Detour

There is a little thing called the Bechdel Test.  Some of you may have heard of it.  But for the sake of those who are unaware of this "feminist" phenomenon, I will break it down.

To pass the Bechdel Test a movie must:
1) have at least two named women in it.
2) who talk to each other
3) about something other than a man.

Pretty simple, right?

It is surprising how many films DO NOT pass this test.  None of the films we have watched so far in the semester have passed this test.  No surprise there.  The Bechdel Test does not show whether or not the movie is good (there are plenty of Lifetime Network movies that pass the test that are TERRIBLE), although this test gives a good starting point for the role of women in the film.

There are two women in Detour that are named (Sue and Vera).  These women are used as important plot devices in the film.  Sue- the goal and Vera- the challenge.  The fact that Al has ditched the body of a dead man, robbed him of his wallet and car, and taken on his identity becomes a side note to the femme fatale.  Vera becomes the horrible person standing in the way of Al and his love.  She is attractive and mysterious and all together bat shit crazy.  Although, it is interesting that she is not a murderer. Just sayin'.

Aside from morals (film noir does a good job of taking care of those), Vera is an under-developed character when compared to Al, which is surprising due to the importance she plays in the film.  Sue is also incredibly undeveloped as well.  She is the beautiful blonde with the commendable ambition of becoming a wonderful actress in Hollywood who ends up working hard to pursue her dreams in a tough town, but stays faithful to her beau all the way across the country through telephone conversations and swoons at the idea of him traveling across the country for her. Awww. Not. There is a moment in the beginning of the movie during the scene where Al and Sue are leaving the Break O' Dawn Club that almost tags Sue as a real character.  Sue begins explaining to Al that she is going to L.A. but it turns into her being sappy about how she will miss him so much but that they'll always be together.  Also, he flat says she has no sense and she's totally cool with that.  Pause. Women (as I'm sure we all know) are capable of emotions... But "its cool, call me senseless."  What woman would ever react like that? Come on... Am I right?

Can't a girl have dreams?

In Detour women are confined to certain archetypes or menial workers that are the butt of men's sexual jokes (Hey sister, meet me outside after your shift... insert winky face here).

But hey, it was the 40's...

Freaks

image source

image source

Freaks (1934) was a controversial film that gained a cult following some years after it was originally released.  There is an obvious fascination in this film with a counter culture of people that are different than you and I, and this fascination is something that is still in our contemporary culture as evidenced by shows like My Strange Addiction and films like Safety Not Guaranteed.  To some extent, viewers' curiosity hinges on their disgust and their pity for those they see to be less fortunate than themselves.  I think this movie could be both an advocate for equality and a cruel example of the differences between us.  History has shown a severe intolerance for diversity and tends to lack compassion, though the "freaks" in this film were not shown as less fortunate or incompetent in any way.  On the contrary there are many moments when the freaks are given more power and commendable qualities than the beautiful trapeze artist.  From the beginning Hans is a character that is all too familiar in stories; the man that superficially falls in love with the bombshell gold digger.  This is a relatable human emotion (love, vulnerability, recklessness) that was given to the "dwarf" instead of the "brute" in the story.  There is also a genuine friendship between Venus and Frieda despite their differences.  There is a moment where the two characters are chatting about Frieda's relationship with Hans, a completely normal conversation that has taken place in almost every single film ever made that can't pass the Bechdel Test (most movies).  This sense of normalcy flows throughout the film.  Although, there are moments that are quite concerning when it comes to the topic of equality by a contemporary critic, I think the film airs mostly on the tolerant side of the conversation.

Sherlock Jr.

I have found myself pleasantly surprised in this week’s film selection of Sherlock Jr. (1924).  I knew in signing up for this class that we would undoubtedly be assigned a silent movie.  Between clocking out, momentary studio work time, and a speedy bike ride to the daycare center I was able to settle down onto the smelly futon in the Sculpture Department with Lizz to watch 45 minutes of ridiculousness.  

We both groaned a bit when the first bit of text popped up on the screen, but I was soon surprised to be laughing at Buster Keaton’s silly antics.  His situations were both relatable and relevant, from trying to sneak some personal reading time into your work day, to sweeping up garbage, to feeling inadequate, unsure, or awkward around his crush.  These are all situations that, nine decades later, I can still personally embody and experience on a daily basis.  

                                            image credit                                                                                    image credit

Throughout the film we joked about his intense makeup, glorious stunts, and unfortunate luck.  I was able to draw comparisons to the short series created by David Cross The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret (2009).  Vulgarities aside, Todd Margaret and Sherlock Jr. both have the leading man (David Cross and Buster Keaton, respectively) vying for the attentions of the leading lady (Sharon Horgan and Kathryn McGuire).  In both comedies, Cross and Keaton’s characters are trying to be something they are not.  Cross is masquerading as a successful salesman and Keaton as a detective.  The villains in both cases are also “sheiks” (Blake Harrison and Ward Crane).  

                                                                  image credit                                                        image credit

There are a surprising amount of parallels between the comedy in 1924 and contemporary comedies.  The smallest misstep or misfortune draws the biggest laugh, which underlines the idea that we find humanity hilarious.  Also, fake mustache.

Introduction

Hi all!

My name is Abby and I'm a junior in Fine Arts at DAAP, concentrating mostly in Sculpture and Drawing.  I have one daughter, Cora, one cat, Feather, and two pit bulls, Sweetie and Naomi.  I'm OCD and I like oatmeal, green peppers, and chocolate (in no specific order and sometimes together).  I'm passionately political and for that I never apologize.  I am taking this course to learn more about cinema, watch some wonderful and new films, and expand my knowledge of the history cinema.  I don't watch a lot of movies, but I enjoy Spike Jonze and Wes Anderson films.  I watch a lot of documentaries and can confidently recommend I Am and Shut Up Little Man.  Also, Netflix binging is my life.

I have learned three things to be true so far in life:
1. The conversation is only as good as the loudest and dumbest person in the room.
2. Knowledge and consciousness are the best weapons.
3. Tom Cruise is a creep.  In a bad way.

--out