Banksy has to be the most genius contemporary artist today. His pieces are enticing to look at when on display in the Banksy vs. Bristol Museum exhibit.  Everything from his painting of Michael Jackson luring children into a gingerbread house to his zoo display of “animals” is hilarious to see in person. His ability to draw on all major aspects in life: politics, culture, and ethics just shows how far his humor extends.

My favorite satirical piece had to be the zoo display where he pokes fun at the food industry with chicken nuggets imitating live chickens and frozen fish sticks floating around in a fish bowl. In order to see all of Banksy’s pieces in the museum, you have to go on a scavenger hunt because he cleverly hid some of his pieces all around the museum. His artwork, personally, was worth the two-hour line one had to wait in. And that is another thing that makes Banksy so wonderful. He chooses to remain anonymous and provide a completely free exhibit for the public because he does not believe one should have to pay to see his work.

Some say that Banksy’s work is controversial or that his work should not be considered true art. When leaving the exhibit, a man shouted, “I like ice cream but I don’t consider ice cream art” alluding to Banksy’s graffiti on an ice cream truck in the museum. Despite Banksy being both ridiculed and acclaimed for his work, Banksy is a true artist in my eyes who left me laughing all the way through the exhibit.

Banksy vs. Bristol

The SDSU clan wakes up for its final coach excursion at eight in the morning for departure at eight thirty.  Driving that two hours to Bristol, minds were full of wonder regarding this Banksy character, an artist that we had heard about but had never truly experienced.  The two and a half hour line in front of the museum entrance says heaps about Banksy’s influence.  There is a fascination with him because he is an anonymous figure who wishes to keep his artwork free of charge.  This is an enormously admirable trait because it shows that he is not interested in wealth or fame, only in providing art to the public that will move them and capture their attention.  Not only does he hold these noble intentions, he is also an amazing artist.  He does not solely flourish as a grafitti artist, but his paintings and sculptures are brilliant as well. 

Journeying through the Bristol Museum was like a one of a kind scavenger hunt.  The name splashed on the walls was “Bristol vs. Banksy”, a title that demonstrates the intention of the exhibit.  Entwined between more traditional pieces of artwork were works that stood out when you looked closely.  All of these works had “local artist” printed on the plaques beside them, undeniably standing for Banksy because he is thought to have grown up in Bristol.  Viewing more conventional art beside the radical art that Banksy offers is a blatant contradiction that makes the mind reel.  This is rarely experienced inside an art gallery and is a much more stimulating way of viewing art.  As I walked through the hallways on this art hunt, I could not help but look at the people in the gallery as well.  Was one of these innocent art viewers the brilliant Banksy himself?  One can never know.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Y Tu Mama Tambien

Although we “cinetrekked” through many films this term, the two that struck me the most were Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Y Tu Mama Tambien. It was very interesting because while the films had some similarities, they had many differences as well. The directors both chose to portray stories of adventure and exploration, but the plotlines take their own twists and turns while intriguing the audience. Throughout this paper, I will explain some of the differences and the similarities between these two films in the areas of location, acting, directing, plotlines as well as several other aspects.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona chronicles the adventures of two female friends, Vicky and Cristina, in Barcelona. They meet the mysterious painter Juan Antonio and Cristina is immediately drawn to him. Vicky, while more close minded, has a brief fling with Juan Antonia as well and ends up falling in love with him. When Juan Antonio’s ex-wife is thrown into the mix, things get complicated and Vicky and Cristina return home, both having learned about themselves. In Y Tu Mama Tambien, two friends, Tenoch and Julio meet an older woman named Luisa who is desperate for an adventure, and set out on a road trip to a beautiful beach. Along the way, they learn a lot about life and each other with Luisa’s help.
Both of these films are set in Spanish speaking countries. Vicky Cristina Barcelona is set in the beautiful countryside of Spain, and Y Tu Mama Tambien is set in Mexico City, Mexico. In Vicky Cristina Barcelona, the setting is absolutely stunning. Beautiful architecture and landscapes throughout the whole film accent it and really make Spain look like a wonderful place to go. The director, Woody Allen, chose to do this to glorify Spain, and set the film in a very romantic setting. He wanted the audience to understand how easy it may be to fall in love in such a beautiful place. We find ourselves rooting for Vicky and Juan Antonio to be together, although she is engaged to be married. The setting of the film has a lot to do with this romantic feeling this film seems to emanate, and that is exactly what the director wants the audience to feel. Y Tu Mama Tambien, is set going throughout Mexico city. There are many scenes of poverty throughout the film. While these scenes are not actually important to the plotline of the film, they draw attention to the political issues going on in the country at the time as well as the issues with poverty. The director chose to do this because he wanted to make this film seem very realistic. The characters in the film seemed almost unfazed by some of the surrounding images of poverty, like they have seen it all before. He in no way tried to beautify Mexico, like Woody Allen did to Spain in his film. This lets the audience relate more to the characters in the film, because they know this is a realistic story. In Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Hollywood kind of takes over, making the story seem more of a fantasy than a reality.
The actors for both of these films were very carefully picked out. The casts in both films were actually very similar to each other. Both films featured two young people as the stars, and one slightly older person costarring alongside. In Vicky Cristina Barcelona the director chose Scarlett Johansson as one of the lead characters, which is a popular actress in many of his films. Also in many of Woody Allen’s films “The male protagonist is often older (sometimes a lot older) than the women he pursues. He clings to the role of teacher and guide, flaunting his wit, erudition and self-deprecating humor” (Holden 2008). Likewise in Y Tu Mama Tambien, the director Alfonso Cuaron puts an older actress in the film with the two younger boys to sort of guide them through their journey. She offers them advice through her own personal experiences on life, sex, love and friendship. Both the boys in Y Tu Mama Tambien and the girls in Vicky Cristina Barcelona learn from these older characters in the films and are changed people by the end of the films. The older characters, Juan Antonio and Luisa, also take the younger characters on a sort of “vacation” away from real life, and by the end of both the films, when Juan Antonio and Luisa are both gone, real life resumes and the younger characters have almost begun a new type of life. The directors choose to use this type of cast to show their audiences that some of the most important lessons of life are learned from unexpected places and people.
Another aspect of both the films that both the directors used is the background narration. Both films have an unknown narrator that reveals certain things abut the characters that may not be obviously apparent to the audience. The reason the director chooses to have an unidentified author instead of one of the characters in the film, is so that their position is objective. They are not supposed to know more about one character than the other, and not have an opinion on any issue in the film. They are simply there to inform the audience. In Y Tu Mama Tambien, “Cuaron interrupts the proceedings often so that a narrator can inform viewers of the companions' secrets, the histories and fates of the people they meet, and, finally, what happened after the trip ended” (Hornaday, 2002). Likewise, in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, the narrator explains how the characters are feeling and what they hope to find in Spain. The narrator also lets the viewers know of the past and current relationships of the two women, therefore making it easier for the audience to understand the viewpoints each woman sees on love, and this actually causes viewers to relate themselves to one character in particular. The narrator is important too because it does not leave readers asking questions about what happened after the film ended. It gives a very short type of epilogue to the films, leaving the audience with a better understanding of what will happen to the characters. For Y Tu Mama Tambien, one critic notes: “Rather than take the audience out of the movie, these interludes open the film up, so that the final effect of "Y Tu Mama Tambien" is one of expansive, almost spiritual power”(Hornaday, 2002). Both films end in a way very different than they started. The directors do this to create an ending different from most conventional films, leaving the audience to go home and think about the films for the days to come.
Overall, the directors of both these films were very careful and specific in selecting their casts, locations, and plotlines. Each part of the film was put together carefully to create the effect the director was aiming for. Both directors want to show that it is easy for people to learn and grow, and sometimes they do so unwillingly. All the characters in these films learned more about themselves, simply by traveling to a new place and meeting new people. Both directors want to remind their audience that life can be very refreshing, and when looking for a change maybe all one really needs to do is have a change of scenery.

Works Cited:
Holden, Stephen. “Sex (and Love and Death): Woody's World Steams Up” The New York Times, August 20th, 2008.

Hornaday, Ann. “'Y Tu Mama': The Ride of Their Lives; On a Drive to Nowhere, Boys Find Themselves” The Washington Post, May 3rd, 2002.

Ice Bar: A Chilling Experience

Who would have thought that being in a room with a temperature below zero could be so much fun! Ice Bar was a completely different take on the social experience of going out and drinking with friends. The gear is the most fun part putting on consisting of a stylish parka , a furry hat, and even gloves to keep warm in this arctic environment. Everything in the room is made out of ice from the bar to the seats to the cups that you drink your cocktail out of. It is also a race to see who can surivive the entire 45 minutes in the Ice Bar which is a tad bit hard when you have sandals on.  Once in the bar, the cold hits you so one must make a dive for the bar immediately. The bartenders are serving up drinks all while dressed up warmly with some cute furry hats on to top off their eskimo-esque outfits. The selection of drinks were enticing with names like The Furnace that would warm anybody right up just thinking about the name. With drink in hand, you wonder around which is pretty much all you can do to keep warm in the Ice Bar all while trying to finish the delicious concoction chosen. This was a once in a lifetime experience that someone can only handle once depending on your tolerance for the cold.

Discovering Life Through Music

In these modern times where technology rules the globe and money makes the world go round, it is easy to lose sight of the real purpose of life: to live it.  People’s brains spill over with insignificant worries and wants that do nothing but delay the potential to gain true happiness.  For instance, many women tell themselves that if they could just lose that last ten pounds, they would be happy.  But it doesn’t work that way.  Happiness is a phenomenon that must be rooted internally by experiencing the simplicity of life.  Jamie Catto and Duncan Bridgeman find happiness through music inside their documentary What About Me?.  These two wise men travel the world to a variety of cultures, illustrating the vast diversity of humankind on this planet.  Significantly, however, they utilize music to illustrate that regardless of this diversity, there is a common thread that unites us: being human. 

A noteworthy aspect of the movie is that Bridgeman and Catto are using music to illustrate connections that cultural groups have, despite differences in ideals having to do with marriage or religion.  With all of the wars and confrontations that have occurred throughout history, it is easy to see that many cultural groups do not desire to be associated with one another.  This film unites melodies of typically opposing cultural clusters and creates beautiful music that sounds better together than apart.  “The emphasis on music as a tool for mutual understanding and expression gave the whole 1 Giant Leap project a greater dimension, one far removed from the commercial concerns of just about everyone else caught up in the music industry” (Megahey).  As this quote hints, the directors are trying to emphasize something bigger than just the music itself.  They are using music as the mechanism by which to achieve their main goal: presenting the joyous simplicities of life regardless of race, class, sexuality, etc.  There are people of every culture smiling, singing, dancing, and doing other of the simplest human acts, no cell phones or plasma screens required.  The way that the directors interweave music with various themes of humanity (e.g. love, death, God) is a stunning way of demonstrating what it means to be human.

Although the obvious reason for making the documentary is to create brilliant music that reflects the various musical styles across the world, the deeper meaning has to do with many philosophies of life.  Thus, many philosophers, authors, and even celebrities were interviewed to offer their insights.  One such individual was world-renowned philosopher and author Eckhart Tolle whose work focuses on an inner transformation of the human consciousness by removing the ego (Tolle Biography).  His words hit home for many people who live in modernized communities.  In the film, he states: “Part of the madness is to live as if the future were more important than the present moment, which is how most people live.  It’s completely insane, so you miss the aliveness of life for some projected future aliveness of fulfillment” (What About Me?).  Countless youths in this world are constantly pressured into preparing for their futures.  Many students are so stressed about getting into a good university that their social lives suffer.  Businessmen and women work countless hours away from their families striving for a promotion that may never come.  People are constantly climbing and climbing for the more affluent lifestyle and all the while that precious thing called life is passing them by. 

Although many of the interviews in the documentary are incredibly deep, there are also many parts of the film that are filled with laughter when it comes to lighter matters.  Laughter is an important prerequisite for happiness and so it is not surprising that humor would be utilized in this film.  Particularly entertaining was the portion of the film that focused on the differences between men and women.  Many women from different cultures, famous or not, were interviewed on this subject and had similar teasing answers regarding men and their habits.  The same is true when men were asked about women.  It is remarkable to see members of different cultures all agreeing and laughing about these matters and, as a viewer, it is hard to keep a smile off your face.  This film consistently reinforces the harmony that human beings share when it comes to fundamental matters.

This documentary is one of a kind and truly has a way of touching your soul.  When the SDSU program went to Bricklane to see this production, the host for the night, a shaggy-haired cowboy hat-wearing gentleman, gave some insight about the power of the project.  He informed us that he knew Duncan Bridgeman personally and said that before the project Bridgeman discovered he had cancer.  After the filming ceased, and without any medical treatment, the cancer was gone and he was cured.  Perhaps this is just coincidence, but at the same time there is some magic in knowing that Bridgeman was living his life in such a spiritual and joyous manner.  No stressful deadlines in sight, the only stops for Bridgeman on the road ahead were music and true happiness.

What About Me? is a musical masterpiece that celebrates the real life joys that most people forget about in their rushed and scheduled daily lives.  Music and philosophy are used to unite the diverse cultures of the world and reveal, quite beautifully, that human beings in different cultures are not that different from one another.  Seeing women in poverty-stricken villages relate to prosperous women in business suits is perhaps a future glimpse into a world that could be based more on peace than on war.  It also highlights that life is for living and that people need to remember to appreciate significant moments.  Molly Zapp puts it perfectly in her article The Art of Persuasion: “embrace the silly painful madness of simply living joyfully” (Zapp).  The engaging words spoken by the interviewees combined with the utterly blissful music that was created simultaneously make this documentary a celebration of life that should not be missed. 

 

"Biography." Official Website of Eckhart Tolle, Author of A New Earth. Web. 23 July 2009. .

Megahey, Noel. "1 Giant Leap What About Me'" N. pag. DVD Times. 06 Dec. 2008. Web. 23 July 2009.  .

Zapp, Molly. "The Art Of Persuasion." N. pag. Metrosantacruz. 13 May 09. Web. 23 July 2009. .

Final blog

Woody Allen and Joseph Losey are both renowned filmmakers, who each have a distinctive style all their own. One uses humor and the other use melodrama to portray different stories with themes of sexuality, satire and human relationships. Vicky Christina Barcelona, and Modesty Blaise are two very different genres of films but both are funny have an interesting use of satire.

Woody Allen has created a unique genre all his own a mixture of drama and screwball comedies that formulates into his distinctive style. He captivates his audience by integrating intellectual ideas and real-life scenarios into a film using the channels of human instinctual drives for lust, love and happiness (Philaretou). In the film Vicky Christina Barcelona, a tale of young naïve beautiful ladies on the trip to Barcelona for the summer and meets an attractive Spanish man named Juan Antonio, whom they both have an affair with. Vicky is practical and traditional and Christina is spontaneous and is unsure of what she wants from life or love. Both women discover through this moral journey of their emotions of love, and lust that love is what you make it out to be. The film looks into these two women who are very different, their sexual momentum and self-identification from “falling in love.”

Allen creates his movies into very real scenarios with issues of sexuality very present in Vicky Christina Barcelona. Allen likes to break down barriers of sexual tension “through sexual satire…audiences are enabled to unmask the private, embarrassing, shameful, and forbidden areas of their sexual lives, thereby becoming better able to come to terms with their sexuality in a relaxed, nonthreatening matter (Philartou).” There are women out there who would be offended if a man like Juan Antonia asked them if they would like to join him ménage trios. Vicky was extremely insulted when Juan Antonia asked such a preposterous proposition to them. However, Christina was interested and curious in the sexual offer. It is funny to see how these two American women deal with a European man in the search for the meaning of life, love and passion.

Vicky and Christina are two innocent American’s who find themselves in a situation with a handsome stranger they are not used to. In the movie the phrase being “European” was like being sexually liberated, like when Christina confesses that she Juan Antonio and Maria Elena were in a relationship. There is this idea that European are more sexually opened, and it might be true. Allen also plays with that idea especially when it comes to the attitudes of Vicky and her fiancé Doug. Doug is very portrayed as very New York American and he disapproves of Christina very European relationship. Vicky is someone who could never imagined herself having an affair with a Spanish man when she is engaged, however at the end of the films no longer can deny her feelings and confesses them Juan Antonio.

Allen films present a dialectical method “to the study of human sexuality as good and bad, humorous and dramatic, lustful and emotional, fearful and fearless, fulfilling and frustrating (Philartou).” Allen utilizes the deconstruction and reconstruction of traditional gender roles awakens the audience of the historical, social and cultural influences that compel “human affairs as well as the vicissitudes, ambiguity, and melodramatic nature of human sexuality (Philartou).” Vicky and Christina return home, Vicky returns to her married life with Doug, and Christina remains where she started unsure of life and love. Allen attempts to provoke in his audience that things are simply, simplicity of emotions, love and affection.

Joseph Losey might not have the same sense of humor as Woody Allen but he is still a prominent filmmaker with an eclectic collection of movies. He is know as a very controversial figure even today as his films or regularly taught in cinema study classes (Callahan). Losey liked to find depth in even the most absurd situation and used liked spotlight on the human relationship (Callahan). There were dominant themes in Losey’s work, such as emotional instability, emotional and physical violence and perverse sexual power plays. He liked to put unconventional love stories in his films (Callahan). Instead of talking about Losey’s most beautiful films I want to discuss his most underestimated and sometimes called the “worst movie of all time,” the 1966 spy movie Modesty Blaise.

Timing is very important in a release of film, and Modestly Blaise was ahead of its time. It set in the “Swinging London and the whole movie is in a modish camp style. Modish camp means it had “bright colors, lurid colors, surreal plotting, trendy star, kinky sex and funny violence, and spy joke jammed to its fills with pop music, bizarre gadgetry, and self-parody, all wrapped up in the rule-breaking technique to which the French New Wave had by 1966 (Richards).” The film is uncharacteristically a Losey film in story line and “essential lightheartedness,” but the film still deals with real issues that are still with us today (Richard). The movie is filled with forgettable story lines, weird jokes, fast paced mise-en-scene, ridiculous fighting scenes and exuberant surrealism.

The movie is satire on the other secret agent movies of the 60’s for example James Bond. The movie reminded me of Get Smart the television show and also Mike Meyers Austin Power even more. Both movies had weird, preposterous and had unusual scenes where things don’t seem to make sense tended to happen. In Modesty Blaise you would notice that her hair color would change randomly and also her clothing color would also change. They both also have weird gadgets that come out from obscure places, and would also have random bursts of song and dance.

Losey plays with sex and sex gender roles in Modestly Blaise. There are few scenes in the movie where we see Willy in bed with different beautiful women. However, we can’t deny the sexual tension between Willy and Modesty. Willy is very subservient to Modesty and calls her Princes, and is always willing to help here when she needs him. There is also an odd relationship with the villain of the movie Gabriel and the extremely tough Clara Fothergill. She is tough and fights, and Gabriel seems to have more flamboyant character. Although completely straight in sexual preference he is always so well groomed, with his funny cocktails and pastel color umbrellas. There is a scene when MCWhirter asks Gabriel, “Do you ever wonder about MR. Fathergill?” and Grabriel’s reply is matter-of-fact “I am Mr. Fothergill (Richard).” Losey play on sex gender roles is an interesting one. Another example is how Abu Tayir likes to call Modesty his son, when she is clearly a woman. It shows very sexist attitudes of society.

One of the issues of the 60’s and an important issues addressed in the Modesty Blaise is oil. The music sings “Ice….gimme ice, man…real ice,” while the sun is blazing down on the oil, and you see small children looking impoverished and hungry playing by the oil. At the end of the movie it definitely takes a different turn, and more serious turn.

Losey’s film was uncharacteristic for him, however is a very brilliant piece of work no matter what critics might say. Woody Allen always creates funny movies with great sense of humor and satire. Both directors liked to create more than movies and they did with Vicky Christina Barcelona and Modesty Blaise, they both liked to dive into the complexities of the human relationship and breaking of social rules and norms.

Callahan, Dan (2003). Joseph Losey. New York, archive.sensesofcinema.com/contents/directors/03/losey.html.

Philaretou, Andreas. (Spring 2006). Learning and Laughing about Gender and Sexuality through Humor: The Woody Allen Case. Journal of Men’s Studies. Harriman, Vol. 14, Iss. 2; pg. 133.

Richards, Peter (Jul 1995). ‘ Real ice , man’: Joseph Losey’s Modesty Blaise. New York. Vol 31, Iss. 4; pg 60.

St. Paul's Cathedral

For someone who was raised in a non-religion household attending high mass at St. Paul’s Cathedral was the most fascinating experience next to the play at Gate Theatre Medea Medea. St. Paul’s Cathedral is beautiful church for mass to be held in, the white walls, the gold details, and spectaculars painting were breathtaking. Mass as the entire worship service was like a ceremony and worship combined, but more of a worship with “praise almighty lord, Jesus, heavenly father, God.” From what I hear I heard that it was very formal and traditional. Mass back the states is not as formal, not much singing, more involvement with the people, shorter, not in Latin, and in a less extravagant and theatrical. At one point during mass the organist started to play really dark moody music, and I thought the Phantom of the Opera was going to pop at any moment and it seemed really uncharacteristic. The Orchestra and Choir sand beautiful and was the major highlight of the cinetrek.
Medea Medea was also an extraordinary experience. Both cinetreks were almost surreal. Medea Medea was very confusing and did not what was going on the entire time. There was one stage setting the entire time, and every prop in the setting was used at one point in the play. There were unusual things going on the whole time, all of which did not make sense to me at all! Both were very odd experiences, for one I’ve never attended mass nor attending a play abstract and surreal like Medea Medea. Both opened up my eyes to new things and new experiences.