An excellent interview by Charlie Rose with Tilda Swinton in which she discusses her role in the film "I Am Love"
http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/11080
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Soderbergh's "Solaris" and Guadagnino's "I Am Love"
During next week’s class we will finish up our discussion of “Madame Bovary” and discuss the two films you’ve been assigned to watch: Soderbergh’s “Solaris” and Guadagnino’s “I Am Love.”
For your blog posting, please discuss both films in relation to the wider themes of the course (love, desire, and their “issues”) and how they fit into the ongoing conversation we have been having all semester.
Henceforth, your blog postings will be graded as such:
A = Exceptional. The journal entry is focused and coherently integrates examples with explanations or analysis. The entry demonstrates awareness of its own limitations or implications, and it considers multiple perspectives when appropriate. The entry reflects in-depth engagement with the topic.
B = Satisfactory. The journal entry is reasonably focused, and explanations or analysis are mostly based on examples or other evidence. Fewer connections are made between ideas, and though new insights are offered, they are not fully developed. The entry reflects moderate engagement with the topic.
C = Underdeveloped. The journal entry is mostly description or summary, without consideration of alternative perspectives, and few connections are made between ideas. The entry reflects passing engagement with the topic.
D = Limited. The journal entry is unfocused, or simply rehashes previous comments, and displays no evidence of student engagement with the topic.
F = No Credit. The journal entry is missing or consists of one or two disconnected sentences.
For your blog posting, please discuss both films in relation to the wider themes of the course (love, desire, and their “issues”) and how they fit into the ongoing conversation we have been having all semester.
Henceforth, your blog postings will be graded as such:
A = Exceptional. The journal entry is focused and coherently integrates examples with explanations or analysis. The entry demonstrates awareness of its own limitations or implications, and it considers multiple perspectives when appropriate. The entry reflects in-depth engagement with the topic.
B = Satisfactory. The journal entry is reasonably focused, and explanations or analysis are mostly based on examples or other evidence. Fewer connections are made between ideas, and though new insights are offered, they are not fully developed. The entry reflects moderate engagement with the topic.
C = Underdeveloped. The journal entry is mostly description or summary, without consideration of alternative perspectives, and few connections are made between ideas. The entry reflects passing engagement with the topic.
D = Limited. The journal entry is unfocused, or simply rehashes previous comments, and displays no evidence of student engagement with the topic.
F = No Credit. The journal entry is missing or consists of one or two disconnected sentences.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
"Madame Bovary" - the movie!
If interested, you can see Claude Chabrol's version of "Madame Bovary" here - with the amazing Isabelle Huppert in the role of Emma. The film is broken up into 10 segments on Youtube.
Flaubert's "Madame Bovary" - Week Two
Subjects of discussion:
1. The love that
starts again between Emma and Rodolphe
2. The letter Rodolphe
sends to Emma (and the box where he puts all his memories - is this really a "box
of memories"?)
3. Emma's reaction
after having received the letter
4. Emma's illness and Charles's reaction
5. The importance of the opera
6. The love between
Emma and Léon and Emma's "satisfaction" (or lack thereof)
7. The beggar
8. Emma's frenetic
efforts to get money
9. The return to
Rodolphe and - why does Emma decide to commit suicide? Because
of money? Is there another reason?
10. Why does she
decide to commit suicide by poisoning?
11. Why is Emma's
death so prolonged?
12. Emma's reaction to
the crucifix.
13. The black liquid
that comes from her mouth after her death
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Flaubert's "Madame Bovary" - Week One
Consider the following questions in your reading and analysis of Madame Bovary – as always – think about how the novel deals with the issues below in relation to themes of the course (love and desire)
1. At the beginning of the novel, we meet Charles. How would you describe him? And his hat? How does
the narrator describe this hat? What type of hat is this? What do you think it symbolizes?
2. How would you describe Emma? What does the novel reveal about her personality (especially the chapters on her childhood and upbringing)? How do other characters in the film view her? She does not really speak until the sixth chapter – why? What are these first words and what do they signify?
3. Why does Emma find the ball at La Vaubyésssard so important? Notice the way others treat her – does she belong to this society? Why or why not?
4. How does Emma view time? Consider the way the novel depicts her after the ball.
5. Discuss Emma’s pregnancy. Who in truth “carries” the pregnancy? Emma? Why or why not? What does the novel say about maternity?
6. Speak about the relationship between Emma and Léon. What happens between them? How do you explain what happens to Emma after Léon’s departure?
7. The chapter on the agricultural fair is extremely important – what is the relationship between humans and animals?
8. Analyze Emma and Rodolphe’s actions at the fair. Why do you think they are separated from the others? What is the irony of Rodolphe’s speech (especially if you pay attention to what is going on at the fair)? How does the fair comment upon Rodolphe’s speech?
1. At the beginning of the novel, we meet Charles. How would you describe him? And his hat? How does
the narrator describe this hat? What type of hat is this? What do you think it symbolizes?
2. How would you describe Emma? What does the novel reveal about her personality (especially the chapters on her childhood and upbringing)? How do other characters in the film view her? She does not really speak until the sixth chapter – why? What are these first words and what do they signify?
3. Why does Emma find the ball at La Vaubyésssard so important? Notice the way others treat her – does she belong to this society? Why or why not?
4. How does Emma view time? Consider the way the novel depicts her after the ball.
5. Discuss Emma’s pregnancy. Who in truth “carries” the pregnancy? Emma? Why or why not? What does the novel say about maternity?
6. Speak about the relationship between Emma and Léon. What happens between them? How do you explain what happens to Emma after Léon’s departure?
7. The chapter on the agricultural fair is extremely important – what is the relationship between humans and animals?
8. Analyze Emma and Rodolphe’s actions at the fair. Why do you think they are separated from the others? What is the irony of Rodolphe’s speech (especially if you pay attention to what is going on at the fair)? How does the fair comment upon Rodolphe’s speech?
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Fernando de Rojas's "Celestina" (Week Two)
Use these questions as a guide (if you want) in your second blog posting for "Celestina"
1. The chain Calisto gives Celestina in Act 11 has important symbolic meaning. What does this chain represent for Celestina (and in turn Parmeno and Sempronio)? Think also in broader terms - what might a chain represent in the text? How might it be connected to the themes of desire and death?
2. Calisto has a long soliloquy in Act 14. What are the main themes of this speech? He has just achieved what he wanted (sex with Melibea). Does this speech reflect the happiness he expected to have? Why or why not? What might his speech have to tell us about the nature of desire?
3. There is a dichotomy in the text between Pleberio's power (a male hierarchy) and Celestina's world (centered around desire and women). How do these two systems play of one another? What does Act 14 reveals about Pleberio's pwer? Do an analysis of his speech here - what does he attempt to do? And the reality of the situation?
4. Melibea and Calisto must first meet in the dead of night, in the darkness. What does this reveal about the nature of their desire for one another, especially when you consider the references to images of light (the stars, moon, bright beams radiating from Melibea, etc.).
5. What is symbolic about Calisto's death? And Melibea's? Consider where and how the two lovers died. How do these deaths reflect that of Celestina, what she represented, and the lovers' roles in her 'game'? You may want to bring up the salient themes in Melibea's speech before she commits suicide (or even the double standard against which Melibea must fight throughout the story).
6. What or whom does Pleberio truly mourn in his final speech? What exactly is going on in this last act of "Celestina" - why give Pleberio (the patriarchy) the final word?
1. The chain Calisto gives Celestina in Act 11 has important symbolic meaning. What does this chain represent for Celestina (and in turn Parmeno and Sempronio)? Think also in broader terms - what might a chain represent in the text? How might it be connected to the themes of desire and death?
2. Calisto has a long soliloquy in Act 14. What are the main themes of this speech? He has just achieved what he wanted (sex with Melibea). Does this speech reflect the happiness he expected to have? Why or why not? What might his speech have to tell us about the nature of desire?
3. There is a dichotomy in the text between Pleberio's power (a male hierarchy) and Celestina's world (centered around desire and women). How do these two systems play of one another? What does Act 14 reveals about Pleberio's pwer? Do an analysis of his speech here - what does he attempt to do? And the reality of the situation?
4. Melibea and Calisto must first meet in the dead of night, in the darkness. What does this reveal about the nature of their desire for one another, especially when you consider the references to images of light (the stars, moon, bright beams radiating from Melibea, etc.).
5. What is symbolic about Calisto's death? And Melibea's? Consider where and how the two lovers died. How do these deaths reflect that of Celestina, what she represented, and the lovers' roles in her 'game'? You may want to bring up the salient themes in Melibea's speech before she commits suicide (or even the double standard against which Melibea must fight throughout the story).
6. What or whom does Pleberio truly mourn in his final speech? What exactly is going on in this last act of "Celestina" - why give Pleberio (the patriarchy) the final word?
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