Jack Fisher Decalogue

How does the film work as Midrash?
The film works as Midrash, because it shows the idea of the Commandments in a way that we have been familiar with. The chapters the class saw included the following Commandments from the Christian Bible, “Though shalt not worship false idols” and “though shalt not kill.” These practices of midrash allows for the audience to take in the thoughts of the Commandments and experience the visual idea from the movies purpose of the though shalt not kill concept or idea .

Do any of the visuals of the film work as symbols that bridge the gap of understanding? How?
The use of the computer as a false idol was a great example for the directors  to elaborate what a false idol could possibly due do people. The computer enabled the characters in the film experiencing truth as they  were receiving a number. God is the one central forthcoming and God’s forthcoming is so grand that we could never comprehend it. The little boy character fell through the ice on the pond because he and his father put all of their faith in that computer and did not realize that you can just trust a computer. 

How does the film relate feeling to meaning?

The film appeals to our emotions through the story of good people with misplaced beliefs. Krzysztof and Pawel’s obsessive concern with technology is shown in the form of their computer, whose word is taken for law. Using this as a metaphor for one of the Ten Commandments, the film shows tests this misguided faith as the computer’s data says that a frozen river can support the weight of Pawel. By aligning this emotional risk with the information of the computer, The Decalogue highlights the tragic consequences of placing faith in false idols.

Finally, does this film cycle work to contextualize and integrate the code into an individual's life, bridging the flux of the moment to the ultimate meaning of eternity? The film puts these teachings into perspective for me and helps me empathize with the characters and their experiences. I am able to understand their feelings of pain and anguish, although I am not able to directly experience the tragedies that have happened in their lives.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Thin Red Line - Joseph Hancock

“The Thin Red Line” has many similar themes to “Apocalypse Now.” This makes sense, as both are war films focused on a squad of American soldiers with diverse backgrounds and personalities heading into enemy territory. However, although both films tackle similar ideas, they approach them from different perspectives. For example, “Apocalypse Now” views the natural world as a part of the sacred. Meanwhile, the arbitrary war between human countries is profane by going against nature and destroying it through bombs, napalm, and firefights. But while nature is sacred, that doesn’t mean it is friendly, as the jungle is hostile towards the main characters to the point that they only feel safe on their boat after an animal attack; even then, several squad members still die on the boat as a result from unseen attacks coming from the jungle.  Comparing these ideas to those found in “The Thin Red Line”, there is plenty of overlap. Many of the visual shots in the film focus on how nature...
Read more

Film Technique Joseph Hancock

Bunny The level of violence in the film really did not shock me that much when I saw it. It came off to me as very slapstick-like, which is a common theme in animation going as far back as early Warner Bros and Disney films. When watching it, the actual dirtiness of the bunny and her house was the most surprising aspect of the film. The animators made the house feel cramped and dirty through the set design, despite there being only one person living there. I got the feeling that this bunny was just tired of life without even needing to see the shot of her viewing the photo of her husband. However, I will say that her climbing into the oven to reach the afterlife was also something I didn’t expect, but I can see why it got the film banned. I do like the imagery of this bunny going through her final transformation into something new via the oven, much like the pie she was trying to make. Harold and Maud The single closeup shot between the mother and her son told the entire stor...
Read more

Rob Martine Film Technique

Bunny: Bunny is an animated short film about an elderly bunny who is trying to get rid of an irritating moth. Once the bunny captures the moth, she angrily mixes it with the cake she is making and bakes it in the oven. Tired from chasing the moth around, the bunny falls asleep and has a vivid dream about following the moth into the lit up oven. The audience then finds out that the bunny actually died instead of falling sleep. The bunny then reunites with her already deceased husband. This has an interesting irony showing that moths naturally are attracted to lights whereas "going towards the light" symbolizes death. Personally, I would be horrified of this if I watched it as a child. However, it is a creative film. Harold and Maude: Harold and Maude is full of symbolism and life lessons. Harold merely wants her mother's care instead of her trying to set him up with a girl. He constantly fakes suicides to get rid of the girls and finds pleasure in it. His grim outlook ...
Read more