When life gives you no reason to smile – Movie Review: Killer of Sheep

The movie “killer of Sheep” tells the story of Stan, a slaughter house worker, and a few families he is related to. While showing how his family’s endless routine intertwines with the interruptions of random events, the movie also casts light on the poverty-related problems among the African Americans in Chicago. 

The movie begins with a father blaming his boy for not doing anything to protect his brother. His mother simply slaps him across the face. It somehow suggests that children there are fed on the idea about having to fight for survival, and violence is accepted as a solution to problems. Schooling, on the other hand, is not an important consideration. In fact, boys are seen doing nothing all day but running wild about, causing trouble and playing war games. Girls, though seemingly more docile by comparison, are unguarded against adult conversations, resulting in their prematurity and lack of moral training.

The adults have their own problems. When somebody gets beaten up, triggering hatred and enmity, the result is often violence and bloodshed. The word “niggers”, still a racist insult, is now also used as a swear-word among the African Americans themselves, an indication of their blunt style, often sliding into coarseness and vulgarity.

In reality, several parallels can be observed in the description of the problems involving the two generations. There are scenes alternating between the two, thus showing that their problems are somehow related. There is a repeated scene showing a few boys cycling or street-surfing speedily between moving cars and no one seems to find anything wrong with it. And not to be ignored is the fact that there is no interference from traffic cops, either. In reality, I do not remember seeing one!

Unlike many of the other African Americans, however, Stan, the sheep killer, hates violence. He is intent on getting adapted to the life situation as it is, always reminding his boy to stop calling his mom “my dear”, a common practice in the rural south, which he refers to as "back home". He manages to stand firm in the face of moral dilemmas, declining a repeated job offer from an ill-intentioned white woman and also refusing to get involved in a planned murder in spite of the lucrative reward promised.

Sarcastically, it is his job is to kill! Imagine the agony he has to go through while working in the slaughter house! Probably, to put emphasis on his pain, there are close-ups of the innocent looking flock of sheep being driven to death. This is obviously a resemblance to the bewilderment of the African Americans about their future when they were moving to the north from the south. Then close-ups of the dissected parts of the slaughtered sheep, bloody and disgusting, hanging on hooks, are reminiscent of the bloody, violent scenes of the human world itself. 

He may have taken his sadness home after work, a probable cause of his unhappy marriage. He also laments his non-church-going life since his departure from the south. It is small wonder that even his wife remarks on his lack of smile.

The undramatic story aside, the movie captivates the audience with its beautiful background music and songs, mostly adapted, including songs of solace and west end blues. While enhancing the story, the songs get into the emotions of the characters. They work very well, too, to evoke certain emotions with the audience.

The song “The house I live in”, for example, accompanying the street scenes with the kids going wild, is representative of the African Americans’ lack of a purpose in life, their doubt about their own future highlighted with the lyrics “What is America to me? A name, a map, or a flag I see?” 

When Stan’s wife is preening herself with the expectation of a night of romance, the song “Reasons” with the lyrics “longing to love you, just for a night” well serves the purpose. But it struck me as unusual that the director has chosen to put the song in her little daughter’s mouth. Perhaps, the girl’s obvious familiarity with the song is intended to put emphasis on the long -standing unhappy marriage.

 “This bitter earth”, a melancholy song, is played while Stan is dancing with his wife. The lyrics “What good is love that no one shares” well depicts the absence of love between the couple. On the other hand, the same song is played towards the end of the film when Stan is seen going about his slaughtering job. His broad grin, in stark contrast with the sad look that he used to wear on his face, is well matched by the lyrics to show his ignited hope about life. 

The movie may not have strong dramatic elements to attract viewers looking for entertainment. Yet for those interested in a down-to-earth story in the city of Chicago, this is the right choice.

A life-long dedication – Movie Review: Havana Divas

I was not prepared for entertaining elements when I chose the film “Havana Divas”, knowing that it was a documentary. I found the Chinese name “古巴花旦” very inviting, though. The movie turned out to be very enjoyable for its own sake.

It is about two Cuban ladies, now in their late eighties, who have been singing Yueju (Cantonese opera songs) since childhood, first as a means of livelihood and later for their interest. Brought up in poverty, Caridad Amaran(何秋蘭) and Georgina Wong Guitarrez(黃美玉) enjoyed little material comfort, and Yueju probably gave them satisfaction which they would have been deprived of otherwise. Their efforts are appreciable, considering their Cuban ancestral origin; they had to struggle with practically every single Chinese character to master the lyrics. 

The film includes quite a few still photos carefully selected from the two ladies’ collections. While depicting their growth, they also cast light on the historical development of Cuba with glimpses of the political turmoil following the seizure of power by the Communists resulting in a closed-door policy for decades. It is fun watching old-fashioned cars still moving on the roads, and cracked walls and broken road surfaces are a common sight. However, the locals look happy and contented with their austere lifestyle, often smiling gleefully into the director’s camera. Caridad(秋蘭) talked about once sleeping in the street without sounding whiny while Georgina (美玉) happily shared about her encounter with the young Fidel Castro  (卡斯特羅) on his visit to her school. 

There are also pictures of well known Cantonese opera actors and actresses of the past generations. Some, still healthy and cheerful despite their old age, chat happily about their stage performances back in those days. It is surprising how they survived the Great Depression by acting nonstop day and night to keep themselves in employment during the post-war era. The songs accompanying the pictures or short video clips are reminiscent of the time when Yueju was all the rage in those days.

The film is known to have been shown in a number of places previously with the post-screening appearance of the two ladies on a few occasions. Seeing the two old ladies greeted with a standing ovation each time, I was moved to tears. Those were tears of joy and appreciation. Indeed, their life-long dedication to Yueju is worth our great admiration and has inspired us with a life lesson about striving hard to achieve a goal.

A Remarkable Lenten Experience

Time flies! In the wink of an eye, the Holy Week has arrived, thus drawing the Lenten season to an end. Am I satisfied with my progress along the Lenten journey?

In retrospect, while admitting to occasional failure to resist temptation in the forms of tantalizing food, mobile phone overuse and unworthy thoughts, I can also claim to have benefited from spiritual enrichment opportunities, the most constructive being my participation in our Parish Lenten Retreat. 

The retreat, which focused on the theme “ Learning from Our Lady’s Passovers”, was divided into five sessions, the first four taking place on Friday evenings and the last, also the climax, on a Saturday afternoon.

Each of the Friday retreat sessions began with the reading of a Bible passage related to the life of Our Lady. After that, the lector talked about her reflection on the reading for about fifteen minutes, inspiring us attendants with our Lady’s virtues, which could be put into practice in our own lives. The sharing was then followed by a brief moment of silence to allow the Bible verses to sink in. The rest of the time was dedicated to Eucharistic Adoration.

Frankly, I was a bit worried when the schedule of the Friday spiritual gathering was first announced as my experience of Eucharistic Adoration had never been promising. Actively engaged in one way or another almost every minute of the day, I used to find it impossible to be faithfully involved in the practice. I could not understand how the people around me managed to spend a long hour sitting or even kneeling in silence with the eyes fixed on the monstrance, containing the Sacred Host. 

Now, however, I can look back with satisfaction and pride on the change in my attitude. Everyone of those Friday evenings saw me sitting or kneeling in adoration, gazing upon Jesus, meditating or praying to him. There was no more fidgeting or frowning over the dragging time. What had brought about the change?

It was all due to the inspiration from the fifteen-minute Bible talk. The verses selected to match the main theme provided focuses to meditate on. Inspired by the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, for example, I reflected on my failure to respond to God’s calls with humility and obedience as Our Lady did. Besides, the Holy family’s escape to Egypt from Herod’s massacre of the innocents showed us Mary’s ability to brave life’s challenges and turn risks into opportunities. My thoughts then drifted to the obstacles and hurdles in my own life and I wondered how I could overcome them with a peaceful state of mind like Mary’s. Moreover, we learned from Jesus’ first miracle in the wedding in Cana about Mary’s caring concern for her friends’ needs. Finally, the disciples’ being entrusted to the care of Mary reminded us to be faithful to our promise of companionship. I also talked with Jesus, communicating with Him the thoughts generated from my meditation, seeking support from him and asking Him for forgiveness of my failings. In fact, there seemed so much I would like to share with Him that I was not aware of the passing time. 

In brief, though my planned Lenten practices have not been fully implemented, I am grateful that I have gradually learned to appreciate the power and beauty of the intimate encounter with Jesus. Eucharistic Adoration will always be an important part of my faith and I will treasure the opportunity to fully embrace the silent moments with Jesus.

A Child with an Unbending Will – Movie review : Capernaum

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While Capernaum is a city known for the times of Jesus’ preaching in the synagogue, it also refers to a place of great chaos. The name is chosen for the film to depict the chaotic situation in which Zain, a Lebanese boy, is brought up. Indeed the movie begins with a grand aerial bird's eye shot of the slums of Beirut, preparing the audience for the plight of the boy born in extreme destitution. 

The Chinese name “星仔打官司”, on the other hand, is more representative of the main theme of the story, featuring a lawsuit Zain is filing against his parents. The court scene is interrupted by occasional flashbacks showing Zain’s struggles through life. The director is very careful with details about the treatment Zain receives in and outside the home, thus justifying his hatred for his parents, whom he considers guilty of giving birth to him.

It may be controversial whether a twelve-year-old child can sue his parents. In fact, according to the filmmaker, the film is intended to go beyond the borders of being a film; it is a cry for help. And the court case serves just the right purpose. The accusation is actually directed against the Lebanese government for its inability to address social ills such as abject poverty, child abuse, child brides and forced marriages, child trafficking and the undocumented population. The film is an appeal to the world for better understanding of the appalling situation so that more can be done to deal with the children deprived of fundamental rights. 

What impresses the audience most of all is the description of Zain’s strong and aggressive personality. There are frequent close-ups of the blank look on his smileless face. Yet,  by no means does he submit to fate. Hardly is there any tear in his eyes even when he is trampled on and spat at. The audience, who first take delight in the way he survives through his wits, have their emotions more intensely engaged when Zain’s anger gradually boils deep inside him until he finally resorts to violence to avenge his sister’s death. 

Despite its melancholic tone, the film is not short of amusing interludes. There are a few laugh lines including the conversation between the immigration officer and the eccentric old man whom Zain has met on the bus. It is fun, too, watching the tenderness with which Zain babysits the child of an Ethiopian refugee.

Credited with an arresting story and the superb performance of the actors, the movie is well worth the fame of being the Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and is undoubtedly one of the best on my must-see list.

Miracles still occur today

When asked about the possibility of miracles today, I usually affirm my belief without doubt. In fact, I can claim to have more than once experienced God’s providence, which I presume to be miracles in my life. Though they are by no means supernatural acts like those Jesus performed in His times, they have somehow enhanced my awareness of God’s presence and caring concern for me. What follows is a description of an experience of mine which can lend support to my claim.

I was on my way home after attending Mass one morning when I caught sight of a man waiting at a zebra crossing. As I approached him, I heard him repeating a question as if speaking into the air, "Can I get across now?" Seeing the walking stick in his hand, I realized that he was a blind man seeking help. I patted him on the shoulder, telling him that there were no cars at the moment and that he could walk straight ahead. Then I went on my way.

 Feeling a bit uneasy, however, I turned to see if he was all right. To my horror, I saw a few cars coming in his direction. Fortunately, a lady was there in time to help him. Though the cars stopped at the zebra crossing, their sudden arrival must have scared the poor man out of his wits!

How thoughtless I had been! I should not have overestimated his ability of self-care and should, instead, have walked with him across the road! I felt the pang of conscience for the rest of the day. I kept praying to God for forgiveness, promising Him that if I chanced to meet the blind man again, I would definitely offer my help. In reality, I was hopeless of another chance encounter with him.

But I did meet him again on the following day! Imagine my joy and surprise!It was in the street adjacent to the one where our paths had crossed previously. I went to him to offer my help without a moment’s hesitation. And he gladly allowed me to hold his spare hand.  It being the rush hour, we had to carefully pick our way between the cars in spite of the zebra crossing. It was obviously too dangerous for a handicapped person like him to manage on his own. 

On reaching the other side of the street, he told me cheerfully that he lived nearby and that he was having his daily morning stroll in the vicinity. "If I were to stop walking," he said jokingly, "my life would soon come to an end!"  When I said good bye to him, he thanked me and promised to treat me to morning tea some day.

I have gone that way several times since the incident but never again have I met him. He must still be having his daily walk with self confidence while at the same time cherishing the hope that there is always someone ready with a helping hand whenever he needs it. 

This, I believe, is one way God works miracles in our daily lives, giving hope to people who need care and concern and, on the other hand, providing the well-intentioned ones with the opportunity to volunteer their service.

I thank God for having forgiven me for my negligence and for granting me the second chance. Yes, miracles still occur if only we care to seek God’s presence and put our trust in Him.

Ka Ming ‘s talk

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At the check – in counter, I found my name topping the list of attendants. It was no surprise at all for, as soon as the talk was announced on Facebook, I lost no time to make a seat reservation. I saw it as another lesson on film analysis greatly missed since the termination of the Films Critics Program last year. In fact, the opportunity to listen to our lecturer again was too great an attraction to resist! 

Of course, I was also curious about Almodóvar’s films. The name of the talk suggested “making way for Almodóvar, the unorthodox genius”. I wondered how morally unacceptable they were to the conservative, myself included.

Ka Ming’s talk had the answers to all my questions. It focused on two main characteristics of Almodóvar’s films: on the one hand, they include bizarre elements non conforming to ethical standards and, on the other, they can be emotionally engaging with very careful descriptions of sentimental love between people. The few extracts that Ka Ming showed on the screen impressed us with the colourful display of the scenes, preferences for female personalities and obvious influences from Hitchcock’s movies.

Though intended to serve mainly promotional purposes, the talk satisfied my thirst for information about film analysis. Much of what Ka King said was reminiscent of what we had learned about filming techniques. He has also convinced me that Almodóvar’s films have good reasons for their popularity though personally, I do not find their genre appealing as I am a conservative type of person cherishing my religious faith.

Movie Review – 3 Faces

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Still with fond thoughts about the film “Where is the friend’s home” , I had high expectations for “3 Faces” (伊朗三面戲劇人生), also an Iranian film. Though less favorably impressed, I find the latter artistically appealing especially in the way it weaves through the traditional beliefs and practices in the simple Iranian villages. Some of the filmmaking techniques used are also thought provoking enough to make the film worth writing a review about.

The film begins with a video showing a girl appealing for help and later appearing to have hanged herself to death. This is obviously one of the three faces implied in the film’s name. Looking earnest and half sobbing, the girl is seemingly prepared for the suicidal act and the video ends suddenly, leaving the audience in suspense.

Following this is the close-up of Behnaz Jafari, the well-known actress who has received the video via director Jafar Panahi. It is her distraught looking face that is shown in the entire long shot while that of the director, her companion on the trip, remains hidden. She is then seen walking restlessly about, leaving the director in the car answering phone calls, hinting that Jafari, in her anxiety about the suspected suicidal case, has walked out on her job of filmmaking.

Close-ups are also used to display the anxiety on the face of Panahi when he watches Jafari walking down a trail to a cottage in the distance. What happens in the cottage is not known. However, it can be deduced that Jafari, despite her fury previously, is there seeking a better understanding of the girl, who has caused her to be on the point of a nervous breakdown. Though seemingly an outsider, Panahi is with Jafari spiritually all the while. And the long shot can achieve this effect much better than the actual scene with Jafari talking with the girl and her cousin.

During the search, Safari and Panahi come into contact with the locals, thus getting to know about the Iranian hospitalities and courtesies. Personally, I find such details an added delight, and, in fact, a warm, sentimental touch to the film. The Iranians, though conservative, some even unreasonably stubborn, are actually very kind and friendly to strangers. On the way back to the cottage after using a borrowed phone in a small street-side store, Jafari walks in the dark for some distance. I was expecting a sudden attack on her from someone somewhere. But my fear was soon proved groundless.

And I love the way the film ends. Having horned his car a few times, Panahi again sits waiting in the car, the face unrevealed. Jafari is seen walking down the long, winding mountain pass. After some time, a few cars appear, one after another, round the mountain on the opposite side. As I see it, the exchange of car horns to avoid car crashes on the narrow pass implies that patient negotiation can lead to compromise. And that is what actually happens between the girl and her family. 

The film, therefore, delivers a meaningful message and is a good choice for viewers looking for a heart warming story. It is not surprising that it won the Best Screenplay Award at the 71st Cannes Film Festival.