Post 1, Group A--Spirited Away - Atmosphere and an Unexplainable Sadness - Brandon Ince

    Spirited Away is a 2001 film by world renown director and producer Hayao Miyazaki. Animated by Studio Ghibli, Spirited Away went on to great critical success, winning a number of awards and the praise of both critical and casual audiences alike. The characters, - enchanting. the world, - dazzling. The story, - unforgettable. Truly a modern classic in every sense, able to melt the heart of even the most cynical of curmudgeons. Alas, its' praises have been sung to high heaven and back a myriad times over. The point of this blog post is not to promote one of my favorite movies it is instead to draw attention to simple components of the movie and how they represent Japanese values and style, mainly atmosphere.

       Let's ironically jump right into things as we address the first idea of Japanese story telling, - Pacing. Spirited Away is a long movie, and it moves slow to boot. This kind of erroneous presentation is one of the main reason's some westerners are turned off to Japanese cinema. This pacing is not due to any incompetence on the screenwriters side or anything like that, it's slow on purpose. In fact, it's not erroneous presentation at all, Japanese story tellers are simply not in a hurry to serve the plot up on a piping hot plate like western story tellers would like. The focus is instead on atmosphere.
      The Japanese, since times of antiquity, have always had an appreciation for atmosphere. Traditional theater such as Noh and Kabuki are pointedly -about- setting an atmosphere often times there is no dialog, just sounds, maybe some singing - though not the sing songy type. This is reflected in Japanese cinema as much screen-time is devoted to setting a world and allowing the viewer to become aware of the atmosphere there within. Of course adding to that run-time all the while. The way in which Spirited Away specifically sets its' atmosphere is through the use of both the excellent score composed by Joe Hisaishi and the extremely detailed art and landscapes by Studio Ghibli, both of which I am only able to describe as breath taking. A lot of the time the movie stops to allow time for the world to sink in, for example the scene near the beginning of the movie when the family stumbles upon the old "abandoned theme park". Between the old train station or the rolling green field on the other side, we are allowed to see and hear and almost feel what it is like to be there. The sound of someone's voice as it bounces off the plaster walls, the sound of grass as it tumbles and blows in the wind, water as it drips from the ceiling to a puddle on the floor. To us, all these elements sound like a dumb and obvious thing to add in, but to a Japanese audience they are as valuable as the infinity stone.

   
        This movie taught me how to appreciate little things like the sound water makes when it hits a puddle, or the fact that there would even be one of those to begin with. These elements, which serve no plot purpose what so ever, are important. Which sounds ludicrous to a westerner, however, a movie as good and as powerful as Spirited Away is the perfect vehicle to elucidate these values to an otherwise unknowing audience. Spirited Away allows us the freedom to explore immediately observable things like the presentation of atmosphere and the effect it can have on us, in this regard it is a little like a teacher. Though there are still many mystifying elements of Japanese culture embedded deep within the DNA of Spirited Away, and some things that it teaches us is hard to acknowledge or even be aware of.
      The detailed landscapes are beautiful and full of life and nature,  Hisaishi's score is also equally beautiful but also somehow melancholic. I believe this pairing is a representation of a Japanese Philosophy known as "Mono no Aware". This phrase is an example of one of the many things that is simply untranslatable to English. The literal meaning is "empathy of things", though the actual meaning is a bit more airy. Basically it is a term for the awareness of impermanence. All things are transient, there is a sadness at their passing but too there is an even deeper but gentle sadness about this being the reality of life.
       It sounds depressing, and that is because it is. That being said, there is a scene near the end of the movie that takes place on a train, no dialog is spoken, the only thing we hear is that ambiatic sounds and the score, this is one of the scenes where the movie just breathes. I never knew why, but this scene always filled me with the strangest melancholic feeling. The train moves from station to station, people get on, people get off, the racks that used to be laid bare are now filled with luggage, but three stations later they are empty again. There is nothing sad about people going on their merry way, so why is it? The cab never looks the same, the cab will never look the same, it only looks like what it does now, right now. The cab changes, the people change, the scenery changes, but "Why is this sad?" I always used to think to myself, I never knew, I couldn't explain it, I didn't have the right vocabulary or cultural unconscious to even frame the idea. The idea of impermanence did not even register as a valid message for that scene, let alone as a catalyst for sadness. I never knew until I felt it for myself.

       Earlier in class we talking about the problems and solutions directors have for relaying the subjective. It's honestly amazing how film makers are able to wield their medium with enough mastery to convey an experience like that. Storming the beach at Normandy, having a psychological break down, etc. But it is something else entirely when you convey the experience of an idea that does not even exist to your audience, at least not in their culture. The event is both shaking and frustrating, as you can not even begin to explain of acknowledge what it is you feel. All the while the film acts so unapologetic about it, you wonder if the movie even meant to say something at all. Japan is a wild and crazy world. 

Post 1, Group A--Analysis of Geostorm by Carter Messner.

Analysis of Geostorm by Carter Messner.

This weekend when I went back to my home in Blue Springs, I watched a movie that came out last summer called Geostorm. This movie is about how humanity built a system of satellites the call "Dutch Boy" to protect the planet from catastrophic weather events like Hurricanes and Tornados. Dutch Boy starts to malfunction, we later find that the malfunctions are actually planned by a group revealed later in the movie. Dutch Boy was designed the movies lead character played by Gerald Bulter, and he is tasked with finding out what is happening to Dutch Boy before is malfunctions again killing more people. 

The thing I want to talk about, are the scenes that show people running away from the weather events that Dutch Boy creates around the world. These scenes are relatively short, and the people in the scenes narrowly escape death multiple times and are surrounded by chaos. Scenes like this are found in many films and they can add suspense, or comedy, but I believe they could hold deeper meaning. I believe they are aimed at our fear of the weather and what we are doing to the global climate, and seeing weather disasters of biblical proportions might be to make the viewer ask "What would I do in a situation like this?".

The first scene starts in Hong Kong in a store, a man is shown opening a door to the milk when a random cat jumps in the fridge because it is warm outside (this is foreshadowing the future events in the scene). The scene then follows the man to his car, and as he starts driving the ground under him starts the heat up and melt. He then is racing the heat wave for a few minutes while buildings are crumbling around him and destruction is ensuing all around him, but against the odds this man makes it out of the city before it is destroyed.  

What I found interesting about this scene, and this is why I decided to do this topic, is that this man is later introduced as Cheong Long who works on Dutch Boys team in Hong Kong. This is the first time in an action film I have seen that they introduced a character with some importance in a scene where he nearly dies 20 plus times. The rest of the scenes don’t introduce any main characters but I thought that this was something I haven’t experienced before. 

Another one of these scenes happens in Brazil on the beach, where instead of a heat wave happening it is an ice wave. The scene has the same type of feel as the last one, but it focuses on a woman who starts running from this wave at the beach with some friends. She also escapes death on a multiple time's while the scene goes on, the ice is chasing her down while everything around her is freezing. When the scene is about to end and she thinks she is out of the way, a plane starts to fall from the sky towards her, but luckily the plane falls right in front of her feet and she is completely unharmed. This scene I believe was drawn out more than the rest to add comedy in this movie where there isn't much room for comedy. 

These scenes that seem to have no real context to the story because most of the time the lead characters were never involved, but they give us a look at a pretty horrific scene that can be scary to think about. Another movie like this was 2012, where the whole world was coming to an end like the 'Mayan Prophecy' said, which at the time many people were afraid something might actually happen. Likewise, Geostorm was made because of the fear of what we are doing to our planet, and if we are going to destroy ourselves with the changes we are causing.

Post 1, Group A--"Mindhunter": Dealing with Demonization of Serial Killers by Bailey West (Group A)

For this analysis, I have chosen the show Mindhunter. I chose this because it seemed interesting and I'd never seen it before. I had never heard of the show and only knew what I read from the bio, so I'd be going into it with a clear mind. Also, since it's about the psychology of serial killers I thought it might have some various social issues to discuss. I thought I would just analyze Episode 1, but after enjoying that episode I went ahead and watched the second one as well. I wasn't disappointed.

Basically, the show revolves around an FBI agent, Holder, in the 1970's. He is trying to connect the FBI with newfound knowledge in psychology. At this point in time people are beginning to question the mind of serial killers and see if there are any indicators that could be predicted. However, in his attempt to bring these two fields together he encounters quite a few problems. The FBI and other law enforcement agencies are reluctant to learn about psychology, especially about the psychology of serial killers. They view the killers as animal in nature and not human. They believe that the killers are born this way.

This brings out one of the main social issues the show deals with so far. People are reluctant to see these killers as people. Killers are often demonized in the media; they gain popularity only for the awful acts they've committed. They are presented to be cold blooded killers or blood thirsty animals. Law enforcement agencies, especially the people on the frontlines dealing with these cases, deal face to face with these violent crimes. They demonize killers as well because they see firsthand just what they're capable of. With this in mind, Holder comes in and suggests taking a look at the psychology of these killers- looking at their past, their behavior, and their attitude. This conflicts with the image people have in their minds of these killers.

This is particularly shown in Episode 2 where Holder goes to visit the "Co-Ed Killer" in jail. Holder sits down with a known violent killer and is surprised by the outcome. He seems polite and well maintained. Holder remarks to the Co-Ed Killer himself that he seems like a normal guy and that it's hard to pair him with the crimes he's committed. This scene embodies the dichotomy I described above. In our minds and in the media we completely demonize these killers, which in one sense is reasonable because the acts they committed are very violent and unacceptable. However, Holder sees the benefit in studying the psychology of these "animals". By studying the psychology of killers, you can understand more of why they act out in certain ways. You can recognize the different types of killers and psychopaths. In order to do that, though, Holder needs the recognition from the FBI that there is weight to this research. And furthermore, to do that he must convince them of the killers' personhood- something that proves very difficult to do even for himself.

Post 1, Group A--Dead Man Walking by: Alan Donoho

The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was the first of a now popular series. It romanticized pirates' legendary lust for adventure and gold. One detail that I would like to discuss is a sub-theme that is a little hidden within the series, the story of Captain Jack Sparrow. Jack Sparrow can be perceived as the embodiment of piracy, both from his appearance and from his actions.

 Later in the series in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, the audience would discover how Jack Sparrow became branded as a pirate. This scene was cut from the movie, but appears in the deleted scenes. In it the audience sees an interaction between Cutler Beckett and Jack Sparrow. Cutler Beckett said, “Remarkable. The last I saw of that ship, she was on fire. A blackened hulk sinking beneath the waves. We had a deal, Jack. I contracted you to deliver cargo on my behalf. You chose to liberate it.” Jack Sparrow replied, “People aren’t cargo, mate.” To which Cutler Beckett said, “And you incurred a heavy debt to raise her up again, didn’t you?”. This scene would have shown the audience a moral belief of Jack Sparrow and the reason that he was branded as a pirate. It also shows how Jack Sparrow received his debt to Davy Jones. Davy Jones raised Jack Sparrow’s ship the Wicked Wrench from the depths of the seas in near perfect condition except the hull was permanently charred black. This is what caused Jack Sparrow to rename the ship the Black Pearl. For those who do not know, Jack Sparrow’s debt to Davy Jones is a hundred souls for raising his ship. Here is where Jack Sparrow’s morals become more important. If he was only a selfish pirate that cared only for himself and treasure, then Jack would not have had a second thought about the 100 souls if, in the end, his goals were still accomplished. However, Jack Sparrow is a moral pirate that cares for people more than he would like them to believe so he faces a huge dilemma.

Hints of Jack Sparrows good morals are shown thought-out the series in contrast with his rough appearance. In fact, the ironic morality of pirates expresses an aspect of free will rather than a group of rough, greedy, raiders that would do anything to see their wants accomplished. Truthfully, it is the government that shows a lack of morals. The East India Trading Company branded Jack Sparrow a pirate because he refused to do their dirty work when he liberated the slaves. This contrast of morals has romanticized piracy and the freedom, adventure, and dangers that goes together with their lives. At the same time, it shows the danger that a powerful government can have if it is not held in check. Pirates are free to live and die as they please on open sea. The government officials in contrast are greedy and forsake the people they represent to preserve their wealth and livelihood. This shows a bitter reality hidden beneath the adventure in the movie. A person’s rank in life is not always expressed in their appearance and does not set their morals. In fact, I believe that the Pirates of the Caribbean shows that any person can have good morals or bad morals. Also it shows that the choices a person makes defines who they are going to be in life not rank that they are born into.  

  

Bonus: Are weddings still important?!? by Jacob Bothell

This is actually a topic that I have discussed and argued with my parents before. They hold somewhat traditional values about the subject in that they believe that marriage is the bonding factor between a couple, and living together i.e. sex (don’t kid yourself please) is to be saved for after marriage. I believe that is true, but (everyone has one) I do not subscribe to the idea that a physical ceremony nor the legal papers between two people are what keep those two people together...

Let me explain something about my view point. It comes from being brought up in a church, and I love my Jesus, but questioning and reasoning everything out on my own to form personal opinions. My ability to give my opinions/beliefs appropriate rigor has only become stronger as I grow as a person and a believer. With that context in mind I say this once you bring yourself and a partner into a real relationship (see my note on what that phrase means to me at the end) and present it before God. Those two people are now one and cannot separate/break up/divorce for very many reasons, even biblically there are reasons why a woman/man is allowed to leave their spouse, and whether or not they have been to a ceremony and signed paper does not change that. I believe that the ceremony does change something in the relationship though because you are publically proclaiming that the both of you are in a committed relationship and they can and most will hold you accountable to the vows that you spoke. And that last point is the important part. This ceremony is not for you it is to tell everyone else what you are doing and allowing them to be a part of it in some way.

Now to speak of the ceremony. Does it need to cost lots of money? NO. Have everyone show up in some nice clothes that they already own, it is after all a momentous and special occasion, and have everyone show up to your back yard or house/apartment or maybe a friends barn for heaven’s sake. If you can afford it have a party after word to celebrate it, but by no means is there ANY reason you have to spend the money on a crazy dress and a venue for the ceremony/party. A thought did just occur to me and I suppose it is somewhat a romantic notion. If you were to use clothes that you wear already and will continue to wear wouldn’t that just remind you of the commitment and the fun of the entire thing every time you wore even the socks of that outfit?

A little bit on the romance thing. Do I believe that there is one and only one person that will complete me and make me feel special? Absolutely not. There are 7,598,435,970 people on this Earth, according to this counter, and there is surely at least a few people that would jive well with my personality. So if you were wondering if I am a romantic, even after that last sentence, I am not.

I think the concept of marriage is special and the ideas behind the commitment are important. The ceremony is to show others the commitment you are making because you and your spouse and God already know what you are.

*Real Relationship – this is where two people have decided they are going to share a life together. This includes physically, emotionally, and spiritually. They share geography, but not necessarily think someone going to another country to earn money to bring everyone else along. They share burdens and joys; this might include financial, sexual, social attributes. And they share a walk with God into eternity.

Bonus #2--Weddings & Why I Love Them by Kyra Moore.

Ever since I was younger, weddings have been something that has had a positive connotation associated along with it. Growing up, and even now, weddings are events that make me and all of the people around me excited. As a child, my mother and I used to spend Saturday mornings in our pajamas watching wedding-based shows like Bridezillas and Say Yes to the Dress. Both her and I are fond of interior decorating as well as fashion which are things that are heavily incorporated into weddings. Another thing that supports my decision of the importance of a wedding is the Christian values that I have been brought up on. Traditional weddings have Christian like tendencies such as the pastor mediating the ceremony, the reading of scripture and it being facilitated in a church. According to, “How Important Is a Marriage Ceremony?” it says that “in any case, a wedding ceremony is meant to be a very spiritual and bonding experience for the couple and for their friends and family.” With religion and the person that I am marrying being important parts of my life, I deem that a wedding is important. Weddings in my culture have a positive connotation but I would go as far as to say that they also have a positive connotation in American culture. Events such as publicly televised weddings lead me to believe that America has a positive connotation as it pertains to weddings. As a result of the overwhelming positivity that I see accompanying weddings, of course I can’t wait until I am able to plan and execute my very own wedding day. Weddings are, or should be, an important event that is cherished by both the bride and groom and their families; the beautiful union that the two loved ones have now formed and the excitement that accompanies it is legible grounds for a celebration and should not be treated lightly.

Because of the sentiment that I feel accompanies weddings, I think the price of weddings is well worth it. It is an irreplaceable memory that can be shared between both families and even future family such as future kids if they are in the plans. Supporting this claim, “How Important is a Marriage Ceremony?”, says that, “in any case a wedding ceremony is meant to be a very spiritual and bonding experience for the couple and for their friends and family.” Personally speaking, I want a very extravagant and symbolic wedding that has party-like aspects. It is indeed a joyous occasion to find a lifetime partner as some people go their whole lives without having the chance to experience having that. If I am graciously granted the chance to find a lifetime partner, then I feel that a wedding is definitely appropriate and something that’s sentiment and feeling is worth more than money. On the topic of money as it regards to weddings, the payment arrangement I have heard is that the bridesmaid and the groomsmen pay for their attire and the other amenities of the wedding is split down the middle between the two families. I agree with this payment arrangement as it is equal and fair cost management.

Overall, I think that the concept of materialistic worth such as money is incomparable to the memories and sentiment that will accompany the event of a wedding.

https://marriage.laws.com/marriage-ceremony/marriage-ceremony-importance