STRICTLY BALLROOM

Strictly Ballroom is the first of Baz Luhrmann's the red curtain trilogy, where the movies open and close with a red curtain, and each movies involves theatrical elements on the ways the story being told and how the characters being portrayed. In this movie, Baz Luhrmann took dance as a center idea on how the stories developed and how these characters use dancing as a form of communications and also rebellion towards what is a norm in the community. Baz Luhrmann managed to get our attention by using many colourful scenes, making them embedded in our minds. In the opening scene, Baz Luhrmann cleverly put the dancers on one dance floor and make all of them twirling, the glamour and the glitter of the dancers' dress caught my attention. They way he shot it, making the camera going in the circle with the dancers, as an audience, I felt the chaos, I understand the pressure the dancers must have felt on wanting to win the title. They forced themselves to smile in this great pressure and I felt what Scott feel when he decided to dance a little different than usual, dance to what he feels right to do. This movie also shows the irony of the dance world where we should feel happy and free while dancing, instead of being deadly serious about winning and following orders which creates the dissonance and the sense of irony in the movie.

Dance is one form of language in this movie. Scott Hasting is one of the characters that use dancing as a form of expression. Early on the movie we see how he use dance movement to convince Liz not to leave him, and also how he use dancing to convince Fran to dance with him again right before the competition. This shows Scott is more comfortable using body language and dance steps to persuade people, to show them his true feelings on things. Maybe because people around him tend not to listen to him when he speaks up, or maybe growing up as dancer, this is the only way he could express whatever is buried deep inside of his chest. At the beginning we could see he is unhappy with the dance that everyone expect him to do. He is searching for the true meaning of satisfaction of self expression through dancing different steps than usual. He is truly happy when he is dancing with Fran, with the steps he wants to dance not anyone else. He struggles to choose between winning the title or being free with his self-expression by dancing "Pasodoble" with Fran. In the end he choose to break through the fear and go against the system set by the corrupted dance Federation. While dancing, both he and Fran feel the sense of belonging (Fiske, 2004), when the crowd starts to show their approval to them by clapping their hands.

I can relate to them, having the need to belong. When I looked back to my old self, I used to struggle on getting people's approval in everything I do. I felt the need to make others happy with my decisions instead of checking with my own self, "Am I happy with this option?". For years I felt constricted, suffocated without being able to really express my own creativity on the things I wanted. It was varies from the way I presenting myself, my hair, my clothes even my walk. People always have opinion. I can understand why Scott is unhappy to dance the way other people want him to dance, its restricting his own freedom. One day I just realised I do not need other people constant approval on the things I do in life, so I go with whatever option I feel happy to do and yes, it works. I feel so much better, living a better, positive life. Maybe going against the tide will make us feel rebellious, but doing something you truly love and having other people to appreciate them makes it ten times better. For that, I'm happy to see Scott and Fran dance freely at the end, while the whole audience clapping showing they also think the dance is beautiful.


Reference

Fiske, S.T. (2004). Social beings: A core motives approach to social psychology. United States of America: Wiley.

EAT DRINK MAN WOMAN

Eat Drink Man Woman, written and directed by Ang Lee, Taiwanese director famous for his movies such as Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi. The movie exploring the themes of family, complexity of the relationships between the family members and the idea of culture, where tradition meets with modernisation. The movie is also exploring the idea of love and sacrifice in a family.

I really enjoyed watching the movie not only because of the touch of humour Ang Lee trying to deliver on the screen but also the details of Chinese tradition. The opening scene already caught my attention when the shots of Mr. Chu preparing the dinner, from his skills cutting the food and how his old man hands crafting the delicate dim sum, I felt very drawn to know where this movie going to bring me. Then the movie cuts to the life of the daughters, how modern they are, living and working on their day job, especially Jia-Chien, the middle daughter who is very independent and sexually liberated, having a casual relationship with her ex-boyfriend. This contrast of two different elements in the movie shows what Ang Lee trying to tell us, and what this movie is about. The clash of tradition and modernisation happens in most family in Asia up until today.

This film shows the important of gender roles in Asian family where male is considered as the strong figure. Mr Chu portrays such dominance in his family. Despite of his old age, it is known in the family that he is still the head of the family and the daughters need to obey to his request, such as the Sunday Dinner, do not allow anyone to cook in his kitchen at home or even their career choices, especially when he encourage Jia-Chien to go to university instead of being a cook like him. It is interesting to see when Mr. Chu lost his sense of taste and the daughters recognized flaws in his cooking, Mr Chu somehow expressed his rebellion on admitting he is no longer the main provider of the family. In a sense, he is slowly losing the game but would no wave the white flag yet. However, it is interesting to see at the end, when he finally admitting his flaws and weakness and slowly accepting the fact that Jia-Chien is capable on taking his thrown, he starts to get back his sense of taste. In a way, Ang Lee tries to tell us that female is also capable and powerful, especially in this modern society.

The relationship between Jia-Chien and her father became the focus of the movie. For me, Jia-Chien showed the most resistant towards the idea of sticking together as family at the beginning of the movie. She called the Sunday Dinner "torturous" and seems cannot wait to leave the house. The reasons to the dynamic of their relationships became more clear to me when Jia-Chien expressed her passion in cooking and how much she misses her days in the kitchen with her father when she was little. She also has her mother look which is might be one of the reasons she is somehow special to Mr. Chu. I can relate to Jia-Chien because my relationship with my father is similar to hers. I'm the youngest in the family and my father showed great affection to me than any of my siblings. As I grew older the direct, clear form of affection starts to decline. I turned into a teenage boy and my interests in life changed. I am no longer the young, spoil self. My father starts to treat me differently too, and expect me to be matured when talking with him. However, I feel the love in many different ways, it may not be the kiss on the cheek or wishing "I love you" to each other anymore, but I feel the love when my dad cuts fruits for me and we eat them together, or how he asks me if I have enough money to eat. This shows in the movie, Mr. Chu shows his love by cooking all the food for dinner, waking up his daughters in the morning, and even when he gives permission to Jia-Chien to move out of the house. Something about Asian culture where the parents should nurture the children in more authoritarian ways. The love our parents showed us is very subtle, underlying many levels of layers. On the surface they want to be the parents who provide and expect respect from the children, but underneath it all, they need their children as much as they need them.

The revelation at the end of the movie also gave an impact to me. At first, Jia-Chien seems to be very determined to move out and leave her father with her sisters. The oldest sister even accepted the hard fact that she is the one who will have to take care of their father. But at the end, Jia-Chien who remained in the house, carrying out the tradition of the family making Mr. Chu even more proud of her. This shows how Ang Lee carefully crafting the plot, showing us how funny life can be.

RUNNING ON EMPTY

"I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend, but I always thought that I'd see you again." - Fire & Rain, Birdy (cover) #np

 Running on Empty, a movie about Popes family struggling to survive together while on the run from the FBI where they have to constantly relocate and change their identity. The movie focus on River Phoenix's character, Danny, who had been living on the run and keeping his family secrets from other people was a routine to him. Danny finally found himself in conflict where he was internally battling with his desire to live real authentic life as he grew fond of the town they were in at that moment. The movie is also focus on how the family kept on running from the pasts, especially the parents, Annie and Arthur, when the things they tried to forget seems to keep on catching them, hence the title, Running on Empty make a lot of sense to the lifestyle they have to live. From the lifestyle we know this family is very unusual in terms of their relationships and family systems. We also understand how it affects on the family especially Danny.

Danny's relationship with his mother

For me, the most interesting part of the movie is the interactions of the family members and how they adapt to such a unique family system. When they are living under the radar of the FBI the only safe place they can get is within the walls of their house. The family understands deeply that everything they have is temporary, except each other. Even the house is a temporary sanctuary for them plus their names and works are temporary, they seek comfort from each other making their bond in the family strong. Outside the walls might be a threat for them, but they managed to trust each other regardless of the tension they are feeling from the outside. Danny is more matured than his age because of the circumstances and the way his parents nurture his is different from any typical family. For example, Danny is ready to throw away his dreams and the idea of what he wants to become as a person because of the love he has for his family. Danny keeps on living under his parents rules and conditions even he did not feel any sense of freedom as a teenager. He keeps on loving his parents and respect them with whatever they have as family, which is not so much to offer.

Danny's love and respect to his dad

According to Murray Bowen's Family System Theory, family is an emotional unit and family members emotionally interdependent to each other (Kerr, 1988). Family members reciprocate emotionally as shown in the movie. Danny loves and respects his parents because both of his parents respect him and treat him like adult. He understands that his parents need him just as much as he needs them. On the birthday scene, Danny invited Lorna to the birthday party without his parents' permission. He knew his parents won't be mad at him, and he was right, his parents understood his needs of a friend, they carry on celebrating as like nothing is wrong. They showed Lorna happy times, and this shows that they trust each other greatly.

Danny and Lorna

Another interesting arch on this movie is the relationships of Danny and Lorna. Both of them feel in love with each other, both of their personalities and presences are matching, making them suitable for each other. However, as the relationships grows, Lorna feel as she is the only one opening up to Danny and always have a doubt on Danny's honesty in the relationship. Lorna feel disconnected to Danny as she tries to go through the layers of emotions from Danny's side. This connected to the theory of relationship satisfaction related to self-disclosure to the partner. The more couples self-disclosed to one another, the greater the satisfaction on the relationships (Gable, Gonzaga & Strachman, 2006). The lacks of self-disclosure from Danny makes Lorna feels their relationship lacks in intimacy, connected to the theory of disclosure reciprocity (Miller, 1990). When Danny finally tells Lorna about his real identity and his family's secret, Lorna feels a huge relief, and she understands Danny even more than before making her love to Danny intensifies.

References:

Kerr, Michael E (1988) "Chronic anxiety and defining a self: An introduction to murray bowen's theory of human emotional functioning." Atlantic Monthly September: 35-58.

Gable, S. L., Gonzaga, G. C., & Strachman, A. (2006). Will you be there for me when things go right? Supportive responses to positive event disclosures. Journal of personality and social psychology, 91(5), 904.


Miller, L. C. (1990). Intimacy and liking: mutual influence and the role of unique relationships. Journal of personality and social psychology, 59(1), 50.