Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 16:40:29 -0600 (CST)
From: olivera-AT-UTARLG.UTA.EDU
Subject: RE: Sociology-Film


on the 'feminist' note again--how about 'thelma and louise'?
o
 
On Fri, 26 Feb 1999, Tocce, Vince wrote:

> Luke (and sociological film friends),
> 
> This might be getting away from the topic, but I found it funny that you
> mentioned _The Piano_. I just saw _The Real Blonde_ (Tom DiCillo 1998) and
> there is a humorous scene in which the characters are in a restaurant
> debating whether or not _The Piano_ (which they pretentiously refer to as
> "il piano") deserved the recognition that it was awarded. I felt DiCillo did
> a fine job of showing how subjective our individual views and
> interpretations of particular films really are. I think that scene most
> definitely has a sociological angle, considering that the conversation the
> characters have spreads to all the people in the restaurant. You'll have to
> tell me what "subfield" it might fall under. I'm also curious as to why this
> effort from DiCillo was overlooked. (Not that I think it is a masterpiece or
> anything.) Perhaps the big wig studio heads shied away from it because they
> couldn't tell whether or not DiCillo was fully mocking the industry?
> 
> 
> -Vince
> 
> 
> 
> 
> > ----------
> > From: 	Luke Lindhjem[SMTP:llindhje-AT-vt.edu]
> > Sent: 	Friday, February 26, 1999 10:52 AM
> > To: 	film-theory-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
> > Subject: 	Re: Sociology-Film
> > 
> > Odul, here are some films I could think of off the top of my head for some
> > of the subfields you mentioned...
> > 	-Marxist Sociology:  The Battleship Potemkin, directed by Sergei
> > Eisenstein...the entire film is based on Marxist philosophy.  There is no
> > emphasis on the individual and lots of emphasis on the whole, the people.
> > What else...religion is put in a negative light...it follows Marx pretty
> > closely and gives you a good idea of what's going on in Russia at the time
> > (1925).
> > 	Another film which might fit is Citizen Kane...this was shown during
> > a
> > class I took called The Modern World where we studied Marxism and
> > capitalism for the most part.   It shows the rise and fall of the central
> > character...a result of capitalistic greed, I suppose.  Gaining the world
> > but losing your soul type theme.  Both of these two films are generally
> > acknowledged as two of the ten best films of all time...so they're worth
> > watching.
> > 	
> > 	-Sociology of Deviance and Crime:  Let's see...I am a Fugitive from
> > a
> > Chain Gang (1932) is something I saw recently in my Film History class.
> > It's well done and the main character is a sympathetic one.  He's back
> > from
> > WWI and feels like he needs more out of life so he leaves home and ends up
> > in prison for something he's innocent of...some parallels between the army
> > and prison.  Then there's Shawshank Redemption, which is one of my
> > favorite
> > movies of all time.  Again, the main character is innocent of his crime
> > and
> > uses his mind and his patience to escape.
> > 	
> > 	-Feminist Sociology:  The Piano (1993) was shown in one of my
> > Humanities
> > classes a couple of years ago.  The topic of the class was pretty much
> > feminism, even though that wasn't the class description.  The director is
> > female (Jane Campion), and it's a really well done film set in the 1800s?
> > about a New Zealand pioneer who mail-orders a bride type thing.  She
> > consoles herself with her piano...an interesting film...definitely fits
> > the
> > category
> > 
> > 	-Sociology of Nationalism:  some propoganda films here would be
> > good.  The
> > Eternal Jew done by Franz? Hipler is pure German propoganda...scary stuff.
> > Then there's the counter to that, American propoganda: the Why We Fight
> > series directed by Frank Capra...an attempt to inform and motivate
> > American
> > soldiers
> > 
> > 	-Sociology of Urbanization:  the film I first thought of was
> > Koyaanisquasti (sp?).  It's a really well done montage film which uses
> > time
> > lapse cinematography.  There's no dialogue and no actors.  The title means
> > "life out of balance"...a Hopi Indian term.  Um, it was produced by
> > Francis
> > Ford Coppola, but it's very difficult to find, at least here in old Va.
> > Not your run-of-the-mill film, but I really respect it.
> > 	If you're looking for something more "normal," try Crocodile Dundee.
> > 	Oh, and then there's The Gods Must Be Crazy...I guess that fits more
> > under
> > the geographical area category.  It's a comedy about a rare African
> > culture
> > (the one that uses that clicking language...can't remember what it's
> > called).  hilarious.
> > 	Well that's all I could think of off the top of my head...hope it
> > helps.
> > I'd actually like to have the job of going out and watching films that fit
> > your categories (I know that sounds weird, but I love film, what can I
> > say).  Good luck
> > 	Oh, one more.  For Race and Ethnicity check out Missippi Burning
> > with Gene
> > Hackman...good film.
> > Luke
> > <llindhje-AT-vt.edu>
> > 
> > 
> > 
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> > 
> 
> 
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