Here is the trailer for the film.
SHARONDA. Where you been this late?
ALIKE. (whispering) Movies.
SHARONDA. Movie ended at midnight.
ALIKE. (whispering) Shhh. Shut up.
SHARONDA. (whispering) Don't push me.
ALIKE. Go to bed.
SHARONDA. I know what stays open past midnight.
Sharonda puts a hand to her head and does a little dance.
ALIKE. Shut up!
AUDREY. I know God doesn't make mistakes.
READ THE FOLLOWING:
From a review of the film by Rob Thomas on Madison.com:
In another movie, Alike's lesbian experiences would be a broad counterpoint to all this repression and secrecy, a place where she would be accepted an fulfilled. But when she goes out to gay clubs, her lesbian friend, Laura (Pernell Walker), seems to see her mostly as a sexual object, and is as clueless to Alike's real feelings as her family is. That's what I loved about "Pariah," that it sets up a very familar narrative and then makes it painfully real and surprising. The people you think are bad influences in Alike's life may still have something to offer her, and the ones you think might be positive influences can still let her down.
From a review by Wesley Morris on Boston.com:
"Pariah" is not a work of thunder. It's a more contemplative film that wants to argue for something that feels revelatory at the movies. This isn't just a coming-out film. It's a racial and sexual coming-of-age. Alike dresses like an AG lesbian—that's "aggressive"—but what if that's not who she is? She discovers that she doesn't just like bohemian hip-hop; she likes hard black rock too. Here we have a movie about the grunt work of identity politics and, at the movies, it's new. This is a 17-year-old girl trying to figure out kind of black woman and lesbian to be.
From Amy Biancolli at SFGate:
Alike's story is a painful one—in all the usual ways, expressing all the usual agonies surrounding love and teenagers. The potential for melodramatic overstatement is huge. But except for one or two scenes of ritualized family quarreling, which follow a dog-eared script, Rees avoid the pitfalls of soapy domestic confrontation and instead hones in on Alike's quiet strength.
There we find, in Oduye's composed performance, a splash pf determination and humor alongside the inevitable swell of yearning. In one memorably funny (and unexpectedly touching) sequence, she straps on a rubber phallus for a night at the club. But it pinches, it feels awkward, and as she removes it later on, it's obvious that she's shedding something else, too, something more burdensome and useless: falsehood. Coming out as a lesbian is not the same as coming out as a man. It's a process of reduction and revelation, not contrivance and disguise.
From Adam Serwer in Mother Jones:
It's hard to remember the last good black coming-of-age film that was not a mere exploration of human misery. Pariah has almost nothing in common with the mainstream black films of the past two decades, most of which consist of romantic and ensemble comedies with bloated casts containing as many random celebrities as actors. It doesn't quite fit with prior critically acclaimed bildungsromans made by African-American directors, most of which have focused on the bleakness of ghetto life and the bloody yield of the illicit drug trade. Have any film characters suffered more than the black children of American cinema? When not being shot to pieces by gangbangers (Boyz in the Hood) or raped by their HIV-positive parents (Precious), they're being given away to live with white families, which is apparently the only place they can find happiness (The Blind Side). It's not that these sorts of films never ring true—it just seems they're the only kind being made.
From Nelson George in The New York Times (watch this!):
This is the age of fragmentation, of breaking down of absolutes. These films in their own ways are dealing with identity, with black identity in ways that reflect now and a new generation which is not so racially absolute. "Pariah" looks at terrain that feels like we've seen before and takes us completely to a world we've never seen before.
Dee Rees at work on Pariah:
1. As always: reaction to the film? What did you think—and why? Also: what scene or moment stayed with you? And why?
2. Alike: your reaction to her? What word or phrase best describes her in your mind—and why? Plus: what other character in the movie interested you—and why?
3. Respond to one of the quotes above, beginning with Rob Thomas and through Nelson George. Is there something one of them said that you found yourself really agreeing with really disagreeing with? Or something that you would like to add to? Quote from whatever essay you're addressing.
4. Finally: go to Nelson George's essay and look at the clip at the beginning of it. What strikes you about the films that preceded Pariah and the other recent films George highlights? Maybe you've seen some of them, maybe you haven't. But would you, based on these little snippets, want to investigate them, watch them? And why?
It's taken me several hours to write this post (it is now 6:30). So go ahead and spend extra time on the questions: 400 words in all to respond. See you all on Monday!
The movie poster for Pariah:
1. So far, I have really enjoyed the film. The contemporary setting and issues that this film exhibits makes the movie seem even more compelling. In addition, I am really excited to see such a different narrative on the big screen; I do not know of many films that deal with sexuality in the black community, so this made the viewing of the film refreshing. And while we talk about viewing, the cinematography of the film feels very deliberate; the camera is not afraid to stray away from static/unmoving shots. This makes the movie seem more natural and raw, which supports the theme and tone that we expect from a coming-of-age film.
ReplyDelete2. To me, the word that best describes Alike is torn. She accepts herself as a lesbian, but she still has to deny herself due to the disapproval of her mother. This reminds me of another character, who I have also found interesting in this film: Laura. Like her friend Alike, Laura has to switch between two versions of herself. While she can act as herself around Alike, she is judged constantly by Alike’s mother, who forbids of Laura’s connection to Alike’s daughter. Both of these characters interest me, for they face the same issue (discrimination for their life choices), but still live very different lives. Alike has her entire family while Laura lives only with her sister; this makes the film a narrative that shows how people from differing walks of life can still relate to similar, if not identical, struggles.
3. I was really drawn to the article written by Amy Biancolli. She argues that “coming out as a lesbian is not the same as coming out as a man; it’s a process of reduction and revelation, not contrivance and disguise.” I found myself agreeing to this article the most, for it seems to encapsulate the main message of the film. Alike is forced to exist in a world where her decisions are, unfortunately, not seen as socially acceptable by all people; as a result, people in the film (such as her mother and one of the patrons of the convenience store) make her feel like an outcast. But moreover, this article stresses the importance of discovering one’s self, which is something that we must all grapple with.
4. I have noticed at an early age that black film has always catered to its demographic depending on the time period that they are in. Nelson elaborates on the history of black cinema from the era of “Blaxploitation” In the 70s to the tragic tales of street life in the 80s and 90s. Over time, we can see a common trend: the representation of black people reflects how they are viewed by society (whether it be gangsters, pimps, or drug traders). Because of this, I would be extremely interested to see the films mentioned in Nelson’s article: films that are created to portray the new reality of black people in society. Today, there are so many new narratives that people are now comfortable sharing; this allows us, as both a moviegoing audience and a contemporary society, to realize that there is more to black life than some movies portray.
I really like this film so far. It is definitely one of the most raw and authentic films I have seen in a long time, as it disregards political correctness and potential offense that could be taken to anything that is said or done. This film is also very fast-paced. We have been introduced to so much in only the first 50 minutes. The scene that has stayed with me is the lunch scene with Alike’s mother at work. “Pariah” could be used to describe both Alike and her mother, when her mom sits at the table with the other women who completely ignore her presence. I think this is part of the reason why Alike’s mother is so harsh on Alike, so she will not become a pariah like herself.
ReplyDeleteAlike is a very complex character. She is stuck in between many different worlds characterized by gender, sexuality, and general lifestyle that are pulling her every day. Alike’s father is my favorite character in the film at this point, mostly because I know so little about him. He seems to be the only person who even somewhat understands Alike and whom she actually trusts; however, this causes a huge family rift.
I relate the most to the quote, “It's hard to remember the last good black coming-of-age film that was not a mere exploration of human misery,” in the article by Adam Serwer. This is related to what number four asks about the clips from films, like Shaft and Do The Right Thing, that precede Pariah. These films are rugged, like Pariah, but are also shifted to more of a political perspective. They are not incredibly personal films and are told from a more adult perspective. These films do not question narratives and reality; they comment on them, while Pariah is more of a creation of that narrative. I think Pariah shows more of the creation of “human misery” and how one can navigate the situation, while for example, Do The Right Thing shows how it can be impossible to escape that “human misery.” I definitely agree with this quote, which is why I am going to watch more films regarding the black experience however different the reality of mainstream black film characters may be from my own, so I can expand my horizon and hopefully find some films that are not merely about the brutality and misery of being stuck in the ghetto. If anything, at least I can appreciate the humor in a good Spike Lee film.
1. So far I quite enjoy the film. The interactions between Alike and the other characters in the movie all seem real, and not over dramatized, as many are in film these days. The relationship between Alike and her sister reminds me of my own relationship with my sister. One scene that stayed with me was the moment when Alike was inside the convenience store and one of the men exchanged words with Alike’s father about Alike. His hateful words really emphasized how certain parts of society still feel about lesbians. This man didn’t care that a police officer was present. Alikes’ father’s reaction to the mans words also stayed with me. He kept his temper in check, and was immediately protective of his daughter. He cares about Alike.
ReplyDelete2. I think I like Alike as a character. Her struggle to find/define herself seem all to real. I’d have to describe her using the word, conflicted. She is caught between finding out her sexuality, pleasing her parents, getting through school, and living her life in a wholesome was. Another character that caught my interest is Alike’s father. Typically, I feel as though many current films don’t portray a father figure like Pariah does. Alike’s dad is very loving and caring of her and her mother. He doesn’t completely side with either during their argument, and also takes Alike out for driving lessons even after a long day/night of work. He seems like a very well thought out and made up character. He’s an actual human being.
3. The quote by Amy Bioncolli, “Alike's story is a painful one—in all the usual ways, expressing all the usual agonies surrounding love and teenagers. The potential for melodramatic overstatement is huge. But except for one or two scenes of ritualized family quarreling, which follow a dog-eared script, Rees avoid the pitfalls of soapy domestic confrontation and instead hones in on Alike's quiet strength. There we find, in Oduye's composed performance, a splash of determination and humor alongside the inevitable swell of yearning.”, really resonates with me. I totally agree with this quote. Pariah portrays an accurate description of how complicated life can be for someone of the same age/likeness as Alike. It goes beyond simply telling you that the teenager has problems and is struggling, and actually shows you the effects of these trials.
4. I think I would want to watch these previous films. While grouped in their own specific categories for the times, each film still shows and raises an important issue, one that was probably very prevalent at the time of the films making. I think these other films, alongside Pariah, can together create a better picture of what life was like for many African American/black people during these years.
I loved this movie. There is so much in this movie that I felt I could relate to. This movie sets up such an interesting dynamic with Alike’s picture perfect feminine sister, and her parents apposing views of her. Her mother and sister seem to be parallel characters, in the way that they are both feminine and don't accept the true Alike. Alike seems to draw more similarities to her father who doesn’t even truly accept her as much as thinking its entertaining to watch Alike’s mother fight against her clothing habits. I think the scene that stayed with me is after Alike went driving with her father and the two men were talking outside the store, Alike’s father yells at her to get in the car. Previously, I had read Alike’s father as a man that was protective of his daughter, but I think after this scene it struck me that her father is not much different than her mother. Both her parents fear her sexuality and the judgement that may come with it.
ReplyDeleteI can see lots of resilience in Alike and I think she’s very interesting because she is forced to live this double life when she is with Laura. She is either a feminine woman around her mother or this girl she thinks a lesbian has to be. I get the impression that Alike doesn’t want to be who she is around Laura, but she doesn’t want to be who her mother wants either. In her mind she has such a ridged definition of a lesbian, and that is what she is around Laura. I think another character that interests me would be Bina. I see Bina as a very good candidate for a soon to be love interest. I think this is important because Bina is the girl Alike’s mom had picked out for Alike to be more like. Bina is the ideal good girl, and I think it would be very interesting if she as well turns out to be gay.
I agree with Wesley Morris’ point, and I think it’s very important to note that she has really only seen 2 types of women. She has seen women such as her mother who are very feminine and church driven while she has also met Laura who is kind of rougher. Laura goes to night clubs to hit on women, but since Laura is the only lesbian she has met, i think Alike is confused why she is attracted to women, but doesn’t like to act the way Laura does.
I think lots of these movies are very surface level, while pariah really shows Alike as a multi dimensional character. From the scenes we watched of the other movies, it seemed like they were very centered around action, and not very concerned with being true to reality. This portrayal showed actions and violence rather than taking the time to really develop characters.
I do like the movie so far. It is not a movie that I expected to see, but that being said, I didn't really know what I was expecting. The film does a good job of showing the struggle of Alike as well as her family as she tries to figure out who she is. It is also interesting to see the big difference of lifestyle and personality between Alike and her sister. One moment that stuck with me the most was when Alike's mom was showing her friend a sweater that she got for Alike, but the woman automatically assumed it was for her other daughter. I could see the distressed emotions that Alike's mom was feeling as well as the awkwardness between the two women thought the whole interaction.
ReplyDeleteI like Alike's character so far. One word I would use to describe her is secretive. She definitely struggles to be herself while satisfying her family as well. She doesn't like anyone to know her business, and from what I've seen she is a very private person with most everyone. Another character that interests me in the film is Alike's dad. I think out of everyone, he is the most understanding of Alike's situation and they seem to have a really good relationship. When he is with a bunch of his coworkers and one of the starts making fun of his daughter, he stands up for her and doesn't want anyone to hurt her.
I really like the quote from Rob Thomas. I agree with what he says about Alike's relationships with people and how they may not always be what they seem. He talked about Laura and her family which seem to be the mot involved in Alike's life, but Alike is still sacred to get close to any of them to a certain extent. I really agree with Thomas when he says, "The people you think are bad influences in Alike's life may still have something to offer her, and the ones you think might be positive influences can still let her down" because Alike's mom should be the best influence on her, but she is the one bringing her down the most.
I have never seen any of the movies shown in the clips, but based on what I saw and what I know about Pariah, I would like to see some of them and investigate in a genre I don't usually watch. Even though we have only watched half of Pariah, based on the clips, some of the other movies seem to have more violence than Pariah and completely different stories. It is interesting to see all of the different sides that these films can show.
I have not watched many, if any, independent films so admittedly I was a little skeptical. So far this movie is very impressive, and has opened up a whole genre of film I otherwise might never have seen. As others have said, this movie is very raw and I think that helps to set the scene and support the narrative being told. The lack of a large budget allows for the producer to get more creative and create a more real, relatable film. The scene that stuck with me most from the first 50 minutes was when Alike was riding home on the bus after the club and her friend Laura gets off. Once she's alone on the bus she begins to change into the clothes her mother expects to see her in, a girls clothes. This scene was powerful to be because it exposed the true divide in her life between who she really is and who her family expects her to be.
ReplyDeleteI would describe Alike as split, it is clear that she is struggling with her identity, and there are people on either who are heavily influencing her. Her mom wants Alike to be like her, homecoming date and all, while her best friend, Laura, wants to get her laid. Alike is struggling to balance what everyone else expects of her and what she wants for herself. A character that seemed to be the happy medium Alike was searching for is Bina. I like Bina because she isn't trying to push her ideals onto Alike, she and Alike can just relax and have fun together.
I really agree with Wesley Morris’ quote “The people you think are bad influences in Alike's life may still have something to offer her, and the ones you think might be positive influences can still let her down”. As I mentioned above, Alike’s life is very complex and she’s journeying to find herself amidst other people’s conflicting opinions. It’s clear that Alike’s mom is preventing her from being who she really is, but maybe she will still teach Alike something. We have seen that while Laura is accepting of Alike, she seems to prioritize getting her laid, perhaps not the best form of support.
I thought it was interesting how Nelson George observed that in the movies which preceded Pariah the main character struggles more externally, by acting out. Contrastly, Alike deals with a more internal struggle of her identity, paving way for the new wave of black identity movies. I hadn't seen any of the movies shown, but Pariah has definitely made me curious about other independent movies tackling these big ideas.
1. I really like the film so far. It’s definitely a raw film that neither over exaggerates nor sugar-coats the conflicts and interactions. A scene that stuck with me was actually the scene that we ended on where a man had previously insinuated that Alike was gay in front of her father, Arthur. Later, when Arthur and Alike went to the store again, he say the same man making quiet comments about Alike to his friend. Arthur tells Alike to wait in the car and while we don’t know what happened, there was most likely some argument. When arthur gets back in the car her says to Alike something along the lines of “you know you’re daddy’s little girl right?” in more of a statement than a questioning tone. In previous scenes, Arthur seems to have no issue with what Audrey described as Alike’s tomboy phase. Yet here, Arthur makes his opinions on the matter clear with a single sentence. This was memorable for me because even with how small and quick Arthur’s statement was, it really made you take a step back and realize that unfortunately he wasn’t as accepting of the situation as it originally seemed.
ReplyDelete2. Alike definitely feels like a very realistic character. She’s struggling with managing her public and home appearances (changing everyday in the bathrooms at school) and clearly questioning who she is in this coming of age film. I think that a word that would describe Alike would be authentic or maybe well-rounded, because her character could easily be based off true experiences. Another character that interested me was Bina because she decided to keep Alike’s secret and not reveal her personality and dress at school to her family. The only worrying thing is that with Alike’s new relationship with Bina improving, she might damage her friendship with Laura.
3. I agree with the quote from Rob Thomas and how it describes the film as one in which Alike is trying to discover herself, where she belongs, and who she is, yet the movie itself is unique because it is “painfully real” because in this period there is truly no sense of safety. Even when she is with Laura at the gay club it’s clear she still hasn’t found “a place where she would be accepted and fulfilled.” However, I’m not sure I agree that when at clubs with Laura, Laura “seems to see her [Alike] as a sexual object, and is clueless to Alike’s real feelings as her family is.” I think that Laura might think that the club is a perfect way to help Alike escape the judgement and misunderstanding of her family, but, in reality, Alike is not so certain that this is the answer.
4. As Nelson George points out, the films that preceded Pariah and other recent films are all extremely diverse in topic and focus within the theme of race. He also mentioned that this diversity stemmed from influence of studying at NYU and some influence from Spike Lee, specifically focusing on “his idea that I can go outside the system that we know of and make a film that’s quality that has commercial appeal.” He mentioned in particular that Pariah was unique in its ability to give the audience insight into Alike’s inner life and feelings. Based on these clips I would like to investigate the other films because they seem as though they will be new voices in their genre.
I think this film is not like any other film I’ve ever seen before. First off, I haven’t seen many films with an all black cast, and second, I have never seen any type of coming-out film before. I really like this film so far. In some ways, I can really relate to Alike because she is a teenager trying to figure out who she is, just like the rest of us. In other ways, this film exposes me to circumstances and truths that I have never seen before. For example, a scene that stayed with me was when Alike wore a “rubber phallus,” like Amy Biancolli said. At first when Alike said that, I was like, “What’s that? What’s going on?” And then, when I saw Alike wearing it, I was like “Woah, I’ve never heard about anything like that before.” I remember the feeling that I had when I saw that scene; I was somewhat uncomfortable. But I guess sometimes being uncomfortable is a good thing, because it exposes you to what you don’t know.
ReplyDeleteI think Alike is really relatable to the audience because we all, at some point in our lives, are trying to find out who exactly we are. And I think she is trying to do just that. A word that comes to mind when thinking of her character is “lost.” I chose this word because it’s really hard to explore the different options of who you can be when there are some forces telling you that certain things are wrong. I can definitely relate to that and I think that’s why she’s so likeable to me. Another character that interested me was Laura. I think that deep down she has feelings for Alike and really wants the best for her, which is to help her find who she is. What makes her even more interesting is the tension between her and Alike’s mom. She definitely thinks that Laura is a bad influence on Alike. This tension, I think, adds to the forces that push Alike around and make her even more confused and lost.
The video in the Nelson George article really pointed out something different. He compared Pariah to previous black films and addressed something different. In all the past black films, they have identities and inner life, but they are “externally driven. Their inner life is there, but it’s announced more than it’s revealed.” I think I definitely agree with this in that Rees explores the internal struggles and identity of Alike, and that her blackness is there but it is not all that shows.
This is based on what I saw from the clips in the video, but I don’t think I would go back and watch some of those films. I think what really struck me about those clips was the violence and aggressiveness that was in them. From what I saw, those clips portrayed the black community in a negative, violent, aggressive manner, which in a way, supports the stereotype. I wouldn’t want to watch a film that portrays the popular idea of who a black person is. I would like to watch a film that portrays the true identity of a black person, not just a film that announces it, but reveals it. And that’s what makes Pariah so good; it does exactly that.
I have enjoyed watching this film so far. It does a really good job of building characters and dialogue to portray an authentic sense of realism. I appreciate how the film subtly develops very layered and dynamic characters without over-dramatizing or losing the real life pace. One moment that stayed with me since watching was the moment in which Alike is forced to change her outfit before church to something that fit her mother’s standards. This moment stuck with me because I thought it did a good job of showing the strain of the relationship between mother and daughter while also incorporating the strain on the marriage and the dynamic between husband and wife surrounding raising Alike.
ReplyDeleteI liked Alike’s character a lot. The movie would not be nearly as compelling if Alike didn't seem like the real, struggling teen she is. She feels honest and approachable which makes the viewer become attached and care about her story. I think a word that could describe her is strong because she is facing so much backlash from many different sides of her life, but she is finding ways to be her own person in the midst of the turmoil of self identity. I also think the character of Bina is a very interesting one because she is forced onto Alike under circumstances orchestrated by their mothers, but they are able to find a connection where they never thought they would. It makes a statement about judgements we make on those we don't know and how much there is to gain and learn from people who aren't an exact mirror of yourself.
Amy Biancolli says, “Rees avoid the pitfalls of soapy domestic confrontation and instead hones in on Alike's quiet strength.” I really agree with this quote because since it is a coming of age film about a struggling teen trying to find themselves it could easily fall into the tropes and stereotypes of such a film. Instead, the creation of a character with depth, dealing with weighted modern social issues, the film finds a way to avoid these issues.
I haven’t seen any of the other films shown in Nelson George’s video but based on what I saw, I would be interested in watching them. I found what Nelson said about the new wave of black identity movies and that being black isn't always the defining factor in the films was really interesting. The type of films being made now are obviously very different from the norms that films like these used to follow so I think it would be interesting to compare this films and see where the narrative is similar or very different.
I have enjoyed this move so far. I think that it is a very interesting and thought provoking movie that I didn't think I would enjoy until I watched it. I liked the way that the movie was filmed with having a lot of close up shots so you could see what the characters were thinking and feeling. One scene that stuck with me was where they were all at the dinner table and their mother was asking Alike who she was going to go with to homecoming. I enjoyed this scene because when Alike said that she didn't want to go, her father stood up for her and I think this shows the very strong bond between Alike and her father that she doesn't have with her mother.
ReplyDeleteObviously, Alike is a very conflicted character and I think she is having trouble finding which direction to go in life. She is passionate about some things music and poetry, but when it comes to other things, she doesn't really enjoy them. I think one word to describe Alike would be lost. I think she doesn't know where she wants to go in life or how she wants to live her life yet. She is lost in the sense that her mom wants her to be a certain way but she wants to be free from her mother’s judgement and control so she is left in the middle not knowing where to go.
I think that Adam Serwer and Nelson George put it the best. I definitely agree that the story in “Pariah” is completely different from the common narrative or other films we have had in the past. I agree with Nelson George that it “takes us completely to a world we've never seen before.” The paragraph by Adam Serwer also really struck me. I think that he says that “Pariah” is not only good because of the storyline, but because it presents a film that breaks away from the mainstream narratives and stories that black films tend to portray. The reason that “Pariah” is unique is because it completely disregards the narratives of past black mainstream films and takes it own direction on a story that doesn't follow suit.
Nelson George points out that the movies that have come before this “new wave” were mostly focused on a violent narrative that didn't really go into depth with the characters. The characters were already all the way out there and the viewer only had to watch their actions while this “new black wave” of movies has more of a character focus where the characters open up during the movie so the viewer has to bond with the character to understand it rather than solely observing the character. I've only seen one of the movies that was mentioned in this clip (Boyz in the Hood) and I think I only watched it because it was mentioned so much and I would hear it a lot so I wanted to see it so I could understand what people were talking about. I agree that “Boyz in the Hood” has characters who didn't really try to change their situation and almost accepted that this is the way life goes and there's nothing I can do to change my future where in “Pariah”, she knows that this is her life and wants to do what she wants to do.
So far, “Pariah” is one of my new favorite films. The cinematography, acting and editing give such an intimate view into Alike’s feelings and emotions that it is almost as if we are seeing the inside of her mind through the camera. Although I like this film a lot so far, it does make me very uncomfortable. I think that’s a sign that it is good art and good film. It makes you feel something whether you like it or not. One scene that stuck with me was of Sharonda when she was eating lunch with her “friends” at work. She was pictured as isolated and friendless, much like how Alike is pictured at school and the club.
ReplyDeleteI would describe alike as a very timid yet deep thinking character. This film demonstrates something humans do very often: say the opposite of what they mean. When Alike was in the club and the girl she was talking to asked her to dance, she said no to dancing. I believe Alike really did want to dance, but wouldn’t know how to handle it, thus saying the opposite of why she really wants. Alike is always thinking complex and troubling thoughts, and sometimes she lets them get her down.
I completely agree with what Rob Thomas said about how Laura treats Alike. Thomas stated that Laura only liked Alike for her body and treated her like a sexual object, and I completely agree with that statement. In every scene that Laura and Alike have together not even five minutes ago by without Laura suggesting Alike to find someone to have sex with at the club this weekend. Laura and Alike may be best friends and love each other, but Laura tends to overlook Alike’s feelings in order to push her own personal agenda.
The two highlighted films that caught my eye were Boyz in the Hood and Do the Right Thing. I believe the reasoning behind it is because many others have also told me about these two films and have recommended I watch them. In terms of Pariah, the contrasting story arch’s and characters seem like another interesting combination.
I like the movie so far. It’s a much more constant pace than the films we’ve previously watched, so it’s much easier to follow. The scene that stuck with me most was when Alike came home after curfew and got busted by her mom. I remembered hat scene best because it was the first and most relatable scene so far. Having a curfew is something almost every student experiences and can relate to almost any coming of age story. It's interesting to see the multiple ways Alike presents herself and the ways her mother wants her to present herself. For example, the way Alike dresses herself to go to church and the way her mother wants her to dress, even though she knows Alike is not one to wear dresses or skirts.
ReplyDeleteIt’s always interesting to watch a character find him or herself in such a big way. I’d describe Alike as shy and new. She’s shy to everyone outside of a select few, and she’s just getting to know herself as she realizes her sexual preference and comes to terms with her identity. I like her so far. She’s interesting, and I look forward to watching her explore who she is as her story plays it through the rest of the film. Alike’s father is an interesting character. To me, he’s in the middle of two father figures. He’s supportive of Alike and what she wants to do, but then he also tells his daughters to simply do what their mother says. It’s unusual in film to have a father figure spend time supporting both, which makes his character interesting.
I found the review by Adam Serwer really interesting. It’s rare that we see a black coming of age film that doesn't involve abuse, drugs, crime, or other types of struggling, gang-ridden communities. As Serwer said, “Pariah has almost nothing in common with the mainstream black films of the past two decades”. Pariah focuses on the maturing and growth of a young woman coming to terms with her identity and sexual preference, rather than what Serwer calls “the blackness of ghetto life”. Serwer explores the idea presented by the American film culture that black children can only be happy when being raised by white parents, in comparison to the story of Alike finding herself under the roof of her black parents. I love that Pariah presents this contrast and for contradicts the idea that black kids can't be successful or happy growing up with their black families.
What strikes me about these films is that they are all about people of color, and the films themselves are as diverse as the people they are about. These films don’t show the same story like Adam Serwer talked about. What I know about these films from the short clips in this video is that they all dive one step deeper into different worlds portrayed in film today. They present different kinds of people within one race. A minority within a minority like Pariah presents a gay black woman.While i have never seen these movies I would definitely look into watching them. They have the potential to teach audiences so much more than what the film industry teaches today. They present different people in positions of power, different people’s struggles, journeys, and successes. They have storylines that today's industry would never think about, much less produce.
1. I really find this film to be interesting. I watch indie films, but this is truly an indie film. It has an interesting premise which not often shown in mainstream media today. Women in coming of age films that I have seen so far in my life have always been very feminine. There is nothing the matter with that. I was surprised when the film was about a woman finding herself through a masculine perspective, which makes the first scene most memorable. One would assume when the first scene is taken place at a strip club, the first characters that the audience would see is men throwing money at the strippers. However, we see tomboys throwing money at the strippers and dancing in the club. It’s a nice twist that one wouldn’t see coming.
ReplyDelete2. Alike is a character that I think most teenagers can relate. She is secretive from her parents and goes out to do things her parents won’t allow. One scene that I found funny and relatable was when at church, Alike wanted to stay inside the car when she was being introduced to her mom’s coworker and her daughter. I just found it funny and realized that was a thing I used to do as kid. One word I would use to describe her is deviant. She defies the norms that society tries to force upon her and is herself. One scene that highlights this is when Alike’s little sister is talking about going to homecoming with boys. Her mother asks who Alike is going with. Alike replies that she is not going to homecoming. She defies the traditions that people just do because they are supposed to do it. This increases the conflict between Alike and her mother. My other favorite character would have t be Laura because I think she is funny and cool to be around.
3. I agree with Adam Serwer with the last part of his passage. These kind of stories such as Boyz in the Hood ad Precious are the only ones being told. Just like Adiche, it creates the single story that all black people are poor and suffer from abuse. I’m not saying all movies that have majority black casts are like these movies, but a fair amount of them are, creating that single story. Pariah isn’t a coming of age movie only depicting the misery of being black, which makes it different from other coming of age movies.
4. It is interesting to see Nelson mention the concept of “Black New Wave” because I think it very relevant. The things that the movies back in the 70s, 80s, & 90s had in common was the representation of black people. The representation of black people in movies was how they were depicted in society (thugs, drug dealers, poor, and pimps). However, with this new wave, audiences get a different view of a single story, bringing a new light to the black coming of age dramas.
1. This movie is a very new experience for me due to its independent film nature. I believe this allows the story to be as genuine and explicit as Dee Rees intended it to be. That said, I really enjoyed it so far. The characters are interesting, the interactions and plot are both captivating, and I appreciate how raw the film conveys its story. I believe it’s a fresh perspective on the coming of age plot usually taken on by films. Multiple scenes that stood out to me were any interactions between Alike and Sharonda. They have a chemistry that I can relate to. My siblings and I tend to have the same “disputes” with each other, so those scenes tend to hit close to home(though under very,very, different circumstances).
ReplyDelete2. I think the word that best describes Alike is young. She is in the process of finding herself. In the first scene, the film shows how she doesn't feel like she belongs where she was (the club). We find the same situation occurs at school, at home, and the audience realizes Alike is having an identity crisis. The film shows a focus on her looking for who she is, amidst the problems and struggles of a young adult. Because of this, she is very relatable to the audience. I hope by the end of the film she won’t feel like she is a pariah; or even if Alike still is, she has a higher self esteem.
3. I agree with Adam Serwer to a good degree. They argue that this film is a unique one amongst modern Black films. I have to agree with this, though I believe there must be more independent Black films that shed the one sided tendencies of mainstream Black media. This film shows a new, daring, yet very intimate perspective of the Black condition through our main character Alike , with a rather positive outlook on life. This contests to the usual gloom and suffering depicted in most movies about Black communities. Because of this, I really can't predict what’s going to happen in the other half of the movie , and I can’t wait to see how it ends.
4. I definitely would like to see these movies. Considering I haven’t watched many independent films at all, and this might be the first to my knowledge, after finishing “Pariah” in class I would be open to deviating from the normal. The films before seem to accurately reflect the Black society in its respective era, so seeing new modern movies would flesh out my perspective and outlook on society today.
1, So far, I have been enjoying the film. I think that while the narrative is one I have heard before, it is being presented to me in a wholly new way with some circumstances that make the conflict of the film all the more interesting. I am not sure how I feel about the main character yet as I do not think she has fully emerged into the character she will be by the end of the film because she still has a lot of choices to make. I will say, however, that I really enjoy the storytelling of the film and just how integral the nuanced auxiliary characters in the film are to Alike’s development.
ReplyDelete2, My reaction to Alike so far has been a little bit uncertain. It seems like there is a truly interesting character in there that we have simply been unable to see due to the suppression from her mother and her struggle to find a community in which to fit in. I was hoping that we would get to see more of her inner self when we saw her in the club but in reality her social anxiety held her back, something that is extremely relatable and made her a human character to me. I hate how some movies promote the narrative that there is some perfect community for everyone and that if we look deep down we can all find it. I think that this narrative is tired and that characters like Alike who struggle to function in certain social situations and have trouble finding a place to fit in, and maybe never finding one, are something that we need to see more of in media and film. The father is another character that interested me in particular because I loved how he was so willing to stick up for Alike in the face of her mother.
3, I agreed wholeheartedly with Rob Thomas’ assessment of the film. I really felt what he was referring to with the not so black and white depiction of the characters being described as good or evil in the film. “The people you think are bad influences in Alike's life may still have something to offer her, and the ones you think might be positive influences can still let her down.” is the quote that stuck out to me the most because I felt that it rung extremely true with characters such as her mother, who we see as an antagonist but with some sparks of love in her.
4, Yes, I think I would like to watch some earlier representations of black film after watching Pariah. I watched moonlight when that came out a little while back and I did recognize that recently there has been more of a trend towards intersectional issues in black film. These films are now not only dealing with the struggle of being black in america, but also tackling even tougher issues such as being both black and gay and everything that comes with that. I think that in realizing that this shift has taken place I would like to explore some earlier representations of black film such as classic works by Spike Lee which I have yet to see despite how good I have heard they are, and Boyz n the Hood which I have also heard to be a great film.
1. I like it. It's hard to say much more as we have only watched the first 45 minutes or so. The film feels very intimate, and I credit that to the subject matter itself, but also the way scenes are framed, blocked, and edited. It is very clear that we are seeing the world through Alike's eyes. One moment that stuck out to me was when Alike was sitting on the windowsill listening to those girls talk. The use of close-ups and simplicity of the shots (it was just the two shots for the entire scene) made the moment feel less cinematic, which gave it a realistic aesthetic to it.
ReplyDelete2. I think the film industry needs more characters like Alike: shy, introverted, unsure of herself (also female, african american, LGBT, and all that good stuff too). Most movies feature an active character, which means they take action on their surroundings, but very rarely do we see a passive character, which is more realistic to how most people act. I consider myself to be introverted, so it was nice to see someone on screen with that same reservedness and not-wanting-to-draw-attention-to-themselves attitude.
3. In response to Wesley Morris: I agree Pariah is not a work of "thunder." As I previously talked about it is a very subtle film, that relies a lot on the audience placing themselves in Alike's mindset. We, as the audience, are always inferring what she wants and is thinking by her posture, the way she reacts, and from time to time when she does something.
4. I mean yeah I would like to see them, but I don't think that speaks to anything specific about those films as I am interested in watching almost any film (especially indie). To actually answer your question though I would bring up the personal aspect to each of these films. Indie films in general cannot afford to be eye-candy for audiences, they have to express some inner anxiety or story of the filmmaker that allows the viewer to connect on a visceral level with the story at hand. Indie films aren't marketed towards larger audiences, so they are given free reign to speak the truths of the story without pandering to a general public.
I thought this movie was very different. I don’t remember seeing a movie like this in a long time or ever for that matter. The low budget and shaky camera evokes a certain feel that I have come to associate with short films. The scene that stayed most with me was the scene when they were about to leave to go to church. The way the whole family, especially the father, interacted with each other was very telling. In a few minutes the director was able to sum up how this family interacts. This is something you can’t really do in a book.
ReplyDeleteI thought she was familiar. Nothing about her character really stuck out to me as unique; I feel like I see parts of her in other movies and shows. Her struggle with her sexuality in a very religious household is also something not entirely new, however the movie is able to analyze it from a different angle because of their race and economic status. Bina is an interesting character. I thought I had her pegged when we first met her, but now I think she could be a possible love interest for Alike.
In another movie, Alike's lesbian experiences would be a broad counterpoint to all this repression and secrecy, a place where she would be accepted an fulfilled. But when she goes out to gay clubs, her lesbian friend, Laura (Pernell Walker), seems to see her mostly as a sexual object, and is as clueless to Alike's real feelings as her family is. That's what I loved about "Pariah," that it sets up a very familiar narrative and then makes it painfully real and surprising. The people you think are bad influences in Alike's life may still have something to offer her, and the ones you think might be positive influences can still let her down.
I thought this quote was interesting because it questions our first impressions of the film and of Alike. The quote perfectly explains the feeling that while this all seems familiar, there is something different about this film. I am still not sure weather her friend Laura is a good influence or a bad influence. Of course, Alike’s mother thinks she is a bad influence and doesn’t want her daughter near her. But when Alike blows her off to hang out with Bina, maybe she is rethinking her relationship with Laura.
I would want to see a few of these movies. A lot of times these small kind of quirky movies end up being a gamble. You roll the dice and sometimes you find a hidden gem, other times you don’t. It’s more risky than the general box office movies where you generally know what you signed up for. The movie Yelling at the Sky looks interesting. I would want to watch that.
1. I quite enjoy this film! It’s rare to see films showcasing the experience of POC members of the LGBT community. Moonlight is a film that did it well, although from a male’s perspective. This film features a woman’s experience as she’s taken a deep dive into the LGBT community. I can’t think of a single scene that’s stuck with me as I’ve been totally captivated by the whole film. If I had to choose, though, it’s been interesting to see how Alike’s sexuality has impacted her father and his relationship with his friends. The scenes with him and his friends in particular highlight the homophobia and toxic masculinity imbedded in the black community which is so often overlooked.
ReplyDelete2. Alike reminds me of a friend of mine I know who is also involved in New York’s LGBT scene, although my friend is white. They both experience very adventurous situations and express themselves through writing. I feel like I would be good friends with Alike if i knew her. I liked watching her and her new “friend” bonding over music, as it reminds me of ways I’ve made friends myself. A word I would use to describe her would be “chained.” I say this because I believe she is a character who is waiting to blossom, but is held back both by her family and by herself. She wants to be more outgoing and be liberated (particularly sexually) but she’s still restricted by her own shyness and by the way her family treats her.
3. Wesley Morris’ review particularly struck me. I agree that this film is about Alike figuring out exactly what she wants to be. I hadn’t picked up on the fact that even her style of dress betrays her true character. The idea that even Alike’s friend isn’t always the best for her was also interesting. If only begun to see that just as we finished the first half on Friday.
4. The journey of black film from the 70s has recently started to interest me. Only 40 years ago, almost, if not all films featuring black lead characters were cheesy Blaxploitation action films. I’ve always liked these movies, but they do little in terms of representing the African-American community in a rounded way. Instead, we’re given one-sides actions heroes to follow. At the very least, they gave young black men someone to look up to (figures like Shaft) but they didn’t do much to accurately represent the community or to showcase the community to white audiences. Flash-forward to the last eighties and nineties with the Spike Lee era films, and the focus is shifting. Now, we start to see more accurate portrayals of the community (albeit still dramaticized) but there’s still something missing. In the video, Nelson George answered just why Pariah feels so different from these older films. Pariah is not a black, lesbian, coming-out film. It’s a film which features and taps into the black and lesbian identities, but it’s really about a journey into maturity.
1. This is a really interesting film. It is giving the viewer a glimpse of many different societies. It gives us a glimpse into African American society. It gives us a glimpse into the African American LGBT society. And it gives us a glimpse into what it is like to be impoverished at a young age. The scene that really stuck with me was Aliké on the train. She forces her friend to leave the train instead of walking her home, and then changes into a more feminine outfit, and looks at herself in the reflection of the train window after she finishes changing. She pushes away her friend because she does not want her to know that she is going to change out of her clothes to please her mother. It is a really sad scene because she pushes away her Gay side in two forms, changing her clothes and pushing away her friend, and at the same time pushes away her mother as soon as she gets home. She is torn between two lives, and no matter which one she picks there will be negative repercussions. If she picks the life of a young lesbian, she could turn out like the young girls we see hanging out on the street. No where to sleep, broke, hungry. If she picks the life of a straight women, she will turn out like her mother, unhappy in life, and probable unhappy at work.
ReplyDelete2. The word that describes Aliké is torn. I do not really know if I like her or not, because we really know very little about her. I do know that I feel very sorry for her. Wherever she goes she will not be accepted, which is tragic. I was also really interested in Audrey, Alikés mother. We can see that Audrey is hellbent on sticking to beliefs and values such as Christianity and the feminine role of women, and she thinks that will lead her children to successful lives. However, we see in many ways that she is not content with her own life. She has almost no friends at work, a Husband who does not listen to her and drinks a lot, and just does not seem happy in general. I am interested to see if she has a realization about her own unhappiness in life, and if that will affect her view on Alikés choices.
3. I like what Wesley Morris said. “This is a 17-year old girl trying to figure out what kind of black woman and lesbian to be.” I really agree with this. Often times, I think when we get into group mentality and identity politics, people in a group try to push other people into their group or other groups. In politics, you can no longer have your views and just be an independent person, you have to be forced under labels like Democrat and Republican, Conservative and Liberal. Aliké is going through the same things. She can not be a girl who is lesbian and black and likes writing, but more than anything is just a person. She has to figure out what kind of lesbian she is, what kind of black person she is, what groups she will join and fall under. The problem is, that like most people, Aliké can not cleanly fit inside one of these groups, because she is a person, and this movie is her struggling to find her place in life without a group.
4. I may want to go back and watch some of them. I have heard of them and heard that they are good but just have not seen them. I disagree with people saying that they do not want to go back and watch those movies because they portray some black people in a negative light. The people that made those films were trying to give people not living in those places a glimpse into what life is like for them. The Rwandan genocide happened, there was a lot of crime in inner cities in the 90’s, the film makers are giving us an interesting glimpse into those places, and I do not think the race of the people they are focusing on should play a role in whether or not you watch it. These different films and Pariah expose various societal constructs by focusing on the story’s of specific people, and allow us to see what it is like to live in someone else’s shoes.
When the movie started, I was really shocked because I could not fathom that a teacher would show a movie this raunchy. The first couple of minutes were literally in a strip club so the viewer knew that the tone of the film was pretty unorthodox for a high school.ever single conversation that had to do with the strap on dildo left me speechless. It was even funnier that Laura could not find one that was Alike's actual skin color. That small detail introduced a more racial charged note to the film that was not present before. Even though there was not a single white person featured in the movie, I did not once think of it as a "black" piece of art.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of somebody like Alike, I can not help but feel pity for them because they are desperately confused. Alike has no true guiding light in her life before the church girl that she is forced to become friends with. Personally, Bina is the only other respectable character in this film besides Alike. Unlike Laura, Bina has plans for her life that guide he r through high school. Also, Bina gives Alike decent advice that does not include pushing Alike into activities that do not feel okay.
Nelson George said, ""Pariah" looks at terrain that feels like we've seen before and takes us completely to a world we've never seen before." I absolutely agree with this statement. There are a million movies that have been made throughout the years that try to explain the teenage experience, how to find your own identity, and what being a girl really means. Pariah shines these concepts in a different light that makes the viewer question everything they know about who they are and what they went through to find themselves.
Like any other African American child raised in a African American family, I know what Boyz in the Hood is. I have not seen the movie, but I know that it was a game changer for people in the 80s because it promoted the gangster mentality that runs rampant nowadays in rap culture. Pariah was a lot more subtle in it teachings. The Sundance Film Festival standout tries to promote acceptance and diversity instead of guns and gangs. That is what makes Pariah such a great film, it does not try to overload the viewer with opinions or politics.
I have enjoyed the first half of “Pariah.” Though I found it more challenging to digest than other movies we have viewed, I appreciate the film. Like most people have described, “Pariah” does a good job maintaining a level of honesty. Each character reveals distinct layers to themselves that the audience does not always expect. Like when Alike’s mother, Audrey, is sitting on her work lunch break. In this scene, she is not in control, which makes her insecure: a different side than we see during her home life. This depth of the characters emphasizes that no one in the film is just a certain way; nothing is black or white. Before this moment, I didn’t really like Audrey and felt like she was just a controlling and worried parent, but viewing the mom in another light forced me to reconsider my feelings. Surprisingly, this moment made me feel bad for Audrey.
ReplyDeleteI would describe Alike as curious. From what we have seen, Alike spends much of her time experimenting to figure out who she is as a person. This testing is clear as she frequently visits a club with her close friend Laura, who pushes her to be more open with her sexuality. She also explores herself through clothes. Alike wears more feminine styles around her mother and changes into baggier, typically masculine clothes during school and other activities that occur outside of the home. I was also interested in Alike’s mom, Audrey. I was drawn to her because she seems to have constant, conflicting emotions about herself and her family. It is clear that she loves her daughter and wants her to be happy, like how she buys Alike a new blouse and encourages her to attend prom for the “memories.” Yet, Audrey won’t accept Alike for who she is, as she shuns her daughter’s sexuality through Laura and Alike’s clothing style. Like I said in the previous paragraph, this gives Audrey layers of complication and makes her more real— a person, not a character.
I agree with Wesley Morris’ point that Alike “discovers that she doesn't just like bohemian hip-hop; she likes hard black rock too.” The example he uses perfectly explains and highlights the complexity of Alike as she discovers herself. She takes in multiple different experiences throughout the movie, but doesn’t have a definite opinion on any of them. I think Morris’ writing accentuates, as I discussed before, the intricacy and ambiguity of life.
After watching clips of the movies Nelson George highlights and hearing him discuss them I think I would interested in seeing those films. Like Zoya, I noticed that many of the movie clips involved some kind of violence or aggressive behavior, which raises doubts and questions. However I think it is important to learn from such works through open and analytical observation. I rarely watch independent films but clips from movies in the video and “Pariah” have made me curious about the genre.
I'm really enjoying the movie so far. It has a great blend of humor and conflict, and it really made me think about life from a completely different perspective. The scenes in which Alike has to bring a change of clothes and change on the bus or in the school bathroom really stuck with me. She knows that her family will not approve of the way she dresses, so she has to sneak around and hide her true identity to everyone around her; at school, she is one Alike and at home, she is a completely different one. Her family forces her to code switch to the extreme every day, and I can't even begin to imagine how emotionally and mentally draining that must be. Alike is exhausted just trying to be the person she wants to be, and that, I feel, is something that many people can relate to.
ReplyDeleteI really like Alike and I think the character is incredibly well done. She gets a point across without being cliché or hitting you over the head with what the movie is trying to say and do. I think she is a character that many people can relate to in more ways than one. A word I would use to describe her is lost because she is torn between two worlds and doesn't know which way to go. She loves her family but she knows that they will never except her for who she is, and she loves the secret life she has with Laura and the way she is able to dress and act away from home because it is who she wants to be. Alike is lost and being forced to decide between her family and herself. Also, one character that particularly interested me was Alike's mother. She seems to be the one who is keeping Alike from being herself the most and interfering in her life and friendships. However, this is not all we see of her. She is also unhappy in her job and at home, and probably just wants whats best for Alike, but maybe has never stopped to consider that what is best for her daughter is to allow her to be the woman she wants to be.
Amy Biancolli said, “coming out as a lesbian is not the same as coming out as a man; it’s a process of reduction and revelation, not contrivance and disguise.” This article really stuck with me because it fit so well with the theme of the movie. Alike is questioning her identity and as it becomes clearer to her, it becomes clear to others as well which, unfortunately, makes Alike a target. She is completely stuck between being who she wants to be and being who everyone else expects her to. Each attempt at self expression for Alike seems to always end with negative comments or rude stares, which makes it even harder for her to become comfortable with the woman she is trying to become.
I would definitely want to watch these other films because it seems that each of them tells a very important story about overcoming extreme hardship as a person of color. I think these narratives aren't as widely represented in the media as they should be and show not only these strong men and women overcoming adversities, but challenging the culture of exclusion and oppression that we have always known.
1. I like the movie so far it shows a lot of conflict and one of the scenes that has stuck with me is when she is changing in the restroom into clothes that she feels good in not clothes that her mom forces her to wear
ReplyDelete2. I would say that she is conflicted and doesn’t know what she wants with herself. Because she knows she isn’t what her mom wants her to be but she isn’t her friend is. And her friend has been taking her to the club. And I find her friend interesting because she is showing her the side that her mother hates.
3. I agree with Nelson George, that we know about stories like this but this movie is doing a good job with showing it in a film because we don’t see movies about this topic as often as we should and we don’t praise the ones that have been made.
4. I have seen Boyz N the Hood and Menace society and so far those two movies are far more violent and full of action that this movie but all three speak about topics that we don’t speak or see much in film.
I didn’t have a strong positive or negative reaction to the first part of the movie. I thought the script was well written and the film was sell directed but I didn’t feel a strong connection to any of the characters. Maybe it’s a result of a lack of empathy on my part, but I couldn’t really identify with the struggle that Alika was going through in terms of coming to terms with her sexuality. It was sad to see her not being accepted by her family and it was also sad to see how dysfunctional her parents’ marriage was. We saw the father drinking beer in the morning and the mother seems to value her image among her peers and forcing her daughters to attend church above their emotional well-being.
ReplyDeleteStrong-willed, intelligent, and lonely are the words that come to mind when I think of Alike. She seems to do well in school and she isn’t afraid to stand up to her mother when she thinks her mother in in the wrong but it also seems like she has very few people that she can actually rely on. She is unable to talk about her sexuality with her parents and it seems like she doesn’t really have any friends at her school. Apart from Laura, she cannot talk about how she feels about other women to anyone.
I agree with Adam Serwer’s assertion that “...except for one or two scenes of ritualized family quarreling, which follow a dog-eared script, Rees avoid the pitfalls of soapy domestic confrontation and instead hones in on Alike's quiet strength.” Alice’s resilience is a major theme of the film and as a result, her parents’ problematic marriage is more of a background issue. We see her growing as a person and I think at its core, the story is about her triumph over isolation and her mother’s judgment.
Of the movies that were featured in video in the New York Times article, Menace II Society intrigued me the most. I would watch it because it seems to have themes that are similar to those in Boyz in the Hood, a movie that I really enjoyed. Boyz in the Hood explorer the impact of hip hop culture on black Americans, particularly black males. It explored how years of systemic oppression affected black communities and the way that African Americans interacted with each other. I am interested to see what Menace II Society has to say about these issues.
I like the movie. This tells a story that we don’t frequently get to see, but it is still one that I think is important to be told. Homophobia has by no means been eradicated and I think it is incredibly important to see how it affects young people with homophobic parents. The moment that stuck with me was when Alike’s father tells her that she will always be “his little girl”. It’s as if he knows that something is about to deeply change their relationship but he is desperately clinging to the ignorance that keeps their family together.
ReplyDelete2) One word that comes to mind is timid. Not necessarily a small person who is unsure of what she wants, but she is afraid to stand up for herself. At the beginning of the movie she lets Laura tell her what kind of lesbian to be and doesn’t want to anger her by telling her that that is not what she wants to be. She is only willing to stand up to her mother, but even then it is not standing up for herself it is just conflicting her mother. I am drawn to Alike’s sister: she stands for everything Alike is not and what he parents think is the “ideal child”.
3) I very much agree with Rob Thomas when he wrote that “the people you think are...positive influences can still let her down”. I think that the relationship between Laura and Alike is a very complicated one. Alike looks up to Laura and trusts her, yet Laura tries to get Lee to be something that she is not.
4)I like how he talks about how the movies are not shallow but instead they are deep and the characters are more rounded rather than what people think a ‘black’ movie should be. The movies deal with identity crisis and how difficult it is no be deviant when there are strict social norms put in place. I would like to see some of these movies because they tell important stories.
I honestly wasn’t expecting this type of movie after watching a movie like “Seven Samurai”. It was so war like, and in black and white, and Pariah was so current and 2018, so it really surprised me. I really wasn’t a fan of this movie because it didn’t really ever catch my attention. I was never really connected to the characters and I didn’t really enjoy the film overall. A part that stayed with me was the opening scene at the strip club. I am not used to seeing movies that start out in a strip club and it was memorable.
ReplyDeleteMy reaction to Lee is that I felt for her. I felt sorry for her parents situation, her dad was on her side but her mom is not. She didn't’ really have a good connection with her sister either besides that short moment at the end of the movie. Lee’s mom interested me. She was overprotective. She didn’t seem like she was going to be there for Lee no matter what but her dad seemed to be the kind of parent that would be there for her through it all.
Amy Biancolli’s quote from SFGate caught my eye when she said that the story being told is painful. I agree with that. She feels that the movie hones in on Alike’s strength. I think it takes a lot to be walking around the streets of NY and not have a very supportive mom or not to know who she can really trust. I think it takes a lot of failure to eventually figure out what to say to your parents or what to say to your friends about your truth.
I enjoyed this movie. I like how it is an indie film because I think it gives the film more a sense of realism and truth to it. The movie is very raw and displays interactions and feelings simply how they are. In some larger hollywood films, a movie like this may seem less realistic or have too much fluff to lessen the blow of the intense topic. However, this film barely even seems like a movie with actors, it seems like there was a camera placed with a real family to record their story. I also enjoyed the way it was filmed. It was very intimate cinematography in the sense that it drew the audience into the emotions of the characters by the use of focus and angles. One scene that stayed with me from the beginning of the movie was when Alike was introduced to Bina. This was a moment you could sense the difference between mother daughter relationship in the two families. Alike and Audrey were colder and disconnected than Bina and her mother, showing that they were not close.
ReplyDeleteAlike is a very complex character who is trying to define her place within her many communities. I would use the word “confined” to describe her. She is forced to keep her true self tucked away from people due to fear of becoming a social pariah. With some friends, she is open about her identity as a lesbian, yet when she returns home she is forced to change clothes and character in order to remain in the house. Over the course of the film, she slowly learns to reach outside of her shell because she learns that there is nothing wrong with her and instead the problem is with certain communities she is forced to be a part of. Another character that interests me is Bina. I think she and Alike are very similar in some senses, yet Alike is farther along the journey of self acceptance than Bina.
I agree with Amy Biancolli when she states that “Rees avoid the pitfalls of a soapy domestic confrontation and instead hones in on Alike’s quiet strength.” As I said earlier, I believe this movie does an excellent job of presenting the story in the most honest light. I also agree with how she views Alike in a sense of “quiet strength.” Her life is a difficult one filled with choices and agony, but through it all she recognizes who she is and honors herself by the end of the film.
I think I would want to see some of the movies that were in George’s video, but not all. Although I think all movies are important to see because they can create discussion around topics rarely brought up, sometimes some movies may not be beneficial. Several of the movie clips seemed to display the black community in a negative light based around violence and crime. I agree with Zoya when she says that she wants to watch a film that “portrays the true identity of a black person, not just a film that announces it, but reveals it.” In some of the movies George showed, it seemed that some films were doing the opposite of that; therefore, I don’t know if I would be interested in watching it.
I really like the first part of this film, because it doesn’t lay everything out for you—you sort of have to parse out Alike’s situation at first, and through her eyes, explore what she has to deal with, and the struggle of being comfortable in her own skin. What struck me was when that one girl was buying liquor in the store where Alike’s father was chilling after work. One of the men was being a douche, and the others were telling him to relax. I thought Alike’s dad’s reaction was particularly interesting, because I wanted to know if he reserved the same tolerance for the woman as he will for Alike.
ReplyDeleteI would say Introverted. She obviously isn’t into the clubbing scene, and seems to crave a more intimate experience. She clearly hates the strap-on dildo that Laura brings her, and I think that Alike seems like she would rather stay quiet and solve her problems by herself, rather than broadcast to the world.
I’m very interested in how the father turns out. He seems open minded about Alike’s identity, but something is very clearly holding him back.
‘The people you think are bad influences in Alike's life may still have something to offer her, and the ones you think might be positive influences can still let her down. “
-Rob Thomas
I really agreed with this, especially after watching more of the film. At first, someone like Laura seems like she is distracting Alike and trying to force her into something that she dosen’t want to be: a mirror image of her mother. However, we learn that Laura truly loves Alike, and just wants what’s best for her, even if she ignores her sometimes. Conversely, Alike’s father appears as a positive role mode: he plays basketball with Alike, and isn’t that uncomfortable with her sexuality. However, he isn’t a force in this movie: he isn’t a good role model (Yelling at Mom, cheating, always having beer) and dosen’t provide Alike anything to help discover himself: he finds ways to avoid his familial problems rather than confront them.
To me, the other films seem more based on stereotypes, and if they deal with stereotypes more directly/overtly rather than showing what everyday life is like for a lot of black people. That being said, I’ve always wanted to watch Spike Lee’s films as well as Boyz in The Hood, because of their cultural impact and their relevance to filmmaking today.