Pan's Labyrinth - What the........

Pans Lybranth.  I really tried.  I really tried hard to like you.  I tried so hard to find even one little piece of you that I liked, that I could focus on and write about how much I enjoyed this little portion of this movie but it never happened.  I did not like you.  Actually I hated you.  A LOT. 

If there is one movie genre I hate with every ounce of my being it is any type of horror films.  The closest I get to watching a horror flick is the original, silent film Nosferatu.  Watching it is my annual Halloween scare.  I am not a big fan of movies that have a lot of violence and blood and gore either.  Everything about this film was more a horror film to me more than anything else.

The Faun was scary to me.  I have seen images of them in art and books and I never liked them no matter how happy the overall image it was in appeared.  Have you ever taken a close look at a goat or sheep’s eyes?  They are kind of freaky.  In the head of a four legged, furry farm animal, I do not see anything scary.  Those eyes in the head of some mythical creature who hides out in the dark, having young girls go around doing stuff in very scary situations kind of freaks me out. 

Freaky eyes on a CUTE goat

Same freaky eyes on a SCARY goat/human Faun 

 I also did not understand the guy with the eyes in his hand.  I am sure that there is some very deep meaning behind this scene but this thing literally grossed me out that I could barely pay attention to the scene.  I am sure that there was something meaningful behind the three grapes that Ofelia ate and it being a reference to Eve eating the forbidden apple in the garden of Eden but I was so freaked out by hand eye thing that I missed anything else that might have been relevant. 

 

 

This movie did make me think.  It made me think about how young girls are portrayed in stories or movies and it kind of made me mad.  Why is it the young girl is always having to prove something?  Why is it the young girl always has to be saved?  It seems as if from a very young age we are telling girls that they are less; less strong, less smart, less independent.  We are telling them that no matter what they will always need to prove their worth.  At the same time we are pounding into the brains of young boys that they are the better of the two sexes.  They are more sought after, stronger and smarter and will always be the one who comes to the rescue of some poor, weak girl.  It seems that right at birth we pigeon hole the genders into specific roles with accepted children stories and fantasies. 

My husband wants to see this movie.  I think I will watch it again with him to see what I missed and to hopefully change my mind.  I will say that I dread it.  I am not looking forward to seeing it anytime soon but I will definitely give it another go.  It just seems like the right thing to do. 

Bob Dylan's "Hurricane" & Dazed and Confused

So one of my most favorite movies of all times is Dazed and Confused.  I love this movie because it really hits home for me and reminds me a lot about my high school years and growing up. 

 

In this scene the upper class men take the young freshman, after a good ol freshman hazing of being paddled.  The Emporium is a hang out for all the high school kids and the freshman was a bit hesitant going in since he was still on the market for continued hazing.  As they walk in, Bob Dylan's "Hurricane" song is playing.  This song is about an African American boxer who was convicted to life in prison for the murder of three white people.   

 

After corresponding with the boxer, Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, Dylan felt he was innocent and that is when he wrote this song.  He was convicted for the murders in 1966 for a life sentence, he got a retrial but was convicted again in 1976 and in 1984, the conviction was finally overturned. In 1966 with racial injustices all around Carter was guilty right off the back before his trial because he was black and the victims were white.  

 

 I find the use of this song an interesting choice because the freshman was only guilty of being a freshman which automatically meant he had to go through this hazing of being beaten essentially.  It was as if he had to go through this punishment before he could establish his life as a high school kid. 

 

By no means are these two situations the same or of equal relevance but I just thought it was an interesting use of music for a scene in a movie.

 

 

Get the tissue and get ready for the waterworks to flow while watching "Water"

I saw this film a few weeks ago in my class Bridging the Cultural Gap.  We had learned about the love story between Krishna, a god, and Radha, a milkmaid and childhood friend of Krishna.  They both had an intense love for each other but Radha was forbidden to get involved with Krishna from her brothers.  Behind their backs, she secretly rendezvous with Krishna.  One of these instances they are caught by a priest.  Because Radha had gone against the wishes of her brothers she was considered deceitful ad was brought among the town people to figure out what was to be done.  The town people disowned her and essentially sentenced her to death. 

The question I often think of with this story is Krishna is a god, so more powerful and held in high regard over the priest and the towns people.  Essentially I would think if something made him happy than it would get a free pass so why be mad at Radha?  It appears that the priest and townspeople are jealous of her.  After all she is merely a milkmaid and what right or special attribute does she have that would win the affection of a god’s love?  Or maybe, just maybe this shows that the soul of anyone, no matter who they are can search out god and be safe with them.

Now think about the love story between Kalyani and Narayan.  Narayan is a rich, educated individual who is held in high regard in society.  Kalyani is a widow.  She is an untouchable in society.  Somehow the two find each other and fall in love.  However there is no happy ending because one Kalyani learns that her potential new father in law was a man who hired her for sexual services she realizes she can no longer marry her true love.  Instead she kills herself by drowning in the Ganges river. 

 

There is also a visual aspect that indicates the movie is like an updated version of this famous religious story.  In most pictures of Krishna and Radha, Krishna is playing a flute.  A lot of times he stands with his feet crisscrossed.  There is a scene where it is dark out and Narayan is under a tree, standing with his feet crisscrossed and he is playing his flute.  It is at this time Kalyani shyly visits him one on one.  They talk honestly and their love for one another is both realized and felt by each of them.  Kaylani's soul finally found its peace and safety with Narayan.  It didn't matter who she was, what her history was or where she was ranked in the caste system, she was human and deserved love just like anyone else. 

 

I really tried hard to find a picture of this scene from the movie but was not successful.  Hopefully this image of the Hindu love story will spark a memory of this scene in the movie (just minus all the other people).

 

On a side note; (this is me on my soap box I suppose) I had no indication or warning about the emotional toll this movie would take on me.  As the mother of a young girl who tries so hard to teach her she is just as smart as any boy, just as capable of any boy, as equal and as valued as any boy, this movie broke my heart.  I was crying with in the first five minutes.  to think that this is not far from what is actually happening just made me loose it.  The ending, I lost it even more.  It makes you think how lucky we won the birth lottery of being born in the United States or immigrating here.  Don't get me wrong, equality for women in this country has a long way to go but to see what it is like for females in other parts of the world is truly an eye opening experience to be grateful for what we have here and to fight even harder for that equality for all woman all over the world.  Feminism and the fight for equality should not end with in our countries boarders.  It is even more important to extend the fight to all ends of the earth.