Intercut Issue Five

I SS U E F I V E

I N T E R C U T I SS U E F I V E

INTERCUT EDITOR IN CHIEF Meg West

ASSIGNMENT EDITOR Kira Newmark

ART DIREC TOR Hannah Cooper

EDITORS Sarah Lucente Sophia Dienstag Kalee Kennedy Arnaav Bhavanani Beatrix Herriott O’Gorman

FINANCIAL MANAGER Kira Newmark

ILLUSTRATORS Sivan Piatigorsky-Roth Maxine Go Minu Jun

CONTENTS 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU AND THE NOTSOHAPPY ENDING Sophia Dienstag

1

MIDDLE EASTERNERS AND NORTH AFRICANS IN FILM AND T V: AN OVERVIEW Mahey Gheis

10

LES GL ANEURS E T L A GL ANEUSE, OR AGNÈS VARDA’S WAY OF INSPIRING LIFE THROUGH FILM Sam Leter

19

WHERE COMEDY MEE TS REALIT Y: SOCIAL COMMENTARY IN ATL ANTA ROBBIN’ SEASON Sherwin Yu

24

THE SCREEN’S FIRST LESBIANS Molly Scotti

29

HISTORICIZING THE WESLEYAN FILM BOY: A TAXONOMY Anabelle Doliner

38

THE FILM THAT CHANGED EVERY THING Gustavo René

39

INTERCONNEC TIVIT Y AND INDIVIDUALIT Y THROUGH AESTHE TICS IN RUN LOL A RUN Beatrix Herriot O’Gorman

43

LE T TERBOXD MADLIBS Allison Hsu and Brooke Kushwaha

48

SPONTANIE T Y AND IMPERFEC TION: IMPRESSIONS OF CASSAVE TES’ SHADOWS Theo Matza

49

DISSEC TING THE FEMALE SEXUALIT Y AND THE SEXY INTELLEC TUAL IN CRAZY EX GIRLFRIEND Hannah Gearan

54

CHARAC TER AS CORE: MAURICE PIAL AT ’S A NOS AMOURS Julia Levine

63

THE POLITICS OF REPRESENTATION IN HOLLY WOOD Kalee Kennedy

69

“STOP CRYING AND MOVE YOUR HANDS”: ON MAKING A MOVIE Meg West

75

LE T TER FROM THE EDITOR

DEAR READER, Thanks for picking up Issue

about how it reminded you

Five of Intercut. Our writers

of that one time you were

and editors and designers

in the car with your friends

have

driving

poured

a

great

nowhere,

maybe

amount of time and care

it’s about how that family

into the work that follows,

on screen doesn’t resemble

and if you only have a few

your own, maybe it’s about

spare minutes, I urge you

how the seat in the theater

to flip forward. My hope

felt under you. Sometimes

for this magazine is that it

we come back to a show we

reflects—in ways that other

hate and see something we

outlets

don’t—how

didn’t before. Sometimes our

people watch and respond

often

favorite movies turn to mush

to what they see. Maybe

upon a second viewing.

that is with awe, or vitriol, or

ambivalence.

watching

Maybe

something

There’s a lot to watch in

isn’t

the world right now, so

always about the thing itself

much that it’s intimidating

but rather when you saw it

to

choose.

and with whom. Maybe it’s

of

questioning

The

moment is

often

condensed to the period of time when your mouse hovers over an instant “play” button. It’s as wonderful as it is infuriating. I like to think of the writing in this issue as extending that moment of questioning by diving deep into the things we watch and why we watch them. I hope that Intercut inspires you to add things to your queue, write about movies or TV in a way that mirrors your own relationship with it, maybe even

make

something

yourself and put it out into the world.

Best,

MEG WEST

INTERCUT

10 T H I N G S I H A T E A B O U T YO U

AND THE N O T  S O  H A P PY E N D I N G SOPHIA DIENS TAG 1

I’ VE ALWAYS THOUGHT that

over the trailer, that first

10 Things I Hate About You

prompted me to confront

holds up as one of the better

the

teen

contradictions:

comedy/romance

story’s

ideological

movies from the nineties; it’s got witty dialogue, (some)

For every girl who’s ever hoped

teenage girls who care about

For every guy who’s ever tried

more than looking good and

And anyone who’s ever been

dating the most popular guys

taken completely by surprise

in school, and Heath Ledger singing “Can’t Take My Eyes

Following

Off You”—what’s not to like?

tradition of movie trailer

Recently,

when

voice-overs, this one tells

I came across one of the

us nothing concrete about

film’s startlingly misleading

the plot or characters of 10

original

was

Things, and even undermines

reminded of the ambivalence

many of the larger points the

I’ve

towards

film attempts to make about

the story’s ending. In the

teen romance. While these

past, I’ve shrugged off these

words

feelings of discomfort, but

reflect the nonconformist

upon a closer examination of

spirit of eighteen year-old

the film’s narrative, I’ve come

Kat, the protagonist, they do

to feel that a dissonance

illustrate the contradictions

exists between the movie’s

inherent within both her

surprisingly

narrative

however,

trailers,

always

felt

I

substantive

fail

in

to

arc

the

grand

accurately

and

the

characters and the formulaic

pervading ideology of the

endings they are made to fit.

film itself. That is, the very

Here are the words that play

fact that these were the

2

INTERCUT

words devised to sell the film to audiences reveals the extent to which the story, even one that at first purports to be a fresh take on an old tale, ultimately reinforces

age-old

clichés

about what romance should look like, and what it means to have a “happy ending.”

10 Things aims to present a

feminist

retelling

of

Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, a play now often deemed

offensive

misogynistic

for

its

depiction

of

Katherine, an independent woman who is abused and “tamed” by her husband into perfect obedience. In 10 Things, Kat Stratford— the parallel character to

3

Shakespeare’s

Kat, despite being played

independent

by the young and quite

assured attitude, and firm

described as liking “Thai

beautiful

is

belief in making decisions

food, feminist prose, and

known for her rebellious and

for her own reasons, that

angry, girl music of the indie-

non-conformist attitude; she

drives the movie forward.

rock persuasion.” Crucially

is thus considered much

The first line of the trailer

and much to the chagrin of

too aggressive and “scary”

voice-over—For

her younger sister Bianca,

for anyone in their high

who’s

Kat has no interest in dating.

school

consider

then, refer to her sister. Kat,

Bianca on the other hand, a

her as girlfriend material—

after all, is certainly not

popular sophomore, wants

not that she cares, anyway.

passively “hoping,” for one of

nothing more than to date

Bianca’s suitors—the sweet

the “unwashed miscreants”

and go to parties with the

and

Cameron

who goes to her school to

various boys who vye for

( Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and

whisk her away. So why,

her attention. But Kat and

the popular air-head Joey

then, focus the beginning

Bianca’s

overprotective

(Andrew Keegan) plan to

of the trailer on Bianca,

father has a rule: Bianca is

get around this by paying

the

allowed to date… only when

the mysterious and equally

popular-but-vapid

her older sister does. “She’s

antisocial

frankly less interesting of the

a

Ledger) to try and take her

is

a

high

mutant!”

Katherine—

school

says

senior

Bianca.

“What if she never dates?”

Julia

to

Stiles,

even

earnest

Patrick

(Heath

more

every

self-

girl

hoped—must,

stereotypically and

two sisters?

out.

And therein lies the story’s central conflict.

ever

spirit,

It It

is

Kat,

with

her

seems,

even

as

this

movie tries to rework and

4

INTERCUT criticize the sexism present in The Taming of the Shrew, its attempt at subversion continues to be manipulated and reconfigured — perhaps not even purposefully, in the case of this trailer — into a more familiar shape, one that fits a very narrow set of parameters of what romance should

look

like.

These

parameters—which call for “girls” who “hope” and exist without agency, and “guys” who actively “try,” and keep trying, until the girls relent— perhaps

more

accurately

reflect the misogyny of the Shakespearean world than we would like to think. Is it possible, then, for a film like 10 Things, that endeavors to both rewrite an old story into a new and evolved ideology, and appeal to a mass audience, to ever fully subvert the text to which it is beholden? Can this film exist without perpetuating, to an extent, the very ideology it is attempting re-interpret?

But perhaps I am focusing too much on one trailer that

people

saw

a

few

times in 1999. And yet, in another version of the trailer,

5

the voice-over says, in a reference to Cameron and Joey’s scheme to trick Kat into dating: For Patrick, it’s a challenge. For Kat, it’s about time. Again, the trailer frames Kat as a social outcast who has been waiting, hoping, for a boy to come along and pursue her, as though this is actually what she has wanted all along.

When the of

thinking

about

contradicting

ideas

10

Things,

I’ve

often

found

myself

comparing

it to another more recent film

about

rebellious

a

seemingly

teen:

Greta

Gerwig’s Ladybird, released in 2017. I came across an interview in which Gerwig explains

how

she

told

actress Saoirse Ronan to watch all of the nineties teen movies, including 10 Things, before they began filming, because, she said, “I wanted her to know what the ideal was. I told her: ‘We’re not making

this

movie,

but

this is what your character wants.’” Ladybird avoids the pitfalls of the typical teen movie, first and foremost, by refusing to give its title

6

INTERCUT

character

everything

she

of her dreams, it’s not quite

a teenager who thinks she

wants: Ladybird’s romantic

what she imagined. By giving

can be the rebellious star of

exploits remain confined to

her protagonist an ending

her own nineties comedy/

their subplots and ultimately

that, while not entirely sad,

romance, until she realizes

fizzle out before the film’s

is also not the perfect college

that she can’t.

end, her family has real

life she’d hoped for, Gerwig

financial troubles, and even

paints a much more realistic

Moreover,

once she gets to the college

picture of teenage life, and of

otherwise Christine

Ladybird, known

as

McPherson,

renames herself in order to stand out, to shed her teenage

mediocrity

and

transform into a more Katlike character. But to the people

around

her,

the

name feels like a forced, artificial

addition

to

her

identity, and by the end of the movie, she evidently feels the same, opting to go by Christine once again.

With the name or without it, Ladybird is paradoxically both unique (in the way that all humans are), and also, as she discovers, really nothing

7

special.

girls at school, but the same

the first time. “Afterwards,”

could be said for any number

she says, “I told him I didn’t

Kat too chooses to be an

of the characters in the film:

want to anymore because

outsider, to push against

her boyfriend Danny, for

I wasn’t ready and he got

societal

of

example, who we eventually

pissed and dumped me.”

how an eighteen-year-old

find out is gay and scared of

It was after this that she

girl should look and act.

what his parents will think,

decided to never again do

In the opening scene, she

or her emo and presumably

something

drives to school blasting

adopted

Miguel,

else’s reasons, and she sticks

Joan Jett’s “Bad Reputation,”

or even Miguel’s girlfriend

to this resolution almost

her classmates eyeing her

Shelly, whose parents have

religiously. There is power

quizzically

expectations

and

brother

for

someone

bopping

kicked her out for having

in that, to be sure, but Kat,

their heads along to more

premarital sex. We all have

in the real world and in the

contemporary music. What

ways that we don’t fit in, and

world of the movie, is also

this scene makes apparent

we don’t necessarily get to

a

is that, unlike Ladybird, Kat

choose what they are.

Ladybird, she is an eighteen

not only proclaims herself to

be

a

total

anomaly:

unlike

year-old who is never lost,

nonconformist,

Kat has made a definite

never

but is deemed such by the

choice, but one for which

conscious,

confused

people who interact with

she has an explicit reason.

knows herself and exactly

her. Ladybird, on the other

Towards the end of the film,

what she wants. It’s easy to

hand, believes herself to be

she tells her sister Bianca the

admire her, but harder, as

“different” in the same way

story of how in ninth grade,

Ladybird perhaps discovers,

that we all selfishly do. She

she succumbed to social

to inhabit her state of mind.

doesn’t think she fits in with

pressure and had sex with

her family or the popular

her then-boyfriend Joey for

but

or

self-

instead

Yet it is the film’s conclusion

8

INTERCUT

that brings its most glaring

easily forgives him after he

handful of scenes, must be

ideological

surprises her with a guitar

swept off her feet at prom by

she’s been eyeing.

a fellow Shakespeare fanatic.

contradictions

to the forefront: although we initially root for Kat because of her rebelliousness and

10

ultimately

When I first watched the

independence,

are

fails to fully reconcile its

original trailer for 10 Things

ultimately supposed to be

feminist intentions with the

and heard the line, For every

satisfied

ending

misogyny inherent in the

girl who’s ever hoped, I balked

that seeks to render her

work from which its plot

and thought to myself: did

close to one of the prom

and characters are derived.

they even bother to watch the

and

an

teens

While the ending does not

movie? For much of the film,

she has always rejected.

mirror Shakespeare’s exactly,

Kat resists playing into the

While

by

it still endorses the idea that

typical projected narrative

refusing to give its title

the only “happy endings” for

of a teenage girl; she doesn’t

character

she

high school girls are those

care about dating, prom,

wants, the narrative of 10

in which they end up with

or what anyone else thinks

their

of

boy-obsessed Ladybird

Things

9

with

we

Things

ends

everything

resolves

itself

by

romantic

interests,

her.

Although

she

is

giving Kat something — a

regardless of whether or not

never entirely reduced to

boyfriend — for which she

they have ever articulated

that “hoping” girl, we as an

never expressed a desire

wanting

audience are made to hope

in the first place. Although

ending

Kat

Even

eventually

discovers

that for

particular themselves.

Mandella,

on

Kat’s

behalf,

rooting

Kat’s

for her to get the perfect

that Patrick’s initial interest

Shakespeare-obsessed best

highschool-girl ending she

in her was ingenuine, she

friend who we only see in a

never even wanted.

MIDDLE EASTERNERS AND NORTH AFRICANS IN FILM AND T V: AN OVERVIEW MAHEY GHEIS

THE

HISTORY

OF Middle

Reflective

of

current

or North Africa as their own

realities,

racial category. This has

Eastern and North African

socio-political

bodies in the cinema and on

representation

been

led to a negligence in even

television is one grounded

difficult to even investigate,

having the discussion about

in Orientalism and negative

due to slow governmental

how it is that we are being

stereotypes

of

progress on counting those

portrayed in on screen. By

cultural misrepresentation.

from the Middle East and/

drawing

born

out

has

on

the

metrics

10

INTERCUT that are available, however,

it is important to emphasize

there is a clear and severely

their

adverse bias against Middle

the issues I will be writing

Eastern people in film and

about here so often impact

television. That being said,

all these groups, I will often

there is movement towards

refer to Middle Easterners,

creating burgeoning change,

North Africans, and Arabs

including Middle Eastern

within the same context.

actors

gaining

distinctions.

Since

popular

American notoriety, series

The harmful use of tropes

that center on the Middle

and stereotypes of Middle

Eastern

Eastern

Middle

experience, Eastern

and films

people

today

can be directly linked to

reaching recognition in the

the

Western world.

of

damaging Orientalism

history and

its

extension into our popular Before

11

continuing,

it

culture.

Broadly

defined,

would do well to define

Orientalism is the colonialist

the

between

attitude towards “Eastern”

Middle Eastern, Arab, and

distinction

countries. It defines an “Us

North African. Being Middle

vs. Them” dynamic, and uses

Eastern means one is from

simple

a country located in the

to stand in for the diverse

Middle East, such as Egypt,

and rich history of Arab

Algeria, or Iraq. Being Arab

and Middle Eastern people.

means one comes from an

While these countries were

Arabic

being visited by European

speaking

country,

characterizations

such as Chad, Somalia, or

artists,

Oman. Being North African

music, art, and dress were

means one is from a country

not represented as the fully

in the North African region,

refined

such as Sudan and Libya.

that they were, but rather

Though there is frequently

amalgamated into a series

much

of

overlap

in

these

their

architecture,

cultural

careless

markers

stereotypes,

identifiers, conflating them

exploiting the Near East

has become so standard in

as

our American society that

European fears and desires.

characturies

to

feed

Think of the violent sheik,

(1829). The painting, based

to the colonialist stereotype

or harems of exotic, sexual

off the play Othello, displays

of “darker” men attacking

concubines. These were the

the

African

the

porcelain

beliefs espoused in countless

main character after he has

and

beautiful

European artworks of the

just smothered his (white,

woman.

19th and early 20th century,

European) wife to death.

Othello appears in colorful

such

This painting plays directly

and

as

in

La

Grande

likely

North

In

the

dazzling

skinned European painting, traditional

Odalisque (1814), by JeanAuguste-Dominique Ingres.

A piece created for the 19th century French male gaze, the painting displays an

ambiguously

Eastern

concubine surrounded by typical demonstrators of the “Orient”, such as her turban, hookah, and peacock fan.

Another example steeped in stereotype is the work Othello

and

Desdemona

by Alexandre-Marie Colin

12

INTERCUT clothing, which is negatively re-contextualized

by

the

violence portrayed in the piece. He is portrayed as crazed and dangerous, an inherently violent product of his culture. This Oriental influence is still strongly presented in Western media today, albeit manifested in different formats. Arabs are still portrayed as backwards and in complete dichotomy to the West, posting an everpresent threat to our morals and values.

With the advent of the Gulf war, the power and quantity of these kinds of images of Arabs was only strengthened, terrorists

adding

and

the

billionaire

oil tycoons America was ostensibly the

fighting

catalog

of

into Middle

Eastern stereotypes. After the tragedy of 9/11, the animosity towards Middle Easterners

in

America,

and specifically those who were visibly Muslim, grew to

unprecedented

additionally the

issue.

levels,

exacerbating According

to

the FBI, in the year 2000, there were a reported 28

13

hate crimes that were anti-

chose to rely on timeworn

Islamic, and in 2001, that

clichés. Firstly, the film is

number

set in the city of Agrabah,

jumped

to

481.

Since then, the number of

a

anti-Islamic

name

hate

attacks

callously

fictionalized

created

to

sound

in this country has never

Arabic. The biggest offense

fallen to pre 2001 levels, and

in the film however, can be

in fact, is showing signs of

found within the original

growing in the post-Trump

opening lines of the number

era. As this Islamophobia

Arabian Nights, which are

grows, so does the ignorance

follows: “Oh, I come from a

surrounding the people it

land, from a faraway place/

stigmatizes against. Sadly,

Where the caravan camels

as a result of this history,

roam/Where they cut off

and the acrimony keeping

your ear if they don’t like

it in place, some of the

your face/It’s barbaric, but

most

scenes

hey, it’s home.” By invoking

or movies involving Middle

well-known

barbarianism in association

Eastern

with Arab peoples, Aladdin

or

Arab

people

today are evocative of these

falls

dangerous stereotypes and

portraying the population

tropes. For instance, take

it centers. Regrettably, this

maybe the most enduring

film is not alone its shallow

example of the Middle East

understanding

in America, the 1992 film

Eastern and Arab culture.

truthfully

of

Middle

From as far back as the

groundbreaking. To have a

1942 film Arabian Nights

company on the scale and

and the 1944 film The Sword

with the influence of Disney

of Ali Baba, Hollywood has

showing brown bodies as

been selling the Orientalist

central protagonists in a

fantasy of “The East” in

widely distributed U.S. film

order to profit off of the

was astounding. However,

image

rather

violent

than

movie

in

was

Aladdin.

The

short

using

that

of

oversexed Middle

and

Eastern

platform to showcase the

people. Rarely is it ever a

beauty of Arab and Middle

beneficial portrayal. Dr. Jack

Eastern

Shaheen, the author of Reel

culture,

Aladdin

14

INTERCUT

Bad Arabs, found that with over 1000 films depicting Arabs, “932 depict Arabs in a stereotypical or negative light, and only 12 have a positive depiction.�

Traversing screen,

to

the

small

representation

is

still severely lacking. Some of these issues are due to the overlooking of Middle Easterners general.

in

media

According

in

to

a

recent study presented by the MENA Arts Advocacy Coalition, the first of its kind, only 1% of TV actors are

Middle

Eastern

or

North African. Take that in

comparison

to

the

approximately 3% of the of the U.S population that is

Middle

Eastern.

This

statistic is shaky in itself, as it results from cobbled

15

together metrics by Arab-

However,

American civil rights groups,

Today,

since Middle Easterns today

talented

are

still

more

is

hope.

overlooked when discussing

than

ever,

the Middle Eastern and Arab

Eastern

community. In 2013, the film

Middle

as,

actors, writers, and directors

The Square, a documentary

“White (Including Middle

are leading the charge in

on

Eastern).” Within that 1%

bringing the true Arab and

premiered

of Middle Eastern and/or

Middle Eastern lense to the

critical acclaim, and became

North African actors on the

forefront, creating complex

the first Egyptian film to be

screen, 78% of those roles

and

nominated for an Oscar. In

are that of “trained terrorists,

whose

revolve

2009, the longest-running

agents, soldiers, or tyrants,”

around more than just their

artistic collective of Muslim

and

identity.

comic performers in the

“speak

67%

categorized

there

of

with

characters pronounced

diverse

characters

storylines The

Palestinian-

American artist

the

Arab to

Spring,

widespread

Cherien

world achieved mainstream

foreign accents.” In a world

Dabis is one such figurehead,

success with the release

where white characters are

writing and directing the

of their 2008 concert film,

allowed to be whoever they

2009 film Amreeka, centered

Allah Made Me Funny, led

want to be on the spectrum

on a Palestinian Christian

by

of human existence, (96% of

immigrant, which won the

Mo Amer. One of the biggest

television shows having at

FIPRESCI Prize at the 2009

milestones

least one white character), it

Cannes Film Festival. She

achieved, when Egyptian-

is devastating to see Middle

also produces for popular

American actor Rami Malek

Eastern characters so deeply

shows

Empire,

won the Best Actor category

missing from the screen,

The L-Word, and Quantico,

at the 91st annual Academy

pigeonholed and tokenized

as well as being openly

Awards

in the few moments that

bisexual, showing LGBTQ+

first made history with the

they are broadcast on T.V.

representation which is often

series Mr. Robot, created by

such

as

Palestinian-American

in

was

2019.

recently

Malek

16

INTERCUT

fellow

Egyptian-American

Middle Eastern work by

Sam Esmail, with which

just tuning in! Watching the

he won the 2016 Emmy

shows and movies being

for Best Actor in a Drama

created now like Mr. Robot

Series, becoming the first

and

non-white actor to win the

expand one’s perspective,

award in 18 years, as well

support the movement, and

as the first Egyptian to ever

just serve as an all-around

win an Emmy acting award

fun

in the show’s 70 year history.

The intricate and beautiful

Clearly, Middle Eastern and

history of Middle Easterners,

Arab talent is infiltrating

North Africans, and Arabs

Hollywood

today is too important to

ivory

gates,

welcome or not.

Amreeka

source

of

can

both

diversion.

be ignored by America, not matter how long it has been

Moving

17

forward,

there

relegated to the background,

is much we can do to

as summed up by Malek:

encourage the growth of

“When I grew up as a kid,

the Middle Eastern voice

part of me felt like I needed

in television and film in the

to shed some of that [Middle

United States. By refusing to

Eastern heritage]. I didn’t

tune into series that use lazy

feel like I fit in, I definitely

stereotyping to stand in for

felt like the outsider. As I

representation, and holding

got older, I realized just how

film

accountable

beautiful my heritage and

to using actors of Middle

studios

my tradition is. The wealth of

Eastern and Arab descent

culture, magic, music, film,

in all kinds of roles, both

and just pure art that comes

in front of and behind the

out of the Middle East. I am

camera, we can challenge

so privileged to represent it,

and change the systems

and to anyone from there,

in place today. In an even

we all got a shot at this. We

easier way, one can support

really do.”

WORKS CONSULTED: http://arabstereotypes.org/why-stereotypes/what-orientalism https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-09-12/data-hate-crimes-against-muslims-increased-after-911 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5b836e318f51306ec8ec20ce/t/5b8606afb8a045dcb863ea77/1535510207793/MENATandT_ Presentation_FullDoc_Final.pdf http://www.arabstereotypes.org/blog/201809/27-438 https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Arabian_Nights https://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/MENATandT_Presentation_FullDoc_Final.pdf https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1190858/?ref_=nm_flmg_prd_4 https://www.artsy.net/artwork/alexandre-marie-colin-othello-and-desdemona https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/later-europe-and-americas/enlightenment-revolution/a/ingres-la-grandodalisque https://stepfeed.com/egyptian-and-proud-6-times-rami-malek-embraced-his-roots-7441 https://www.moviemem.com/products/movie-posters-found-in-victorian-shed/the-sword-of-ali-baba-original-one-sheet-movie-poster

18

INTERCUT

LES GLANEURS ET LA GLANEUSE, OR A G N È S VA R D A ’ S W AY OF INSPIRING LIFE THROUGH FILM SAM LE TER

19

On March 29th 2019, the day I submitted the second draft of this article, I learned that Agnès Varda had just passed away. I did not change the original content of the article, as I had already wished to celebrate Varda’s life through her filmmaking. The following is a personal tribute to such an inspiring artist.

IN

LIGHT

OF the latest

premiere

of

Varda

by

age ninety left me beaming with vibrant enthusiasm.

Agnès at the 2019 Berlin International Film Festival,

Made in 2000, Les Glaneurs

the Cinémathèque Française

et la Glaneuse documents

in Paris organised a “Fifteen

the act of “gleaning” at

days

Varda”

the turn of the century.

program that ran between

Gleaning has been typically

January 16th and 28th. One

defined as gathering leftover

of the events involved a

produce after a harvest in

screening of the iconic Les

the fields. In Les Glaneurs et

Glaneurs

Glaneuse,

la Glaneuse, Varda analyses

followed by a masterclass

a multiplicity of recycling

with Varda herself. I couldn’t

and gleaning methods that

hide my excitement at the

include picking up unsold

thought of witnessing an

salad after city food markets,

in-person Varda by Agnès

searching

demonstration

at

the

seafood,

Cinémathèque,

and

was

scraps of wood and metals

with

Agnès

et

la

for

unpicked

and

collecting

delighted to leave the room

for

knowing it had surpassed

Using a small, digital, first

my

expectation.

generation DV camcorder,

Varda’s contagious energy at

the documentary’s mobile

every

artistic

production.

20

INTERCUT

filming sometimes feels like a

resourceful nature of the

and aging body in the mirror,

road movie. As Varda travels

gleaners could have been

Varda echoes the postcards

around France in search

solely portrayed within a

of Rembrandt’s self-portraits

of

framework

dramatic

that she carries in the film,

fascinating and sometimes

hardship, and indeed, several

her own body degrading like

zany characters, who are

scenes of people living in

the food she documents.

all treated with lightness

vans among extremely rural

Les Glaneurs et la Glaneuse

and respect throughout her

parts of France illustrate this

becomes an opportunity for

interviews.

reality. Yet Varda pictures a

the auteur’s self-portrait, her

more expansive practice of

body fully intermingling with

There are two key things I

gleaning, and focuses, rather,

the sociological topic she

learned from the film. First,

on the pleasures and benefits

explores. She is “la Glaneuse”

that serious documentary

linked

recycling

picking up the pieces of

topics—such as food and

ecology. She emphasizes the

her ageing body as she

material

gleaners,

we

active initiatives of gleaners

encounters “les Glaneurs.”

instead of fixating on their

This

be dealt with in a considerate

social conditions.

approach

manner.

autobiographical foreshadows

Les plages d’Agnès (2008),

Moreover,

this

humorous

Second, there is a strong case

originally

approach

can

make

the

to be made for documentary

be her final film. Les plages

content more appealing to

filmmakers—perhaps only if

d’Agnès goes through Varda’s

the viewer. Witnessing the

they are as entertaining and

own life narrative, from her

vast quantities of waste and

charming as Varda—that get

childhood in Belgium and

produce left to glean points

personally involved in the

time in art school, to her days

to

subject of their films through

living

voice

husband

how

suitable

much food

perfectly ends

up

unused or neglected. The

21

this

Les

comedic

in

to

of

Glaneurs et la Glaneuse—can yet

waste

discover

or

image.

As

she

examines her wrinkly hands

The

proclaimed

with

to

now-deceased

Jacques

self-portrait

Demy. merges

documentary and fictional

upsetting

methods

say that one’s best work

of

reenactment,

content.

as various actors play Varda

is

at different stages of her life

of profound sadness and

while shooting in landmark

misery—that

settings of her past. She

be created out of pain, the

states

that

composed and

that

everyone

created

in

Some

moments

beauty

can

is

grotesque and suffering, à

of

landscapes,

la Baudelaire’s Les Fleurs

if

somebody

du Mal. I myself have been

opened her up, they would

drawn to this theory, but

discover beaches.

Varda’s film reminded me of alternative approaches. Of

Overall, Les Glaneurs et la

course, topics dealing with

Glaneuse proves that fictional

human and social suffering

and

films

can be challenging to view

don’t need to veer towards

documentary

through a comedic lens, but

academic

or

Varda offers an enlightening

somberness. Varda begins

seriousness

perspective and exception

the documentary by reciting

to the rule.

a dictionary definition of “gleaning,” but does so while

Hearing her speak about

filming

wandering

the experience of shooting

cat, avoiding any didactic

was just as refreshing as

intent. Too often it seems

her stylistic approach. With

that films acquire a status of

regard to securing funds

genuine artistry by intensely

for the film’s production,

dramatizing and depicting

Varda

her

talked about how

22

INTERCUT

she walked into the offices

Throughout her films, she

of Canal+, a major French

too becomes a gleaner of

television

with

images and anecdotes, a

a heart-shaped potato she

collector of ageing memories

found during one of her

and souvenirs filled with

gleaning excursions. It was

meaningful

this potato, she claims, that

This is transcribed in her

convinced

reenactment

company,

the

producer

relationships. of

Jacques

to support her project. To

Demy’s

childhood

think that Varda was able to

in Jacquot de Nantes, her

get a producer on board by

transformative

presenting a heart-shaped

of Jane Birkin in Jane B.

potato is truly admirable.

par

Her approach to life and film

discovery of her California-

tends to transform gravity

based

into festivity, answering a

in Uncle Yanco. These all

calling of the heart among

mix

piles of decay.

with

Agnès

portrait and

V.,

uncle

stories

Jean

fictional

the

Varda

creativity

autobiographical,

biographical,

or

real-life

Varda also discussed how

segments of documentary

she came up with the idea

film. Perhaps this is why

of making the film. Sitting

so much inspiring life and

at a café near Edgar Quinet

pleasure

in the 14th arrondissement

Varda’s movies, as her ideas

of Paris, she observed the

are deeply ingrained in the

weekly

quotidian of her personal

being the

outdoor taken

market

down,

numerous

and

gleaners

can

be

felt

in

life, even when her films touch

upon

her

ageing,

searching for leftover scraps

dying body, as in her latest

of food on the street. Varda

Varda by Agnès.

claims to never look for a subject, story, or topic to

Thank you, Agnès Varda,

document or film. She lets

for

the subject come to her

enthusiasm for life through

naturally from her daily life

the act of movie-making.

experiences or observations.

23

presenting

such

an

EXPERIENCE

in terms of tone, structure,

but rather work side-by-

in America is a sensitive

and subject matter. Many

side to elevate the show’s

subject that very few people

have commented on the

storytelling

want to talk about. But

weirdness of the show; the

elements.

Donald Glover wants to talk

vibe of an episode can switch

about it. His FX television

from funny to uncomfortable

The

series

to depressing within mere

Atlanta

its second season, titled

minutes.

end

Season because it showcases

Robbin’ Season, last May.

up in predicaments that

just that; each of the main

The show so far has been

seem completely surreal. It

characters (Earn, Al, Darius,

a critical and commercial

is precisely this weirdness,

and Van) is robbed at some

darling, headlining the FX

however, that allows Atlanta

point or another. Society

programming

to transcend beyond genres

robs

inducing rave reviews from

and

nuanced

their money, but of their

critics and fans alike. Most

social commentary through

time, their resources, their

commonly, Glover has been

its

security, their aspirations,

applauded

humor and pain. Comedy

their

has

and reality do not challenge

opportunities. The robberies

never been a show like it

each other for superiority,

that

THE

BL ACK

concluded

Atlanta

uniqueness;

slate

for

and

Atlanta’s

there

Characters

provide odd

a

juxtaposition

of

and

second is

them

season

called

of

dignity, occur

thematic

Robbin’

not

and in

of

just

their

Robbin’

Season, therefore, are not recoverable

artifacts,

permanent

losses.

but Like

W H E R E C O M E DY MEE T S REALIT Y: S O C I A L C O M M E N T A RY I N ATL ANTA ROBBIN’ SEASON

life, however, it is not all gloom

and

doom;

quite

a bit of comedy can stem

SHERWIN YU 24

INTERCUT from tragedy. In fact, many

because people are posting

find out that the “Drake” that

of today’s tragedies in a

pictures with Drake on their

has been appearing in all

media-obsessed and ultra-

Instagram accounts, proof

the Instagram photos they

conservative world are so

of his presence at the party.

have seen is a cardboard

ridiculous

and

flagrantly

Hungry for social media

cutout; some social media

disturbing

that

there

is

clout, they go to the partly

“influencers”

sometimes no choice but

desperately seeking out the

Drake cutout pictures for

to laugh. We laugh while

star to no avail. As it turns

a charge of twenty dollars.

watching Atlanta because so

out, the only people at the

Watching

much of it is fucked up.

party are D-list celebrities,

unfold is hilarious: there

offering

this

debacle

friends of friends loosely

is

In one of the season’s most

associated with Drake, and

filled to the brim with well-

memorable

extravagant

home

episodes,

other people like Van and

dressed men and women

“Champagne Papi,” Glover

her squad who came only

hoping to get in contact with

perfectly balances humor

with a goal to snap a star-

a pop icon, only to find them

with

the

studded selfie. Their search

frantically rushing to get

episode, Van goes out with

for him is frustrating; every

in a picture with a piece of

her “squad” of friends to

time they ask for some

cardboard. To make matters

an exclusive party that is

direction or help they are

even

apparently

distracted, baited,

or led

Van

The

astray. Yet when they finally

real

event is especially enticing

get to the selfie room, they

television upstairs in a room

by

25

an

are

frustration.

rap

being

star

In

hosted

Drake.

more later

laughable,

finds

grandpa

Drake’s watching

(a possible hallucination),

of the night goes largely

online presence plays in our

only for him to tell her in

unnoticed. What is more

lives. What are we willing to

broken English that Drake is

sickening than this deceit,

sacrifice for popularity? Or

currently on tour, thousands

however, is the disturbing

even for just an Instagram

of miles away from Atlanta.

feeling that the partygoers

like?

The

are

entire

party

is

an

somewhat

enjoying

elaborate facade to exploit

their search for Drake and

In

the

unhealthy

popular

of

his social capital, knowing

episode,

social

that they may never interact

the intersections between

media popularity. Van, like

with him but still continuing

humor and pain are quite

the rest of the people in the

to participate in the chase

clear. Al goes to his barber

mansion, is being robbed

for

Glover

hoping for a quick haircut

of her time and energy by

extracts the comedy out of

because of an upcoming

searching for a nonexistent

modern-day vanity, and how

photoshoot.

photo

The

it has manifested itself in

Bibby, starts the haircut,

worst part is, however, that

social media. This comedy

only to be distracted by

Van is the only one who

highlights

superficial

other responsibilities that

knows or cares. The rest of

nature of the party and

he must attend to. Al, with

the

human nature itself, creating

only half a haircut, has no

the powerful message that

choice but to follow Bibby

we

the

around on his many errands

role that social media and

and ends up paying for it.

people

to

desire

another

garner

opportunity.

partygoers

their

fruitless

international Drake,

and

continue search

for

superstar the

deceit

fame.

need

Here,

the

reevaluate

“Barbershop,�

The

barber,

26

INTERCUT

27

First, Bibby drags Al to his

stealing; they speed off with

of Al’s time, safety, and peace

girlfriend’s house, where he

the wood and Al becomes

of mind. At every stop, Bibby

is late for an appointment

indignant. As he demands

finds a way to convince Al

to cut his girlfriend’s son’s

to be brought back to the

to tag along with him and Al

hair. After Bibby is done

barbershop, they find Bibby’s

finds himself suffering at his

with the son’s haircut, the

son

and

compliance. Bibby shows no

power shuts off, prompting

hanging out on the streets.

remorse or even an inkling

his girlfriend to start yelling

Bibby stops to discipline

of realization that what he

at him. Bibby and Al rush

his son, forcing him to join

has done is disrespectful

to leave, and Bibby offers to

their car ride and asks Al

or unprofessional; he even

get Al some Zaxby’s chicken

to “inspire the youth” and

complains about the lack of

as compensation for his

act as a role model for his

a tip after the haircut. This

troubles.

Instead,

cutting

school

Bibby

wayward teenage child. Not

lack of self-awareness is quite

drives them to a housing

long after, a distracted Bibby

comical—there seems to be

development

he

crashes his car on the road,

no end to Bibby’s endless list

gives Al a take-out box of

threatening Al’s probation

of excuses. Or maybe, Bibby

leftovers, and then asks him

and, consequently, his fragile

is very self-aware about what

to help him move some

rap career. Bibby speeds off

he is doing; he just has no

wooden planks to his truck.

from the scene, leading them

problem supplying excuses

In the process of doing so,

back

barbershop.

as long as he gets what he

a

them

Finally, Bibby finishes the

wants. Al is being ruthlessly

and flags them down for

haircut; only at the expense

robbed by Bibby, and Bibby

contractor

where

sees

to

the

is only doing so because he

whatever means necessary.

Atlanta

Robbin’

Season

knows Al is dependent on

And the people with power

has

generated

critical

him; with only half a fade

will

commercial

acclaim

finished, Al has nowhere

because

exploit

you

and

can.

This

because of many reasons; yet

else to turn. To him, there is

verdict is best highlighted

it is Glover’s unique ability to

no greater embarrassment

in the episode’s final scene,

blend comedy and drama

then walking out in public

in which Al returns to the

into a singular narrative that

with a fucked-up haircut.

barbershop a while later,

makes it so hard-hitting and

The humor in this episode

only to pettily sit in the chair

thematically dense. Glover, a

is inextricably tied to Al’s

of a different barber near

former stand-up comedian

tragedy; Bibby is holding

Bibby. Bibby chuckles; he is

and comedy actor/writer,

Al

taking

amused yet dismissive of Al’s

knows the importance of

advantage of his presence

attempt at revenge. Al looks

humor, even in the context

for his own personal gain.

satisfied for a split second,

of drama. Humor brings

While

hostage

Bibby’s

and

always they

selfishness

before realizing that he has

out a human genuineness

may seem despicable, this is

no idea how to explain the

that

clearly Glover’s perspective

type of haircut he is always

sometimes eases, the pain

on the way of life in such a

given by Bibby to his new

of life. Reflective of our own

neighborhood.

accompanies,

and

Especially

barber. In the end, Al still

reality, Atlanta showcases

in the setting of Atlanta,

loses. And Bibby, like anyone

that

everybody is just trying to

else with power, just keeps

amalgamation of the best of

survive, and they will do so by

on hustling.

times and the worst of times.

life

is

a

strange

28

INTERCUT

THE SCREEN’S FIRS T LESBIANS M O L LY S C O T T I BERLIN DURING the Weimar

their public portrayals of

Republic

sexually

homosexuality. Even with the

liberated place that was

rise of fascism throughout

home

lesbian

the nation, Germany was

and gay subcultures. The

able to become one of the

sentiments of this time and

first countries to release

place are reflected in the

films with explicitly gay and

German films from that era,

lesbian characters. This is

which made history through

largely because its capital,

to

was

a

lively

which was home to several production was

companies,

such

a

sexually

accepting place. While it was revolutionary to show homosexuality

on-screen,

films that chose to do so were still often dulled by inaccuracies and censorship.

Two films that show this restrained representation of homosexuality, lesbianism,

are

specifically Pandora’s

Box (1929) and Girls in Uniform (1931).

Pandora’s

Box,

a

Silent

Era film directed by G.W. Pabst, debuted the screen’s first

lesbian:

Geschwitz.

Countess Pandora’s

Box is a film that’s plot

29

relies on female sexuality,

love for Lulu. Although in

though it does not focus on

2019

these

Geschwitz but rather Lulu,

seem

inconsequential,

an

femme

the time of the film’s release

fatale figure. Throughout the

Geschwitz’s character was

film, different people, men

considered to be a radical

and women, fall in love with

and blatant representation

Lulu, which ultimately leads

of lesbianism.

androgynous,

actions

may at

to their demise. Because his film was created before the

In

popularization

of

addition

to

Pabst’s

sound,

revolutionary depiction of

Pabst conveyed Geschwitz’s

homosexuality on screen,

lesbianism

through

the director broke a common

expressions

and

facial actions

rather

than

dialogue.

Throughout

through

trend in

than

many

was

popular

contemporary

the

plays that included lesbian

film, Geschwitz looks at

characters. In many works

Lulu longingly and at any

of literature at this time,

man

lesbian

that

accompanied

characters

were

her with jealousy. The most

killed at the end in order to

explicitly

scene

“atone” for their sins. In the

is during Lulu’s wedding,

lesbian

film, however, Geschwitz’s

where she and Geschwitz

fate is left unresolved. The

dance together. However,

audience

other scenes, such as one

Countess on a gambling

which

Geschwitz

boat, deserted by Lulu and

saving Lulu first from jail

terrified by the murder she

and then from the clutches

has

of a man who wishes to

audience is left unsure of

exploit her, also illustrate

whether or not she will be

the extent of Geschwitz’s

framed for this man’s death.

depicts

just

last

sees

witnessed.

the

The

30

INTERCUT Nevertheless, Geschwitz is not killed in the film, breaking the common practice in plays and novels of the time.

In the plays from which this film was adapted, Frank Wedekind’s Earth Spirit and Pandora’s Box, Geschwitz’s fate is not so kind. In Wedekind’s

final

scene,

Geschwitz attempts to kill herself but fails, and then both she and Lulu are killed

by Jack the Ripper. Before their

deaths,

Geschwitz

also swears to herself that she will return to Germany, attend university, and fight for women’s rights. Instead, Geschwitz is stabbed while trying

to

protect

Lulu.

Though Wedekind created more depth in the character of Geschwitz and made her lesbianism

more

the

scene

death

explicit, further

perpetuates the common belief during this era that homosexuality was a sin.

The second film, Girls in Uniform,

was

originally

adapted from a play written by

Christa

Winsloe

and

directed by Leontine Sagan, who

later

became

the

director for the film as well.

31

Both adaptations tell the

showing

story of Manuela, a young

that

girl who is sent to an all-girls

greater

boarding school and falls in

also replaced the actress

love with her young, female

that played Fräulein von

professor,

Bernburg

Fräulein

von

their

this

legs,”

would

crowds.

in

and

attract Froelich

the

Bernburg. Throughout the

production

film, the school girls swoon

conventionally

over Bernburg, and it is made

actress.

known that many of the

who had originally played

students in the school have

the role of von Bernburg,

a crush on her. Manuela’s

had a traditionally “butch”

love

von

a

more

feminine

Margaret

Melzer,

Bernburg,

appearance and was dressed

however, surpasses all of

in masculine clothing to give

these other crushes, and

her character androgynous

eventually and

for

with

Berlin

she

publicly,

characteristics.

drunkenly,

Melzer

fit

declares

the archetype for the “third

her love for her professor in

sex” view of homosexuality,

front of her peers as well as

and as a result was easily

the headmistress. Manuela

identifiable

is punished. Though it is

figure in the play. During

never

stated,

the late 1800s and early

the audience is meant to

1900s, leaders of the gay

assume

movement

explicitly that

Manuela’s

as

in

a

lesbian

Germany

feelings for von Bernburg are

created the concept of a

reciprocated.

“third sex” in an attempt to justify homosexuality to a

The film’s producer, Carl

close-minded society. In his

Froelich, attempted to lessen

essay “Less and More than

the lesbian aspects that were

Women and Men: Lesbian

so overtly present in the play

and Gay Cinema in Weimar

in the interest of commercial

Germany,” film critic Richard

success. Froelich changed

Dyer describes the reasoning

the title because he believed

for the gay community to

that the audiences would

isolate themselves outside

“think there’ll be girls in

of

uniform playing about and

point of clinging to some

either

gender:

“The

32

INTERCUT version of these theories

the professor resulted in a

was to demonstrate that

lesbian figure who did not

homosexuality was a fact of

need to be de-feminized in

biology. If you could show it

order to be attracted to the

to be a part of nature, rather

same sex.

than an activity going against nature, then you could argue

Froelich’s

that society had no business

change in the film was

trying to suppress it.” The

altering the ending. In the

casting of Dorothea Wieck

play,

to replace Melzer in the

in

film has been received by

end, while in the film von

critics in varying ways. Many

Bernburg and the other girls

historians

Wieck’s

are able to save her. While

feminine

significant

Manuela

killing

succeeds

herself

at

the

appearance

Froelich made this alteration

as a way of masking the

because he viewed it to

lesbianism in the play, while

be more pleasant for the

others view her casting as

audiences, the change is

simply

significant

with

33

view

last

replacing a

Melzer

to

the

work’s

female-identifying

depiction of lesbianism as

lesbian. Either way, Froelich’s

well as to the meaning of the

attempt to mask the overt

film as a whole. In his essay

lesbian

“Coming Out of the Uniform,”

characteristics

of

Richard

McCormick

Critics initially ignored the

describes Manuela’s failure

W.

lesbian aspect of Girls in

to commit suicide as “a

Uniform

great improvement on the

the

conventional

movie

ending

of

when

film.

reviewing

While was

Sagan’s

incredibly

traditional lesbian novels:

successful

‘deviance’

among audiences, critics did

punished

with

critically

the suicide of the ‘deviant.’”

not

Like Pandora’s Box, this film

the film’s lesbianism until

adaptation

the

does

not

kill

begin

and

acknowledging

1970s.

Instead,

the lesbian character and

would

therefore does not depict

Manuela’s

her sexuality as a sin. Girls

adolescent phase or as the

in Uniform even goes a step

manifestation of her longing

further than Pabst’s film by

for

creating a supporting and

Kracauer

accepting community that

most frequently referenced

saves Manuela from her

examples of a critic who

rejection of self, and as a

avoids acknowledging Girls

result validates her feelings

in Uniform as a lesbian film.

and

emotions,

the

a

often

they

disregard

feelings

mother. is

as

an

Siegfried

one

of

the

most

Kracauer solely discusses

important of which being

Girls in Uniform as anti-

her love for another woman.

authoritarian,

and

even

34

INTERCUT as such he criticizes the film for not being radical enough. To discount the lesbian aspect of the film is to ignore the sexuality that drives

Manuela’s

actions

and pushes her to rebel.

While the film does have anti-authoritarian elements, the manner in which the characters

rebel

against

authority is motivated by Manuela’s

emotions,

and

the film’s first major act of rebellion is Manuela’s public declaration of love for

von

Bernburg.

This

love then sparks rebellion amongst the other girls and von Bernburg herself, who break the rules in order to help Manuela. When von Bernburg

finally

openly

defies the headmistress and challenges her authority, it is in defense of Manuela and her feelings; von Bernburg declares that “What [the headmistress] call sins I call the great spirit of love which has a thousand forms,” a statement that is a clear defense of homosexuality.

In order to define a film as anti-authoritarian, one has to acknowledge the way in which it revolts against

35

authority, which in the case of

depicting lesbianism. The

Girls in Uniform is through a

United States, in particular,

love that the authority figure

worked

considers to be a “scandal.”

semblance of homosexuality

In the 1970s, Girls in Uniform

from films before allowing

again gained popularity, now

them to be shown to the

among lesbian communities

public. Russo describes the

that often considered it to

United States’ insistence to

be “an early ‘coming-out’

ban depictions of lesbian or

film

love

gay behavior from films as

between women.” Manuela’s

the society having “deleted

drunken speech after the

the

play is considered to be her

behavior, laundering things

coming-out moment, and

as

the film was finally popularly

order to maintain a more

discussed as a lesbian work.

comfortable illusion.” Both

that

affirmed

fact they

to

remove

of

any

homosexual

come

along

in

the U.S. and the British Censorship is another factor

versions of Pandora’s Box

that diminished the impact

removed

of these early lesbian films.

of

Geschwitz

After the release of Pandora’s

The

United

censorship

Box, in

Germany

character entirely.

States

then

boards

banned Girls in Uniform,

other

eventually allowing for its

countries removed overtly

release after “the excision

sexual

of shots showing the depth

scenes

and

the

or

scenes

36

INTERCUT of Manuela’s feelings and

actual story. Nevertheless,

Local and global audiences,

von Bernburg’s defense of

Girls in Uniform was a huge

however, were not always

lesbianism to the principal.”

success in the United States,

accepting of these cinematic

These

even after the removal of so

depictions of homosexuality,

many important scenes.

or female sexuality in general,

Germany during the Weimar

and as a result many of the

Republic

censorships

prevented

other

from

being

the

sexual

nations

exposed

to

leading

films were censored before

that those in Berlin were

liberation

figure in the representation

was

a

their release. Screenings of

currently

experiencing.

of homosexuality in film. Not

Different from the Others

Instead, censorship boards

only did the nation produce

in Berlin were even met

butchered the films and

what is believed to be the

by

exhibited them as entirely

first on-screen lesbian, but

in protest of the film. The

different entities than what

in 1919 Germany released

films

the directors had intended.

one of the first openly gay

during the Weimar Republic

The narratives were created

films,

have

to be driven by lesbianism

Others. The climate in Berlin

important to the history of

and sexuality, and to remove

during the early years of

homosexuality

this element from the films

the Republic was tolerant

and have continued to be

was to lie to the audiences

of homosexuality, allowing

revered by LGBT and film

and hide from them the

for such films to be created.

historians today.

Different

from

the

soldier-led made

WORKS CITED Germany. Duke University Press, 1990.

Kracauer, Siegfried. From Caligari to Hitler: A Psychological History of the German Film. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2004.

Mccormick, Richard W. “Coming Out of the Uniform: Political and Sexual Emancipation in Leontine Sagan’s Mädchen in Uniform,” Weimar Cinema: An Essential Guide to Classic Films of the Era. New York: Columbia University Press, 2009.

Russo, Vito. The Celluloid Closet. New York: Harper and Row, 1981.

Wedekind, Frank. Pandora’s Box: A Tragedy in Three Acts. The Project Gutenberg, 2010.

37

in

become

Dyer, Richard. Less and More than Women and Men: Lesbian and Gay Cinema in Weimar

walkouts Germany incredibly in

cinema

ANABELLE DOLINER 38

INTERCUT

THE FILM THAT CHANGED E V E RY T H I N G GUS TAVO RENÉ

stand get

up kisses,

straight, uncles

aunts get

handshakes, some get hugs (the less homophobic ones obviously), and the cousins

IN A GROGGY, controlled fall

the hell are all these people

get the sincere smiles. It’s

down the stairs, I gripped the

coming to ruin my Sunday, I

time

railing to support my spilling,

thought to myself, without a

exchange funny stories over

Sunday

clue that I was about to have

mouthfuls of chipas and

the bottom of the steps, light

the

transformative

cocido. After our stomachs

peered in through the living

cinematic experience of my

begin to bloat and Tío Juan

room

blinding

life, squished in front of our

has built up enough hype

me at first, then revealing

tube TV with more than

around this movie, he finally

familiar

Caravans

twenty of my cousins, uncles,

asks me to do the honors.

and Toyota Corollas packed

aunts, and family friends,

I take my first look at the

in the driveway. Tío Juan’s

watching a bootleg DVD.

cover. Slid behind the plastic

voice

39

weight.

windows, Dodge

echoed

Reaching

from

most

for

merienda.

We

wrap, protecting a brittle

the

kitchen. He explained to

Sounds

from

DVD casing, is a sheet of

my mom that the DVD he

audible conversation to the

crescendo

paper with an inkjet print

had gotten his hands on had

white noise of unintelligible

of a boy on the run, a quote

broken box office records in

chatter, as the rest of the

that reads “City of God meets

Paraguay. “La gente se están

family and friends trickle

Run Lola Run”, and the title:

volviendo locos para esta

in. I know the drill: sprinkle

7 Cajas. The mechanical

película,” he bragged. Why

some water on your face,

squeak of the DVD player

swallows the disc and the

a

menu pops onto the screen.

wouldn’t get it. Unless, you’re

seeing

I find a comfortable spot on

Paraguayan too, of course.

Mercado 4—our city streets.

the floor with a clear line

You see, for any non-native

On this reactionary level, I

of sight to the TV, signal

or non-heritage speaker, all

wasn’t gasping from shock

everyone to hush with a

films in Spanish seem to be

or

finger to my lips, and click

the same. But for us, there’s

scare; instead, I was in

play.

The

you

just

hearing our inside jokes, our

flinching

recognizable

from

jump-

a vast difference between an

simultaneous awe and tears

Our

Argentine film, a Colombian

from a feeling that can only

eyes are glued to the TV as

film, a Mexican film, etc.,

be identified as some sort of

we follow the protagonist,

The culture is different, the

pride. Not a national pride

Victor on his thrilling and

locations are different, the

per se, but a cultural one.

risky job to deliver seven

people are different, even

mystery boxes.

the language is different. On

Allow me to put it into

one level, I was reacting to

perspective:

My palms are sweating, I’m

the genuine excitement of

a country that has only

stressed, I’m anxious, I’m

Victor’s adventure through

had

laughing. Then, suddenly and

the city, but on another

films ever made as sole

unexpectedly, I’m catching

level—separate

the

Paraguayan

my breath, so I don’t cry in

objective

was

The remaining 70 or so are

front of everyone. Explaining

reacting to the experience of

all co-productions (movies

why I was crying would be

hearing our language (a mix

made

like

of our unique Spanish and

Argentine, Brazilian, French,

Guaraní) on the silver screen,

or

chatter

white-noise-

five-year-old:

evaporates.

explaining

Theory

of

Einstein’s

Relativity

to

from

thrill—I

Paraguay

roughly

feature

productions.

with

some

60

is

the

other

help

of

Western

40

INTERCUT producers).

The

first

for the Best Foreign Film

fly to Paraguay and visit a

Paraguayan

category, two of which were

library in Asunción. To this

film was made in 1978! A

submitted in the last two

day, when I travel anywhere

movie called Cerro Cora,

years. None have ever been

in

funded by the Stroessner

nominated.

people get a whiff that I’m a

feature-length

Administration (the longeststanding

41

dictatorship

America

and

film student of Paraguayan So, in that stuffy living room,

descent, their first question

all of South America). The

all

and

is always, “ahh ¿has visto 7

film was obviously meant

parents alike—knew we had

cajas?” Could you imagine

as

propaganda—picture

just witnessed something

traveling outside the U.S. and

Franco’s Raza, or Hitler’s

special. 7 Cajas was the

someone asking you—solely

Triumph of the Will. The

first Paraguayan film any

on the basis of being an

next

feature

us—children

of us had ever seen. Before

American with an interest in

the

film—“Have you seen Jaws?”

Stroessner was overthrown.

Paraguayan films had ever

Since

only

garnered any wide-spread,

But even 7 Cajas, Paraguay’s

had one film make it to

theatrical appraisal. It was

prized possession, was a

Cannes and three films ever

the first Paraguayan film any

bitch to make. Directors,

submitted for a nomination

one could really get their

Juan

at the Academy Awards

hands on without having to

Tana Schémbori, had to

we’ve

wasn’t

of

made until 1989, the year then,

film

in

South

movie’s

release,

no

Carlos

Maneglia

&

buy

all

from the

their

equipment

Paraguay (yes, just a few

because

tadpoles in an ocean, but

Amazon convenient

rental

still

immense

progress),

houses that exist almost

and an actual audience has

everywhere else in the world

emerged, demanding more

are just not a part of the

Paraguayan productions. It

infrastructure of this Third

put Paraguay on the map,

World

many

it sparked a budding film-

ways, it’s easier for a middle

industry, and it changed all

schooler in the U.S. to make

of us sitting in that cramped

a movie than an aspiring

living-room on that warm

Paraguayan

filmmaker.

Sunday afternoon, whether

Paraguay’s the only country

we knew it at the time or not.

country.

In

in Latin America that’s not a part of Ibermedia (the “all-

I

inclusive” Latin American

quivering

film collective of sorts), and

sore throat from choked

they’re the only country in

tears has launched me on a

South America without a

mission: build a Paraguayan

“Ley de Cine”, a law that

film industry and have our

would

art recognized by a wider

basically

establish

remain

inspired.

That

stomach

and

government funds for film

audience.

productions until the private

plans of my mission haven’t

sector

self-

been exactly ironed out yet,

sufficiency. The fact is simply

but nonetheless, I’ve been

that film had never been

launched. Now, I know I’m

seen as an industry or an art

biased. Perhaps, I only love 7

form worth investment. But

Cajas because of my cultural

7 Cajas changed everything.

ties, or perhaps, it’s actually

Since its release in 2012,

pretty damn good. I guess

an average of 5 films are

the only way to find out is to

being made per year in

watch it yourself.

could

reach

The

specific

*oh and while you’re at it, check out Las Herederas (2018) dir.

Marcelo Martinessi ;)

42

INTERCUT

INTERCONNECTIVIT Y AND INDIVIDUALIT Y THROUGH AES THE TICS IN RUN LOLA RUN BEATRIX HERRIOT T O’GORMAN 43

IN

HIS

GROUNDBREAKING

interconnectivity

and

Lola is our heroine and the

film, Run Lola Run (1998) Tom

consequence in unexpected

character

Tykwer employs a variety

ways. There is a tension in

impact everyone else in the

of narrative and stylistic

the presentation of Lola

story; she is also the main

techniques to complicate

and her surroundings; the

and only character of the

our

of

film’s mixed media visual

animated sequences. The

female

aesthetics work to elevate

image of a hero in a video

to

her status as protagonist,

game is powerful; it makes

innovate the way stories

but also to remind us of the

her character feel larger than

had traditionally been told

fact that she is just another

life and capable of taking on

on screen up to that point.

person in the world.

the world. But the random,

a

understanding conventional

protagonist,

While

I

do

and

not

integrated

believe

whose

video

actions

game

Tykwer was interested at all

The use of short animated

aesthetics and the style of the

in raising a moral question

sequences and video game

animation itself also work

in this film, I do think he

aesthetics highlights Lola’s

to critique or at least poke

was interested in crafting a

centrality to the narrative

fun at Lola’s counterculture

compelling film that grapples

and

identity.

with themes of individuality,

almost

position

her

legendary

as

an

figure.

Tykwer

utilises

this video game aesthetic

44

INTERCUT for a few reasons. Firstly,

potential futures reminds

it adds dynamism to the

us that Lola does not stand

frame and keeps us on our

alone, removed from society;

toes. It reminds us that

rather, she is still a person

Tykwer is not here to feed

who is part of a greater

us commercial, commonly

whole, whose actions still

used

have consequences for the

and

unambitious

stylistic

techniques.

pushes

boundaries

He

people around her.

and

innovates, which keeps us

The film’s opening briefly

engaged.

animated

introduces us to all the

videogame-style sequences

The

characters (even the most

are used to highlight not

minor ones) who will service

only the high stakes of the

our plot and feature in our

story, but also the childish

protagonist’s journey. It also

nature of this criminal game

establishes one of the film’s

our characters are involved

primary, thematic concerns:

in. Moreover, the animation

the interconnectedness of

itself is crude and infantile,

all people. The prologue

contributing both to this

begins with shots of all the

image of Lola as grungy and

characters illuminated in a

a part of Berlin’s nineties

crowd. We then zoom out to

counterculture, and to the

see that they all make up the

idea that this game she’s

film’s title, ‘LOLA RENNT,’

involved in is sloppily run

demonstrating that all these

and

people are interlinked.

falling

apart.

Here,

Tykwer is expressing the

45

high cost of pursuing a

Tykwer communicates to us

semi-underground, outside-

how everything we do has a

of-the-law

and

knock-on effect. Through the

presenting Lola as a kind of

opening and then through

mythic hero for the audience

Lola’s characterisation, he

to root for. However, the

may be explaining that we

flash forwards into other

can’t isolate ourselves from

people’s

lifestyle,

the

the people around us no

still photography used to

lives

and

matter how engaged we

demonstrate their different

are in a counter culture;

one can’t simply opt out of being a person in the world by dressing or acting like a

non-conformist.

Even

living outside the law as a criminal and having bright red hair does not make you

untouched

by

the

world of strangers you pass everyday. This idea, and the way in which it is presented through the structure and form of Run Lola Run, is particularly salient, knowing that Tykwer went on to work with the Wachowski sisters

on

their

2012

cross-generational,

globe-

spanning

drama

fantasy

Cloud Atlas, which also very much centres on the idea of our interconnectivity as human beings on planet Earth.

46

INTERCUT Lola is connected to all the

opening up new worlds and

people she sees and meets

new ways of thinking, and

on the street throughout her

looking for an audience. He is

journey, but her individuality

invested in thinking outside

also dominates the film’s

of the box and encouraging

narrative. She may be one of

his viewers to do the same.

many in the bustling city of

His priority is not with the

Berlin, but she is presented

characters’

as unique in a few specific

or judgements, but with

ways. For example, she has

how a viewer follows these

an unexplained, seemingly

characters on their crazy

unique, supernatural power

journeys. It is almost as if

that sets her apart from the

he is not a filmmaker or

people around her: her glass-

even video game designer,

breaking voice. Of course,

but a carnival-ride designer,

she is already our primary

guiding

focus as the titular character

fantastic colourful and multi-

of Run, Lola, Run, and as our

textured house, complete

protagonist, but her unique

with

abilities also present her as

and trap doors, leading us

separate and distinct from

down

and within the world of the

awash with coloured light.

film itself.

He wants to engineer a

us

perhaps

not

truly

the

differences

different

a

mirrors hallways

experience

Tykwer

is

that sticks with a viewer.

interested

in

He certainly accomplishes

between

this in Run Lola Run with

and

a combination of different

mainstream pop culture, or

visual techniques, but he

the status of the individual

also makes us think about

in German society in the late

our connection to the people

nineties, or the far-reaching

around us and our strength

domino effect of our actions,

and power as the heroes of

but

our own stories.

counterculture

47

through

distortion

multi-sensorial But

motivations

rather

with

simply

employs a great use of the depths of DIREC TOR L AST NAME

to tell a(n)

story. This

NOUN

ADJEC TIVE

film was

and

; it flirts

ADJEC TIVE

ADJEC TIVE

with

through the magic of its cinematography, NOUN

and it raises questions about

that YOUR FAVORITE WESLEYAN COURSE

only provoke more questions.

delivers NAME OF YOUR PE T

a(n)

performance that will leave you ADJEC TIVE

. The film is set in L AST REASON YOU WENT TO THE HEALTH CENTER

in

NEW YORK BOROUGH

; in the opening scene, we see a clear homage TIME PERIOD

to

, which conjures up vivid imagery of PROPER NOUN

. Through the magic of the camerawork, this film FIC TIONAL PL ACE

encourages us to reflect on

, and more YOUR LEAST FAVORITE WESLEYAN COURSE

importantly, our humanity.

ALLISON HSU AND BROOKE KUSHWAHA 48

INTERCUT

SPONTANEIT Y AND IMPERFECTION:

IMPRESSIONS OF CASSAVE TES ’ SHADOWS

THEO MATZA 49

AN HOUR AGO, I sat by myself

escapist mechanism? What

to turn his back on. It’s

with a laptop and watched

if

spontaneous,

an American movie from

could

flawed,

playful, and real: one of the

1959. When I think of U.S.

expressive, intimate? These

first promotions for doing it

flicks made in that decade,

sorts of films are in a period

on your own. The film’s stark

I envision the studio system:

of renaissance right now,

individualism, sincerity, and

Cinemascope, movies that

as

unconventionalism amount

are meant to be seen on

formulate

the silver screen. I think

captivate us on the screens

of

that we take out of our

Technicolor,

large

set

pieces and James Dean or

the

viewer be

experience

rough,

American

filmmakers

new

ways

to

pockets every five minutes.

gritty,

to a piece of American film out of step with its time.

Cassavetes’ movie follows the

Debbie Reynolds delivering

raw,

short-lived

romance

This was not the case in

of Leila, an aspiring writer,

‘59,

actor-

and Tony, a young licentious

John

man who she meets at a bar.

and

While the film builds around

However, amid all the money

white 16mm tone poem, is

these characters the work

and the glamour, the way in

often credited as the first

is not heavily anchored by

which those stories are told

American Independent film.

their story of beat-era racial

often lacks a certain honesty

The film was a low-budget

tension. Scorsese once said

as to how real people, the

production.

Cassavetes’

ones sitting in the theater,

financed the movie himself

like musical compositions.

experience

with his salary from his large-

Shadows is no exception.

love.

scale acting gigs, money he

The film plays like a series

What if movies could be

made inside the very studio

of interactive moments; it is

made independently of the

system he felt prompted

structured around dialogue-

contrived to

lines

meant

dupe an audience into

surrendering to escapism.

and

Shadows,

turned-director Cassavetes’

emotion,

life,

endure

encounter

black

Cassavetes

projects

are

50

INTERCUT heavy scenes in

daily

grounded

experience.

characters’

voices

invited to be members of

The

the filmmaker’s cultivated

are

world, a web spun of messy

infused with an energy and

relationships and scrambled

humor that feels deliberate

emotions.

and stylized. Cassavetes was known for having his actors

In

improvise, which resulted

Cassavetes

this

world,

what

in extended scenes, like the

himself

one in which Leila’s brother,

free-flowing

a struggling trumpet player,

exchanges,

passionately tells his sister

characters

a peripheral story about his

discussing,

favorite Jazz musician.

and grappling with

concerns

with

is

love.

In

dialogue Cassavetes’ are

constantly

experiencing, real

love. Relationships do not These seemingly irrelevant

simply

moments last longer than

states of tragedy and ones

one might expect. In fact,

of bliss. Cassavetes meshes

they breathe. Benny hides

together

behind

sunglasses

the fun, the culpability and

singing “Mary Had a Little

the sadness, the problems

Lamb”

straight

people live with as they fall

minutes outside a nightclub

for one another. Hel cuts

before

People

from a scene in which young

another.

men are messing around

conversations

in a graveyard, staring into

talk They about

51

his for

two

entering. over have

one

nothing,

about

fluctuate

the

between

happiness

the eyes of statues, to a

music and the nature of

jazz

performance

jokes and of trauma. What

handheld, to a static shot of a

happens on screen is rarely

couple in bed, to those same

imperative to the “story” at

men from before getting

hand. Cassavetes reminds

beaten up in the street by

us that real life does not

strangers for looking at them

straightforwardly captivate

funny.

at every turn. We do not

have both the excitement

necessarily invest in this

and the unpredictability of

film, but rather, we are

the

His

filmed

relationships

improvisational

Jazz

music

that

reverberates

throughout the film.

In this vein, the director’s use of long close-ups effortlessly gives his actors an intimate space in which to improvise and to emit subtlety. There is

a

reason

Cassavetes’

first film was called Faces: he captures them like no other, filling the edges of the frame in a manner that is both familiar and intrusive.

Cassavetes’

composition

frames the faces of Leila and Tony in bed chaotically close together. We sense Leila’s discomfort at being alone and naked with Tony as he glances over her shoulder in this claustrophobic space.

The immediacy of a closeup like this one, the grit of it, is what makes the moment so visceral and real. We see the hesitation in the gazes of these people.

We

also

sense

their

hesitation as they say words, and from that uncertainty blossoms

beautiful

improvisational

dialogue.

Lines like “I’m not gonna ask you the story of life—you seem nice” or “I feel like I’m

52

INTERCUT

in a cocoon and I can’t get

Shadows strikes me as the

out” or “You’ve, you’ve just

product of an artist making

got the softest damn lips I’ve

what interests him, and not

ever damn felt.” The delivery

actually caring too much

of these lines could be read

if anyone else likes it. This

as

Audiences

is a concept familiar to us

in the fifties might have

today, when anyone can

wondered

did

make moving images. But

not end up on the cutting

in a moment dominated

room floor. But that is the

by

impression that Cassavetes

Ben Hurs, and Rio Bravos,

seems to consciously go

I cannot fathom what the

after. His work is messy and

experience of watching this

unkempt, but meticulously

free-flowing,

and authentically so. The

individualistic

spontaneity blossoms from

art must have been like. It

a place of care rather than

gave American film room to

negligence.

expand its identity. No one

mistakes. why

they

North

by

Northwests,

low-budget, cinematic

had really done it themselves

53

In a present so dominated

before. Take away the glitz,

by doing it yourself, it’s hard

the mystique, and the dough

not to feel the profound

of Hollywood and you can

impact of Cassavetes’ work.

still feel. What a revelation.

THIS SPRING, the small but

Rebecca Bunch, who “sees

portrayal of female sexuality.

devoted fan base of the CW

her life as a series of musical

The narrative itself is started

network’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

numbers.” The soundtrack

when

said goodbye to the show

includes songs both fun and

out [her] career / To chase

and its much-beloved cast

important, touching on an

this California dream” (as

of quirky characters. The

array of social issues. One

so kindly stated by her

musical sitcom, co-created

vital element to the show’s

mother in the Season 1 song,

by Rachel Bloom and Aline

success

“Where’s

Brosh

stars

narrative piece within all the

following her summer camp

Bloom as the lovably erratic

comedic blunder lies in the

boyfriend to his hometown

McKenna,

as

an

insightful

Rebecca

the

“thr[ows]

Bathroom”),

DISSECTING THE FEMALE SEXUALIT Y AND THE SEXY INTELLECTUAL IN CRAZY EXGIRLFRIEND

HANNAH GEARAN 54

INTERCUT

of West Covina, California,

destigmatize the expression

development of sexuality.

with dreams of falling in

of female sexuality, attack

Though Rebecca certainly

love. Though this romantic

unrealistic beauty standards

goes

tension frames the narrative

and

sexual

share of rom-com esque

in more obvious ways in

and

reframe

often-

tropes—there’s even a song

the beginning of the series,

fetishized or desexualized

entitled “The Math of the

there is significantly more

female

by

Love Triangle”—the show

nuance

the

intellectual

her

fair

portrayal

acknowledging tropes and

remains cognizant of these

of sex and sexuality in the

taking them down through

tropes and by recognizing

show than initially meets

the unrelenting cognizance

them, defies them. In “The

the eye. In its subtleties and

of the tropes’ presence.

Sexy Getting Ready Song”

bold Crazy

to

the

musical

and

statements,

“Put

Yourself

First

a

As our beloved protagonist,

(in a Sexy Way),” Bloom

exploration

Ex-Girlfriend

is

and a character with many

challenges

on female sexuality for the

romantic

the

standards through blatant

television cannon. Through

show progresses, Rebecca

irony. Both songs feature

the

certainly

Rebecca

revolutionary

four

main

women,

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend works to

55

expectations,

through

affairs gets

as

the

most

attention in regard to the

female

practicing

beauty

over-

the-top beauty routines to

impress a man, who in these

correctly interpreted.

cases is the dear Joshua Felix Chan. The show does

Beyond the songs’ contents,

not claim these rituals to

musical

be effective nor necessary,

take down these societal

and both songs include lines

expectations.

that directly acknowledge

Getting

the

includes

unachievable

and

cues

also “The

Ready a

help

rap

Sexy Song” section

problematic nature to these

wherein the guest star raps:

beauty standards. In “The

“God, what... this is how you

Sexy Getting Ready Song,”

get ready? This is some...

Rebecca sings “body rolls are

this is horrifying, like a scary

really hard” while performing

movie or something. Like

her various sexual dance

some nasty-ass patriarchal

moves. Taken out of context,

bullshit.”

both

to

music, these lines take on

perpetuate the stereotypical

particular significance. The

model

line would feel ridiculous

songs

appear

of

objectifying

a

to

to

beauty as the be-all end-all.

Quickly

The aforementioned lines,

it fits seamlessly into the

however, defy this premise.

flow of the song without

The stereotypical title allows

preaching its messages to

them to acknowledge the

the audience. The rap genre

toxic standards that exist

itself

outside the world of the

this line from preaching.

show in a concrete manner.

The genre helps redefines

This gives the lyrics, then, an

what it means to be “cool”

obstacle to defy, because the

and “in style,” establishing

titles intentionally objectify

realistic sexual and physical

their subject (Rebecca). The

standards as “in style.” This

show sets challenges for

aids

themselves

of female beauty standards

overcome,

in

set

women and setting physical

to

say

When

dialogue.

rapped,

also

the

helps

however,

prevent

deglamorization

forcing creators to actively

established

by

the

and effectively take down

patriarchy. The fact that

these stereotypes if they

this is a male voice to also

want their message to be

upends the typical notion

56

INTERCUT

57

of beauty standards, as a

own views.

their sex appeal. Crazy Ex-

man recognizes the unjust

Girlfriend takes an entirely

and sexist nature of the

Another

standards which the line

Rebecca’s sexual expression

early on, feminine intellect

denounces.

quick

is her intellect. A double Ivy

is classified as a powerful

nature of the rap also means

league graduate, Rebecca

character trait. In Bloom’s

that the line could easily go

is the most academically

Hamilton-inspired rap battle

unnoticed, adding to the

accomplished

with a rival lawyer Audra,

nuanced takedown of beauty

on the show, and that is

Rebecca

standards set forth by the

displayed in the creatively

“Look,

series. Thus, the creators do

intelligent lines she’s given.

could never catch me / You

not force feed the message

In other sitcoms, intellectual

were close, but no match

to

women are too often over-

scholastically / Nohow, no

include subtle lines to get

stereotyped,

their

way I put the ‘O.G.’ in ‘5.0

viewers attention and make

academic

achievements

G.P.A.’ Here, both women

them perhaps question their

are portrayed as lessening

get power from diminishing

viewers,

The

but

rather

vital

aspect

of

and

of

anyone

different

approach.

From

confidently

raps

academically,

you

58

INTERCUT

each

other,

but

not

by

with a whispered:

“Love Kernels,” she regularly

asserting their sexuality and

references facts like these,

physical appearance over

“I’m like a sexy fashion-cactus.

which

the other as a stereotypical

Livin’ from compliment to

much intellectual curiosity

portrayal of jealous women

compliment,

or

might

topic

handled

to

hint.

towards

Storin’ them in my body

creative thought affect her

through

of

character. Even though the

one song “Women Gotta

drought. I may look dry, but

song also tackles unrealistic

Stick

Audra

if you cut me open, you’ll find

romantic

Together”).

Rebecca

use

long

periods

standards,

their

only water inside. Incidentally

Rebecca is still supposed

own lofty achievements to

that’s also a useful fact for how

to be painted in a desirable

assert themselves, gaining

to survive in the desert. But

manner,

power through their genius.

how do I know he loves me? I

tendencies adding to this

This

guess the only way to prove it

desirability.

intellectual

prowess

is portrayed as adding to setting

a

more

her

intellectual

is with abstract symbolism.”

Rebecca’s sex appeal, again

This intellectual sex appeal

realistic

The fun fact and the reversion

extends

standard for this character.

to “abstract symbolism” is

smart in regards to safe sex.

Intellect is vital to who

a subtle nod to the integral

In a song about a surprise

Rebecca is, so it would make

nature of Rebecca’s intellect

hookup, Rebecca sings “Have

sense that any partner of

to her character. Rebecca’s

you been tested for STDs?

hers should respect and

idiosyncratic

analytical

/ (STDs) / Tell me please!

appreciate

that.

qualities surface throughout

/ (STDs) /T hen waited a

Many brilliantly nerdy lines

her everyday life, whether

three-month window / And

put this thematic element

that be to win an unusual

got tested again / Just makin’

into action. In the season 2

her

for

even

to

being

court case (see “Flooded

sure / Most people don’t

song

“Love

with Justice”) or here, to

know about the window!”

Rebecca

opens

assert her sexuality. Like in

while the music dramatically

knockout

Kernels,”

59

propensity

how

more directly in the season

and

(a

hint

demonstrate

crescendos. Musically, it’s a cutesy and creative touch.

Thematically, it goes a lot further as it uses safe and smart sex as an additional method

of

attraction.

Despite acting a bit out of her established character by making sexual advances on a guy she just met, this action is not glorified nor demonized. Rather, it presents

casual

hookups

as something that can be both sexy and responsible.

Again,

the

intellectual

woman character is not desexualized,

making

the

character stand out further from counterparts on other shows.

Valencia, another character, also presents a powerful side of female sexuality, albeit different

from

Rebecca’s.

Even though Valencia is established as “the sexy one”

60

INTERCUT

(as her epitaph becomes in

for most women in society.

the song “Friendtopia”) in

Though the show certainly is

season one, her sexuality

cognizant of the exceptional

becomes

increasingly

nature of this fact, Valencia is

noteworthy as the show

still looked upon as the most

progresses. Valencia aligns

desirable figure in season

with

conventional

one by Rebecca. Rebecca

portrayals of women and the

competes with her over their

misconceptions

regarding

mutual love interest, Josh.

female sexuality. By including

Valencia directly references

this strand of the narrative,

these unrealistic standards,

the show challenges itself

however, so that the other

to defy these stereotypes.

characters can defy them.

more

Valencia presents a narrative obstacle—the

of

Paula acts as the show’s

realistic women who align

answer

with

Valencia.

reasonable

sexual

to

season One

one

of

her

standards. Thus, the show

knockout solos, “Maybe this

must work even harder to

Dream,” is subtly critical in

defy those norms. She is

destigmatizing

the

often-

the

hushed

of

female

most

feminine

61

creation

conventionally character,

topic

and

masturbation. While Paula

also portrayed as the most

sings a Disney princess-

conventionally desirable, as

esque

Rebecca details in her song

dream of law school, she

“Feelin’ Kinda Naughty.” In

says

Valencia’s first solo of the

won’t be like my vibrator /

show, “I’m So Good at Yoga,”

Breaking when I need it

it is stated that Valencia

most.” The casual nature of

“can do things with [her]

this operatically-sung line

body that no human should

within the greater context

be able to do.” Later, within

of the song normalizes this

a list of impressive traits,

commonplace sexual act in

she mentions her ability

a way that many shows on

to

an

major networks would be

unrealistic sexual standard

wary of. It may not be the

vaginally

orgasm,

piece “Maybe

about this

her

dream

most obvious of lines, but

graphically realistic detail,

it is another way in which

bringing everyone on the

the show empowers female

show back to reality. Lastly,

sexuality and its many facets.

Paula also makes one of the hardest decisions in the

Paula also has one of the

series in the show’s third

most dynamic and varied

season: getting an abortion

sexual

romantic

when she becomes pregnant.

experiences of any leading

and

This plot details works to

character on the show. She

destigmatize

is slightly older than the

well as empower Paula by

other three women, and is

showing her full ownership

married with two teenage

over her own body and

children. She could easily be

choices.

abortion,

as

cast into a typical motherly role. However, even in her

Together, Valencia, Rebecca,

relationship to motherhood,

and Paula provide varied

she provides one of the most

perspectives

honest depictions of a real

sexuality.

Through

human

nuanced

exploration

being

throughout

on

female the of

the show. First of all, she is

these characters, Crazy Ex-

portrayed as being sexually

Girlfriend

curious despite having a

more than an amusing show

committed

becomes

much

relationship

with cute musical numbers.

with her husband. Though

Instead, the show contains

she does not end up acting

rich themes and empowers

unfaithfully, her song “His

its

Status is Preferred”—which

realistic

among other things is an

physical beauty standards

exploration of class—reveals

to

her

regarding

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend negates

high-profile male client at

unrealistic standards and

the law firm. In her season

sets its own. It redefines

three solo “Miracle of Birth,”

sitcom

she describes the so-called

women and their various

wonders of motherhood in

sexual expressions.

excitement

central

women

manner.

female

and

in

a

From

masturbation,

empowers

62

INTERCUT

CHARACTER AS CORE:

MAURICE PIAL AT’S A NOS AMOURS JULIA LEVINE

63

OUT OF ALL of the elements

Beyond this summation, the

that make up a good film,

plot of the film is difficult to

I

most

outline. I could say that when

while

we first meet Suzanne she is

movies

at summer camp, where she

have a cast of characters

is acting in a play, spending

that are complex, human,

time

and fascinating to watch,

sneaking off to meet up with

there are some films that

her boyfriend Luc. I could

lean upon character above

tell you that we see Suzanne

all as their very backbone.

fight

The spectrum ranges from

we

character-driven

films,

change and dissolve, and

protagonist’s

we see Suzanne’s ever more

ways of being define the plot,

rebellious reactions to her

to character-studies, where

circumstances. Still, these

the plot seems barely there

events are not really what

in favor of a character simply

the film is about. The core

existing in a world, their life

of the film is not like that of

creating an arc of feeling

other genres. It is not saving

rather than heavy action.

the day, solving a mystery,

While I find myself drawn to

or finding a soulmate. It is,

everything on this spectrum,

simply, Suzanne herself.

find

character

compelling. most

where

And

successful

the

with

friends,

with see

her

family

and

parents, dynamics

my favorite film of this type by far is Maurice Pialat’s A

Yann

Nos Amours (To Our Loves).

editor for Pialat, said in an

Dedet,

a

frequent

extra feature on the A Nos A Nos Amours began as a

Amours

DVD,

semi-autobiographical script

usually

throws

from

scenes,

even

Pialat’s

collaborator

“[Pialat] out if

bad

they’re

Arlette Langman but soon

important

took on a life of its own. The

sometimes there are holes in

plot-wise,

so

film follows fifteen year old

the plot.” This does not come

Suzanne as she navigates her

as a complete surprise, as

first loves and lusts and tries

Pialat’s narratives are never

to find a place for herself

tightly plotted, but with A

in her overbearing family.

Nos Amours it is also not

64

INTERCUT

apparent to viewers that any necessary scenes are missing.

The

characters

do a lot of the work in the plot’s stead. In order to let so much fall to character, though,

a

director

must

have great actors. Pialat truly trusts his cast with the responsibility of portraying believable characters, and in A Nos Amours, he made an excellent discovery when he cast Sandrine Bonnaire in her breakout role as Suzanne.

Bonnaire would later go on to star in Agnes Varda’s Sans Tuit Ni Loi (Vagabond) and appear in over forty other films. Perhaps the most

crucial

secondary

character, if such a hierarchy of character importance can be established, is Suzanne’s father, who is played by Pialat himself. Given the talent of his leading actress and the control Pialat had as both a director and an actor

playing

opposite

her, magical moments of improvisation were possible between them.

The

most

improvisation

65

famous in

A

Nos

Amours takes place during a

family and his reappearance

dinner table sequence where

is a surprise to the characters

Suzanne, her mother, and

and actors alike. Despite this,

a few other characters are

the actors react while never

gathered together, talking

breaking character and the

of everyday subjects and

charged scene which follows

having a regular evening.

is

The ordinary dinner is then

improvised. Pialat barges in,

interrupted by the return of

offers insults, receives a blow

Pialat. The man that walks

from his wife and shoves her

into the scene, however, is

against the table in return,

not Pialat the director, but

and asks Suzanne which

Pialat the patriarch, who the

side she is taking. Such a

confused actors thought was

scene, with its unpredictable

long gone. Earlier in the film,

nature, would have a hard

Suzanne’s father had left the

time finding a place in a film

supposedly

completely

66

INTERCUT

prioritizing plot structure.

D’Abord

Pialat’s

centers

loose,

character-

(Graduate around

a

group

centered tale enables this

of

dinner to fit into the larger

Suzanne and her friends,

film

going about their lives and

despite

the

specific

teenagers,

First)

similar

getting

closer

to

spontaneous reactions of his

slowly

actors, which he could not

taking their baccalaureate

have anticipated.

exams.

L’Enfance

to Nue

(Naked Childhood) takes a

67

A Nos Amours is perhaps

younger protagonist as its

Pialat’s

well-known

subject, following a ten year

film, but much of his less

old child as he is shuffled

famous work finds character

between

at its core. Passe Ton Bac

Throughout

most

foster his

homes. career

Pialat has been praised for

her mother’s death. All of

his unsentimental style and

these films feature female

commitment

leads

navigating

but the fact that critics see

to

which

do

these traits in his filmmaking

understand them and which

may stem, at least in part,

they often do not seem to

from Pialat’s treatment of

understand in turn. Their

character. He tells stories

directors, however, do not

that are not about things

judge

happening, but about people

for their misplacement or

happening, about interesting

incongruities

but

they allow them to find their

human

“realism”

characters

moving through their lives

not

these

worlds seem

to

protagonists but

instead

way.

without contrivance.

A Nos Amours is unique Of course, Pialat is not

in its decision to actively

the only filmmaker with a

take viewers into Suzanne’s

particular focus on character.

moody

Others work in this tradition,

reminding us what it was like

and many are notable for

to be her age by following

their choice of young adult

her

or child protagonists. Benoît

exciting and quotidien. A

Jacquot’s La Désenchantée

crucial gift of this character

(The Disenchanted) takes a

narrative is the inherent

female teenage protagonist

realism it engenders. Pialat

like Suzanne and explores

offers us a slice-of-life where

many of the same themes

truth is foregrounded over

as A Nos Amours. Léa Pool’s

the type of dramatic or

Emporte Moi centers on a

flashy scenes that can only

younger girl but still finds

happen in movies and not

itself in similar thematic

in reality. The awkwardness,

territory.

recently,

confusion, and frustration

Carla Simón’s Summer 1993

of growing up is given room

arguably falls into the realm

to breathe, and the everyday

of

More

character-driven

in

personal

moments

world,

both

films,

trials of youth become as

following six year old Frida

meaningful to viewers as

as she adjusts to life after

they are to the characters.

68

INTERCUT

THE POLITICS OF REPRESENTATION I N H O L LY W O O D

69

K A L E E K E N N E DY WITH

THE

INSURGENCE of

over-the-top platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime and

cyber-communities,

the world has seemingly decreased in size with the help of an expansive media playground. Representation of

global

and

minority

cultures other than that of

the

Anglo-American

can be produced for an international

audience

through the accessibility of these platforms. Whether through Netflix and other streaming

services

traditional

or

Hollywood

studios, both facets of the industry misrepresent the minority groups they claim to champion when, in reality, they have profit on the mind.

Considering this, it becomes harder to understand how Hollywood

still

fails

to

70

INTERCUT

represent

of

have generated a sense of

different cultures accurately

individuals

trust between the Black

through the narrative lens

community and the Netflix

that’s been curated.

corporation.

In

actuality,

the relationship is flawed.

Netflix

has

been

The

Strong

Black

Lead

instrumental in the past year,

campaign foregrounds the

using social media strategies

seen, while the behind the

to create the illusion of

scenes representation is still

valuing

inadequate.

representation

in

television and film. Netflix uses social media platforms

Netflix’s

to highlight Black talent

Spanish-language

and content creators with

Siempre Bruja (Always A

calendars

Witch) fell into this trap.

series

Black (or minority) driven

Netflix

shows and films coming

series for its focus on a racial

each

class

month,

exclusive

championed frequently

this

ignored

interviews with talent and

in South American media.

creators about their career,

Several Black viewers raved

and

social

media

posts

about the show after viewing

from

the

audience

that

its trailer, but as soon as

adhere

71

showcasing

Afro-Colombian

mission.

the series was released it

According to The Los Angeles

to

their

was panned by critics and

Times, “Strong Black Lead

viewers well-versed in racial

represents

stereotypes

an

intentional

and

tropes.

focus from Netflix to talk

Strong Black Lead centered

authentically with the Black

promotion for this show on

audience.” These strategies

their Twitter and Instagram

profiles and even featured

to

it

Black

minority groups. Following

Mexico,

Despite

the series’s dismal release

the makings of a coherent

dark-

and the cancellation of its

and

critically

worthy of the high movie

on

its

Lead

Strong

calendar.

foregrounding skinned

a

Afro-Colombian

the

representation

successful

of

Latin

soap opera and shot in

woman, the crew and cast

American original One Day

ticket

surrounding

film

engaging prices.

lacked storyline

Conversely,

main

at A Time, many members

in the past year the same

character are all White Latin

of Netflix’s audience have

production

Americans and, as evident

come to question Netflix’s

released a box office and

by the storyline, ill-equipped

dedication to representation

critical

to tackle racial stereotypes.

rather than profit.

winning Spider-Man: Into the

Siempre

the

the

Netflix’s

Bruja,

companies

hit:

the

award-

Spider Verse. The animated

second Colombian series,

As we turn to the Hollywood

feature film represented a

failed Black History Month

studio

young

by propagating a slave/slave

Pictures and Sony Pictures

Morales, coming into his

master love fantasy story.

took

at

own as Spider-Man. The

One of the producers even

representation by utilizing

project featured an African

specializes

Latin American star Gina

American director and a

genre and created a series

Rodriguez

a

Cuban American producer

entitled

Slave

Mexican American remake,

and writer. The Spider-Verse

for Colombian audiences.

Miss Bala. Despite boasting

team created a project which

Netflix

the

a cast and crew comprised

accurately depicted Miles

potential revenue from its

of 95% Latinx individuals

Morales’

engaged Black audience and

and a female director, the

without

their otherwise successful

film was met with dismal

stereotypes. By attributing

Strong Black Lead campaign

critical reviews and equally

roles to members of minority

to

disappointing

groups in decision making

into

in

The

this White

foregrounds

dupe

the

racist

community

consuming

system, their

Columbia

chance

to

helm

box

office

Afro-Latino,

dual

identities

playing

(producer,

Miles

into

content

numbers. Although the film

roles

director,

independent of its benefit

was derived from a Mexican

writer, etc.) as opposed to

72

INTERCUT attributing

minorities

to

as many roles as possible on a crew, the film avoided the pitfalls other identitydriven

projects

encountered

by

have coupling

misrepresentation disjointed Because on

to

with

storylines. the

sell

film out

went

theaters

domestically

and

internationally, Spider-Verse broke

barriers

regarding

myths of exportability and minority-driven media; the myth perpetuates that any form of media with a person of color as a lead will not sell outside of the United States of

America.

Spider-Verse’s

commercial success drives production companies to

presentation,

realize that accurate and

elites

the

few Black members of the

careful representation is the

advancement of accurate

production, the movie was

key to profit.

representation, perpetuating

chosen by the Academy

misrepresentation through

as

tropes,

While

73

tired

the

best

film

even

storylines,

though the past year saw a

and disappointing casting

ground-breaking display of

this strategy, it doesn’t come

practices under the guise of

representation of minority

without its challenges and

money and tradition. This is

groups.

qualifiers. Even though the

best exhibited with the 2019

top-grossing film of last year

Academy Award for Best

It is not lost on the average

was a Marvel film directed by

Picture, Green Book. Rife

viewer that it took seventeen

a black man and there was a

with controversy regarding

Marvel

films

semblance of racial diversity

misrepresentation of Black

Panther

to

with the Oscar winners at

historical

racist

and released for a mass

this past Academy Awards

ideologies held by crew and

audience or that it took

slowly

studios

halting

cast, and tokenizing the

understanding

are

Hollywood

are

Hollywood

figures,

be

for

Black

produced

Hollywood executives and

the

actors utilizing their own

lead back to money in this

production

to

industry. Until established

ensure

company

that

All

roads

roles

executives realize that profit

were not white washed with

can stem from adequate

Crazy Rich Asians and To All

representation of minority

The Boys I’ve Loved Before.

groups,

Frequently Hollywood studio

companies and platforms

executives see these cultural

will arise that will advance

phenoms

to

Asian

industry.

production

outliers

on that truth and challenge

and not indicative of the

the traditional companies.

change in tide of audience

It is time for the next

reception. Audiences have

generation to see themselves

grown

and

generation

be

new

the

younger

represented in the media

is

bringing

they

their own perspective to

consume

and

for

Hollywood to see its worth.

74

INTERCUT

“ S T O P C RY I N G A N D M O V E YO U R H A N D S ” AT 4:30AM ON THE morning

shot in just under an hour.

camera rested on a stack of apple boxes and a sandbag.

of the first shoot day for my thesis, I rode in the car with

“Listen.” He was stern. It was

Babe, one of the producers

what I needed. “If this is the

I didn’t always want to

of my movie and my best

worst thing we have to deal

make movies. I didn’t have

friend. At the time, the two

with, we’re lucky.”

some dream of standing behind

labels were one and the

a

camera,

didn’t

We were driving to

This shot (the one with the

write screenplays or act out

Dunkin’ Donuts to pick up

missing tripod) is one of my

sketches in front of my family

coffee for the crew. It was

favorites in the film. I rode in

and

cold, still dark out, and I was

the back of a pickup truck,

assignments in class, the

crying. I had only moments

tracking my lead as she

only thing I had made on my

earlier

my

walked through a parking

own before my thesis were

tripod was missing. We were

lot on the way back from her

a handful of short additions

supposed to get a sunrise

late-night radio show. The

to the found-footage horror

same.

realized

that

friends.

Aside

from

ON MAKING A MOVIE MEG WEST 75

From Meg West’s On Air

series,

Encounters.

ladder outside my window,

you sign on to make a

Grave Encounters 3 (we were

screaming as if something

production thesis. When it

picking up where they left

was pulling her through,

came down to it, I thought

off ) was set in my unfinished

my camcorder capturing it

it was the most promising

basement. My best friend

in night-vision mode. We

of a handful of bad ideas, the

leaned down towards the

watched the footage back

one that had the potential to

concrete with a piece of

immediately after each take.

be the most beautiful. There

Grave

duct tape to mark a scratch

was a deadline, work to be

on the floor, looked up at

My thesis wasn’t a “passion

done on this half-baked idea.

the camera and said, “This

project.”

been

I have to tell myself this is a

is definitely a paranormal

working on the idea for

passion project, I thought, or

hotspot.” You can hear me

months, didn’t feel that it

it won’t get finished.

laugh in the background,

“needed to be told,” or any of

say, “Sorry, sorry, go again.”

the shit the film department

The

Later,

says you should feel before

again and again, I watched

she

stood

on

a

I

hadn’t

script

was

edited

76

INTERCUT strangers

read

my

lines

back to me in audition tapes online, made shot lists, met with my crew, phoned in so many favors that I feel I am forever indebted to my friends. I spent hours in the editing room, holding a flashlight to cut up pieces of film trying to identify them.

Cut, tape, run it back. Cut, tape, run it back. Untangle 400ft of film that’s come unraveled from the center of the core. Cut, tape, give up, go to bed.

I hated the movie, frequently.

There were weeks where I felt emotionally rocked by things outside the world The crew of Wilson Lai’s Karaoke Superstar

of the project and couldn’t look at it. I felt tremendous guilt at the fact that I had crowdfunded most of my budget, felt that what I was capable of was not worthy of the kindness of friends, family,

strangers.

The

flipside, though—and I’d be wrong not to mention it: I felt grateful, I felt inspired, I felt productive, I felt lucky.

I sat in one of the editing rooms in the film center a

77

couple weeks ago and asked

going to come out of it, but

some of my fellow thesis

I really do enjoy being on set

filmmakers

their

and I wanted to create an

processes, curious whether

about

atmosphere on set where

my ups and downs and self

my crew members had a

doubt were normal or a sign

really good time and would

that I wasn’t cut out for the

remember being on my set,

job. I was about to shoot

because some of my fondest

the credits for my film, and

memories at Wesleyan were

had a 16mm camera set

being

up to record the screen of

theses sets.”

on

other

people’s

a desktop Mac (if anything can display the weirdness

MEG : “Would you say that

of working in an outdated

it was more about making

medium, it’s probably this).

a movie than making the

As

movie you made?”

we

approached

the

deadline, it was a almost a given that most of us were

WILSON : “Yeah. But it slowly

in the film center together

became,

at some point every day,

movie, rather than a movie.

commiserating,

like...this

is

the

watching

Right now, I’m definitely

each other’s cuts, asking,

happy with it. [He laughs.]

Does this work?

It’s lonely editing.”

WILSON

L AI

Superstar):

“I

(Karaoke always

felt

JUSTIN

KIM

(Rockabilly

Vince): “I knew I wanted

like it was inevitable that

to

I was going to do a thesis

something to do with race

something

and there were definitely

relations,

and

possibly

ideas, even from Freshman

a

piece,

and

and Sophomore year…but

something fun, along the

I did procrastinate, and I

lines of this thing I had

scrapped an idea the week

saw in Tokyo-Ga. Over the

before our first drafts were

summer

due. I was definitely excited

around for costumes and

to make a thesis. Not only

thought a lot about how

for the product that was

I wanted it to look, but I

period

I

had

that

had Justin Kim

a

shopped

78

INTERCUT didn’t really pour enough

with the kind of work that

was

definitely

personal—

time into the screenwriting

the crew and I did, but I don’t

and

still

It’s

process and I think that I

know that I’m happy with

thinking about just before

blazed ahead without really

the kind of prep and amount

shooting, [our advisors] were

realizing how many steps I

of thought and time I poured

talking about sets that get

was missing. I thought I had

into it myself. I’m frustrated

condescending

all this momentum because

because it’s not the best

bad vibes, and I thought: This

I knew that I wanted to make

thing I could have made.”

will never be my set.

to make films, and it was

GUSTAVO RENÉ (Pacurí): “I

And then, I don’t know,

important for me that the

started writing the script

everything went wrong. So

film I made had something

Spring break of my Junior

quickly. The first day, before

to do with Asian American

year. It was definitely a

we even started shooting,

representation. But where

passion project. I thought

we were an hour late. It

I find myself now is that

of the idea Sophomore year,

was a shit show. The mag

there were a lot of things

was fleshing it out, and

got dropped and we were

that I missed that I didn’t

started writing spring of my

shooting on one roll. It was

realize I had missed that

junior year, because I knew

supposed to be an easy day!

I’m dealing with now, after

I wanted to shoot early and

A three-hour day!”

the fact. There were these

was excited to do it. It’s a

key realizations that I would

story that very much related

Other set horror stories from

have liked to make earlier

to my childhood and my

my peers involve almost

that I didn’t make. I’m happy

sister’s childhood and so it

getting hit by a car with the

is.

and

funny,

have

a thesis, I know that I want

From Gustavo René’s Pacurí

79

camera in hand, fear that the whole day was shot on 60fps—a mistake that almost guarantees a reshoot, a light meter stuck in the wrong

setting,

a

double

exposed mag, hours of rain on a day that was planned to take place outside in the sun, actors that dropped out, late ADs, unhappy landlords, things lost in the mail, props left at home.

Editing, though, is an entirely different beast, a gruelling process with its own set of roadblocks.

And it is, for

the most part, extremely solitary.

GUSTAVO : “I really love the post-production

process

On the set of Alice Goldberg’s Gia

80

INTERCUT because I feel like I have to

I was writing the movie. I

and desperate. The thought

build this big puzzle, and I’m

want to be done.”

of having to piece everything back together if my hunch

really having fun with it, and I enjoy being here for hours.

On any given day during

wasn’t correct rendered me

But I also want to move on.

Spring semester you can

frequently useless.

I was in love with the story

walk in on someone working

originally and now I think

who will tell you confidently,

For the most part, though,

it’s stupid and corny and

“My movie is terrible.” At

there is a near consensus

cheesy—you know what I

the rough cut stage, when,

from the people I’ve talked

mean?”

as Gustavo said, you are

to that making a thesis

building

and

was their best experience

Everyone makes noises of

reckoning with the things

at Wesleyan. And I agree.

agreement.

you wish you did, there are

There is nothing like waking

moments when it feels like it

up at 5am and seeing your

SEBASTIAN

puzzle

MOLLER

just won’t work. I’ve had days

crew there, ready to help

(Undertow): “I feel like what it

where I went to the editing

you, nothing getting a shot

looks like is very true to what

room

hours

you know is—even in some

I was trying to do. I wrote

watching my footage, unable

small way—magic, nothing

several drafts when I was in

to make a single decision,

like hearing a song that fits

a bad place and editing it

the concreteness of the the

perfectly in a scene, nothing

makes me reflect on that in

blade on the film—the little

like putting your film on the

an annoying…I’m not feeling

shhrrrrk as it cuts—making

flatbed or uploading your

the same way I was when

everything seem permanent

footage for the first time and

On the set of Wilson Lai’s Karaoke Superstar

81

a

and

spent

watching it back.

mirror.

Foggy

nothing

emptiness in front. I wish I You see, this is what I was

was still making it.

scared of. The glossing over, the feel-goodness of looking

I was hoping to write this

back at something in the

in the thick of the thing—

rearview mirror, the period

in the thick of planning, or

of time after something is

shooting,

done in which you feel sure

I couldn’t. Mostly because

that it was worth it. That

I didn’t have the time, but

period of time is miniscule in

also because when I was in

comparison to the amount

the middle of the movie-

of time you spend in front

making process (something

of your footage feeling like

that sounds concrete, but

absolute shit, the amount

was messy and sloppy and

of time you spend making

emotional in ways I didn’t

phone calls to hotels and

anticipate) I couldn’t see

locations and actors, the

the edges of it. I wanted to

amount of time you spend

write about how angry I felt

with your script, listening

while I was making it, how

back to your dialogue, it

incompetent and dumb I felt,

ringing phony in your ears.

and thought that if I wrote it

I took a picture of myself

in a moment of feeling that

looking disheveled in the

way I might get at something

editing room on my phone,

honest about making “art”

captioned it, “This is to

that I wish I knew before I

document

had started.

the

complete

or

editing—but

and utter despair that is making a movie lest I forget

But the movie is done,

and ever think that I want

getting printed at a lab in

to do it again” and saved it

Maryland

to my camera roll. Sounds

back to me any day now.

dramatic. It was dramatic.

I can’t make changes. It’s

I’m not sure I was being the

wrapped

least bit ironic when I took it.

times around a 3-inch core

But, here I am. On the other

forming

side. Movie in my rearview

black disc, an infuriatingly

and

shipped

hundreds a

of

medium-sized

82

INTERCUT

Lisa Hanawalt’s Moosefingers

simple thing to look at and

Maybe this isn’t as profound

making stuff is worthwhile

hold considering what it

to you as it was to me, but in

if you spend the whole time

took to make. Predictably, I

case it is:

doubting

now feel nostalgic—sappy,

“It doesn’t matter if you feel

nights before shoots staring

almost—about it. Not mad,

good or bad while you make

at the ceiling feeling like a

or powerless, just a little bit

stuff.”

fraud, thinking about the

sad, a little bit proud, a little bit disappointed.

spend

crew members who are going The goodness and badness

to show up for you, help you

that

with

turn something half-baked

It’s important to me that you

making “stuff ” is probably

comes

along

into a reality. Maybe you will

know this: You don’t have

inevitable.

some

ask yourself if it’s worth it if

to have full faith in yourself

people feel the lows and

what you make disappoints

to make something good.

the highs more than others.

you, if it doesn’t quite work,

More times than I can count

Maybe some people feel

if it fails entirely. Maybe you

during the thesis process,

the lows the entire time.

can’t answer that—not from

I thought back to a comic

Maybe some people feel the

inside the project, not from

by Lisa Hanawalt, called

highs the entire time (I don’t

outside it. Maybe you just

Moosefingers.

trust

have to try again. And again.

Maybe

them).

Maybe

you

will ask yourself whether

83

yourself,

And again.

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