strong and intelligent and never backs down. The film leaves you with the message that good people suffer and die while bad ones very often thrive, though this perseverance is this innate quality within the Human Condition itself, and for those who don't have it, they will envy and despise those that do.

But this is the great thing about great art, in that unlike this soldier, who represents many, many lives who were overlooked and scorned despite being inherently good, great art lives and survives further than even good character.

So give it a watch. Can't wait to read the review!

The Mirror Scene

This is one of film comedy's most famous moments, from Duck Soup.



A quarter century later Harpo Marx redid the scene with Lucille Ball on I Love Lucy; except instead of Harpo aping Groucho, it was Lucy aping Harpo, until he caught her.

For a friend who recently asked me what a doppelganger was, witness.

M. Night Shyamalan is cute.

As a director, M. Night Shyamalan is cute. His movies aren't much to look at, but I've always thought he himself offered more visual appeal than his films. Not that I'm saying he's Brad Pitt (even though Pitt post-Jolie doesn't do it for me) he's got a boyish cuteness and his voice is sexy.

His films? That's another story. Just plot-driven blah and once you decode the "twist" there is no point to the film. But it's nice he's made some appearances in them for the reasons I give. I liked him dressed up in that cop uniform in Signs. ( Or whatever it was--The Village? Who the fuck knows).

ROAR!

So here's to my little fantasy, to balance all the female babes, we need some cutie-pie male ones. I like the tee shirt with the messy hair.

Grace Kelly Lives

Ok, the evidence is in. Recently I've posted on sexy stars like Brigitte Bardot and Raquel Welch, but, let's stick with pure beauty this time. I mean mathematical and symmetrical perfection of face and form.

Nowadays the two reigning Ms. Perfects are Halle Berry and Catherine Zeta-Jones, but, as gorgeous as those two babes are- and one might argue a few others, is there really any toppling of Grace Kelly from the throne?

And this comes from a man who prefers brunets to blonds. Ok, I think a young Jean Simmons or Vivien Leigh might've given the soon to be princess a run for the money.

But, just look at those cheeks, eyes, and body. Plus she was a nympho!

Excelsior!

Still More Human Condition

2/3's of the way thru and still a good film. A bit preachy, and Part 4 was not as good as Part 3, but it's an interesting schism within the lead character. As he gets closer to real humanity- in its full ugliness, he gets farther away from his ideal of happiness, yet he's a better person.

The film is not great and some editing was needed, but quite ambitious, and the rare film deserving of the moniker epic.

More Human Condition

This film obviously influenced many later films, such as Full Metal Jacket. The third part is really a change from Parts One and Two, in that the main characters is starting to ethically collapse. But wel done.

Not a poetic film, but good.

"Monica Vitti’s Hands"

I was going to post this on my own blog but then I decided since it is film related, I will share it here. I had the image in mind of Monica Vitti's hands in L'avventura where there is the contrast of her long, slender fingers against the rough, sharp rock and it offers a good metaphor to play off of. I was just happy to be able to actually find a photo online that put me in mind of my poem.


Monica Vitti’s Hands
*after Antonioni

Somewhere, a solid drop of upheld stone
soaks into the smallness of her
slendering tips, parted within the lines
of foam, an island that lives as everything
slips. Tangled, her hands grasp
rock, as struggle ceases her
clasp—her mind has dangled
stranger things, when it’s late
should she say it? She is trying to impress
what little is left of him, his fondness
worn, that primitive
being. Calling, her name
only melts with afternoon
sea, an image incomplete, still
beneath the devolving harbor
that unpieces. A woman weaves starfish
in her hair and goes unfound.

Copyright by Jessica Schneider

I know where Kubrick got his idea from!

Dan and I were watching The Human Condition tonight, and there is an interesting scene in part 3 where a character is getting picked on and beaten up by his fellow recruits and the character is pretty much a whiner but you feel sorry for him. Anyhow, this put us in mind of Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, which obviously took some of the ideas from this film.

Not only that, but the recruit then goes off the commit suicide via way of rifle in the latrine, no less. So it was just interesting to see where Kubrick stole his idea from. I remember when I saw Full Metal Jacket in the theatres and this scene scared me. I would have only been eleven at the time.