the index · arts
Page 23
arts
October 2020
Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending Tenet brings movies back to theaters with a bang Drew Loughnane ’21
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enet, written and directed by Christopher Nolan, marks a milestone in the chaotic year of 2020. After the COVID-19 pandemic put a majority of the country’s entertainment on hold, Tenet marked the first major film release to hit the big screen since mid-March. To re-open, theaters must now follow a plethora of safety precautions. Masks are mandatory, physical distancing is required, and theaters have substantially increased the amount of sanitization. Despite the unorthodox experience, viewers flocked to see Tenet; it brought in $207 million worldwide. The film depicts a protagonist, never mentioned by name, as he travels through a world filled with espionage. With no aid but a single word—“tenet”—he attempts to prevent the world from a potential collapse. A friendly warning: this is no ordinary savethe-world thriller. In typical Nolan fashion, Tenet alters audiences’ views on reality, as the mission evolves to occur beyond real time. The film’s complexity begs the comparison to one of Nolan’s most famous works, Inception. Both require the audience to “buyin,” as details throughout the film are vital to each respective pay-off. Following Incep-
tion’s 2010 release, many viewers fell in love with the film. What initially took a second or even third viewing eventually morphed into one of the most well-known sci-fi movies in history. Yet, with every positive opinion on Nolan’s Inception, there was also a negative one. Complaints that the film is “too mindblowing” will forever muddy Inception’s claim at the very top—cinema’s Rushmore of movies, if you will. In a similar sense, Nolan’s Tenet shares a duality of opinion across its viewers. Sixth Former Tyler Zimmer said, “I loved the movie because it was so challenging to comprehend. My friend and I enjoyed the arguments about what was happening and picking up on small details.” On the other hand, Sixth Form film-enthusiast Michael Tallarida felt Nolan might have gone overboard: “At some times, the plot was confusing to understand. Tenet is an innovative and groundbreaking movie for modern cinema, but Nolan’s constant need for mystery throughout took away from its potential.” Don’t get me wrong. Nolan’s most recent film is a masterpiece. The cinematic elements are more Christopher Nolan than ever, most notably featuring the destruction of a full-
Orchestra practicing outdoors Ethan Chan ’23
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t notable occasions during the school year, friends, family, and faculty witness the different harmonies and melodies created by the school’s musicians in Centennial Hall. With the change in momentum and “tempo” from the closing of the school in March, the music groups have faced an obstacle— in-person rehearsals. One of the groups that has been able to formulate a plan to coincide with the new school regulations is the orchestra. “Right now we’re starting a program that features outdoor rehearsal (weather permitting) three days a week,” Orchestra Director Mr. Goodrich said. “We’re organizing around sports, schedules, etc., and we’re rehearsing in the courtyard right outside the music building.” A different approach to the pre-recorded videos sent in by orchestra members last school year, Mr. Goodrich and students
musicians see many potential benefits from these outdoor rehearsals. “So far, we’ve been able to get really wonderful participation and enthusiasm from the orchestra. I think that there’s a tradition in classical music of having performances outside especially during the summer with Pop Orchestras, and fortunately, we have a fairly good acoustic here in the courtyard, where there are enough buildings close by to reflect our sound. I think that we are all more satisfied with the sound we’re getting considering the circumstances,” says Mr. Goodrich. Fourth Former Luka Sekulic, who plays first violin, has similar feelings. “Everyone is enjoying it. We like practicing together, and this method of rehearsing is definitely a good method for us to keep our skills sharp,” Sekulic said. To comply with the safety precautions, the orchestra has devised innovative solutions to make sure everyone is safe. “I have a unique window into virology
Jazz Band planning virtual, one-on-one rehearsals Austin Zhuang ’22
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ike its string and singing counterparts, Jazz Band resumed practicing starting October 5. Virtually, students will meet for fifteenminute, one-on-one sessions with Director Mr. Philip Giangiordano. “In August, I talked with Mr. Hengst about how we would work this,” Mr. Giangiordano said. “And I settled on working with each person in the band on Zoom or something else.” For about three hours every week, Mr. Giangiordano will have back-to-back meetings and comment on each individual’s performance. “Once everybody has their parts down in-
dividually, we can have the trumpet section do a Zoom session together,” Mr. Giangiordano said. “And we can work it [the song] out with more than one person at a time.” The effectiveness of these rehearsals is promising. More individual attention leads to a stronger performance overall, both for the ensemble and the player. “In some ways, one-on-one sessions might be better,” Mr. Giangiordano said. “In the past, we’ve done [section practices], but now, if it’s me and you, I can listen to you play the whole thing and just comment.” Those in the ensemble agree that time alone with Mr. Giangiordano is beneficial. Fifth Former Patrick Corcoran discussed
Tenet at the Narberth Theater, October 2, 2020
MR. THOMAS STAMBAUGH
size Boeing 747 during filming. The acting is world-class, with John David Washington continuing his success following his Golden Globe-nominated performance in BlacKkKlansman (2018). That said, Tenet is not for the casual viewer.
I urge anyone intellectually curious to go out and see Tenet with an open mind and maybe some money for a second ticket.
and how to mitigate risks for students,” says Mr. Goodrich, who worked in medicinal chemistry and has degrees in physical chemistry and music. “One method is wearing IE gloves with the fingers cut out and extra clothing. These gloves have multiple uses as they prevent the spread of germs from touching equipment and instruments and keeping everyone’s hands warm during the colder weather.” Given that weather won’t allow for inperson rehearsals at a certain point, the orchestra holds Zoom meetings every week to review the repertoire and to stay on track. The social aspect of a group environment is extremely important for the orchestra. “The other most important thing,” said
Mr. Goodrich, “is that these experiences of community and group presence are so hard to come by during this time, and it really reminds us of the importance of music, and the importance of spending time in a group, working on a common task, which has been incredibly difficult considering this situation. I see this as a really important social exercise and a really fulfilling emotional exercise for a lot of the participants.” “We enjoy the challenge of the new pieces and playing together has made our experience much more enjoyable,” Sekulic said. “This will definitely help keep the Orchestra together in the long run.”
AGUSTIN ALIAGA ‘21
Orchestra members rehearse outside Centennial Hall’s stage some of the positives. “I think it’ll be pretty helpful,” Corcoran said. “[Mr. Giangiordano] can walk us through parts, tell us how something should feel, or how fast it should be, or how loud or soft.” Others, however, are wary that a lack of practicing together as a group will hinder progress. “That [one-on-one sessions] is going to affect a lot,” Sixth Former Will Schaefer said. “I play based on the band, and a lot of my stuff is working with the others in the rhythm section.” Jazz Band members are eager to get back to practicing and improving as musicians. “Personally, I’d just like to get better at playing saxophone,” Sixth Former Decker Patterson said. “In general, I like to improve my skills as a musician, and it’s the biggest thing that can come out of [virtual practice].” After preparing for a few months, students will come in to record their parts, and
the tracks will be edited into one cohesive recording for the school to listen to. While incomparable to a live performance, many feel the video will bring more popularity to the Jazz Band. “There are a lot of benefits to the virtual performance,” Corcoran said. “The school could use it to market better, and, while it will be weird and new, it is much easier to watch, and more people will be able to listen.” The pandemic has made the lives of musicians difficult since March, but the ensemble has adapted and found ways to continue playing and working together. “I feel like the biggest part missing is being together,” Patterson said, “but I think we have a lot to look forward to the end product. With a lot of hard work, we can make it the best performance possible.”
