cinephile – Artistic Apathy

Oldboy: Viennese Waltz and the Greek Tragedy

[SPOILER ALERT]

It all started when a friend of mine posted a waltz by Dmitri Shostakovich. I thought it sounded oddly familiar. It reminded me of this track from Oldboy (2003).

I knew that Oldboy used a lot of waltz music for their original soundtrack but it never quite occurred to me why. To understand, we’ll need a little bit more context.

For starters, Oldboy is adapted from a manga for the big screen but it’s also adapted from a greek tragedy called Oedipus Rex. In the story, a king causes a chain of events in the past that regrettably ends up with him fulfilling a prophecy of murdering his father and sleeping with his mother.

We can see direct parallels from this to Oldboy’s story. Oh Dae-su sees Woo-Jin enacting incest with his own sister and that causes a spiraling of events. A cause and effect that was indicative of greek tragedies at the time. Because Oh Dae-su saw them, Woo-Jin’s sister committed suicide. Because of this suicide, Woo-Jin seeks revenge on Oh Dae-su which leads to him being imprisoned for 15 years.

Oh Dae-su is unaware of his captors and in the beginning racks his brain as to who may have imprisoned him and who seeks to do him harm. Woo-Jin warps Oh Dae-su’s mind and when he is released, be it no accident, he searches high and low for his family but he can’t find them. By no accident he meets Mi-Do, who happens to be none other than his daughter (unbeknownst to him). He ends up falling in love and sleeping with her, fulfilling an elaborate plan or a “prophecy” concocted by Woo-Jin.

This is where the part about the waltz comes in. The waltz is a form of traditional classical music that traditionally was meant to be danced to. Later other forms would be birthed but waltz literally means “to turn” in German. Back to the subject of the greek tragedy, it’s almost like Oh Dae-su is dancing with fate. Fate being a common theme in Greek plays.

Waltz music was big during the romantic era and was primarily a couples dance. It was a forbidden dance in the 1800s and was only danced by the few, the bold and the brave in the beginning.

The dance Oh Dae-su is dancing with Mi-Do, his daughter, is incest. Therefore it’s a forbidden dance much like the waltz was in its early days.

Greek tragedies have another theme of “show, don’t tell” and other good directors know this rule is crucial for any good drama. In Oldboy, this is employed a lot.

Mi-Do embracing Oh Dae-su in the ending for Oldboy (2003)

Some scenes in Oldboy are reminiscent of programme music (a form of classical music popular in the romantic era) in the sense that a lot of scenes are carried simply by the music. Programme music was a derivative of classical music where the pieces told of a story or an event. The emotion of the music and the grandiosity of it all was the dialogue. No script needed!

At the end of Oldboy, Oh Dae-su has cut off his own tongue as repentance. He is the only one who knows the secret and has tried a myriad of hypnosis treatments to forget what he has done. Not much is said in this scene and it’s the perfect example of how to do drama right. In the end, nothing is said besides “I love you” as they embrace each other and the track “The Last Waltz” plays tying the whole theme together.

My last post

My Top 5 Girl Power Movies

As a guy I’ve always kind of enjoyed movies with a strong female lead. It’s just a nice change of pace from the monotonous macho male hero we so often see in cinema.

The leading ladies in these films have flaws and they aren’t afraid to show it. Sometimes their flaws are the very thing that makes them strong.

I can’t think of a better message to send out there.

Here are my top 5 girl power movies of all time in no order:

1. Kill Bill

I had to start the list off with an obvious one. If you’ve been keeping up with my posts then you know this is a movie I love deeply. The story of a bride to be who is assaulted on the day of her wedding… But wait! She’s also pregnant! And the brutal beating causes her to lose her child. Packed with tons of action, Uma Thurman goes toe to toe with foes upon foes as she seeks revenge against those who’ve wronged her. Whenever she is knocked down she gets back up and swinging. Now, revenge isn’t really a message we want to send to impressionable girls and this definitely isn’t a movie for children. But still, seeing a female hero or anti-hero depending on your definition, fight for what she thinks is right and kicking ass while doing it is worth watching.

2. Deathproof

This movie is one of my favorites for one reason: in the first half of the movie, the ladies are the victims but in the second half, the tables turn. The daredevil gone madman Stuntman Mike preys on women. Giving them “joy rides”, which really just serve as a means for him to get sick rocks off. However, towards the end of the film he targets the wrong bunch of ladies including a tough stuntwoman herself. Let’s just say things didn’t end pretty for Stuntman Mike.

3. Room

In this film, Ma, as she’s known throughout the majority of the film or Joy Newsome is trapped in a room with her only son, Jack. The details are that Joy was actually kidnapped by a man when she was younger and Jack is the offspring of both her and her kidnapper. Sounds intense, right? Well that’s because it is. The reason I feel this deserves a spot is for her tenacity and bravery throughout the film. When her son turned five she decided it was time they got out and she made it happen against all odds. She was also such a mother to Jack even under less than desirable circumstances. This is the true hallmark of a great woman. Girl power isn’t always about beating up bad guys, sometimes it’s just having courage and doing the best you possibly can.

4. Girl, Interrupted.

Ah, Girl, Interrupted. I love this movie for so many reasons. One being that I can relate to it on a true level. But that being another topic. Susana is a troubled girl who is sent to a psychiatric facility by her parents for a “rest.” There she meets all sorts of quirky odd characters who later become her friends but at first she is scared. It seems throughout the film she has to make the right choice after right choice. Often taking it upon herself to take care of the other patients in the ward even against her own risk. Getting outside the facility proves harder than ever for her and she has to find a way to adapt and make it out. At one point, not even wanting to stay but believes this is where she belongs. She demonstrates strength and thoughtfulness throughout the movie. Adapting to a new environment, showing compassion and eventually facing her demons. True girl power.

5. Mulan

Can you say classic? Mulan is one of those movies from childhood that I can see over and over and never get sick of it. It has that type of merit.

Mulan is a common Chinese girl who just seeks to be wed one day. Well, when that doesn’t go her way… She enlists in the army! It seems Mulan has something to prove to herself. At first disguising herself as a man so she can fight for the imperial army, she thinks she’s fighting to save her dad. But it turns out it was more than that. This story is about worth. That’s what makes it so powerful. Mulan didn’t feel worthy enough to be a bride so she wanted to prove her worth in something else. This is the story for many young girls and even women across the world. They are still fighting for their voice to be heard, even just for equality. Long story short, Mulan becomes a warrior of great honor and is even seen by the Emperor himself. A true story of coming up from the bottom. Mulan is the epitome of the female underdog. A modern classic that anyone can enjoy.

Well, that concludes my top 5 girl power movies ever. What did you think? What are your top 5? I’d like to discuss. Leave a comment if you will. Thank you all for reading.

Am I “Escaping” Through Film and Television?

This has been a question on my mind recently.

I. like many other people on this spinning globe enjoy a good film or two. Even a long running television series.

But is it all a means of escapism or is it something deeper?

Let’s discuss.

Ever since I was young I’d been captivated by various characters and their stories through television, the screen and in books.

I remember having a real love for Pokémon as a child and it drove me to write stories of my own.

I was a kid that loved to play and goof off and spend time with my friends. As a child I had many things I could be doing but I often found myself sitting in front of the television a lot or buried in a book.

Was that child at that age looking for a means of escape or was he simply fascinated with the colorful and boisterous worlds that appeared out in front of him?

I would go with the latter. I know that film and television can be a means of escape for many from the daily droll of modern day life and it can be a problem. But not for me. I still do things I want to get done. I’ll admit that a lot of times I don’t find my life as exciting as the stories on the screen and escapism may play a small part but there’s something bigger at play.

For me stories are a way of life. Stories, whether fictional or factual, inspire me, put me in a different state of mind and motivate me to write stories of my own. Anything that inspires you to create or break up your daily monotonous routine is purely worth it.

I’ve created stories since I was a little boy and new stories inspire me to create more and give me new ideas.

It’s not to say that you can’t have too much of it. Yes, you should get out and make your dreams come true and not live your life through fictional characters but stories bring people together, get them talking, inspire and motivate.

This is a question I’ve asked myself because maybe deep down there is more I could be doing but by no means are movies/entertainment a waste of time by any means.

I think it all lies in the balance between the two. Consuming and creating. In this world today it’s hard not to be a consumer but whether you end up a victim is entirely up to you.

The Films of Quentin Tarantino (Ranked)

One of my favorite film directors is none other than Quentin Tarantino. After watching Kill Bill, I immediately fell in love with his style of directing. His style and use of aesthetics is inspiring to me in the sense that I’m also very much into aesthetics. His use of dialogue in the films is superb. I often feel engrossed and apart of these conversations between characters even when it’s something as trivial sounding as “should you tip?”

This is his eight films, in my opinion, in order from least liked to most liked. I’ll try not to spoil that much.

Let’s Dive in.

We’re starting off the list with Jackie Brown at #8. Jackie Brown itself is a fantastic movie. Really, all of Tarantino’s movies are great films but if I had to put one at the bottom it would be Jackie Brown. Not for any particular reason. I don’t have many qualms about Jackie Brown. The story was really engaging, the characters were interesting, Pam Grier did amazing as Jackie, and the soundtrack gets high marks. That opening scene is one of my favorites in any movie. Oh, and Kangol hats.

Inglorious Basterds is a great film because the backdrop for it is the second world war of which I am deeply fascinated. Add to that Quentin’s style of directing and you have yourself a masterpiece. So many memorable moments from this movie. Like the basement scene that keeps you on the edge or when the “Bear Jew” clobbers that nazi to death. Because of the ending where things go up in flames literally, I’m not sure whether to give this movie five stars or withhold my praise but nonetheless a great Tarantino film.

I can always watch The Hateful Eight again. It’s one of those movies with high re-watch value. Still I didn’t want to put it at the top of the list for a couple of reasons. Even though this is part of what made it a good film, the fact that it was filmed mostly in one cabin makes it less exciting. That is, until someone poisons the coffee. Quentin’s excessive use of racial slurs in the movie is off-putting. Even though some instances it’s downright comical. I understand that this takes place in the reconstruction era but I still think it was too much. Samuel L. Jackson’s character Major Marquis Warren steals the show. If eight non-trusting strangers strapped with pistols in a cabin while a raging blizzard goes on outside sounds like you’re type of thing. You’ll like this movie.

Django Unchained is a movie I didn’t see coming out of hollywood. A runaway slave becomes a bounty hunter and helps a German bounty hunter capture men who’ve broken the law. Eventually they set out to rescue Django’s damsel in distress, Broomhilda. The comedic timing is perfect and the action was exciting as well. Django’s vengeance against his oppressors is quite satisfying as well. Definitely one of my favorites.

Pulp Fiction is an absolute classic. Hands down. You’ll never forget Jules, Vincent, Mia and Butch. These are just unforgettable characters and are written really well and feel down to earth. There’s a lot of quotables in the movie like “Zed’s dead, baby. Zed’s dead.” And Jules’ famous quoting of the bible. I think what makes this movie stand out is just the style and of course the storytelling. Everything stands out in this movie and it’s everyone’s favorite. Just not mine.

Reservoir Dogs is Quentin’s first film and it deserves a spot at top three. Just the opening scene alone deserves so much merit. I can’t forget the conversation about tipping at the restaurant. It served as a great hook but that’s not all. In the beginning the lot of them seem real chummy but only one of them knows what’s about to go down. I like how Quentin started off the movie after the heist had already taken place and the climax so to speak had already happened. The characters get introduced into the present one by one. Someone among them set them up but they don’t know who. I honestly didn’t see it coming when it was revealed! The ending with Mr. White holding Mr. Orange in his arms is just powerful. Spectacular ending. I should have watched it sooner!

When I first began watching Deathproof, I didn’t think I would like it. More than halfway into the film I told myself “this is going to be one of my favorite films by him.” And so, it is. It made it to the top of the list. What seemed cheesy at first quickly became exciting. Kurt Russel’s Stuntman Mike proved an exceptional villain. The choppy editing took some getting used to but eventually I saw what Quentin was going for. Stuntman Mike seemed downright evil, that is until the Tennessee posse got him. Then he was crying like a baby! I like some girl power. I don’t think I can get that cheerleader in yellow and the yellow mustang out of my head.

Maybe Quentin has a thing for yellow? Yes, Kill Bill is number one on my list. Honestly, what did you expect? Should have used foreshadowing. Yes, this is the darling that made me a fan. Packed with quotables, unforgettable costumes, villains, and insane action. Again, I like some girl power and Beatrix Kiddo is the epitome of that. A wounded bride who lost her baby at the hands of an evil organization sets out to exact revenge on those who wronged her. With a samurai sword. Yeah. There isn’t a plotline more perfect. Also throw in a bunch of campiness, movie references and you got yourself a recipe for an iconic success.

Well that was Tarantino’s films ranked by me. If you had a different opinion, don’t take it so serious. Some films are more recent in memory and so I can pull more stuff from them. Not objective by any means.

Well, thank you for reading. I think I will do this series with other directors (no promises) but thank you for tuning in.