jaala

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I'm still awake for several reasons. First, I have a natural tendency towards late hours. Second, I saw A Clockwork Orange for the first time this evening (ending very late, after 1 o'clock), and it's not easy to sleep after seeing a movie like that.

I'm insanely busy. (That's probably a given by now.) I have a rehearsal tomorrow (today!) at 1 o'clock, and I have to eat and get ready beforehand. I really cannot afford to miss sleep. What's even worse is that I have a major paper already overdue that I need to finish before Monday if I want to get any credit for it. I didn't even use my extra waking hours to accomplish any work on it today; ironically, I was too tired from staying up every night this week attempting to finish the stupid thing.

Current Mood: tired

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

stelic.livejournal.com

it's not easy to sleep after seeing a movie like that

I have to agree: that movie was quite disturbing; I can honestly say there is a part of me that regrets seeing it. I just hope your musical endeavors don't include the song the character in the film was conditioned with. *g*

As an adaptation of classic literature, I much preferred the adaptations of Fahrenheit 451 and The Time Machine; and as a thriller, the adaptation of The Shining with Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, and Scatman Crothers was excellent.

Don't even get me started on 2001: A Wasteful Oddity -- if it weren't so entrenched in pop culture references (particularly mst3k) I wouldn't have even thrown away those precious minutes of my life. *g*

Full Metal Jacket was quite good, however.

And ... I notice I'm rambling. *g*

From:

jaala

A part of me regretted seeing it even as I was watching, although that part became a smaller and smaller percentage as the movie continued. It was a movie that raises questions and doesn't really answer them, which I like. And it had some amazing performances, and some (incredibly) black humour.

If I continue to be active as a chorister (which I hope I will), I will probably encounter Beethoven's 9th Symphony eventually. I have been very familiar with it for quite some time, though, so I'm hoping the older (positive) associations will prevail. Now, "Singin' in the Rain", on the other hand...

I really disliked the movie adaption of Fahrenheit 451 myself but perhaps that was because I was required to watch it in Grade 10 English class, surrounded by my oh-so-mature jeering peers. I did however love the book, and I still remember details of it even now. (It occurs to me as I think about it that I've read an incredible number of dystopic novels. and I can remember a lot from them but tend to mix up elements from different stories.)

I still haven't seen The Shining. Thrillers are not really my thing most of the time. They make me nervous, jumpy, and whiny. *g*

I rather liked 2001: A Space Odyssey, actually. There were large chunks of it that had no narrative and normally would be , but I was in a meditative mood when I saw it so I didn't mind. HAL's voice is perfect. (I saw the same actor live on stage once--wonderful!) But we can agree to disagree on that.

Speaking of rambling...

From:

jaala

normally would be irritating, even

From:

stelic.livejournal.com

My impression of the questions raised and answered was, the movie ended badly by vilifying all characters who were not self-indulgent to the point of violating social mores. While individuality and pleasure are important, they should not have been glorified as they were in the film. However, if we MUST choose between the extremes of utter immersal in self-gratification and strict social control and conditioning, which is the better choice for the status quo?

*laugh*@"Singin' In The Rain"

I think I enjoyed the adaptation of Fahrenheit 451 because I was never required to read the novel, so I enjoyed the exposure to the themes and plot.

The Shining leaves me nervous and jumpy. (As for whiny, well ... I'm whiny regardless of thrillers. ;) )

I probably should apologize for my indictment of 2001, but I just didn't feel like there was anything of any substance to meditate on. One theme I did enjoy was the constant progression of humanity and its subsequent progressive understanding of its role in the grand scheme of a Design external to the world it has created for itself. Unfortunately, this theme was borne out most effectively at the end of the film, when it really should have been emphasized (by being demonstrated) throughout. It's an important theme, and deserves more than a bone thrown in the air to metamorphose into the International Space Station.

Though I must agree, HAL is a pretty cool character. Cold-blooded, too. A stinging indictment of a mind whose preoccupation with logic and science is allowed to run unchecked to an extreme.

Anyway, just my few thoughts on the topics.

From:

jaala

To my point of view, the movie vilified pretty well everybody in its sights--the press, the public (and its easily swayed opinions), criminals, law-enforcement, government, and so on. Though the portrayals of individuality and pleasure were compelling, they were nevertheless repulsive. If Kubrick intended to glorify them, I wasn't convinced; however, I'm not sure that he did intend this. I figured that the reason such horrific violence was included was to make it difficult to view Alex as a sympathetic (much less hero-like) character. When I began to get attached to the character I found it puzzling and also troubling, and I wonder if this is perhaps what Kubrick intended.

> However, if we MUST choose between the extremes of utter immersal in
> self-gratification and strict social control and conditioning, which is the
> better choice for the status quo?

A good question, one that is raised by every work of dystopic fiction I've ever read or seen. I don't know any concrete answer to it. Here's hoping it's only a rhetorical question. ("A good question, a fair question, and one which I intend to answer...")

I encourage you to read Fahrenheit 451. I myself would like to read it again some time.

No need to apologize for your criticism of 2001. Rant away! (It makes matters so much more interesting when people disagree.)

* * *

And now, back to my schoolwork! (If none of the above makes any sense, blame my term papers!)

From:

stelic.livejournal.com

and I wonder if this is perhaps what Kubrick intended.

Having not read the novel behind the movie, I also wonder what the author intended.

Perhaps the purpose is to show disdain for both extremes, and subtly encourage folks to seek a less-than-perfect middle ground, where both sides must compromise.

I agree: I did not find Alex to be a sympathetic character in the least; in fact, I even found myself cheering the system at some points out of a sense of justice.

*laugh*@good/fair question quote *g*

*scribbles down note to read F451*

*chuckle*@term papers -- Good luck getting it all done!