Art

I haven't been sleeping on a humane cycle recently. I've been nocturnal, favoring the isolation that comes with it. However, burning the oil late at night and being alone and working on projects that pertain solely to me, essentially, working on myself has provided me with some interesting potential pathways. Through my midnight exploration of the internet I've found Google Sketch Up, essentially a pretty simple program that allows one to design their own projects, be them inventions pertaining to furniture, or even buildings. The concept is great, the fact that it is free is really great.

Anyways, now to the crux of the matter. I've developed a new appreciation for art. This could possibly be the broadest statement of the year, as art touches so many things, however now I feel like I've broadened my personal spectrum of art, essentially I have found new things to define art. Although I may seem a step behind many, I now feel like I can say that Movies are art. After watching Garden State between the hours of 4 and 6 am, I began to understand and see how movies are art in total. The movie, described an accurate representation of home. What is home? For me its the smallish town I grew up in. Its where the general population of adolescents and post-adolescents only have fun by doing drugs, drinking, and hanging out with one another. At least from what I can gather from suburban life, those activities are a hell of a lot more popular than hiking and exploring the out doors. The portrayal of the protagonist is featured sitting on a coach, while tumultuous drug activity occurs around him. It would seem that the main character succumbs to the atmosphere presented before him, taking a hit from a joint, and then popping a pill of ecstasy. As the world spins around him, he is lost in thought, activity going on at all sides, with him being a single anchor placed in what the camera makes appear the center of the room. It was at that point I realized that the scene before me was a very accurate portrayal of a suburban under aged drinking party, which is basically the use of drugs and alcohol in order (this is just a theory) to live like the rich and famous. This accuracy, was a point that made me buy into the film more, it made me trust the writer, director, and the creators of the film. It was very interesting to see how that moment effected my viewing of the rest of the film, I was determined to see it through. I think we as viewers of movies really overlook and don't read past what we see. Although its not necessarily that directors and writers are trying to reach the viewer from every possible method, it is very possible that they've selected a few features that help to connect to the viewer.

Garden State in my opinion, immediately after watching it, was a work of art. It was a funky piece of art. The adjective that came to mind was literally funky. The music developed the story as well, providing a different take on the scene, the application of alternative music to the story furthered some of the absurdness of the story. However, the absurdness of the movie really drew me in further, the characters felt real because they were so odd, it was like I had assumed that a character such as the friends of the protagonist (but not the protagonist) were real, because of their weird nature, and behavior. In one scene, a supporting character was featured playing a very technical song on the guitar, however that same character also dug graves for a living. This feature of a "has-been" was also something so testament to the suburban atmosphere. However, the music was inspiring, however stupid this sounds, after hearing Frou Frou's Let Go at the end of the movie, I wanted to clap out loud. Why? The song just seemed to be so perfect, and provided the feeling that the protagonist had finally achieved his goal of letting go through being with Natalie Portman (the main supporting actress). Selections of the Shins furthered the nature of certain scenes, such as the nueroscience clinic. The song, in my opinion is archaic, or gives me that feeling or vibe, definitely pertaining to the weirdness of Natalie Portman's character. The selection also allowed the protagonist to respond to such a different kind of music, one definitely far from pop, or the norm.

I feel like movies are at their best when they are really guiding the viewer, or inspiring thought. When the movie has hit home to the viewer, and touches them in a way that creates any sort of positive emotive or intellectual thought I think the creators have succeeded, and that includes the actors. I also feel like simplicity and prominence of actors is so important to a movie as well. One that is so simple like Garden State, and involves a lot of human behavior is something that is very interesting to me. Its trying to reach the reader's mind to try to inspire emotional and intellectual thought. Straying away from straight laughter or action or emotion is something that I feel is a field of film that is difficult, yet very very rewarding for the creator and viewer. But on the viewer, its important to pay attention and glean what you can, in order to get the most rewarding effect from the movie. It may seem like movies are a form of entertainment, which some can be characterized as, however ones that fall into the "Art" category really portray effort as a two way street, meaning its important for the viewer and the creator when they are in their respective elements.

Its now come to my attention I have one more roadblock. Film has become so interesting to me, that I now that I must splice it into the collection of careers I am fond of: Doctor, Scientist, Engineer, Businessman. I'm aware how diverse these fields are. I've always been quite the ambitious person, and although I rarely live up to my ambitions due to a solid degree in procrastination, I like to think that the endowment of freedom college has given me will allow me to explore and find a real focus.

Next to watch, Adventureland, and He's Just Not That Into You (its for a romantic comedy I'm working on)