A Silent Voice - Portraying Isolation

A Silent Voice - Portraying Isolation

A silent voice does an excellent job of portraying the different types of isolation the two lead characters experience. It is masterfully shown in these two shots.

The scene in Shouya’s apartment perfectly displays his self isolation. He is in his empty room in a fetal position. The choice of having him be in his room during this scene is important because a person’s bedroom is typically a place where people go to be alone and relax  and there is also the fact that he doesn’t own anything and it is empty showing that he isn’t here to relax or escape but to be alone. There is also the choice of his body position which seems like he is curling in on himself. He is hiding himself from the world and not letting them see the whole picture. Sound is also present in the scene with the scratching of his foot and neck seeming loud in the silence of his room. This is all in direct opposition to Shouko’s scene where it cuts from the noise of the fireworks festival to the dead silence that she experiences. In Shouko’s scene she is standing in an upright position that portrays an openness to the world and yet there are no other people in the shot showing that she is open with the world and trying to connect with others whereas others won’t try to connect with her and come into her world despite her efforts. Her isolation is shown to be through the others rejecting her instead of Shouya’s rejection of others and it isn’t until the scene on the bridge, which is used as their “spot” throughout the film, near the end where they finally find their voices and come to a true understanding of each other that they are both able to truly find a way out of their isolation. Shouya gets the world to open up to Shouko and Shouko gets Shouya to open up to the world. If the isolation they felt wasn’t shown so clearly in these scenes it wouldn’t be as powerful when their respective isolation is finally broken through.

             There are many scenes portraying the respective isolation of these characters but these directly juxtapose each other in the blatant comparison it draws to the way the characters are isolated and why each character is able to draw the other into the first steps outside of their isolation. It is because each individual understand a different type of isolation, self isolation and forced isolation. Shouko gets Shouya to open up to the world because of her understanding of the desire for human interaction and the world to open up to her. Shouya gets the world to open up to Shouko through his work to hear her voice and make up for the actions that started his own self isolation. Their respective journeys come full circle and thus create a new path where both are taking steps out of their isolation and to a new beginning.

Catra-The Thin Line Between Love and Hate

Dreamworks has yet again produced a villain I love from one of their Netflix animated series with the character of Catra. Catra is given a complex dynamic with the protagonist Adora that ties into her journey of the season and her spiral downwards into hate. Her mindset is best explored in the episode “Promise” with the scene the title references being the turning point that causes her to make up her mind and take the plunge.

For Catra’s whole life she was always considered second best. Adora was liked more by everyone around them be it shadow weaver or their teammates. Adora was the only one who cared about Catra and put Catra first. This caused conflict to arise within Catra because her jealousy and anger were towards the person she cared about most and who cared about her the most. When Adora chose to leave the horde in spite of Catra trying to get her to stay Catra was hurt and betrayed. In her mind she came in second. Adora chose the rebellion over her. The only person who truly cared about her had chosen something else over her and the jealousy and hate that that she had tried to submerge came to the surface and she worked to sabotage the cause that had made Adora leave. Everything she does up until “Promise” is do destroy the rebellion not Adora herself and she continually tries to talk Adora into coming back to the horde, back to her.

In “Promise” Catra is forced to confront her conflicting feelings and contradicting actions and appearance. Catra for most of her life has put on a mask of uncaring like nothing phases her. This is an attempt to convince others and herself that nothing can hurt her. The only person the facade slips around is Adora because she trusts Adora. She comes to view her reliance and trust in Adora as a weakness. When Catra is confronted with the images and scenes from her childhood that highlight the disparity in the value placed on her life in comparison to Adora her indecision tipped towards giving in to her negative feelings toward Adora, but what really caused her to make up her mind was the titular scene of the promise. Catra runs from Adora with her world collapsing around her being constantly reminded of her inferiority and runs into the memory. The memory played out in front of Catra and when both young Catra and older Catra asked the question “Promise?” only young Adora was there to respond with reassurance. Older Adora was no longer by Catra’s side and the reality of the situation set in. Catra decided that since Adora wouldn’t come back she had to look out for herself. Because she can’t come to terms with the fact that Adora cared about her and still left her Catra takes on a more negative view of Adora’s actions and convinces herself that Adora never truly cared and made her believe that Catra needed her to hold her back. When Catra comes back and destroys the spiders attacking Adora it somewhat mirrors what younger Catra does in the promise scene except this time instead of running after Adora with new hope and continuing their friendship she comes back having given in to her negative feelings to sever it. This cemented Catra’s stance against Adora and pushed her to fully embrace her role to take down the rebellion along with Adora.

The line between love and hate is thin. A nudge from one side or the other can make one land on the complete opposite side of where they started.

Spiderman Far From Home Spoiler Review

I can honestly say I came out of this movie pleasantly surprised. The movie was much better than the trailers made it out to be. I have always preferred spiderman as a solo hero and this was a welcome return to that. I wasn’t sure what to expect because so little of the movie was shown in the trailers, but they managed to stick the landing and check off just about every box I would want for a spiderman movie. 

Tom Holland was amazing as Peter Parker and his classmates were really funny and endearing. I especially like how they handled “the blip” situation and addressed the fallout of Infinity War and Endgame without letting it overtake the film. The only real problem I had with Homecoming, that Peter was getting too much from Iron man instead of making his own things, was remedied with this film by having Peter create his own suit and showing off his intelligence in action. The high school relationship drama was much better this time around with Peter and MJ as well as Ned and Betty. Peter and MJ had actual conversations that showed that they played well off each other and were really just teenagers trying to navigate their feelings for each other and it was done really well. Jake Gyllenhaal as Mysterio was perfect. I found Mysterio to be an interesting villain and thought Jake Gyllenhaal brought a charisma to the part that only he could achieve. Mysterio has always been more of a supporting villain to a bigger threat so the fact that they managed to make him stand on his own and play off Peter so well was a welcome change. The cast overall was fantastic and I don’t think there was any character I disliked.

This film had Peter truly becoming Spiderman. It put him in a place where he needed to grow up, become independent, and get out of iron man and the rest of the avengers shadows. He couldn’t be the kid who ran into situations he wasn’t prepared for without a plan and he had to start making things for himself. The scene where he breaks down at Happy because of the pressure and the pedestal he had Tony on was where the film really kicked it into high gear. It was moment after moment of Peter being the Spiderman we know and love. I loved that they had Peter make his own suit and I think I felt his achievements in the final fight to be more earned because of that, he had to create gadgets specifically to counter Mysterio himself. The fights with mysterio were some of the most interesting and inventive of any hero-villain solo movie battles. Both character’s were made to pull out their entire arsenals to take down the other. When Peter finally used his spider sense to take down mysterio I was practically cheering. 

This movie was a really enjoyable solo hero film and I would recommend it to anyone. It is visually stunning while also being really character centric. Spiderman is hands down my favorite hero and I felt that this film did this adaptation of him justice. I do still wish marvel would stop pretending Uncle Ben didn’t exist, but I’m glad they did address his guilt over not being able to prevent Tony’s death and the pressure he feels to live up to the expectations he places on himself. I also had a problem with the lack of focus on Peter and May’s personal problems because May doesn’t really have a job and neither does Peter so how is Peter going on this school trip? I also wish that they hadn’t had as much school scenes because it took away from Peter’s personal struggles with Tony’s death and Mysterio. They are working hard to show Peter’s growth as Spiderman and I appreciate they aren’t rushing it. This film is a good addition to the spiderman franchise and is a really fun and worthwhile watch.

The Biggest Difference

I’ve seen people saying that Lotor became Zuko this season just written worse and while I do believe that there are a lot of similarities between the two this season really accentuated the differences. The whole season built upon the idea that Lotor deserved better. That he tried to overcome his circumstances, but wasn’t given a fair shot by anyone and was punished for his attempts to be better. This showed me the biggest point of divergence between Lotor and Zuko: Zuko had Iroh. Zuko had someone who believed in the best in him and even when he stumbled or made the wrong choice Iroh never gave up on him. It was because of this that Zuko was able to overcome his upbringing and move forward in a better direction. Lotor never had his Uncle Iroh. He had to make do by himself and forge his own path without a guiding light and because of that he got lost along the way. When he finally found found a guiding light in Allura it was quickly snuffed out because of actions he took in his misguided attempts to be better. The loss of the light after finally obtaining it after so long in the dark caused Lotor to snap. I think the flashbacks and characters this season realized that if Lotor was given a fair chance earlier in life or if Allura and the paladins hadn’t given up when they did on him he could have ended up like Zuko. He did do things in his past that were horrible, but he could have created the better future that he had wanted to bring about in the first place. 

Joker-a Master of Perspective

Joker uses perspective to enhance the movie storytelling perspective. It is a story about the descent of a man giving into his darker desires. This is typically seen as a tragic tale, but the music and camera shots portray it as the opposite. It feels like a man going from despair to hope. 

The music in the opening shot is called “Hoyt’s Office” and it has a sinister and foreboding feel to it whereas the music at the end of the film called “Call Me Joker” is much more hopeful and delicate, the music is softer and more personal instead of the sharp low tones of the beginning. The shot choice also changes the perspective of scenes that should be dark like when Arthur kills his mother Arthur sits next to the window which bathes the shot in light and creates an uplifting atmosphere and the lens reflects light which gives the shot a dreamy look like Arthur enjoys his choice and has finally fulfilled one of his wildest dreams. The final shots of him in the asylum are again bathed in light with minimal sound and the actions are happening slower than normal giving it that dream like feel to it once again. The final shot I’ll talk about is when Joker is dancing on the car during the riot. He is the center of the frame once again and everything around him seems to fade away. This is emphasized by the shots at a superior angle where only Joker and the sky are in shot with everyone else just out of view and the wide angle view when everyone else is in shot but the noise they would have been making is overtaken by the score. He is finally “seen” by people. He has become the center of this revolution and the world can finally see his solo performance.

The perspective is also in use when it comes to the fact that Arthur is made to clearly be an unreliable narrator in the film which can bring many interpretations of the events that unfold. Until the first time Arthur gives into his darker desires most of the abuse he endures is physical. Once he kills the three men on the subway the abuse shifts to emotional with his mother and then once he kills her it becomes verbal until he kills Murray and then he becomes the Joker and the movie ends with Arthur feeling free and not hesitating to give into his desires. This can be seen as the journey of how much Arthur can justify his actions. With each killing he is able to justify his actions with less and less provocation. At the beginning he shot the men in self defense and by the end he was killing people because he deemed it “what they deserve”. (This was also seen when he killed Randall when Randall came over to try and comfort him about his mother’s death and he kills him because of what Randall did at the beginning of the movie. Now that Arthur has made it this far in his descent he sees nothing wrong with killing Randall when earlier he held himself back.) Because of how the abuse seems to shift to allow Arthur to justify his actions it can lead to questions on if the abuse was really like the way it was portrayed or if it had been warped in some way due to Arthur’s perception. (This is just a single possibility that is left up to the viewer’s interpretation)

Joker is incredibly interesting in its use of film making techniques and how it uses all of the facets of the audio visual medium to convey its story. I was left fascinated in how well made it was with a great performance by Joaquin Phoenix, masterful cinematography and directing, and an emotive score. The film and superhero nerd in me loved every second of it.

Korra’s Growth (Book 3: Change)

In season three Korra is shown to be much more understanding of others right away when she connects with a random man who is scared at the top of a bridge. This is something that Korra wouldn’t have been able to do prior to the end of season two. It also shows her first major impact on the balance of the world with the return of the airbenders. She realizes that the airbenders where brought back through the opening of the portals during harmonic convergence and focuses on using it to help the world achieve balance instead of a notch in her status as an impactful avatar. She has become less focused on her possible legacy and comparisons to her past lives and instead focuses on how she can help now. The public reaction to her bothered her, but she didn’t let it drive her actions in this season like she did in past seasons. She actually thought her actions through and made sure her friends were in agreement with her and would help her before going through with a plan like in the Stakeout, In Harm’s Way, and Enter the Void. She even talks some sense into Lin over Lin’s misplaced anger alibi in her blunt straight to the point way. Korra’s emotional growth is on full display in this season. She has learned from her past actions and made a conscious effort to change. She is still emotional but has gotten much better at handling it and channeling it into the task at hand in a positive manner. This change culminates in her final decision, which she makes after seeking counsel from many other characters, to give herself up to Zaheer in exchange for the airbenders.

Her final decision to give herself up for the airbenders shows that she had really become a selfless avatar. She decides to give herself up knowing full well that she had a high chance of being killed. And for the first time in the series she is punished for a truly selfless act and is forced to endure physical and psychological torture. Her immense self doubt comes to the forefront as a result of this torture. It has been festering since the beginning, but until this point her end victory had always proven, at least to some extent, that she did have a place in the world. Through her enemies she has been told time and time again that the world would be better off without her, without the avatar. She starts to seriously doubt what it means to be the avatar and if the world really does need her. Being the Avatar has brought her nothing but pain. She has paid tolls that no one should have to, but, until this point, has kept moving forward in spite of them. Her enemies weren’t the people who pushed her over the edge during her internal crisis it was actually Tenzin. Korra is struggling to move forward after the traumatic events that the red lotus put her through and Tenzin’s final speech in season 3 echoes similar, unintentional, similarities to what the red lotus believed. In Tenzin’s speech during Jinora’s tattoo ceremony he declares that the new air nation will follow in Korra’s footsteps and step up and “take” her place in her absence working to bring peace to the world. It is one thing hearing her greatest fear from her enemies, but hearing it from someone she trusts and looks up to made her self doubt come crashing down on top of her. She is already at her lowest physically and mentally she was teetering on the edge. Tenzin’s statement made her think that her enemies were right, that the world didn’t need her, because it had people in it that could do her job for her. Zaheer preached that “new growth cannot exist without first the destruction of the old” and Korra feels like she is seeing the beginnings of a new force for change and balance through Jinora and the new air nation and that maybe the Avatar is the old, obsolete and unneeded . And in that moment she can’t hide the pain anymore and a single tear slips out. That single tear was Korra’s breaking point.

Korra has defined herself by being the avatar and once that is stripped of her she doesn’t know her place in the world or if her existence means anything. This book was about her becoming a more understanding and patient avatar but it was also about breaking down that avatar identity within her. She had begun to separate herself from the avatar subconsciously and was more able to put herself into other people’s shoes and understand others, but she continued to define her meaning in the world as being the avatar. As the avatar she has nigh infinite power within her universe which can make you distant from others especially if others around you constantly put you on that pedestal. Korra started the series having been put on that pedestal all her life while also being kept completely separate from the world and people she was supposed to bring balance to. This lead to her initial personality, attitude, and complete inexperience interacting with people. She is forced to experience the hardships that came as a result she managed to grow out of that previous mindset that was sort of forced upon her by her upbringing and be able to connect with everyday people, but to connect with her enemies she needed to discover how to define herself outside of being the avatar. She had to learn to define herself not only as a force for change but also as a force for balance. As in not every enemy needs to be defeated by force, but some can be understood and empathized with and brought down without force. That her enemies weren’t completely wrong in their philosophy and that to bring about balance their views can’t be entirely discarded. No one ideology has all the answers. And that comes with her journey for purpose and finding her own place in the world that starts out book four.