War in The Outlaw Josey Wales

I have for years thought that I needed to catch up with The Outlaw Josey Wales... but it turns out I have seen it. I don't know how long ago, but I distinctly remembered almost every scene, and knew the general outline of what was going to happen next. I also remembered that I didn't think much of the film, that it seemed a pretty standard Western story (which probably meant that I saw it when I was much younger as well, as this story isn't especially common.)

I have to say that I'm really glad that I watched it again because it has certainly gone up in my estimation in this viewing.

Clint plays the title character who finds himself in the middle of the Civil War after a Union troop destroys his house, rapes and kidnaps his wife and kills his son. When the war finishes and he finds himself on the losing side, he cannot pledge allegiance to the Union, and finds himself an outlaw, being chased across the land, from Missouri to Texas.

But my question about this film comes in the short introduction that Clint, in his current aged appearance, makes to the film. He says that it is "about the destructiveness of war"... which puzzled me. There is a brief war montage at the beginning of the film, but almost all of the film takes place in the aftermath of the Civil War. I believe the director, so it caused me to reconsider what this film was really about. Suppose it was all about war, how would it be read?

First, the situation comes as a result of war. Clint's family is killed and he is thirsty for revenge because a group of men was given licence to ravage uncontrollably, which really would happen only in wartime. The betrayal of his men comes from the hatred and distrust of even honorable men that occurs in wartime. Clint is declared an outlaw because he refused to put the war behind him. Everywhere he went the bodies stacked up because no matter where he was the war followed him. Even though many had put the war behind them, he didn't because his thirst for revenge hadn't been fulfilled, and there were many who wanted to take revenge on him. The large price on his head was also an aftermath of the war, in which war crimes were overlooked (or even rewarded with promotions). Because of this continuing war, Clint could never settle down, never relax, never create a new homestead.

There are signs of peace between individuals. Hatreds can be set aside between individuals, and battles can be agreed to be avoided between individual leaders. But this cannot happen, it is agreed, between governments. Governments must fight and kill the innocent because they have no choice. [spoiler]At the end, the man whom Clint thought betrayed him declared his peace, saying, "The war is over." But this is only because the government's official records declared the outlaw dead. War can only end in the face of a lie. [/spoiler]

How does this fit into Clint Eastwood's filmography and politics? I think it is clear that Clint supports the individual right of violence, but opposes any institutional violence. Institutional violence kills too many innocents, ruins the independent nuclear family/homestead ideal, and destroys lives long past the war's cessation. Clint is close to a libertarian, seeing government as a largely malevolent force, creating a context in which the individual is forced to be an outlaw to survive.

While the ethics and politics I might question (especially any support of redemptive violence), I think that this film presents such an ideal in a marvelous way. It is often subtle, and the brutality of the story is often softened by the beauty of the landscape, not unlike The Searchers. The cinematography and pacing is certainly reflective of Leone's influence, although Eastwood doesn't have the patience of Leone to really develop an intense suspense. This film is about as close as I've seen Eastwood get to an epic film, in both theme and size of landscape. 

I'm Not There's Approach to Biography

At the beginning of I’m Not There, we are introduced to Bob Dylan a southern black child blues singer.  If you think that’s unique, given that Dylan is a Jewish kid from Minnesota,  we might conclude that this biographical film isn’t necessarily concerned with accuracy.  And we would be right.  Later in the film we are introduced to Dylan, the poet under inquisition, the folk singer, the born again preacher, the western hero and the rock star (played brilliantly by Cate Blanchett).  To think of all these characters as one person, in one life is dizzying, in that it is both confusing and exhilarating.

I think that I'm Not There is one of the best biography films ever made, if not the best. It recognizes that his subject is not a single person, able to simplify into a recognizable pattern or plot. Rather, he is multiple people, a community, that should be represented by many characters. I think that there are many, many people like that-- on this forum, even-- who cannot be shoehorned into a stereotype, and to reduce them to a single storyline is to do injustice to their whole selves.

I love how this film incorporates fantasy of a self into the whole picture of who the man is or was. He is a hero of the West, a genius child performer, and these fantasies informed who he was in real life. They created a context for how he acted that "real life" couldn't explain.

The fact that the film is about Dylan isn't the point. Dylan is just a starting point. The real point is the complexity of every individual, the community of people that we all live with, the multiple personality disorder that we all control, or fail to control, in unique ways.

My Top Discoveries of 2014

As a film buff, it is essential that I continue to deepen my experience of film, not only recent film, but great films of the past.  I am constantly learning things about film, and experiencing new genres, new directors and new cinematic ideas.  Below aren't my favorites of last year, but my important discoveries of cinema this last year.

Lost Highway —  If David Lynch ever made a proper horror film, it might be one of the most frightening films ever.  He works so hard to give what we don’t expect, to make us uncomfortable.  To films a shot just a little too long, to film an empty room before the action starts, to just undermine our assumptions to how film should work.   This is certainly one of his best, both disturbing and powerful.

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg— A bittersweet, beautiful opera.

Nightmare Alley- This is the film I will point to when I want to tell people what noir is like.

Literary Film—Last year, I watched Bright Star, which explored poetry in a very cinematic manner, and this year I watched The Hours and Wit, which explores their literary pursuits in unique but fully cinematic ways.  I discovered that I love this approach to literature, not a scene-for-scene or word-for-word reproduction, but a unique artistic take on the art.  All three of these films have a unique perspective on their artists, but they also have an artistic quality themselves.  I will seek out more films like these.

A Star is Born—Really, this is my discovery of the amazing talent of Judy Garland.  Sure, I’ve seen The Wizard of Oz dozens of times, but in this film my eyes were opened to her powerful presence and acting.

The Selfish Giant (2013)—This is my favorite film of this year.  A powerful story, I found myself uncontrollably weeping at it, despite the fact that the film is honest and unmanipulative as they come.

Freaks—Not a horror film, but a brilliant ensemble piece with a powerful cast.

Hellzapoppin—This wouldn’t make my top 100, but the freshness of the comedy and the variety of the amazing talent left me with my mouth open.

Come and See —  A gut-wrenching war film, which really tears apart any idea of the glory of war.

Andrei Rublev — Finally, I understand why Tarkovsky is hailed as a master.  All of his films are intellectually powerful, but this is the first film of his that didn’t bore or confuse me unnecessarily.  Instead, this is a brilliant picture of a long ago age that isn’t so terribly unlike our own.

Hitchcock—This year I watched a number of his films that aren’t usually included in the top five lists: Rebecca, I Confess and It Takes a Thief.  I discovered something: Hitchcock really is a great director.  I couldn’t see it in tearing apart his “great” films.  But I can in simply enjoying his “second tier” films.  Every film is unique and interesting and powerful in their own way.  I can finally honestly list him as one of my favorite directors.

Eyes Without a Face — What a creepy, wonderful film.

Tokyo Story—Powerful family drama.

Howard Hawk’s Westerns— This year I discovered the “companion” westerns of Howard Hawks, where the center of the film is the relationship of the men.  Not much has to happen, such as in El Dorado, but it is the characters interacting that the real entertainment lies.  My favorite was Red River, which had an important female companion as well. 

The Greatest Musical Scenes in the Movies

The best musical scenes create a poem, a romance that convinces us that the unreal is real.  We don’t care how unrealistic the situation is, the best musical scenes make us believe because we long for it to be true.  It is too beautiful, too perfect not to be true.  Good musical scenes stun us and take our breath away.  Perfect musical scenes create a world that we enter for a few moments.

Red Shoes Ballet-- The Red Shoes

One of the most magnificent productions ever.  It is long, taking up the whole center of the movie, but it exemplifies what a musical scene can do, even without words.  All the emotion, power and themes presented in a single scene.  Even so, the complexity of staging and the colors create a fantasy stage world that takes one’s breath away. 

Do Re Mi- Sound of Music

Not only is this song one of the catchiest songs ever composed, but in film it is almost a miracle of writing and editing, creating a montage of setting, teaching and acceptance.  Everything about the legend of the Von Trapp singers are in this scene and it re-creates them right here, village life, prodigy singing, a teacher who is practically perfect in every way-- they got it all.

Lodi—Veer Zaara

This song perfectly exemplifies the joy and color of the best Bollywood musicals along with a village celebration and a battle of the sexes.   When I think of Bollywood, this is often the scene I return to.

Tonight (reprise)—West Side Story

Not the balcony fire escape scene, but near the end of the film with all the heavies of the cast singing.  This is probably the best penultimate songs ever.  At this point in the film, we have accepted the musical world of dancing gang fights and Natalie Wood as an immigrant or not.  Now we have the original romantic song mixed with gangs prepping for a fight and the seductress readying herself to get her man.  They are talking themselves up and this perfectly ramps us up, ready for a exciting conclusion.

When Your Mind’s Made Up –Once

We have been following our two lead characters for half the film getting reading to create an album, and finally, when they are in the studio, we see them from the place of the editing booth.  The editor has heard thousands of bands, and this is one more.  As the song continues, though, he sets aside his book and begins to realize that this band is different, and deserving of his full attention.  At this point the band amps up and gives us their full energy.  Best studio scene ever.

Everybody Wants to Be a Cat—Aristocats

Honestly, the Aristocats is among the least of Disney’s catalog (no pun intended). But when they arrive at the “pad” and the music hits us, we realize we are in for something fun.  As we are introduced to the new characters, we really warm up.   The song is so infectious and builds up to such a peak, we find ourselves singing it long after the film is over.   A meter of racism is uncomfy, but it passes quickly and then we are bouncing and giggling and the colors flash and… yeah, man.

Barn Dance—Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

It amazes me how much sexual tension you can put in a film that’s really a G-rated musical.  The tension of the seven brothers finally explode in their competition with the other men of the town at the barn raising.  The dance itself begins tame and builds up to a level of circus acrobatics.  Eye-popping and entertaining to the highest degree.

“I was hearing the voice of God”—Amadeus

Amadeus combines some of the most magnificent music ever written with commentary on the music and the human being filled with longing and religious jealousy that combines to a sweet complexity.  It is no wonder so many people thought that the story was really true.

Candy Colored Clown—Blue Velvet

It is common for musical scenes to express joy, exhilaration or spectacle, but they rarely express dread.  With no context, there is not much happening in this scene, but in the film, we are just waiting for everything to explode.   Dennis Hopper provides the omnipotent backdrop of a violent lunatic which gives a new emotion to the Roy Orbison classic.

Lose That Long Face—A Star is Born (1954)

Judy Garland’s marriage is breaking up, but she must perform and the song she has to perform is that of a superficial joy despite sorrow.  She smiles and dances and clowns, but her depression is seen in the corner of her eyes, belying the joy she is supposed to exude.  A mix of emotions that causes us to cry instead of smile, as we are commanded.

Next to Last Song –Dancer in the Dark

This is the final scene of the film, Dancer in the Dark, so you might want to skip this description if you haven’t seen the film.   Bjork is dying for her love of her son, her care for her manipulative neighbor.  She isn’t strong enough to deal with this last scene, but once she realizes that her death leads to her son being able to see, she can once again be the heroine of her own musical.  She bolts out, “This isn’t the last song” and we weep at the abuse the world heaps on her.

O Death—O Brother Where Art Thou?

A Klu Klux Klan rally where a black man is about to be lynched is spooky. But when the head of the Klan begins singing the standard O Death with Ralph Stanley’s weak and cracking voice, we wonder if the lynching isn’t about a perverted sense of justice, but a human sacrifice.  And when the Klan begins marching to the beat of the song, it’s simply surreal.

77 Other Great Musical Scenes (in no particular order):

Spoonful of Sugar—Mary Poppins

Train Scene—Music Man

Chim Chim Chimery/Step in Time—Mary Poppins

Empty Spaces—Pink Floyd The Wall—Empty Spaces

Singing in the Rain—Singing in the Rain

I Dreamed A Dream –Les Miserables

Linda Linda—Linda Linda Linda

New York New York—Shame

Bye Bye Life—All That Jazz

Molasses to Rum –1776

Music Box Dance—Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Opening credits –Skyfall

Be Our Guest—Beauty and the Beast

I Won’t Dance –Swing Time

Treat Her Right—The Commitments

Falling Slowly—Once

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life – Life of Brian

The Man That Got Away—A Star is Born

Hunchback of Notre Dame—Hellfire

Rainbow Connection—The Muppet Movie

I’ve Seen It All—Dancer in the Dark

Isn’t It a Lovely Day—Top Hat

An American In Paris—Tap Dance

My Beloved Monster—Shrek

Do You Want To Build a Snowman?—Frozen

I’ll Try—Return to Neverland

Love on the Rocks—The Jazz Singer

When Somebody Loved Me—Toy Story 2

Thus Spake Zarathustra –2001: A Space Odyssey

You Make My Dreams Come True –500 Days of Summer

This Is Halloween—The Nightmare Before Christmas

Man or Muppet?—The Muppets

I Will Follow Him –Sister Act

That’s How You Know –Enchanted

The Lonely Goatherd—Sound of Music

Prince Ali—Aladdin

Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye To—Pyaasa

Don’t Rain On My Parade –Funny Girl

Little Town—Beauty and the Beast

Unchained Melody –Ghost

Honor to Us all—Mulan

Parade—Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Topsy Turvy—Hunchback of Notre Dame

Love Is An Open Door—Frozen

Yeh Tara Woh Tara—Swades

Putting on My Sunday Clothes—Hello Dolly

I Just Can’t Wait To Be King—Lion King

We Got Trouble—Music Man

Over the Rainbow—Wizard of Oz

With One More Look At You/Watching Me Now—A Star is Born 1976

Why don’t you do right –Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Poor Unfortunate Souls—Little Mermaid

On Broadway—All That Jazz

Gee Officer Krupskie—West Side Story

Babysitter’s Blues—Adventures in Babysitting

Hey Big Spender—Sweet Charity

The Hills Are Alive—Sound of Music

Beauty School Dropout—Grease

Circle of Life—Lion King

Que Sera Sera –The Man Who Knew Too Much

French Club Dance –Funny Face

A Clockwork Orange—Singin In the Rain

Musical Aliens –Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Dueling Banjos –Deliverance

Stonehenge –Spinal Tap

Wayne’s World—Bohemian Rhapsody

Fame—Hot Lunch Jam

The Trial –Pink Floyd The Wall

Grease—Sandy

Hunchback of Notre Dame—God Help the Outcast

Take me or Leave Me—Rent

Your Song—Moulin Rouge

And I Am Telling You –Dreamgirls

I Want It All –High School Musical 3

Do You See The Light?—Blues Brothers

South Park—Blame Canada

Linklater's Bullseye: Boyhood

Slacker, Linkater's first feature film

Slacker was the first Richard Linklater film I saw.  It was one of my earliest art films, and I saw it in an old theatre in Portland.  It was a strange film, and strangely opened my eyes to a new kind of art.  A number of people lecturing about freedom and alternative lifestyles, each from their own perspective.   Really, Waking Life wasn’t that different, with spooky animation and the theme being what life is all about.  But despite the different ideas floating around, they both seemed to be largely disconnected from reality.  So different from Linklater’s films School of Rock or Bernie or even Tape—those may not have been conceptual films, but they were grounded, in a narrative.  The Before movies were in between these two extremes, leaning toward the talking.  They were idea movies in a specific context.  Dazed and Confused was an event film, but leaning more toward conversation than, say, Bernie.

In Boyhood, Linklater I believe, captures the perfect balance between idea and narrative.  He draws in the nostalgia, the narrative, the real life drama, the conversation, the romance, the conceptual conversation, all in one perfect film.  Dang, I used the “p” word, didn’t I?  Let me back off from that for a moment.  What I really mean is that I feel that Linklater has been aiming at some goal all these years, experimenting and crafting amazing films which reach a balance between concept and narrative and I feel that he finally hit the bullseye.

Finally, he has truly connected with me emotionally.  Not because I recognized the scenes and cultural background of Mason’s life.  His is the generation of my children, not of me.  And I have never had to deal with all that relationship drama or dating.  The film hits the emotional target because it honestly draws me in by making these people real, and their lives real, not by hyperdramatized moments, but through visiting this family again and again over a period of years.  I just feel that I know these people.  Not just who they are in a moment, but who they became over time.  So the final scenes of Mason with each of his parents were real emotion, with real power.

The question Linklater wants to answer in Boyhood—possibly the only question he has ever asked in his films—is “what is life about?”  In the conversation, we learn that life is not about the education we receive, the jobs we get, the relationships we have, or the ideals we live by (or claim to live by).  Even though we label ourselves through these things:  we are the spouse of so and so, we “do” this job, we have this degree—that’s not what really matters.  It doesn’t even matter what we intend to do or how we spend our days.  Rather, life is about the moments, the people, the events, the dreams that capture us and drag us along with them.  

Life is the parent who is always there, always supportive, always cheering us on.  Life is not about the person we become infatuated with, but the person who “gets us” and waits for us while we learn to mature.  Life isn’t about our biggest vision, but the one that we pursue for year after year, even if we never make our money from it.  Life is not about the education we pursued for years, but about the knowledge that changes us, makes us the people we are, the people perhaps we were always meant to be.  Life isn’t about the stuff we gather, but what really is important to us, those with whom we live day in and day out, and the things we interact with that shape our being.   Sometimes the most important thing in our life is the small, offhand comment that seemed so insignificant, but it changed us in ways we never would have thought possible.  It is not just the day-to-day, it is the everyday.  It isn’t the drama, it is the small love that lasts over years that’s most important. 

I don’t feel that Linklater has been so focused on one concept Instead of trying to show big ideas compressed into a brief moment in time—a single night, a point in the history of a human life—Linklater succeeds by showing us the whole span of a family.  We cannot understand the scope of human existence until we experience that scope.  In less than three hours, Linklater gives us that span and communicates what is to be focused on. 

The film itself is full of bright cinematic spots.  For the first two thirds of the film, every time Ethan Hawke showed up, the screen lit with his energy and enthusiasm.  Even at the end, he sparkles, understanding better than anyone in the cast exactly what Linklater wants.  Both Ellar Coltrane and Patricia Arquette faltered at first, but they grew into their roles, owning them and helping us experience the growth of their characters.  Some of the scenes, like Olivia taking her children away from an abusive situation, and the self-important teacher giving an ineffectual “darkroom chat”, will remain with me forever.   But most importantly to me is the living philosophy that we had opportunity to experience, not just hear a discussion about.

I think Linklater has always tried to give us a thoughtful philosophy, to try to measure all of us and human existence in one of his films.  Finally, I believe that he succeeded.

Calvary: A Sociology of a Good Man

You would think that being a good person is just pats on the back and accolades.  Rather, the cliche is too often true: "No good deed goes unpunished."

Goodness isn't the same as just being responsible.  Anyone can support their family, be a good provider. Goodness is that extra step of self-sacrifice.  It is being the parent who is gentle with the teenager when she is screaming at your face.  It is the neighbor who doesn't complain about the next door mess, but comes over to help them clean it.

Certain people are given the social position of being a mini-saint: teachers, social workers, medical workers, religious leaders. They have an additional responsibility of goodness.  They are given the task to not only work for their family or themselves, but their whole community.  They are not allowed to slip up, to say that which is inappropriate, to bend or break community standards.  They cannot scream at their objects of help, they cannot take advantage of them, or else they will rightly be accused of harming the vulnerable.  They are held to a higher standard.

Normal people compromise their standards.  That is seen as being human.  They will give up, be prejudiced, even hate, and that is fine.  They understand that being human is weak, that everyone breaks at times.  But the good person may never break, never give up.  They must always be strong in goodness, always put on a good face.  Unfortunately, this means that every good person is an implied accusation to those who get drunk, who give into their hatred, who refuse to forgive, who allow life to break them.  The good person is an offense to those who are normal.  Thus, the normal person must constantly buffer the good, to force them to display their humanity, to show that they aren't any better than anyone else.

The good are threatened, they are called names, they are accused of that which they did not do, they are given motives that they never thought of, their children are threatened, they are beaten, they have fists in their face, they are screamed at, they are hated.  They are tempted with sex, with drugs. This happens to them so they will break and show hate and prove their weakness, and so prove their humanity.

Of course, the good are human.  Every human has a certain level of will power.  Some have more and some have less.  Will can be exercised, like a muscle and it can also atrophy or be overworked and strained.  But no matter who we are, we only have so much will power to work with in our lives.  We focus our will on certain things, which means we don't have will to put into other aspects of our lives.  A surgeon might spend so much focus on precision in cutting and creativity in repairing the human body, that they might not have energy to put into being polite to their patients.   A mother may spend so much time and energy on her toddler that she doesn't have enough "get up and go" to clean the house.  We may disagree as to how a person spends their limited will and energy, but we must admit that no one can do everything.  This is why the normal person is compromised.

What is rarely known is that the good person is also limited.  It is just that they focus their will on being good to others, in being compassionate, in assisting the vulnerable.  This means that other aspects of their lives are reduced.  The priest won't spend time on fixing up his room, the pastor may not spend time with his family, the compassionate person may be addicted to pornography, the teacher uses much of the summer break recuperating from the rest of the year.

And, of course, the good person may very well break.  They might get tired of the accusations and strike back.  They might neglect their family or have an affair.  They might give way to a stroke. They might fall into severe depression or other mental illness.  They might become a hermit or become self-focused.

But what happens if a good person doesn't have any severe breaks?  What if they just move to a different community?  Or, God forbid, suddenly die?  It is then that they really become a saint to the community.  A saint is only safe after they are no longer available to be an accusation.  They can be lauded and statues can be made for them and they can be safely regarded as a community hero.  People might even change after they are gone, seeing their strength and goodness as an example.  Their struggles and difficulties are seen as a passion, a legend of their goodness.

The only loved saint is the one who is no longer there.

Philosophy of Action: Coen Brothers Ranked

I've finished watching all of the Coen Brothers, so it's time to rank! 

I think I like Ethan over Joel, personally.  Wait, we are ranking the films, not the brothers... sorry, forgot.

There is so much to love about the Coens.  Their quirky sense of humor; their unique, often confusing storytelling; their use of analogy; their literary view of filmmaking.  There are some things I don't like: the fact that they almost never have likable characters (the Dude is a huge exception), and people being mean is a theme in their films (in Intolerable Cruelty, that's the whole film).

If I was going to summarize their films under one category, I'd say that they all are reflections on how to live.  Their more existential pieces, like A Serious Man, Inside Llewyn Davis and Barton Fink, emphasize existential action, especially action that shows caring for other people.  Raising Arizona shows how foolish action can sometimes be detrimental, but it is better to act according to ill-informed concepts than to be passive, or to pull the rug out from other people's lives.  It seems like a simple philosophy of life, but when we look at their filmography as a whole, it is richly and widely displayed.  Whether comedic or tragic, I love (almost) all their films and I look forward to their next one, whatever it may be.

1. A Serious Man

The nature of truth and the meaning of life in one entertaining yarn.  One of my favorite films of all time.  5/5

2. Barton Fink

A mysterious fable about a writer in his own personal hell. 5/5

3. Raising Arizona

A hilarious take of two loving parents of someone else’s kid.  4.5/5

4. Fargo

Everything that makes a Coen Bros. film great—crime, comedy, stupidity, and a slight philosophical twist. 4.5/5

5. O Brother Where Art Thou?

A simple comedy about simple men with some of the best music ever. 4/5

6. Blood Simple

A wonderfully simple story with twisted characters.  Far more entertaining than a crime film has a right to be. 4/5

7. No Country for Old Men

Dark and darker still.  Tough to crack a smile at the foreboding message. 4/5

8. The Big Lebowski

A cult favorite, but nothing more than a quirky, curious entertainment for me.  3.5/5

9. Inside Llewyn Davis

“A Serious Man” with no character to really appreciate but the music.   3.5/5

10. The Ladykillers

Broad comedy for a broad religion. (Don’t tell anyone, but I really laughed hard at this one) 3.5/5

11. True Grit

Some good performances, but no one can really replace the crackle in the original. 3/5

12. Miller’s Crossing

A dark crime story that didn’t do much for me.  3/5 (need to rewatch)

13. The Man who Wasn’t There

I can barely remember anything about this one.  It’s about a barber, right? 3/5 (need to rewatch)

14. The Hudsucker Proxy

Lots of movie references, but Tim Robbins and it’s general unfunniness left me uninspired. 3/5

15. Burn After Reading

Unpleasant people doing stupid. 2.5/5

16. Intolerable Cruelty

Unpleasant people doing mean.  It was intolerably cruel of myself to force me to watch this film, just for completion's sake. 1/5