Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing - Part 4

The Village (2004) - Ivy Walker & Lucius Hunt

When we are married, will you dance with me? I find dancing very agreeable. Why can you not say what is in your head?

Why can you not stop saying what is in yours? Why must you lead, when I want to lead? If I want to dance I will ask you to dance. If I want to speak I will open my mouth and speak. Everyone is forever plaguing me to speak further. Why? What good is it to tell you you are in my every thought from the time I wake? What good can come from my saying that I sometimes cannot think clearly or do my work properly? What gain can rise of my telling you the only time I feel fear as others do is when I think of you in harm? That is why I am on this porch, Ivy Walker. I fear for your safety before all others. And yes, I will dance with you on our wedding night.

Storyville, New Orleans, 1917

Pretty Baby (1978), starred by Brooke Shields as Violet, the young girl who was born and raised in a brothel, is a story told by the time Storyville was the legalized red-light district of New Orleans. Beautifully directed by the not always remembered Louis Malle, the film borrowed the mysterious and inspiring figure of photographer E. J. Bellocq (1873-1949), who actually photographed prostitutes in "The District", as the area used to be referred by locals. The character is adapted according to the story's circumstances by the use of endless creative liberty, as Bellocq, played by Keith Carradine, becomes Violet's love interest.

The movie caused a lot of controversy by the time it was released, and it still does nowadays, because of its sexual content revolving around a 12-year-old child. Disturbed viewer's opinions apart, Pretty Baby's costumes make me dream of an antique inspired wardrobe, from the lingerie spotted during night at Madame Nell's mansion, to the innocent white or cream coloured lacy dresses worn at day time, not to mention bows, hats and ribbons. Funny to think how fashion would drastically change in the course of a few years.

Silly pictures of my feet

winter

autumn

spring

Looking at my pictures file, I realized how these photos, taken in very distinguished times of the year are alike in a way. It also makes me realize how I'm always taking silly pictures of my feet everywhere. I started photographing my feet, or better, my footwear - around 2005, when I got my first digital camera, and then I never stopped. It's a sort of quirk, isn't it?!? I remember these three photos well. The first one is from my first snow day in Denmark, in january 2007, which was also when I first came here. It was the first time I ever saw snow, in a perfect sunny morning, after running to the park nearby where I lived, in Randers. The second shot was taken in my first autumn, in another park in Randers and I focused on the leaves themselves, instead of my black oxford shoes, the leaves were much prettier. The third one was taken a while ago, in this very spring, which happens to be my second spring, and when I mean spring, I'm talking about this sort of spring one longs after a long winter, after all, I had never seen such remarkable season changes, and that's perhaps why, all four seasons and how they're distinct one from another fascinates me so much. Ah, the last picture was taken at Frederiksborg castle's gardens, and once again, nature was more interesting than myself.

Between two (almost) extremes

When it comes to style, I love dresses, skirts, dolly shoes and accessories and all sort of feminine garments, but I'm also deeply attracted to mannish wear. However, I tend to incorporate a male style without losing my sense of femininity when it comes to details, like wearing pearl necklaces or a waist belt, and the best of all, a red lipstick. I wonder if I'd ever pull off a total boyish look like Diane Keaton in Woody Allen's Annie Hall. I doubt it. Although if I had to mention a lady who wore male garments wonderfully, that would have to be Katharine Hepburn, above all the others. Being really fond of dresses makes it difficult to me to follow such an ideal like hers, especially during this time of the year, when it's getting warm and one feels this sudden urge of showing off legs, in tights or not, after all, the months of jeans and pants are behind, at least for now. The first picture is the first time I wore this silk black dress, which I love for being slighty romantic and delicate. I thought I should make a brief description of what I'm wearing:

First picture:

Tony Cohen dress

Sofie Schnoor mary janes

(...)

Second picture:

My husband's custom tailored pants and shirt

H&M belt

Accessorize hat

Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing - Part 3

Romeo + Juliet (1996)

Pride can stand a thousand trials/The strong will never fall/But watching stars without you my soul cried/Heaving heart is full of pain/Oh, oh, the aching/Cause, I'm kissing you oh/I'm kissing you oh/Touch me deep, pure and true gift to me forever/Cause, I'm kissing you/Oh, I'm kissing you, oh/Where are you now?/Where are you now?/Cause, I'm kissing you

A summery spring day at an amusement park

Last saturday I was at Bakken, an amusement park outside Copenhagen, far bigger than Tivoli, and in my humble opinion, a funner place to be, not to mention that entrance is free and the restaurants and cafes aren't as expensive as the ones in Tivoli. Of course one can't leave CPH without visiting Tivoli, which is the oldest amusement park that has survived intact to the present day (Wikipedia info) and it's even listed in that book "1000 Places to See Before You Die". However, if one doesn't really mind historical meanings and loves long nature walks, I'd suggest visiting Bakken instead of Tivoli, but be aware that once a reviewer called the park "the Tivoli on a bad hair day". I don't even mind going there for the fun, I've been on a rollercoaster once (and never again, I'm such a chicken!) and to some other attraction, but what I like the most is just walking among a crowd of kids, adults and seniors in a gorgeous summery day with bright blue sky, enjoying the happy atmosphere, or just walking in the green. Such a day is perfect for a picnic under one of the thousands of trees that form the forest - or the deer park, like it is properly known - this once was a royal hunting ground for over three centuries. For those who appreciate colours of all sort, especially the vibrant ones, the place is a blast to photograph. Blue, pink and green seem to be everywhere, and ocasionally white. White coming from a plain vanilla ice cream, a Pjerrot's face or even a fairy tale horse that stands still while its rider - a golden haired swedish girl in sunglasses and hot pants - talks on the cell phone as a picture of a modern day princess.

A little more: Bakken is actually older than Tivoli, but I suppose it has gone through many changes along the years, whereas Tivoli remained "classic".

Nat Film Festival - Days 2 and 3*

La Zona (Mexico, 2007) - I could describe this film as a daring and original idea that didn't really work out. It could have been the mexican equivalent to the brazilian film Tropa de Elite, which aroused a heated discussion about the movie audience that cheered during endless torture scenes commited by the main character - a cop struggling against drugdealers without following the rules. La Zona is more visually shocking than all tortures scenes performed in Tropa de Elite, which makes one wonder why no one has really talked about it. Perhaps for the fact the film is bold in its shell, but timid while developing the story of the residents of an enclosed neighborhood in the heart of Mexico DF, who live according to their own laws. One day a group of miserable men who live in the other side, manage to enter in this place, which walls are safer than those from medieval times. They kill one of the residents, and so the story begins, as the residents make justice with their own hands, killing them all, except a young boy that will be trapped like a rat (photo). For quite a long time the script gets stucked in one matter without moving forward, besides, the film doesn't rouse neither a social nor a political discussion about its main theme, which is a pity.

Blind Mountain (Mang Shan, China, 2007) - Films about women who are kidnapped to become prostitutes have already been made, but this one is about kidnapped chinese women who are sold to becomes wives in China. The story is told through the point of view of the residents of a village, whose simple habits - like planting corn and eating corn - and narrow minded ideas match those from medieval times, therefore, it's remarkable to realize they're living in contemporary times, like if time machine broke in that single spot of the world and would never fly again. The country is socialist, but real socialism haven't spread throughly, neither in social services nor in their own habitants' point of view. In a city close to the village, a doctor denies to save one's life before getting paid; in the road, one denies to give a ride to a person clearly in need because she doesn't have a penny. The kidnapped young woman refuses to accept her "duty" from the beggining to the end, whereas all other women in the village (all kidnapped as well), behave submissively like a Dogville's Grace. The film's social and cultural context is barely explained, and unless one possesses knowledge of the theme, many questions won't be answered. The ending scene is, perhaps, a metaphor for what could be the only solution for the problem. A pessimistic vision, which I agree with.

*Finally I'm writing about the movie festival. These first films won't be hard to write about, as I had made several notes at the time, but unfortunately I didn't keep notes of all 20 films I saw from march 29 until april 7. Now I'll know which films really lasted in my memory, the ones I liked the most! Next films to be written about: Blind, Dan in Real Life and My Blueberry Nights.