Repo Man Exta Credit

Repo Man provided a new style of film as well as a new part of the Cold War Timeline to explore. The film style of this film was very gritty, looking like there was almost a layer of dirt on the lens. The film introduces us to the “punk” style that was popular in 80’s. What I found to be particularly interesting was how the film mocked the idea of the punks rebelling against nothing. The group of rebels wanted to do anything to achieve s sense of excitement, robbing liquor stores, stealing cars, etc.

The main character Otto gets caught up on the life of the repo man, participating in a case to find a special Malibu with some alien forces in the trunk. Throughout the film Otto uses the life of the repo man to rebel, searching for adventure in the confines of his mediocre town. In the final scene of the film we see Otto taking off in the atomic car, leaving the earth altogether in search of something more.

I feel that the atomic car represents something very vital during this time period in the cold war. During the 80’s the atomic arms race was at its height, with the United States and the Soviet Union in competition for the most weapons. When examining the film we can interpret the stolen Malibu as the atomic weapons every country was chasing. Everyone wanted to be in possession of the weapons, but were they really reading for the outcome? Symbolically the atomic car taking off at the end of the film represents the flight of atomic weapons and how the outcome is still uncertain. The power of the car temps people to chase its power, and when in the wrong hands can have grave consequences.

Repo Man served as a great bridge into the era of the 80’s a time of punks, misfits, and no real reason to rebel but the act of rebelling itself.

Blue Velvet

I have to say that Blue Velvet was a great way to end the semester and the final stop of the time line of the Cold War Era. I found the filming technique of David Lynch very interesting and refreshing. I loved how he mixed this sense of darkness and mystery with hyper saturation and obnoxiously bright colors. The film noir style of the film added to the overall sense of darkness present throughout the piece. The acting styles of the characters were so outrageous and over the top that it contributed to both the mystery and intensity of the film.

As we talked about in class, the 80’s, especially during the Reagan Administration, were a time where people wanted a return to the 50’s ideals that had once been prevalent during American culture. I disagree with the reading, and I believe that Lynch very purposely over exaggerates the 50’s ideals particularly at the beginning and end of the film. In the beginning of the film we see images of these happy suburban people, a man on a fire truck smiling and waving, yellow tulips blossoming along the white picket fence. From that point the films seems to take a dramatic shift into the film noir style almost intentionally dramatic. I interpreted this shift to be almost a symbol for the underlying darkness of the Regan administration and the 80’s as a whole. While Reagan focused on a return to 50’s ideals and nostalgia, he was also at the forefront of the nuclear arms race with Russia during the peak of the Cold War. I believe that the dark film noir style Lynch uses emphasizes the underlying darkness of both the country and people in general.

I found the characters to be fascinating, especially when we examine them in terms of what the article named “the others”. Jeffery represented the normal all American suburban young man, home from college, exemplifying all the manners of a well brought up young man. However, as the film progresses, he loses his sense of innocence and seems to transform into the “other” he was trying to stop. Jeffery gives into temptation, going into Dorothy’s apartment and watching her be raped. Not only does he watch, he gives into the temptation of her and the sexuality of physical violence. Jeffery is constantly sitting on the line of good/ bad. Jeffery’s character is not really sure what is normal by the end of the film. While he works to bring down the “other” known as Frank, he slips more and more into Frank and Dorothy’s world. I believe that this character representation is a great example of the uncertainty of youth rebellion during this time period and the idea of there not really being anything to rebel against but the unknown, those who were unlike the mold of everyone else.

Additionally, the characters of Sandy and Dorothy play both parts of the victim and of the temptress. Dorothy, while a victim of crime, takes enjoyment in the violence, asking for it on an occasion with Jeffery. Dorothy doesn’t want to get Jeffery involved, yet clings to him and needs to be with him. The character of Sandy plays a similar role. While appearing to be just an innocent suburban blonde, she is the one who introduces Jeffery to the mystery, tempting him while at the same time keeping her distance. Jeffery holds power on each woman, relating the 50’s ideal of men having power over the weaker woman. Through these character evaluations we can see how blurred the lines of good and bad have become.

Blue Velvet used the film noir style as well as great contrast in color and lighting to portray the 80’s during the end of the Cold War era. Lynch’s use of high intensity acting and characterization to present his viewers with the complexity of the human character and the idea of the “other” taking root in ourselves.

Apocalypse Now

Surprisingly, Apocalypse Now is the first film I have seen regarding the Vietnam War, and I have to say I was very impressed with both the technical elements of the film as well as the relevance to the time period.

To summarize, Apocalypse Now is a 1979 American epic war film set during the Vietnam War. The plot revolves around two US Army special operations officers, one of whom, Captain Benjamin L. Willard (Martin Sheen) of, is sent into the jungle to assassinate the other, the rogue and presumably insane Colonel Walter E. Kurtz (Marlon Brando) of Special Forces. Captain Willard embarks on a journey through the jungles of Vietnam, coming across the destruction and pillage of the war.

After completing the reading, I was interested to learn the connection between the film and the novel Heart of Darkness. As the author states, “Apocalypse Now bridges the gap between literature and history by "transposing" Heart of Darkness with the Vietnam War through the incorporation of images, narrative, and discourse provided by Herr in Dispatches”.  I found it interesting that the film was based on the novel, but added its own elements to the base of the story and complexity of the characters.

Technically, the film composition was beautiful. The shot of the helicopters approaching the village with the soundtrack increasing was a great element to add to the film. The different camera angles really added to the dram of the film. I especially loved the use of light in the scenes with Kurtz and how the lighting added to the mystery and complexity of the character.

The characters themselves were fascinating. Willard emerges in the film as this heartless man, made cold and firm from the war, yet unwilling to go back to his normal life, the jungle calling to him. The article states, “He also embodies the senseless destructive power that characterized the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War mainly with his nearly addicted affinity for napalm; at one point, he muses: "napalm son, nothing else in the world smells like that". Willard represents the emotional detachment that was seen during the war, epically from those with PTSD. As the film progresses we see his character evolve slightly, mostly though his meeting with Kurtz, and his understanding of his mental state. While he still kills Kurtz, we are given the sense of understanding between the two victims of war.

Kurtz’s lecture his philosophy of war, humanity, and civilizations were very interesting and added an important element to the film.  The use of Kurtz’s final lines “the horror, the horror” left a resonating theme to the impact of the war on the psyche of the men involved and the nation as a whole.

I believe Apocalypse Now is a great representation of the time period of the Vietnam War. The film presented the audience with images of these young men going into this war with either a hardened mentality or an innocence that would soon be lost.  As Willard led these men on his mission, they had no idea where they were even going, or what mission they were fulfilling, but all that mattered was that a commanding officer had been given orders and they were chosen to follow them through. The various characters represented different men in various stages of life and maturity, giving the audience a realistic glimpse into the faces of the Vietnam War.  The idea of Kurtz creating his own civilization in the middle of the madness going on around him and inside of him was a poetic representation of the mental turmoil affecting hundreds of men returning from the war.

The film brought to light the many emotional states of man and the true horror of the Vietnam War.