Ciao, Professore!

I was quite pleased with this movie, the story is very archetypal but when done well its a good archetype and in this case the characters and treatment of the Italian setting and issues. The opening was interesting by making Louis Armstrong a counterpoint to the degradation of the city. In this context the music of Louis Armstrong becomes a sign of education, refinement, and international cultural appreciation, which seems a hefty sum to attach to any one person yet a think Satchmo does it all justice. Through out the movie much of the plot is the juxtaposition of a northerner within a southern town and how the two different modes of thought often oppose each other. Such scenes the teacher, Marco, confronting the custodian and several arguments over the proper way to run the school. As well as his confrontations with the principal, the conversation after Marco loses his temper and strikes a child is quite amusing since he is lamenting his loss of self control all the while the principal is congratulating him. It is an amusing growth movie, almost a Bad News Bears meets meets public schooling, in that as the movie progresses the two parties, teacher and students, grow on each other too the point that Marco rescinds his request for relocation and expresses a wish to stay in Corzano. However shortly before the climax of the story he receives a letter telling him to return to the north, while the climax of the film features Marco helping out Rafaele, the classes "tough guy", during which each claims that the other is changed for the experience. The interactions between him and the class produces some great scenes, due in part to the children swearing like sailors, for example Marco rounding up all the children at the start of the movie and him and the overweight kid trying to go on a diet.

This isn't the greatest movie I've ever seen but it is a good watch. It also does a decent job of highlighting north-south conflicts.

Umberto D

I'm not sure how to feel about this film, it was very good and I enjoyed watching it thoroughly, however I'm still conflicted. And this confliction has only one source, I don't know how the movie ended, I sat there and watched the ending... and still have no fucking clue what the point was. The only way I can conceptualize my frustration is as such, imagine your favorite movie or story in your head, don't close your eyes it will only slow you down and I want you to keep up with me for this one. Now imagine there are ten points of reference or plot points or whatever you want going through out the story from start to finish, 0-9 that's your movie (and no it can't be 1-10 cause this is my thought process so it follows my rules) movie starts that's 0 and progress on thru then you reach 9 and the credits roll, even in an open ended movie there is enough plot elements that make it to 9 that it works as a story. Follow so far, if not go ahead a reread the past few sentences till you're caught up, seriously do it I'll wait......... All set, ok good. Now here is where Umberto D and I have some issues, if this point 9 were say a finish line and the rest of the movie is a race then the path race takes will define where finish line goes, this is especially true when the path is straight or in this case when the story is very linear in its progression. So the audience gets an idea as to where the finish line will be, but they stay to watch the race. Well in movies with a twist the take advantage of this, so that when you get to the "end" of the race its revealed that the finish line is actually around the corner but then this newly realized and relocated 9. Well Umberto D does this but when you reach where the finish line should be it reveals there is another corner and around this corner they drop base ten counting systems for hex but still stop on a nine, so you get a race with no end.

Now I know that this explanation is difficult to follow and that I don't cite the movie, but seeing as it is the end of the film I choose to not actually reveal the ending but rather how I feel, so as to not ruin it for any one who has not seen the movie. However my idiocy aside the acting was very good, and the lighting had an appearance of technical proficiency not particularly common to the genre. I also happen to be particularly fond of the opening sequence where the police are chasing off the protesters, with the camera mounted in the jeeps it gave the appearance of herding livestock. As I said, ending aside, I really enjoyed this movie and I sorry that I didn't catch the showing with the speaker but just being able to see the film was a treat.

readings week 3

In the first "reading", the intro, the thing that grabbed my attention were the maps. After looking at them them for a bit I went through a few thought processes, at first I was shocked at the number of different maps and sepperations that were used to define people. I was well aware of the difference of north and south, however the the sheer level of socio-political analysis was amazing. This was followed very shortly by a comparison to our own country, and all the crazy ways we define ourselves and our regions, this replaced my sense of awe with a sense of normalcy about the idea. Now for some this sense may have been where it would stop, and for me it lasted an hour or so, however I then recalled that Italy is only slightly larger than Arizona. Its a thirtieth our size and just as if not more so politically complex, thats the point where my mind was blown.

"Italians lack an underlying faith in the impartiality of the state: they see it as a bestower of favours to its friends rather than the guarantor of rights for all." this quote from the second reading struck me, I read it and immediately thought of Giancarlo. As for the rest of the reading, it seemed long winded and rather round about so that three quarters of the way in I stop caring what was being said. Eventually the message was made but it seems that it could have been achieved more easily.

Also this upon Italian politics was a bit irritating, while informative and interesting (what can I say exploits regarding right winged totalitarian, rule i.e the fascists, make for a good read) plus the reading helped to re-enforce the appropriateness of the given character traits of two cliques.