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May 8, 2017 at 1:17 pm #1043Michael PowersParticipant
Max,
I really like your analysis of the character of Sadie and her relationship with her sister; Sadie’s addictions being not only limited to drugs but an addiction to dreams as well. I also like how you brought in Jake’s character and while he plays a relatively small part in the movie, I think that he is the closest I would consider to a hero in this movie as since he is no longer Georgia’s manager, he occupies a space outside of the musical realm that both Georgia and Sadie are trying to occupy, Georgia with talent and Sadie with passion. In his outside position, Jake is able to see similar downfalls each style has, Georgia’s problems with perfection and Sadie not even having form on her mind when she can just be sure that she can express herself. Thus, Jake can act as a leveling agent for both characters as he is the unsung hero in Georgia.
May 8, 2017 at 12:17 pm #1041Michael PowersParticipantLydia,
While it does seem that Georgia has the same stubborn pride –hubris– as Antigone, I do not think she exists as a tragic hero in this movie. If she is, where is the downfall that she brings upon herself? While she does continually cross Sadie’s feelings and create more distance between the two, she knows Sadie will continue to look up to her and come to her for advice. While outwardly, it seems the two only differ in talent, getting a feel for the characters throughout the movie reveals that Georgia was likely always the favorite along with having the talent leaving Sadie to feel left out and wanting to replicate her sister’s behavior in all facets.
February 20, 2017 at 4:07 pm #956Michael PowersParticipantHi Madison,
I think you bring up a really good point about how Terry’s imperfections that are highlighted well throughout the first half of the movie, culminating in his “I could’ve been a contender!” speech where he reveals he purposely threw the fight and ruined his career for the mob –something Jefferson Smith would never have even considered doing– makes him relatable and more of an underdog character that we as the audience of the film can root for.
I’m interested in your comment about how this was really brought out by Kazan. While as a director, he is responsible for getting his actors to deliver their lines in a way that truly show the film the way the director wants it to be shown but does that make the director more important than the screenwriter(s) or playwright (as in the case of Arthur Miller in Death of a Salesman for which Kazan won a Tony)?
February 20, 2017 at 3:55 pm #955Michael PowersParticipantHi Kevin and Emily,
I found Kevin’s identification of the “belly of the wale” moment interesting too and I think his “belly of the whale” serves more to highlight the corruption within the union, showing how ruthless Johnny Friendly and company really are because it shows how they are willing to dispose of another high-ranking member of the union in order to send a message and keep their secrets hidden. What do you think of the scene when Terry tells Edie that he was involved in Joey’s death? I can see that as a “belly of the whale” moment as well because after she leaves him he hits a low point where, unlike in his brother’s death, he still hasn’t completely made up his mind about whether or not to sing but that could be his “crossing the threshold”, too.
I like how you tied this into Elia Kazan’s own experience with telling the HUAC about communists, but I have an issue with Kazan’s reasoning behind it. Kazan comparing himself to a whistleblower who exposed corruption –a real crime– in a union doesn’t exactly fit the idea of telling HUAC who communists are just to save yourself. While Kazan may have felt he was saving others, he fed the witch hunt, rather than ending it as Terry did in the movie.
February 12, 2017 at 12:58 pm #943Michael PowersParticipantHi Emily,
I think you did a really good job of tracing Rick’s sentimentalist growth throughout the movie, from his time as a detached club owner to a romantic hero. I’m interested in what you think about Victor being his foil. I think Victor Laszlo being a close to, if not almost the exact same person, as Rick before Ilsa walked out on him and causing his detachment to emotion, caused Rick to go back to being a sentimentalist. Their (Rick and Victor’s) parallels would be interesting to trace in regards to sentimentality.
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