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Daughters of the Dust

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     I think the thing that stands out to me more than I expected about this film was the costuming. It plays into the magical realism powerfully, with the characters frequently wearing clothing so fancy it seems incredibly inconvenient for their environment. The initial scene in the low-to-the-water boat where yellow mary wears not only a fancy white linnen dress which is bound to get wet, but also a brimmed hat with a veil so long and obscuring that she has to hold it up with one hand in order to hold the conversation with the other passengers.      I also noticed some of the scenes included despite being plot-irrelevant showed them stumbling, falling, and frolicking on the sandy beach in crisply white dresses which look to have the potential to tear at any time. I almost expected the visitors to the island to stand out due to their fancy hats and fitted coats being so unusual to pair with the cleaning of shrimp and smashing of glass bottles, but in fact the entire cast wore fancy cl
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"Reassemblage"

In class I mentioned that I found the way this was filmed to be objectifying and uncomfortable, and then although there was a follow up class on this topic I was feeling ill from the vaccine and could not make it. I don't know what was said on Thursday but I think this is a good place for me to elaborate on my opinion, now that I have more space to clarify and more time to consider my opinions on the topic. I think in many ways this documentary was successful. It is certainly more respectful than a traditional documentary, and points to a lot of inconsistencies and flaws in the genre as it is typically actualized. However, I think that some of the choices of close-ups and specific activities were, in my opinion, overly focused on the aspects of the culture which are most different from western culture (exposed breasts, outdoor physical activity as a part of daily necessity, and even purely percussive music. In focusing on the aspects of this culture which are most different from wh
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"Psycho"

 Hitchcock's "Psycho" didn't interest me as much as I hoped upon my first viewing. I found the protagonist hard to relate to or support since the first thing we learn about her is that she is consenting to a romantic relationship with someone who is in a monogomous relationship with another person, which I find irresponsible and difficult to rationalize. After stealing the money and running with it for a while I found it easier to relate to her, but wasn't particularly sure why. This left me even more confused and disinterested when she was killed off so early, leaving me once again with little to no stake in the coming events.  Upon a second watch, reading the article for class, and the class discussions, my opinion changed. I learned about how the shot angles and pacing helped convey Marion anxiety and points of focus to me as a viewer, without needing to use words or plot points. I'm pretty sure that those techniques were the primary catalyst causing me to
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Introduction

Welcome, everyone! My name is Henry and this is my blog for the Intro Film Studies course at Lawrence University. I'll be posting about the films from the course here for further discussion with the class.  A little about me:  I'm 22, prefer they/them pronouns, and of all the places I've lived, Boston most feels like home to me. I'll be graduating this spring as an Art History major. Since films are art, at some point in the future of western education films might be incorporated into an art history degree. Although currently its a different field, I see this introductory course as a broadening of the Art History education I'm about to complete. My experience with film is limited. Before college I was frequently at the theaters when a new movie came out, but I'd not given much consideration to their analysis or value as art until more recently. I'm excited to broaden and deepen the way I see film, from either side of the screen. 
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