true misery at the movies
Feb. 26th, 2004 11:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jfbConfronted with some unexpected leisure today I went to see Osama, an Afghan film about a girl who pretends to be a boy so that she can work in Taliban-ruled Kabul. (I don't think it's playing at a lot of cineplexes, but
Fremont, the city where I'm working, has one of the largest Afghan populations in America.) It's not one of those movies that leaves you smiling, but I thought it was really good.
It's a tragedy that derives much of its force from the idea that it's presenting truth--maybe it's not literally based on a true story, but you believe that that sort of story probably happened. Based on what you know about the Taliban, you think: Of course she would be driven to this to feed her family. Of course if she's caught she'll be killed. Of course she's frightened and confused. And you worry for her because you know that sense of fear goes with a totalitarian regime, even for people who aren't cross-dressing in a theocracy.
(Kate mentioned she was reluctant to see Osama because the Bush administration recommends it, and this is related: Just like your knowledge of the real Afghanistan makes you believe the movie that's set in it, watching a movie about how bad the Taliban was makes you believe how bad the Taliban was. And therefore maybe that our invasion of Afghanistan was justified. And why not Iraq, too? That place was probably bad.)
On the way into the theater I stopped in another screening room for an early minute of The Passion of the Christ. (The devil was tempting him, all shot in blue.) On the way out I visited again for a minute late in the movie. (I accidentally stopped averting my eyes just before the nail went in. By that point the screen was mostly red.)
As I understand it The Passion draws similarly on the viewer's awareness of context for its moral strength. If you didn't know--and believe--the rest of the story it's a part of, well, obviously you'd feel bad for the guy because wow, that's a lot of blood. But you'd also wonder why anyone would want to sit through two hours of somebody getting killed. On the other hand, if you believe that Jesus suffered for our sins, that's a powerful depiction of just how much suffering we're talking about.
I guess there's nothing special about a movie that relies on what you already know to make its impact. The romance makes you weepy because you've been in love, or believe you could be someday. The comedy makes you laugh because people are really like that, only with less accurate timing. Still, it was an interesting pair.
Fremont, the city where I'm working, has one of the largest Afghan populations in America.) It's not one of those movies that leaves you smiling, but I thought it was really good.
It's a tragedy that derives much of its force from the idea that it's presenting truth--maybe it's not literally based on a true story, but you believe that that sort of story probably happened. Based on what you know about the Taliban, you think: Of course she would be driven to this to feed her family. Of course if she's caught she'll be killed. Of course she's frightened and confused. And you worry for her because you know that sense of fear goes with a totalitarian regime, even for people who aren't cross-dressing in a theocracy.
(Kate mentioned she was reluctant to see Osama because the Bush administration recommends it, and this is related: Just like your knowledge of the real Afghanistan makes you believe the movie that's set in it, watching a movie about how bad the Taliban was makes you believe how bad the Taliban was. And therefore maybe that our invasion of Afghanistan was justified. And why not Iraq, too? That place was probably bad.)
On the way into the theater I stopped in another screening room for an early minute of The Passion of the Christ. (The devil was tempting him, all shot in blue.) On the way out I visited again for a minute late in the movie. (I accidentally stopped averting my eyes just before the nail went in. By that point the screen was mostly red.)
As I understand it The Passion draws similarly on the viewer's awareness of context for its moral strength. If you didn't know--and believe--the rest of the story it's a part of, well, obviously you'd feel bad for the guy because wow, that's a lot of blood. But you'd also wonder why anyone would want to sit through two hours of somebody getting killed. On the other hand, if you believe that Jesus suffered for our sins, that's a powerful depiction of just how much suffering we're talking about.
I guess there's nothing special about a movie that relies on what you already know to make its impact. The romance makes you weepy because you've been in love, or believe you could be someday. The comedy makes you laugh because people are really like that, only with less accurate timing. Still, it was an interesting pair.
