RAMble, the University Libraries' blog

This week I watched several films that seemed to represent the different shades of love, and how people respond to it (perfect for post-Valentine’s Day!). These films were Once [IMC DVD 306.7 O58 2007], Monsoon Wedding [IMC DVD 392.5 M755 2002], La Vie en Rose [IMC DVD 784.9 P579 2007], and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly [IMC DVD 362.1968 D618 2008]. 

My first movie, Once, had gotten a lot of attention when it first came out, mainly for its incredible musical soundtrack. I was very excited to finally get to watch it! The main plot of this movie centers around a vacuum repairman who is trying to make it big with his singing/songwriting. He meets a girl in the street, and discovers that she plays piano. They hit it off, but help each other realize what love means in other aspects of their life. As I said earlier, the music is incredible, but the screenplay and Glen Hasard help to keep the movie interesting as well.

The next film, Monsoon Wedding, was recommended to me by a co-worker. This film has many different narratives interwoven—a soon-to-be bride who has a secret, her stressed father, and an event planner who finds himself smitten. All of these stories emphasize love and the importance of holding onto it, yet they come about in very different ways. It has a happy ending, which is a relief after a week of sad movies (see last week’s “Weepies”).

La Vie en Rose is one of the most well-known French movies. Following the life of Edith Piaf, a famous French singer, it sparkles with nostalgic World War II music. Edith is a resilient and charismatic person, but with her own flaws. These flaws, and her tragedies help the viewer to better understand her life and her relationships with the various people in her life. Marie Cotillard does a phenomenal job as Edith Piaf, well deserving of her Oscar and Academy Award in this role.

My final and favorite movie was The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. This film is based on the memoir written by Jean-Dominique Bauby, editor-in-chief of Elle magazine, who has a stroke at 43 and is paralyzed except for being able to blink his left eye. He decides to use his remaining ability to blink out a memoir about his rare condition, locked-in syndrome, and his thoughts and feelings while inside a body which can do nothing. This movie was so powerful in part because we see the former version of Bauby and then his entire experience with reconciling himself to this new life. I can’t recommend it enough—the imagery and cinematography only serve to heighten the viewer’s experience of his paralysis.

Now that our “Weepies” DVD display is finished, we have a new theme in the IMC: Never Been Checked Out! These are various (and, for the most part, very good movies!) which have never had the chance to be watched by WCU patrons! Come check it out and give these movies some love. As always, continue along in your own film travelogue journey at https://letterboxd.com/peterstanley/list/1001-movies-you-must-see-before-you-die/ .

This week I decided to feature some of the movies on our IMC display, “Weepies”. With that in mind, I watched Field of Dreams [IMC DVD 796.357 F453 2004], Grave of the Fireflies [IMC DVD 741.58 G776 2012], Atonement [IMC DVD 232.3 A881 2008], and Into the Wild [IMC DVD 910.4 I61 2008]. 

Field of Dreams was what I would call a “happy” cry movie. This is because, although the main character struggles against disbelief and other obligations, the movie ultimately has a happy ending, one where he feels redeemed. While I enjoyed this movie, I wasn’t overly blown away by it. It had nice cinematography and a good cast, but didn’t seem overly exceptional. However, it was a nice break from some of the more serious dramas.

Grave of the Fireflies was my first Studio Ghibli movie, and it was an experience. The movie tells a story during the end of World War II, when American pilots were dropping bombs on Japanese towns. A brother and sister who end up losing both parents struggle to survive. It is a heartbreaking story, and the animation style it’s told in helps to simplify the experience. Yet, even though it is animated, you can’t help but empathize with the characters and with their situation. The music adds another dimension to this movie, with a recurring haunting melody that follows the characters throughout.

Atonement was a movie which I knew before watching, having read the book many years ago. I am always wary about book-to-film adaptations, but I was very impressed with this one. The end of the movie, which I had remembered being upsetting, was just as I remembered. It focuses on the idea of “what might have been”, allowing the reader (or viewer) to believe that things turn out alright, only to take it away an instant later. The director does an amazing job with the cinematography of this movie, which is split between a British country estate and war-torn scenes.

Finally, the movie Into the Wild. I have never read the book, which often makes it easier to appreciate a film in its own right. I enjoyed this movie, partly because of the theme of living for yourself is one that we all need to be reminded of. However, I also enjoyed it because of how the director overlaid some of Christopher McCandless’s journal entries text on top of the scenery of his journey. It was beautiful and profound, perfectly matching the tone of the story. 

If you are looking for a good weepy movie, come check out the IMC's DVD display--this is the final week before we switch over to a new display. As always, feel free to follow along on your own film travelogue journey at https://letterboxd.com/peterstanley/list/1001-movies-you-must-see-before-you-die/.