If you're in the Kansas City area...

Then come on down to the Stilwell Summer Film Series at the Stilwell United Methodist Church! This week we're showing Transformers and Star Trek: Wrath of Khan! The movies and popcorn are free, drinks will be available for purchase, and overall it's going to be lots of fun.

This is my brain child and my first attempt at this sort of thing. Next week is WALL-E and Persepolis, and we end it the Friday after that with High School Musical 3: Senior Year and American Graffiti! I hope who ever reads this and is in the area will stop by and check it out.

For more information visit stilwellfilm.org or stilwellfilm.blogspot.com.

Thoughts on THE UNFORGIVEN

The Unforgiven

My father grew up on a farm in West Texas, and like all good Texans, he thinks he's a cowboy. Well, he longs to be a cowboy--or a pirate. He's really not picky, but the point is, his desire to be a cowboy has manifested in his love for Westerns. He lists The Searchers, Rio Bravo, and High Noon as some of his favorite films and becomes rather depressed when none of his 5 daughters (or wife) want to watch one of these films. Of course, my mother's favorite Western is McClintock, the classic John Wayne film that is basically the Western version of The Quiet Man. This is probably my favorite John Wayne film as well, but then it is more of a screwball comedy set in the Old West rather than an actual Western.*

At the same time, my father is very proud of his Native American heritage. One of my great, great grandmothers was full blooded Cherokee, and my father has expressed his disdain for Andrew Jackson's treatment of the Native Americans (specifically the Trail of Tears), yet he still lists The Searchers as one of his favorite (and ultimate) Westerns. What I seem to be unable to understand is how he can be in favor of Native American rights but love Westerns?

Thanks to the Glasgow Film Festival's celebration of Audrey Hepburn, I was able to watch The Unforgiven. In this film, Hepburn plays Rachel, a Native American woman who was adopted as a baby and raised by a white family in Texas. Soon the local tribe discovers she is one of them and hound the family for her return--though they deny that she is Indian. At the same time, the local cattle ranchers turn their backs on her and her family, and, like in High Noon, Burt Lancaster rallies his small family (including Lilian Gish as the matriarch) for a final showdown with the Indians. Rachel is safe, the family loves her regardless of her true heritage--unlike their racists friends.

While the narrative displays the Zachery family as a family unit who consider Rachel one of their own, and will love her no matter her race, it has the same message most Westerns have: White men good, 'Red man' bad** and Rachel must deliver the final blow--killing her 'brother' who has come to rescue her. Rachel turns her back on biological family in favor of her adopted family, but she also rejects herself and kills off the 'evil Indian blood' within her.

I understand that for some this is an adoption story. That she may be biologically related to the local tribe, but the Zachery's are her true family, and she will fight to protect them. However, she is also ashamed and chastised for not being white. The story goes beyond who her family is, but who she is. She cannot stand to be part of the 'others' and thus when she kills an Indian she is killing off the 'dirty' part of herself. To further prove this point, she must be the one to kill the last Indian.

Earlier during the final battle, Rachel is caught off guard and unable to kill one of the Indians when he looks at her and says “sister.” This is the first time it is made clear to her that these are 'her people' and that she was taken from them as a child. However, at the end, her 'Indian brother' enters into the root cellar, where she is alone with her wounded white brother. They stand face to face for a moment before she kills him and ends the fight.

Ultimately, she chooses to be white and as they exit the destroyed house, all is peaceful in the world because she has purged herself of her Indian blood. The birds flying across the beautiful blue sky reinforce that she made the right decision.

Anyway, I can't really answer for my father's preference for Westerns while complaining about Andrew Jackson's Native American policies, but it kind of reminded me of Rachel's identity confusion, and how she falls for the classic genre trappings.

*Of course my father and I have had many debates over what constitutes a Western. He refuses to consider Blazing Saddles as a Western (and I usually do not either); however, many people experience their first Western through the Mel Brooks' parody. It adheres to most rules while also mocking it. Much like the debate of whether Shaun of the Dead is in fact horror or parody as well. This is why my father does not truly consider McClintock a Western, much like he wouldn't consider Mel Gibson's Maverick one either. To him, they are (romantic) comedies set in the Old West. However, McClintock stars John Wayne and when you think of John Wayne you think of 'Westerns' and 'War Movies,' and to be a Western it often needs to star a certain actor or be directed by a certain director.

**I use this term only because it is regularly used in these genre films.

Update (and things i don't like)

I'm trying to start this back up. The film festival is coming up so that might get me to blog a bit more. They're doing a retrospective of Audrey Hepburn (last year was Bette Davis), and although I was against the idea of going to Audrey Hepburn movies (she's a great actress but the fandom full of edgy hipsters/fashionistas is annoying), but I was talked into seeing Sabrina on Valentine's with my friend, then The Unforgiven (a less popular Audrey film), and ending the festival with MY FAIR LADY!!! I'm so excited to see that on the big screen. The costumes, the scenery, the ascot opening day! It's going to be brilliant to see it the way it was meant to be.

So far I also have tickets to see Drama/Mex (they're doing a whole strand on Mexican films and this one sounded the most interesting--next to my mexican shiva, I might have to check that out soon), Bronson (youtube it, it looks interesting, brutal, and theatrical), and finally Let the Right One In. Now I saw Let the Right One In back in Kansas over the holidays, BUT, this time the director is supposed to be coming to answer questions and introduce it. I'm very excited for that night.

B T Dubs, it was fun going to the volunteer induction and those in charge remembered me! Even Allison, one of the programmers and a such a fun lady. This year I plan on networking more. Going to the gala, working events, etc. I'm really going to try to get out there and do more. I told the women in charge I'm just doing research so I have a basically free schedule, that I'll help out prior to festival, and I might end up as a volunteer co-ordinator. They needed some more and they liked the idea of having someone who had volunteered before to 'run the show,' in that sense.

Anyway, as the title suggests I have a mini rant of one of the things don't like, and that would be Sky. We canceled our service in time that we wouldn't be charged, and yet they keep saying I owe them. Although, every time I would call about this they would say there is no debt on our account. So now they sent some debt collectors after me. I still call sky, they still say it's a mistake...

I ended up paying it. I don't need this over my head while they are deciding my visa. I'll talk to sky, but I'll at least get my name away from that. I don't need legal action taken against me while my passport is at the border agency. However, I ain't too happy about this, and someone will be getting a piece of my mind.

Film Festival Revisited

I decided I should make a quick comment about the various films I saw at the festival. Obviously, I was unable to view many of them, but here goes.

Margot at the Wedding
Mathaharis
Jezebel - A classic and pretty good, definitely a Gone with the Wind rip off, but I liked this character much better than Scarlett O'hara
Caramel - I liked how it presented the woman's stories and they're life; however, it went no where and there was very little conclusion. In fact only one woman's story really had an ending. It could have used another half hour effectively. I wonder if they just ran out of funding?
Diary of the Dead
My Blueberry Nights
The last Mistress
Teeth
XXY
You, the Living - this film was actually crazy and hilarious. It just showed vignettes of various people's lives. Reminded me of Waking Life but not animated. Very stylized however. Most characters were covered in a lighter foundation and it was very pea green with the sets. Very sparse. Very Swedish. Two Thumbs up. Loved it.
Thieves
Water Lillies - BORING! If you want to see a "coming of age" story of a teenage girl lusting over another more popular girl then just watch Fucking Åmal instead.
Priceless (Hors de Prix) - really funny. A classic romantic comedy. Reminded me of that Steve Martin/Michael Cain film that became a musical. Nothing to exciting, obviously predictable but still hilarious.
All About Eve - the wit in this film is amazing. No wonder it's a classic. Margo Channing is my new hero.
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane - I'm so glad I finally got to see this one! I loved it. So camp classic, the acting over done, the characters insane. It's now on my list of movies I should make drinking games for.
[REC]
ZOMBIE STRIPPERS - well, it was shown from a DVD. Obviously, it's straight to DVD. Jenna Jameson is the first Zombie Stripper and is scantily clad through out most of it. The film tries to comment on America, the war, Bush, society in general, but does it in a very obvious way that isn't really funny. However, the best part of the film was when the two Christians (one a stripper the other her boyfriend) are cowering in fear and the boyfriend is trying to convince his girlfriend they should lose they're virginity now. She says no so he offers options such as "I'll only put it in half way" then offers anal when half way is rejected. The most amazing line only because it's so true.