The East - Tumblr Posts
This is the first time in a while I have been inspired to write an analysis. I find I am attracted by films that have to do with identity. The East (2013) is one of these films. A CIA member infiltrates an anarchist eco- terrorist group. Their message is simple enough: fighting against corporations injustices by terrorism.
The question of identity was very much alive in not just the character of Sarah, but with all of the characters. Even as they stick together for a cause, they wonder, "Is this who I am? Is this really what I believe in?" Despite a difference in ethics, those very heads of corporations might think the same thing. Everyone is unsure. I myself have played roles before in life, and realized this was not me.
Brit Marling in an interview says that although the world may try to put you into roles, identity is flexible, and you can always reinvent yourself if you please. I think this is a very powerful message. Sarah did just that. She made her own way, not her boss's way, or Benji's. This film made me feel something, which I think is most important.
A rather lengthy piece I did as my farewell to 2013. Link to the article can be found below:
Brent 360's Top 10 Films Of 2013
"As random and as subjective as this award is, it means a great deal in a year of extraordinary, yet again, extraordinary performances by women... And thank you to the audiences who went to see [Blue Jasmine] and perhaps those of us in the industry who are still foolishly clinging to the idea that female films with women at the center are niche experiences. They are not. Audiences want to see them and, in fact, they earn money. The world is round, people!" — Cate Blanchett on championing women in cinema during her 2014 Oscar Best Actress acceptance speech. +++ Various fierce and flawless heroines in female-centric feature films Audrey Tautou as Amélie Poulain (Amélie) Quvenzhané Wallis as Hushpuppy Doucet (Beasts Of The Southern Wild) Björk as Selma Ježková (Dancer In The Dark) Jamie Chung as Eden (Eden) Greta Gerwig as Frances Halladay (Frances Ha) Tilda Swinton as Emma Recchi (I Am Love) Léa Seydoux as Emma + Adèle Exarchopoulos as Adèle (Blue Is The Warmest Colour) Zhang Ziyi as Sayuri Nitta (Memoirs Of A Geisha) Brit Marling as Sarah Moss/Jane Owen (The East) Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander + Élodie Yung as Miriam Wu (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo)