DUNKIRK: A review

I recognise I'm pretty late to this party but last week I saw Dunkirk and regardless of anything else it was a lesson in cinematography.

WARNING: MANY SPOILERS

I'll admit I was affected by location and circumstance. The day before I had made that same journey, to Dunkirk and then on to Paris with my 10 year old godson, albeit we went under, not over the ocean. Travelling on the metro we saw signs for the film with its French spelling (Dunkerque) and I thought about how a French director or screenwriter might have written a slightly different film.

I went to see the film when I was staying with my parents, at a budget friendly, no frills cinema on Canvey Island. Driving to and from the cinema I drove along that same coastline that had sent the little fishing boats from Leigh on Sea to their heroic adventure; the story of the Dunkirk flotilla is written into our local story. Both the French and Essex experiences helped a long-distant event feel very present to me.

And that's to say nothing of the cinematography. There are some political aspects to this film which I will come around to, but first I want to tell you about the incredible creativity that was poured out on this highly stylised film quite so effectively.

Blue and Grey

Colour and musical tone were used to great effect. Everything was different shades of blue and grey for a long time; despair was played out in monochrome monotony - the sea and sky became indistinguishable at the horizon and I really believed like the men at sea that maybe help was never coming. This was echoed in Hans Zimmer's score - all minor chords and constant suspense. Christopher Nolan is well known for his use of the Shepard tone - its a corkscrew effect that makes you feel as if the music is constantly climbing and it sets your teeth on edge - he uses it to good effect in this film.

But when the fleet of ships arrive all of this changes the little boat is full of colour - the sailor's jumper, the hull of the boat, the women on the other ships - warm reds and oranges explode onto the screen in this triumph of hope. This glory is reflected in the music which changes to major and we get this brief reprieve from the Shepard Tone. This is epitomised in the final flight of Farrier to Elgar's Nimrod - all major chords and full colour; hope for the soldiers and for us.

Our glorious past?

Whilst the majority of the film feels hopeless and disastrous and not at all glamorous I would define it as a patriotic film. Through thoroughly limited dialogue a large emphasis is put on the role of 'home', and putting Churchill's words into the mouth of an ordinary soldier was very effective at underlining the sacrifice of 'the few'. It did make every body out to be heroes - Nolan shows some awareness of this in the heroic write up of George, killed by his own side but declared a war hero in the paper, but the rest of the film argues against this. Commander Bolton chooses to 'wait for the French' at the end of the film instead of getting the boat home, he chooses certain death; although Dad pointed out to me this is a charming nod to the 50's films I felt it was a bit dramatic.

The issue I take with this film is the effect it had on me, I left the cinema thinking, 'you know what we need? A jolly good war!'. And that scares me because I am by nature a fairly peaceful soul; somebody more prone to conflict would be easily fired up by the narrative.

Like any story you do have to simplify the facts for the sake of a good story, but I agree with Sharmal that there was significant white-washing in this film - and the featured token person of colour was tokenism exemplified. Although the stance taken by Nolan on this was inline with the narrative we are told in schools there was a real opportunity here to tell less known stories; it is a shame that opportunity was missed.

In summary this is a powerful piece of cinema, expertly composed, that will rightly win many awards; entertainment does not always have to be educational - and it certainly was an education in cinematography - but I do wish we had been told a story of somebody new that recognised the complexity of war, rather than glorification of the armed forces.

Our Girl & Our World War, Brick Lane, The Riot Club, Mind and Soul podcasts

Hello!

I took a bit of a break, didn't I?! Whilst you've not heard from me in the online world, I have been up to an awful lot of things out there in that other world; a wedding, a baby dedication, several plays, many meals catching up with dear friends, making plans for new holidays, I even escaped to Madrid last week (more on that in subsequent posts). At one point I travelled some 493 miles in just 5 days without leaving the country.

I've had plenty to write about, but no time to process it. But here I am. Back at last. With a crisp that's even bigger than my mouth!

Our Girl & Our World War

I've still had time to keep up with some TV, particularly military dramas. Our Girl has just finished its second series starring Molly Dawes (Lacey Turner), a young army medic in Afghanistan.  Its quite unusual to present the active side of the military from a female perspective; unfortunately it does retain a fair amount of girl-fronted-TV-show traits, there's a strong focus on fashion and rom-com elements. I also think the fact that the show was brought back for a second series is interesting, indicative of the ways in which the British public have changed perspective on Afghanistan involvement over the last 5 years. In the final episode a mother who has lost both her sons to the conflict says 'I gave you my boys; and you gave me a flag'. Both sons chose to be soldiers, but the mother is left empty handed.

(Molly Dawes. Image Credit: Digital Spy)

By contrast Our World War is a drama series based on the first-hand accounts of soldiers in World War I. The series originally aired in August but I'm only just catching up with it now. Historic accounts can feel distant and difficult to engage with but the series' production team have really done their best to overcome this. Each episode begins with spy-series style mapping and info which means you don't have to know where Delville Wood is to understand the importance of location and action at that moment. A decision to film the series with a strong documentary flavour and a contemporary soundtrack also help to close the gap of a century and make the characters easy to relate to. Can't wait to finish episode 3!

(Image Credit: BBC)

Brick Lane: Monica Ali

Last Christmas I bought myself 5 fiction books about London including White Teeth (Zadie Smith), did we talk about that book? I can't remember. Anyway Brick Lane is in a similar vein but with a much tighter focus on one woman in one family. Nazneen is a Bengali woman who arrives in East London married to a much older man. The book addresses themes common to much of humanity; relationships, friendships, parenting, and employment, through the specific lens of a Bengali immigrant in East London.

I'll be honest, finishing Brick Lane has been difficult. I've been reading it for at least a month and I've still not finished it. I think it might be because it doesn't have that much drama, nothing drastic happens, its fairly run of the mill. That said, stylistically Ali is a pro, she captures the voice and grammar of Dhaka excellently, and the dialogue between characters is both distinct and believable. Ali clearly knows the locality of her book well, having spent some time in Tower Hamlets I recognised the roads and the shops mentioned. I'm determined to finish Brick Lane but she hasn't made it easy!

The Riot Club

TRC is a film based on the play POSH by Laura Wade, itself loosely based on the activity of Oxford society, The Bullingdon Club. The film focuses on one night, and 10 Riot Club members. Honestly, I'm a bit terrified that it will do Oxbridge a ton of disservice. The vast majority of people I met at Cambridge we're not like the cast of Made in Chelsea or The Riot Club - with more money than sense. The things I liked about the film were: the panoramas of Oxford, that scene on the roof top, the eccentric supervisions, the lunch where Tom Hollander plays a successful MP.

That said, I think the film failed to adapt the play enough to its medium. Plays are restricted by physical space so it makes sense to set 90% of the play in 1 room. On film multiple locations become more viable and hosting the majority of a film in the same 4 walls can lose pace and the film did feel like it was dragging sometimes.

(Image Credit: IMDB)

Mind and Soul Podcasts

My congratulations to you if you are still with me! Its been a lengthy one this week as I had so much to say. I just wanted to conclude by saying I've been listening to a series of talks by Christian Mental Health resource, Mind and Soul. They've recently released a couple of talks on Perfectionism, Worry and Guilt. I've found them all helpful. Give them a listen.

Next Time: Madrid! I had an incredible time, I'm still processing the experience.

‘Oh What a Lovely War!’: The film

When I was 15 I studied ‘Oh What a Lovely War!’ for my drama GCSE. That was some 10 years ago. I remember having so many thoughts about it I filled a work book with notes and wrote an essay that was some 4 pages long. Having recently bought the DVD to celebrate the 1914 centenary I am exploring what it is about the film that I enjoy so much.

What is it?

A surreal film telling the narrative of world war one from the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand to ceasefire; through the medium of song and dance and using the picturesque background of Brighton coastline. It was produced in 1969 after the musical version by the same name released in 1961. The film features many actors and members of the production community that would go on to be very famous. Examples include Maggie Smith (see the video below and try to imagine her in Downton), Vanessa Redgrave, Dirk Bogarde, and Richard Attenborough who directed the film.

Maggie Smith on video!

The war game

The 2 main themes of this highly surreal film are war as a game and war being classist. From the opening scene filmed in a ballroom where troops are deployed on a map to all the fun of the fair as war heroes board the merry-go-round war is portrayed as a frivolity, as a game, to be enjoyed. Similarly when the soldiers are recruited the girls on stage carry lacrosse sticks as if they were rifles and offer free kisses to the first recruits. Even the losses from each battle are recorded on cricket score boards.

Belgium put the kaibosh on the kaiser (watch here)

Class is really emphasised in this film. The officers are often portrayed as buffoons, incapable of listening to reason. In one scene the officers play blind mans buff with the striking casualties from the Battle of Loos shown in the background (watch here). After a gritty scene from the front some elites in black tie are pictured ‘it doesn’t feel like Christmas’ and thinking that by not drinking German wine they were contributing to the war effort. The officers in the film never listen; when the sergeant tells his superiors that it’s a bloodbath massacre they merely laugh. When an officer visits the dugout he insists the arm of a German soldier is removed with immediate effect despite the fact it is fulfilling a structural function in supporting the trench.

The context of its creation

I think a lot of the class criticism in this film comes from the context of its creation. Picture the scene, its 1968 and the world is on fire. The US was facing daily riots about its involvement in Vietnam, it was also the year the Czechs and Poles fought for freedom from Moscow. It was the year of Martin Luther King's assassination; the Bogside, Derry revolution in Northern Ireland. All over Europe protesters were registering their objections to the government; and no better is this reflected than in 'Oh What a Lovely War!'. Obviously there are some constraints from the song subject matter, and I am sure the officers had some similarly derogatory remarks to make towards the Privates but I would suggest the stronger emphasis here comes from a generation critical of war in its contemporary politics.

What it means today

We are 100 years on. In a lot of ways trench warfare does sound like a surreal game. Musical, multi-sensory experiences like ‘Oh! What a Lovely War!’ make it easier to access the past and to understand something of what that must have been like. I was particularly struck by the amount of time the men would have been away and how that worrying that would have been; as a teenager perhaps a father left when you were 13, by the time he returns you’re 17! Or to meet someone in your late teens (like my great-grandmother) and to date at a distance to a war-zone over 4 years and hope for the best. It’s a big deal. It would be really interesting to see what a modern director given this same collection of songs would do in terms of creating a narrative that reflects life today.

You can see a selection of scenes from Oh What a Lovely War! online here; but why not buy the DVD here.

Deutsch-Kino-Love 2

OK, I admit you have waited a long time for this blog post. I have been exploring some real life big issues, like why are all the poor people in the Les Mis film Northern? And is the body under the car park King Richard III? (no!), and what about the Gay Marriage bill or Women Bishops?! So herewith part two of my German cinema series; today featuring Das Wunder von Bern (HMV buy) and Barfuss (Birthday/Christmas gift) both good, quite different films.

Das Wunder von Bern (2003)

This Wortmann film is set in 1950’s Essen and is the story of a football-mad boy (Matthias) and his trip to the 1950’s World Cup in Bern, Switzerland. When we first meet Matthias he is growing up a world without male role-models. His dad is still in a Soviet prisoner of war camp and his brother dreams of revolution; Matthias turns to footballers for inspiration. This film, whilst ostensibly being about the downright miraculous victory of the Germans in the 1954 World Cup at Bern is also about family. About the adjustments of Matthias’ family with and without his dad, the loyalties of a husband when greeted by fame and fortune, the duties of a father and a son to the family and making it work. And it is also about the experience of war and recovery through the eyes of a child; thoroughly reminiscent of the photos I saw on my Archaeology of Modern Conflict course.

Das Wunder von Bern was a beautiful story to watch. The set design and the location shooting take you back in time, not a simpler time, but a different world to ours; where women wore pretty dresses and the men called the shots (intentional pun!). Like Goodbye Lenin! some of the footage is interspersed with real historic footage which adds an extra glorious dimension. And my own father, who isn’t generally that interested in Foreign Language Cinema lapped it up too!

If you like football, World War II or beautifully crafted films you will love this! I’d give it a secure 4/5.

Barfuss (2005)

Nick is a bachelor who has trouble holding down a job. On one such job, working as a cleaner in an asylum he meets Leila who he interrupts trying to commit suicide. Leila becomes Nick’s shadow following him all the way from Munich to Hamburg, seeing the world through the naïve eyes of a child and emboldening Nick to make good life decisions. This rom-com is apparently loved by people who also loved 500 days of summer and Love Actually; I can see the resemblances with an extra psychological twist. There was the occasional painfully slapstick scene but I liked the fact that even Leila was treated like a complex  character despite her fragility. And I think I recognised the party location as Benrath Castle but I could be wrong…

Great rom-com, a little long in places, but feel-good and a great sofa comfort… 7/10.

Deutsch-Kino-Love 1

Dear Blogosphere,

Happy New Year! You know I really love German cinema. My obsession really peaked over the Christmas holidays when I packed 4 classics in (I've legally downloaded number 5). Herewith Review 1 of 2 featuring the famous Berlin films, Das Leben der Anderen (2006) and Goodbye Lenin (2003)

Das Leben der Anderen (2006)

This film was given to me as a birthday present and is the most poetic cinematically of the German films I’ve seen to date. Watching it encouraged a conversation as to the definition of ‘Arthouse Cinema’ – the conclusions: ‘Arthouse’ often has negative connotations of plotlessness but beauty in the form & cinematography.

DLDA, however, had plenty of plot. It is the story of a young writer/ director in Berlin in the 1980’s and the man who spies on him for the government, their interrelationship and how it changes them both. Both characters go through a gentle but eventually radical development shaped by their circumstances and experiences. I was impressed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's handling of such a recent political issue, avoiding overdramatisation or too bold a line between 'goody' and 'bady'. The story made me think about identity, the role of art in subversion, love and the strength of an individual. Cinematically Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, was quite radical in his casting decisions; choosing Ulrich Mühe to play a Stasi informant when he himself had been monitored in the 1980’s. Life since 1980 has obviously moved on in Berlin, the producers commented that finding a place to film in Berlin, without cars was really difficult. 

The brilliance of DLDA was recognised by several awarding bodies, and not kooky ones either! The film made €814,337 in its opening weekend in Germany alone. It secured 7 Lolas (German film awards), was nominated for a Golden Globe and won an Oscar in 2006. Plus did I mention it is beautifully shot.

 See it.

The English subtitles are plenty good enough.

Good Bye Lenin! (2003)

When I mentioned I was surveying German cinema one comment was recurrent, ‘Watch Good Bye Lenin!’. So I did. I ordered it online and dutifully waited for the disk. It’s a comedy about a young guy, Alex, whose mother is very sensitive to shocks (it seems to send her into a coma) and very devoted to socialism. When Alex gets into political trouble his Mum goes into a coma, whilst she's out of the picture the Berlin wall and all that she stands for falls. When she recovers Alex tries to recreate socialist East Berlin in her bedroom, believing it will save her from death, with hilarious consequences.

Compared to the intricate beauty of DLDA, Good Bye Lenin! is a heavy-footed romp of hilarity. It did make me laugh and I enjoyed the developing romance between the male lead and his mother’s nurse. I thought adding actual footage from the collapse of the wall was also a nice touch and it did bring home what a world changing year 1990 must have been. My ears also pricked up when I heard an identical music sample to that from French film Amelie (turns out the soundtracks share a composer). 

Other than that it left me fairly unmoved. Sorry. Luckily for those who do love it I’ve been outvoted; it won 8 Lolas, a César and a Goya, and was even nominated for a BAFTA. Maybe I just let my funny bone at home…

So in conclusion, 2 deservedly good films, for 2 different moods, set in 2 different decades. Take your pick! I'll be back with a review of Miracle of Bern and Barefoot next time!

10 things I learned from Pocahontas

I've been reliving my youth watching Pocahontas. Here are my top 10 tips...

1.       If you think a tree is talking to you; you’re not hallucinating, its probably your hilarious Grandma.

2.       You can definitely trust the man who stops you leaving when you say you feel uncomfortable, he probably ‘has a good soul’.

3.       You can also trust the man who says your house needs improving, your society civilising and calls you a savage to your face.

4.       If his hair isn’t shoulder length he’s not even up for consideration.

5.       Men don’t really have nipples. In real life they’re just drawn on!

6.       Kissing always leads to trouble.

7.       The only thing stronger than weapons is anger. Or you know guns.

8.       Even your best friend will try to blackmail you, and will probably dob you in. Your friendly neighbourhood hummingbird on the other hand is a keeper.

9.       You can use a compass to find your destiny. And there’s no magnetic North in Native America.

10.    A pretty necklace makes everything alright.

Skyfall: Bond of 2012

I recognise I break the tradition of varied comment but please find herewith my analysis of Skyfall, the latest Bond film. Anxious as ever to avoid plotline, essentially my argument is that Skyfall is tightly a product of 2012.


Bond: The Patriot

Although Bond films have often been about tradition in Skyfall unlike many of the previous films England is a real focus. M has a Doulton British bulldog on her desk, most of the action happens in London or rural Scotland. When Bond plays word association, in reply to 'country' he says 'England'. The strong sense of patriotism laced throughout the film can only have been released in the positive patriotism atmosphere of 2012. It has taken a royal wedding, a jubilee and the Olympics to make the English recognise their latent patriotism and it seems these events have enabled English film makers to join other artists (like Cath Kidston) to recognise their 'English' or 'London'ness (although these are very different concepts, not to be conflated!).

 Royal Doulton's British Bulldog

Bond: The Healthy

When you watch a Bond film you expect to see gratuitous violence, sex, Martinis and lots of gambling. Never was this more true than in Casino Royale (2006) which was mainly set in a casino (clue's in the name!). But Skyfall is quite different; there is some sex but it is limited and quite veiled. Whilst Bond does enter a casino he never actually places any bets. He does drink, and occasionally to excess, but this is viewed as part of his demise that requires rectifying rather than something to be idolised. Bond does kill in this film (and equates 'murder' with 'employment' in the aforementioned word association game); but violence is portrayed as the last resort, something that only bad guys do, the 'good' prefer detention. This reflects the health agenda particularly in entertainment; the idols must have healthy gym routines, may in fact be t-total and leave behind their complicated pasts. Being 'zen' is in, being ostentatious is out.

Bond meets Q at the National Gallery      Bond surfing the tube (neither are my images)

Bond: The Advertiser

There has been plenty of discussion about product placement in this film. The products advertised include: Sony (its a sony film though!), Range Rover, Heineken, Jaguar and Austin Martin. Some of the advertising is actually quite subtle, take Jaguar for example, its just the logo stitched into the headrest of Bond's car. There has been some upset that Bond drinks Heineken and not a Martini, I have to admit I missed this placement and I was looking for it! For what its worth, I think that product placement has always been a part of Bond films, in fact a work colleague told me just this last week that his watch was 'the same as Bond's'. Although the products, and the number needed to sponsor a film, may have changed the necessity of sponsorship is the same as ever - big explosions, wrecking cars and ensuring quality casting all cost money. And sponsors are really helpful in a recession.

Q: The youthful computer nerd

More and more the content of spy entertainment revolves around the impact of e-terror. During Skyfall I was much reminded of the last series of Spooks in which Tariq Masood the techno-geek played an increasingly important role in spy activity. This Bond's Q is the frankly gorgeous, Ben Whishaw, and he plays it modern geeky, he's got the cardigan and dark frames look going down, he is essentially an ethical hacker. His approach is quite different from Micheal Caine's, much younger and less about the gadgets, more focussed on the brain; 'Were you expected an exploding pen? We don't really go in for that anymore'. This shift away from the stuff, and towards the way in which we can use technology to help us achieve our aims seems reminiscent of the 2000+ world.

Ben Wishaw as Q (not my picture!)

As ever this Bond was high-octane, featured a surreal trailer, the words, 'Bond, James Bond', and a reference to Moneypenny. I really liked this Bond because of its focus on Bond as relational human as well as nation's superhero. Definitely one of my favourite Bonds; but then only the third I've seen at the cinema; possibly the last with Craig? See it!

Why bother with Plan B? (review illManors)

In May, when Ben Drew (Plan B)’s single illManors came out I compared him to Shakespeare. Now I’m back with a critical piece on his whole album of the same name; which has had a massive impact on my life.

 

As illuminated by the singles that he has released so far; illManors, Lost my Way and now Deepest Shame this album is very vocal. Drew is attempting to tell stories from his childhood and from the culture of Forest Gate in the late 90’s, ‘I’m a social commentator, socially commentating, what I say is verbatim’ (I am the Narrator); the stories which cover drugs, prostitution, assault, murder, newspapers and society, are based on real experiences of people from East London.

Due to the form and content of this album there is an interesting discussion to be had about a) what Drew is trying to do and b) whether it is any good.

a) Drew’s latest single release has involved Radio 1 playing Deepest Shame most days. The song tells the story of Michelle, sexually abused as a child who turns to drugs to numb the pain and then prostitution to fund the habit. By being played on the radio Drew is bringing the reality of generational poverty to all sorts of kitchens and living rooms!

The lines here between music as entertainment and music as protest are getting a little blurred. Drew said he wrote illManors as a response to the riots of last summer, as an attempt to be a voice for those unheard. He samples vocals from protest-punk poet John Cooper on his album (he performed at Music for Miners in 1984 and has a strong link to socially conscious music).

Drew makes several bold statements both to those he views as outsiders, ‘sorry mate, these ends are in a sorry state, you can’t relate’ (Falling Down) and to his own, ‘We aint no different from them, honestly. Luck is the only reason they weren’t born into poverty’ (Live Once). Yes, there is a degree of advocacy of the poor to the rich going on; see Kano’s rap in ‘Live Once’ but there is also an attempt at balance, illManors criticised both dependency on benefits and the Government’s economic policy, and a desire to educate – he gives a brief history of cockney and its uses in ‘Live Once’ and to challenge kids from the estates not to become self-fulfilling prophecies. I would argue that this authentic voice of Forest Gate is producing a voice from the street, for the street. There is far too much swearing to make government pay all that much attention; it is too easy to dismiss these words as those of an angry man who is out of control.

b) Is it any good? Yes, at conveying the violence and the struggles of the underclasses. But I would also like to suggest that Drew’s music is well crafted. Drew is unafraid of fusing high culture with rap; during ‘I am the Narrator’ he samples St Saën’s Carnival of the Animals, behind his rap he reclaims the high culture for everyday use. His narrative tale, Mr Drug Dealer, borrows extensively from the epic genre, taking each verse as an episode in Chris’ life – we follow Chris and the twists and turns almost as they play out in front of us. I saw significant parallels in form between Drew’s album and Perfect Strangers; both use the device of starting with a complete scenario and working backwards to explain how this circumstance came to be, like Drew’s lyrics, its clever. Clever literary devises of the lyricist, good use of sound from the poet and harmony from the musician; all from one man.

Several of my friends disagree with me that Drew’s work is art worth appreciating. I think there are a number of things that affect people’s appreciation of the work – language is a big one, style is another and definition of vulgarity also makes an impact. Essentially the question is, ‘Can a piece with violent content and explicit expression be artful, can it be beautiful?’ This question is actually one Drew addresses himself  ‘sorry mate…you can’t relate …you can’t appreciate how this artist paints’(Falling Down). I think there is objective quality in the art Drew creates; after all I did compare him to Shakespeare.

My encouragement to you would be listen to the record, with open ears and consider what you can learn about life, East London, and even yourself through it.

Hampton and Hunger

Today’s blogs brought to you by the letter, ‘h’.

Hampton Court Palace

 

On Friday I had the great pleasure of visiting Hampton Court Palace and its beautiful gardens. Hampton is an English royal palace, built first by Cardinal Wolsey, an adviser to Henry VIII. The building subsequently left ecclesiastical hands when Henry VIII took the palace over, built additions to it and had his family based there. A century and a half later William III bulldozed half the Tudor Palace and created a grand baroque country home. 

 (Tudor Hampton Court on a sunny day)

Although entry cost £16 for an adult it was well worth the money. Entry included access to both parts of the palace, all the gardens, Henry’s chapel royal and a handset which gave different tours of all parts of the palace. I was immediately struck by how like a Cambridge college the whole thing was; the clock and base court of Henry’ s palace being reminiscent of St John’s and William’s palace and gardens more like Clare.

The palace itself is laid out in several different styles, Williams’s apartments were laid out in the traditional style of a country house, showcasing the royal collection of paintings. Whereas Henry VIII’s apartments and kitchens on the other hand were laid out as Henry VIII would have had them at the time, with a strong emphasis on experimental archaeology; reinforced by the constant referral to the archaeologists on the handset. Henry’s royal chapel is really worth a look.

One of the strongest exhibitions was about Henry’s early life and first marriage. I liked the fact that although it was sited in the traditional structure of the palace, it was a blank canvas onto which new ideas were painted. There were videos projected onto the walls, speakers hidden in seats and interactive screens. In each room the relationship between Woolsey, Henry and Catherine of Aragon was represented by three thrones; which like chess pieces, took different formation depending on their relationship at the time. This effect got round the excessive ‘political history’ boards whilst still conveying the essential information.

Although I only had three hours at Hampton I could easily have spent longer. The handsets went into great detail and featured, archaeologists, art historians, curators and actors to give you as full a picture as possible; I admittedly skipped lots of them. Similarly there are amazing gardens ranging from English wildernesses of daffodils and bluebells, to a maze, and walled gardens which serve as more than a background to your picnic lunch. Although I think the weather contributed to such a lovely visit (I’m not sure all the gardens would have been so pleasant in the pouring rain!) I would highly recommend a visit to Hampton Court.

The Hunger Games

 

Yesterday I went to see the Hunger Games at the cinema. Yes, I went on my own. No that’s not weird. The film is about a dystopia where in the wake of a peasant uprising there is a yearly memorial ‘games’; its a fight to the death. 

It was a strongly emotive film; from the start people are making sacrifices for oneanother and the constant threat of death makes lines from the actors all the more poignant. Although I think I was supposed to be drawn to the love-triangle in this film (see media image below) I was actually more affected by the narrative of sisterhood in the film. At the start the children go through a selection process and both the lead, Katniss, and her little sister are in the mix. Katniss’ sister is scared and she does her best to reassure her, even giving her a Morning Jay pin-badge for luck. Against all odds Katniss’ sister is chosen and confronted with such an awful reality Katniss volunteers herself. I don’t know what was going through Katniss’ head at the time but her desire to fix that terrible situation was something I could relate to; as a big sister my gut-reaction is to jump between my little sister and any things that frighten or threaten her, even when I don’t feel that brave myself. 

 (Katniss in the 'game', Trying to be Twilight-Games: photocredits: http://manriquejoyce.wordpress.com/2011/12/08/the-hunger-games-trilogy/,http://www.salon.com/2012/03/20/the_hunger_games_a_lightweight_twi_pocalypse/)

Later in the film Katniss forms an alliance in the game with a little girl called Rue. Together they make a great team and achieve things neither of them could have done on their own. Without Rue’s communication ideas and fire-lighting they would not have achieved their aims. Although this relationship was quickly forged it was deep and true; much deeper in fact than any of Katniss’ romantic attachments. Rue stood for hope in Katniss’ game. This sisterhood, forged in a time of crisis, where each has their own skills and strengths but both work as a team towards a common goal reminded me of my relationship with my sister, on a good day.

There were definitely some quotes to take away. I particularly liked, ‘Hope...it is the only thing stronger than fear. A little hope is effective, a lot of hope is dangerous’. That line was spoken by a dictator a man trying to keep morale high but contained, I’m not the only one who likes it (Clawson). If I were the sort that went in for tattoos I think I might have this one. In general it was a more hopeful dystopia than some of the films I’ve seen (Children of Men, for example).

Finally I liked this film because it had a heroine at the centre; she was doing strong things from firing arrows to burying the dead. Often action heroes are men and if they are women they can often feel one-dimensional, e.g. Lara Croft. Katniss was very real, she had strengths but also weaknesses. The way her romantic narrative played out was also interesting, no where near as cut and dried as Hollywood often tried to make it. I don’t think I spoil the plot in saying there is a romantic tension which Katniss lives with that is also reminiscent of real life.

Yes, the plot was a little unreal some times but it was a great way to spend a Sunday evening.

Thanks for making it through a double-blog. I’m off to Germany now so see you in two weeks time!