The Piano - Understanding Through Sound

While this scene may not be exceptionally beautiful or aesthetically pleasing to the eye, it represents something of great significance.  This scene, in particular, showcases Ada’s use of her piano to communicate with the outside world—to “speak” her mind through music.   Throughout The Piano—through it’s ups and downs—Ada’s use of music as a means of communication is prevalent.  Even in her sleep, Ada conjures up wonderful arrangements, providing a soundtrack to her dreams (at least, that’s how I like to think it would work).  

At this point in the film, Ada’s husband gossips (for lack of a better term) with a few women of the village about the possible departure of Gaines.  The villagers speculate over his reason for leaving, concluding that he must have had trouble with the natives.  This, however, is not the reason—as Ada and her husband are all-too aware.

Hearing news that Gaines is leaving, Ada, with her usual melancholic glare, sits at her beloved piano—her mode of speaking, of expressing her feelings.  As she keys a sorrowful but beautiful tune, the people surrounding her begin to stare.  The expressions, especially worn by Ada’s husband, look as if they comprehend the desolate melody—as if each note had hit them where it counts.  Later, one of the onlookers commented that Ada’s playing was like “a mood that passes through you … a sound that creeps into you.” 

The Piano’s rich melodies passed through me, too—the score is very moving and well written. 

On Do the Right Thing

In relation to Lee’s film, the doing the “right thing” is often more complicated than it seems on the surface.  While doing what’s right can be viewed in a general sense so as to not conflict with decency and moral guidelines, the “right thing” is also subjective – depending on one’s own circumstances and surroundings.  As demonstrated in the film, doing the right thing may vary from person to person. 

Throughout Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing, different characters from different sides of the spectrum try to do the right thing, but often fall short.  Radio Raheem, for example, speaks about love conflicting and competing with hatred.  And, while Raheem realizes this conflict, and the need for love to defeat hate, he’s overcome by his own anger and hatred in the midst of his oppression.  The police who eventually murder Raheem could’ve done the right thing by letting him live.

So, I think an overarching theme of Lee’s Do the Right Thing is that, no matter of race or ethnic background, we should all strive to do what’s right, even in a society where it’s sometimes difficult to know just what that is.  Through his film, Lee shows that people on all sides of the spectrum are subject to hardship and stereotypes.  And, people handle such situations in different ways.  Many of the film’s characters could have done the “right thing” but let their hatred overcome their love.  

On El Topo

This particular scene, while it may not fairly characterize El Topo in it’s entirety, provides a great depiction of the backwards and bizarre nature of the townspeople and their “faith.”  The scene portrays a cult-like religious ceremony.  A procession in which the participants are surrounded by the “all seeing eye,” as they falsely believe that they are witnessing “miracles.” 

 

The preacher/cult leader hands the followers a six-shooter revolver for a game of Russian roulette, while they eerily chant “God will protect us.”  What these false believers don’t realize is that – while they pass the gun from person to person, holding it to their heads and pulling the trigger – the pistol is loaded with a blank.  So, the “miracle” of them not shooting themselves is nothing but a fraud, a phony scheme used to keep the townspeople believing in the sham.  Later, the blank is replaced with a real, fire-ready bullet.  Again, the revolver’s passed between members of the congregation.  This time, though, it ends up being anything but miraculous. It turns to tragedy as a child grabs hold the gun and it fires – a horrific, gory, unexpected scene.  After this incident, the “church” is through.  No longer will members want to return and blindly follow their phony leader. 

Not only does this scene represent the perplexing nature of El Topo, it seems to mockingly reflect society and its religious structure/institutions.  The townspeople, engaging in all sorts of immoral activities, still hold the belief that they, above others, will be protected by their faith.  

On Seconds: A resemblance to Blade Runner?

Comparing Seconds to other dystopian films has proven somewhat difficult, as I’ve not seen too many films under this genre.  There were, however, some elements within Seconds that reminded me of Sci-Fi, dystopian films like Blade Runner.  While watching Seconds, it seemed much more like a Sci-Fi dystopia, rather than strictly a dystopian thriller. 

One of the big themes in Science Fiction, and dystopian films in general, is big corporate power.  In Seconds, the “Company” held absolute power over the individuals that they claimed they wanted to help.  In films like Blade Runner, based on Phillip K. Dick’s novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, the “mega-corporations” wield all the power over the dystopian world they inhabit. 

Another theme from Seconds that slightly resembles Blade Runner and other Sci-Fi works, is that of being “born again.”  Just like the Company in Seconds, the mega-corporations in Blade Runner manufacture what they call “replicants.”  So, the idea of a powerful corporation wielding more control than they should, is a central theme to both Seconds as well as Blade Runner.  The fact that they sort of “create” these beings is also inherent to both works.