Women in Turmoil

They say that behind every man's success is a woman. And my favorite Beatle, John Lennon, once sang: "And woman I will try to express. My inner feelings and thankfulness. For showing me the meaning of success..."

Whether she's a mother, a sister, a wife, a lover, or a friend, a woman is truly an inspiration to a man. But what will happen if a man's inspiration suddenly finds herself battling her inner demon? Will the man still love her? (Just wondering.)

There are many depictions of women in turmoil; but few I found really outstanding. Here they are:



Ingrid Thulin, Cries and Whispers

Fave Movie Quotes: Opening Night

Age isn't interesting. Age is depressing.
Age is dull. Age doesn't have anything to do with anything.

- Myrtle Gordon

Devoid of Anger, Pure in Heart

CHILDREN OF HEAVEN
Majid Majidi, 1997

On the Set: Directors and Actresses

Romy Schneider and Andrzej Zulawski on the set of
L'important c'est d'aimer (1974)

I love being on the set of a film, even though the closest thing I can get to an acting experience was a supporting role in a very amateur film (a college project). Or that accidental job for an educational TV program (I was in third grade). Seeing how the actors and directors act behind the camera has always been fascinating for me. The candidness of these people might even be more interesting to watch than the film that they're making.

Was Zulawski possessed by Bergman?

It's quite possible that some of Ingmar Bergman's visceral yet outstanding works inspired Andrzej Zulawski's nerve-racking but impressive 1981 film, Possession. Here are my reasons why.

1. The monologue of two Annas. Zulawski's Anna talks about faith and chance, cancer, madness, and her dissolving love for her husband. Bergman's Anna discusses the man in her life, her relationship with that man, and a ghastly accident. They may not talk about the exact same thing but their monologues are somehow identical. These women invite us to look into their soul. Both also look at the camera as if they're talking to the audience.

Bergman film: The Passion of Anna (1969)

Left: Isabelle Adjani in Possession.

Right: Liv Ullmann in The Passion of Anna.

Silence is Golden

John Cassavetes once said that "silence means death." Cassavetes is one of the greatest filmmakers to ever walk the earth. He is also one of my favorites. (Shadows is a groundbreaking film.) But I have to disagree with him because silence is not necessarily synonymous with death. Most of the time, silence can be one's friend. It can give a person an adequate room for wisdom. We need silence in order to listen, not just hear.

I've always been fascinated with silent characters in talkies. There's usually an air of mystery attached to them. And I love mystery. They might deprive us of their voice, but they can sure leave an echo in our mind.

Here are some of my favorite silent characters. Characters that completely blew me away with their silence.

Elisabet Vogler, Persona

As Elisabet Vogler, Liv Ullmann effectively communicates with the audience through the gestures she's tremendously good at: facial expressions. Elisabet is an actress who just won't talk. Her silence attracts Alma, a nurse assigned to take care of her. For me (and probably for Alma), Elisabet's silence is both frustrating and haunting.

"Gone with the Wind" of music videos

NOVEMBER RAIN
Andrew Morahan, 1992

I'm not really a big fan of Guns N' Roses. (I don't really dig guns or roses, I'm more into Nirvana.) But I find their music video for November Rain truly remarkable.

Fave Movie Quotes: Agnes of God

I was lying on the grass, looking at the sun.
The sun became a cloud, and the cloud became... the lady.

- Agnes

Cinematography: West Side Story

WEST SIDE STORY (1961)

Directors: Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins
Cinematographer: Daniel L. Fapp

West Side Story is a film adaptation of the hit musical. Set in 1950s NYC, West Side Story is Romeo and Juliet with a whole new twist. Most audiences remember West Side Story because of its remarkable songs and choreography, but the film is also noted for its groundbreaking cinematography. Daniel L. Fapp won an Oscar® for his astonishing work in this film.

Fapp is a fan of silhouettes, and it is evident in quite a lot of scenes.

Beauty and Madness

Go Muskies!

DROP DEAD GORGEOUS
Michael Patrick Jann, 1999

"This isn't an American Teen Princess Pageant. This is... this is... this is Nazi Germany!"
- Amber Atkins

Every year the American Teen Princess Pageant is held; it's one of the oldest and most prestigious beauty pageants in the US. Sponsored by Sarah Rose Cosmetics, the pageant embodies the dream of an "American-made" girl: personal growth, scholarship, travel, and (eventually) fame.