Rising Water- Tim Winton

Last Wednesday, our year 11 literature class gathered to the art centre to see the play, 'rising water' by Tim Winton. I hadn't read or seen anything of Tim Winton's previously, but supposedly he was a brilliant writer.

As we walked into the playhouse, I noticed that we were the youngest of the audience. Majority of the viewers were over the age of 60. The curtains were opened, exposing the scene. The audience instantly became aware the characters lived on water, not only by the title, but by the scenery.

Upon the stage were three boats in which the three main characters lived in, which was tied to a pier. The set was well executed was very realistic. The flooring was well designed, as it was made to look like water.

This play was set in Fremantle on Australia day. It appeared the whole town was celebrating.  Australians, in the play, were depicted as 'bogans' and quite racist. I felt this was unrealistic interpretation of Australians. Much Australian vernacular was used throughout the play.   

Baxter, Cole and Jacque are in such a free place, yet their boats are tied to the post. In reality they are trapped by events in their past. They like to keep to themselves; it’s as if they had come to the marina to hide from their troubles. So I think the location/ situation the characters are in is a metaphor for their lives. Their insecurities suggest a sense of isolation and lack of freedom. When a young woman (about 20), from the UK, named Dee is introduced in the story, they each reveal their troubling pasts. A depressing vibe is captured from the beginning of the play. It's obvious the characters are lonely, hopeless and suffer from lack of fulfillment in their life. Isolation and freedom are key themes within the play.
The main character, Baxter, played by John Howard, was previously a high school principal and married with two children. He is now separated from his wife as she committed adulatory, as a result, his children no longer talk to him as they believe he didn't try hard enough to keep the marriage together, which I think is a pathetic excuse not to talk to your father, if anything they should hate the mother for cheating in the first place.  

When two high school students are kicked out of home because one was found to be pregnant, Baxter decided to take them in. He had started up a program for teen mothers in need. I believe he did this because his own mother had had him when she was a teenager. When the boyfriend wrongly accuses Baxter of ‘Kiddy fiddling’, his reputation is ruined, forcing him into this state of isolation.

Dee also offers sex to Baxter in exchange for money, which he immediately declines. In the end, he gives her money for nothing in return. I think this really shows the selflessness of the character and how judgmental people in society can be.  

By the end of the play, the audience cannot help but pity this character, as we understand his difficult life.

Cole is a typical Aussie bloke, whose past was only spoken about briefly. He was previously an accountant, something neither of his neighbours were aware of. This again shows you may see someone quite often but might not know much about them.

Jacque is a lesbian and recovering alcoholic, whom we only get a glimpse of.
Dee is more of a free character, as she was exploring Australia as a backpacker which is symbolic of the liveliness and freedom in which the character represents. This character comes into the story when she is dumped by her boyfriend, leaving her broke with nowhere to go. She rudely invites herself on Baxter's boat, where questions about his past begin to arise. Usually I can tolerate English accents, but her sloppy speech irritated me, especially when she spoke for a long period of time. I understand that she was drunk, but it shouldn't take that long to sober up.

Baxter is the only character that went into detail. They mentioned some personal issues in others characters lives, but I didn't feel it had much relevance to the plot. Randomly, a boy would enter the stage between scenes, who we assume is a reflection of Baxter as a boy, when he begins to talk about his mother during the second half. The concept of the boy confused me at bit, it was not very clear.

In the beginning, they appear stagnant, like their lives aren't really going anywhere. I think it shows how you can live so close to someone, yet you may not truly know their history. There was no major event in the story. It was basically just the characters confessing events from their past.

Although I liked the set, I would have liked a change in scenery, but it remained the same throughout the entire show, apart from the end. The dialogue required the audience to listen quite attentively, but I couldn't help but zone in and out, as there was too much dialogue. I felt it was too much like a novel and did not capture the dramatic feel of a play.

The part I found most captivating was when Dee fell into the water and was being saved by Cole and Baxter. The audio and use of light were very effective in this scene. Dee appeared as if she were glowing under water. This was probably the highlight of the play; though I was disappointed nothing more really happened.

In the end, Dee sinks Baxter’s boat, ‘you’ll thank me later’ she had said. The sink of his boat was symbolic of the change in the character. I was quite amazed by how they were able to move the boat beneath the set.

 
I did not feel the play was appropriate for our age group. Swearing we can handle, but the adult themes did not relate to us. It was supposedly a 'comedy', yet the only way I knew if anything was supposed to be funny was when I'd hear others laughing. I felt the comebacks were too quick so it wouldn't give you enough time to process each line.

‘Rising water’ was really not my cup of tea. Winton is yet to master the art of playwriting, but he has potential.  Perhaps it would be more successful in the form of a novel?

Hear you me- Jimmy Eat World

Lyrics below:
"There's no one in town i know
You gave us someplace to go
I never said thank you for that
Thought i might get one more chance

What would you think of me now?
so lucky
so strong
so proud
never said thank you for that
now i'll never have a chance

May angels lead you in
hear you me my friends
on sleepless roads the sleepless go
may angels lead you in

What would you think of me now?
so lucky
so strong
so proud
never said thank you for that
now i'll never have a chance

May angels lead you in
hear you me my friends
on sleepless roads the sleepless go
may angels lead you in

If you were with me tonight
i'd sing to you just one more time
a song for a heart so big god wouldn't let it live

May angels lead you in
hear you me my friends
on sleepless roads the sleepless go
may angels lead you in

May angels lead you in
hear you me my friends
on sleepless roads the sleepless go
may angels lead you in"

There's something about this song that always makes me want to cry. The first time I heard this song was in the film, 'A Cinderella Story'. This is a sad song that allows me to reflect on deaths that have occured throughout my life. Although it is slightly depressing, I love the lyrics and music, which make htis song special. 

I have done some research on this song and found that this song had been dedicated to Mykel and Carli, two people who had started the Weezer fan club in 1994 and passed away after a car accident in 1997. They had not only helped out Weezer, but many other bands, including 'Jimmy Eat World'. They were known to be kind to all and offered shelter to passing bands.

I think this song is about the death of a loved one and not getting a chance to say thank them for all they had done. It's also about not being able to say goodbye, but wishing them to be in a better place (heaven). It's a beautiful song that I would request to be played at my funeral.

Hear you me-Jimmy Eat World 

Don't look now- opening scene

This opening scene depicts the innocence and naivety of children. All seems quite at ease, but there is an eeriness that is evident due to the soft music played in the background. The audience can sense something off about the scene, as if something is about to happen. This feeling broadens when the closes up on the water, showing the reflection of the girl in the red raincoat. This scene cuts to the parents sitting inside the house. We notice the music instantly stops in this scene. We also take in the parents lack of care for their children as they leave them unsupervised. When the father is looking at images of a church, we notice there is a figure wearing a red raincoat, quite like the one worn by the daughter. This is a sign of her upcoming death in the scene. The ignorance of the parents is also shown when the boy rides over glass and falls off his bike. They are far too consumed in their work to acknowledge their own children. The picture that the father had been examining then begins to bleed. The father instantly knows his daughter is in trouble and comes to her aid, unlike the mother who continues with her work, oblivious to the events occurring outside. Unfortunately the daughter was unable to be saved and drowns. The music becomes louder, which adds to the overwhelming situation in the film.

Don't look now-opening scene

Les Parapluies de Cherbourg -The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

'Les Parapluies de Cherbourg' (the umbrellas of Cherbourg), was made in 1964, directed by Jacques Dem.
The opening music instantly creates a sad atmosphere due to the use of the violins. The camera shows us a view from above, as rain begins to fall on the bricks. People begin to open up umbrellas of different colours. This scene cuts to a train station and then we see a couple.
This film is completely sung in french. I may not speak french, but it is clear by the music and expressions of the characters what this film is about (with or without the subtitles).
The young woman is clearly devastated, as her lover is leaving her behind. The male has a pained expression, which indicates his sadness and guilt for leaving his companion behind. She begs him to stay, though he does not have a choice, as he is to go to war. He will return in two years if he survives the war and she has promised to wait for him.
When they say their final goodbyes at the train station, the female becomes smaller and smaller as the camera moves further away. This is to show the painful separation the young couple have to endure.

Link to this scene
    

Dancing at the cafe - Bande a Part (AKA Band of Outsiders)

This is a famous scene from the french film 'Bande a Part' (band of outsiders), directed by Jean-Luc Godard. It is a black and white film, made in 1964. This scene shows three people randomly dancing in a cafe, repeating the same steps over and over again. This dance is commonly known as 'the Madison'. The music used is upbeat and is true to the time the film was made. The music would stop at randomly for the narrator to comment. They are outsiders to the people in the cafe, hence the name 'band of outsiders'. I found this dance annoying and overly repetitive. This scene drags on for quite a while. It may have been original and amusing for its time, but personally I think it's quite dull. This was said to be a 'comedy', though I don't really see what's so funny about three people dancing in cafe.
 
Although I have only seen this particular part of the film, I have researched the storyline. In short, it is basically about three people, whom we saw in this scene, who plan a robbery. From what I've read, this scene really has no purpose to the film whatsoever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6pOXjQLh7Y&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6pOXjQLh7Y&feature=related

Superman and Paula Brown's New Snowsuit

Superman and Paula Brown's New Snowsuit is a short story written by Sylvia Plath. It highlights the realisation of the cruelty of reality through the eyes of a child. 

Characterisation of characters: Uncle Frank, David and mother:
Uncle Frank: his niece looks up to him and is depicted as a heroic figure in the story. Frank is waiting to be drafted to the Army, as it is in the middle of WWII. He shows much love and compassion towards his family, as well as understanding. He seems to want to aid everyone's problems and keep the peace. This is shown when he says 'we'll pay for another snowsuit anyway just to make everybody happy'. He is kind and considerate of others and is a good role model to his niece.

David Sterling: David is a good friend of the girl, who he lives down the road from. Him and the girl are almost inseperable in the beginning of the story as they always played games together. Their friendship ends after the incident with Paula Brown and her snowsuit. He basically turns on her when he informs the girls mother of this occcurence.

Mother: the mother is a caring and sincere character. She is distressed about the war and appears slightly unstable, especially as her husband is dead.   

Snowdrops- Leslie Norris

In class, we analyzed the short story ‘Snowdrops’, written by Leslie Norris.

Snowdrops are used in the story to reflect humans in a state of vulnerability and fragility, much like the delicacy of the flower. The unnamed boy in the story represents the innocence and naivety of children. His fellow school mate, Edmond, is quite the opposite to the boy. We see the contrast between the two characters as Edmond is much more mature and aware of the world around him.  Whereas the boy is full of imagination and is oblivious to the imperfections of life. He sees life as exciting and full of adventure. This is shown when he exaggerates little things such as his bacon sandwich. He seems to find minor things such as this fascinating, even though 'its just bacon', as Edmonds points out.  

Ms Webster, the teacher, stays strong for the children by putting on a brave face. It is evident that she is deeply affected by the death. Although it was not widely known of their romantic relationship, it becomes quite obvious when she deliberately takes the children out to see the snowdrops and the exact time of the funeral.   

After witnessing his teacher crying due to the death of her lover, the boy is confronted with the realisms of reality.  We see a change in this character as he has a growing awareness of his surroundings. He sees the world is not as glamorous as he had once thought.

Favorite scene from a film

Over our last lesson, we discussed many film techniques commonly used in movies such as light, camera angles, audio etc. This was to help us with film study for an upcoming task. From this, we were asked to think about our own favorite scenes in a film and what made them significant to us.

My favorite scene from a film would be in 'A Walk to Remember', starring Shane West and Mandy Moore. It would have to be one of my favorite book's and movie's of all time. The story takes place in North Carolina, where two teenagers from different crowds fall in love. Landon Carter is a popular and rebellious teen, who cares greatly about his image. On the other hand, Jamie Sullivan quite independant and is not bothered by what others think of her. She is also the religious daughter of the town Pastor, who is very protective of her. Although at first they don't see eye to eye, a series of events lead them to develop strong feelings for eachother and eventually fall in love, despite the opinions of their peers.

The downfall of this love story is met when Jamie confesses to Landon that she had been suffering Leukemia for sometime and she had stopped responding to treatment. Although devastated by this news, Landon remains faithful to Jamie and continues to support her.

After this shocking bombshell regarding Jamie's health, I was instantly brought to tears.

Which leads me to my most memorable scene:

When things begin to look bad, Landon's father, who is a doctor, without Landon's knowledge, decides to give Jamie special medical treatment. Landon's father sees how special Jamie is to him, which led him to make that decision. Landon visits his father to thank him for his genorosity. This is a big step in their relationship, as Landon had not spoken to his father for many years after his parents had been divorced. The pure emotion on Landon's face made me cry harder. You could see that watching Jamie suffer was killing him. It was very touching to me watching Landon cry for Jamie.

Landon surpises the audience by hugging his father tightly. It goes to show that tragedies may be hard, but are able to bring people together. Despite all the loathing he had had for his father, the fact that he had helped someone he cared about made all the difference. It's a beautiful moment between father and son. :)

Other factors that make this memorable include:

- The angle of the camera in this scene, as it is a close up of Landon and his father

- The music played in the background creates a spiritual mood. The song in this scene is called 'Reconciliation' which is appropriate given the circumstances.

- The dim lighting also adds to this mood.



This may be a short scene, but it was very significant to me, the film would not have been the same without it. :)



Psycho (1960)

Over the last few lessons of the term, we watched the 1960 classic, Psycho, directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The film takes place in Phoenix, Arizona, a busy town in which the main character, Marion Crane, lives. The mood at the beginning is calm, but soon leads up to a big climax. Upon stealing $40,000 from a client, the young and beautiful Marion fleas town to be with her lover. As a result of her actions, Marion ends up being murdered. On her way out of town, Marion becomes very paranoid. She decides to swap her car, knowing she could be easily tracked, as she had earlier given the police her license and registration. As night falls, Marion decides to check into the Bate's Motel. Phoenix is quite safe and comforting in comparison to Bate's Motel. The Bate's Motel lacks the busy atmosphere of the city, which creates an eerie mood in the film. Initially, the motel looks friendly and at pace, though the audience is able to see there is something off about it. Marion meets Norman Bate's, a shy young man who claims to live with his mother. Marion registers herself under a false name, putting the audience further on edge. The use of violins in the music build up the tension as the film continues. The identity of Norman is mother is still a mystery at this point in the film. We hear murmurs coming from Norman's house, which we assume is Norman and his mother. Norman arrives back to his office with food for Marion and himself. They make awkward conversation as the camera pans the office, showing many dead owls, which Norman claimed to have stuffed himself. The piercing stare of the owl’s eyes shifts the mood, which becomes quite spooky as the uneasiness rises. Whilst Marion is undressing, Norman peeps through a hole in the wall, but quickly turns away. In this scene, we take note of the change from a white bra to a black bra. This is an indication of the transition from good to evil that has taken place within Marion. Norman does not allow himself to feel the attraction to other women. Later in the film, it is discovered that Norman lives alone. Norman had adored his mother, and the thought of his mother being with another man traumatized him. Finding his mother in bed with another man drove Norman to insanity, forcing him to commit the murder of his mother and her lover (which had been a secret for many years).

Norman had created an illusion for himself that his mother was not dead. He remained faithful to his mother years after her passing, which is the compelled him to kill Marion Crane. The shower scene is a key feature of the film. There is a variety of angles the scene was shot. She is brutally stabbed by, what seemed to be, an old woman in a long dress. Norman arrives too late, but like the dutiful son he carefully cleans the room and disposes of the body and the evidence in the swamp.

 The shower scene of her death is famous in the world of horror movies. This would have been the very first horror film created. This motion picture was the core of all modern horror films. Many ideas involved with the horror industry were sprung from this film. It was also very uncommon, in the time this was filmed, for the main character to die in the middle of the film. Alfred Hitchcock's ideas were considered very original and not fully accepted by viewers at the time, but eventually became a hit.

An investigation of Marion’s whereabouts is carried out. The detective follows a trail to Bate’s Motel, where he is also killed. After this fishy death, Marion’s sister and boyfriend decide to take matters into their own hands by going to the Bate’s Motel themselves. Marion’s sister, Lila, comes across Mrs. Bate’s corpse decaying in the cellar. Norman, dressed as his mother, attacks her, but Marion’s boyfriend manages to overpower him.

In the last few minutes of the film, it is revealed that Norman had murdered his mother and her boyfriend. He preserved her body, as he could not bear to live without her. He developed a multiple personality (a split personality, his mother and himself). The mother side within Norman was the one who had done the killing.

Alfred Hitchcock’s movie was considered very unique for the time, which made himself a name in the movie industry.           

They're not your husband by Raymond Carver

The author, Raymond Carver, used real life experiences to write this story. Just like the husband in his story, Earl Ober, he too was an alcoholic with no respect towards women. the main character reflects the authors personality. Earl is also an jobless alcoholic  I think it bothers him that he is unemployed and the fact that he has nothing to be absorbed in, makes him feel useless and insignificant. This is partly the reason why he starts drinking and suddenly visits Doreen at her job.

One night after going to the bar, Earl decides to visit his wifes workplace in the hopes of getting a free meal. He sits down with a few workmates, when his wife, Doreen, comes to take their order. One of Earl's collegues comment about her 'big ass', while she is bending over scooping up ice
cream. "But some jokers like their quim fat," the man continues to his friend. Earl does not tell his friends of his relationship to the woman, as he is ashamed of her given their earlier comments. Later that night, he convinces Doreen to lose weight. This shows how conscious Earl is of others thoughts and opinions to stoop to this level. Until this point in the story, Earl had never thought of his wifes weight to be an issue. But seeing it from a strangers point of view made him rethink the idea. Rather than sticking up for his wife, he sits back and agrees with them. He did nothing to defend the woman he was supposed to love.

The language in this piece is descriptive and clearly shows the ignorance of Earl's character. '"Slob," Earl said. "Go ahead, eat! Go on!" This example depicts the husbands rudeness and selfishness.

After a few weeks, the weight drops off Doreen, though she is feeling tired and run down due to her lack of eating. People at work had also noticed her dramatic weight loss. Doreen confronted her husband of this issue, but Earl wouldn't hear of it. "They're not your husband." He told her firmly.  Still, Earl pushes her to lose more weight, despite the damage it is doing to her health. Earl is a sexist pig of a man who cares more about the views of strangers than his wifes wellbeing.

Another night after drinking, Earl decides to stop by the cafe his wife works at. He plays dumb to the waitress and says, "Who's your friend?" (referring to Doreen). He watches her behind the counter, proud of what he's accomplished. He sleazily says to the man beside him, "What do you think of that?" The man ignores him, though Earl continues to try to get his attention, but he won't budge. Doreen reveals who the man is to a fellow co-worker, after she's questioned ("who is this character?").

It is safe to say that Earl went too far with his obsession for his wife to be thin and desirable to other men. Earl and Doreen may be husband and wife, but they are in relationship without love and commitment (mostly Earl). He thought far strongly of others perspectives and not enough about what was best for his wife. Doreen felt the need to make him happy and was pressured into going on a diet, risking her health in the process.






 

My Personal Reading History

These are my top 6 favourite books/series:

• Clifford the Big Red Dog:

- Read when I was about 5 year old

- One of my favourite books as a child

- Always wanted a big red dog after reading these books :)

• Roald Dahl Books:

- Read Roald Dahl books all through primary school and absolutely loved them :)

- I particularly enjoyed 'Matilda', 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' and 'The Witches'. 

• Green Eggs and Ham:

- I liked Green Eggs and Ham as a kid because it was easy to read and I liked the illustrations and use of colour.

- I have heaps of Dr Seuss books, which helped me learn to read when I was younger.

- I liked the language of the book (rhyming words)

• Harry Potter:

- I loved the idea of living in a magical world :)

- Wish I could go to Hogwarts

- Went through a stage where I couldn't stop reading them

- The movies aren't as good as the books, but I like the first few movies the best :)

•  A Series of Unfortunate events: 

- Used to read this series at the beginning of highschool

- I liked the situations the Baudelaire children would be put in

- I never finished the series because I found it too depressing after the 6th book , but one day I hope to finish it :)

•  Vampire Academy Series:

- I recently finished reading this series

- I like the plot of the series because it was surprising and unpredictable

- At the end of each book you would constantly be guessing of what would happen in the next book, as it always ended in a cliffhanger

- It wasn'tjust the idea of the vampire world I liked, it was the relationships within the book and the storyline that got me hooked :)



Walkabout (1971)

In our Literature class, we watched the first 10 minutes of the 1971 film, Walkabout. Although we only views a small part of the film, we were able to see many clips showing the contrast between the city and the desert.

The use of brickwalls and fences in the city shows us that they don't exist in Aboriginal communities.It also shows the disconnection between the two worlds and how different they both are in comparison. The city looks overcrowded and closed in, whereas the desert is free and open.
There was a clip showing businessmen and women walking, particularly focusing on their legs, which captured the hussle and bussle of the city. In this scene there is no focal point, showing the lack of individuality and character of the city people. Everybody is so serious and impersonal, the city people populace doesn't seem all that friendly.
A scene was shown with a class of young female students doing breathing exercises. The lack of indiviuality is evident in this scene, not only because of their plain uniforms, but their robotic behaviour. We notice that the girls and boys schools are separate, shows how life is depicted in the city as an 'ideal world'. 
The great, tall buildings were used to show the mans/fathers isolation and depression, as we see later in the film he commits suicide. The buildings also show how they cut off the beauty of nature as well as sunshine (all is black and white). There is no green to be seen in the city, but hidden behind.
When the father arrives home, we see that their is no acknowledgement between family members, mainly between the mother and father, though their children appear to be quite close. They would seem like the pefect family in the world they live in, but love within it is absent.
By seeing the home the family live in, we see that they are quite wealthy. This shows how they may have so much but that doesnt buy happiness- the father is a perfect example of this.