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January 8, 2007
Film vs Real Life
I've been watching Carnivale intensely lately.
Just finished the second season.
I've been speaking (in my head) with a 1920s dustbowl vocabulary (accent in tow).
"I'll snap your pecker off like a french stick"
"Let's shake some dust, children"
I found it an addictive mystery despite how often the characters' behaviour shat me.
The issue was the amount of 'non communication'. They often just responded to each other with a look. They would take at least 10 seconds to respond in words, if at all. They constantly walked away from each other.. the most dialogue witnessed was around 5 short sentences.
It struck me as extremely unrealistic and frustrating. I found myself yelling at the screen - just say something! Just spit it out! It was agonising at times.
I understand why they did it - it kept the mystery up and put the focus on the symbolism and myth of the show.
It extends beyond character interaction, but to how they would say the most amazing lines (as though natural) but I know all shows do it. And so they should, because it's such fun.
It also caused me to think further on how different general behaviour is in a film, from the simple drinking of a cup of coffee to a walk towards a tree. There is a look of such 'deep thought' and every touch, step or look is so dramatic.
Yesterday I went to play my parents piano, and I decided to behave like I was being filmed.
I moved slowly to the piano, looking at it's wooden lid, sliding my fingers across the polished surface, without shuffling or scratching, I lifted the lid gently. Removing the green felt cover as if in slow motion, I folded it seamlessly placing it lightly at the end of the keys.
I smoothly bent over to place both hands on the seat, sliding it in one clean motion towards me. Stepping with only two precise movements I slowly sat on the seat whilst bringing it under me.
I looked at the keys with deep though, raising my right hand, resting my four fingers on the keys and the smoothing then up the board before raising my left hand to gently sit upon four other keys.. and then... a delicate beautiful chord.
I'm such a clumsy person normally so it felt like an amazingly mindful difference that I might try again when I want to practice being an actress or the virtue of patience.
I remembered a movie moment today that I actually had...
I was travelling in a datsun up the coast of Western Australia. I was 19, with a 21 year old boy driving. It was sunset on this long straight country road. He was speeding at around 160km/hr. I was sunk low in my seat, nervous as hell. He was sipping a long neck and telling me to chill out. As we came over a hill, a dozen cows were in the middle of the road - enough time for us to brace ourselves and know there was no way out of this crisis.
After we collided and spun 180 degrees on the road, I opened my eyes to see playing cards fluttering to the ground all around us and a cow lying solo in the middle of the road with its tongue hanging out.
I looked over at him with eyes that said "I told you"
He responded with "fucking cows".
[current mood] Biodynamic Produce & Nouvelle Vague
Posted by nat at January 8, 2007 1:55 PM
Comments
thankyou for the moment ... you play the piano beautifully
Posted by: elsh at January 9, 2007 1:15 AM
I loved the Carnivale series. It was the best shite they had on what they call 'television'.
Funny you should be talking about movies because I have moved into short films and composing music for short films.
I had a short film moment today. I had been 'designing sound' all morning from about 4am and felt exhausted so I went and laid on my bed at about 2pm.
I had a dream where Nat was sitting behind me and was hugging me on a big old retro style lounge chair. She then moved her head over the top of mine and our lips met upside down. It was the most intense passionate kiss I have ever had in my life, as I gently grasped the back of her head and our tongues ventured deep in each others mouth...then, I had woken and was back to composing. What's all that about. I had not even been thinking of her and I had 'never' kissed her before. I do hope I have the same dream when I'm 80.
Posted by: Dirt Settlers at January 9, 2007 2:34 PM
Hey Dirt,
you wanna make us all jealous or what? I will concentrate also for nice dreams.
Posted by: jaime at January 9, 2007 7:55 PM
jaysus!
Posted by: sydney at January 9, 2007 8:56 PM
Oh dirt... you certainly do know how to disturb me.
Posted by: nat at January 9, 2007 9:37 PM
Carnivale - I've never seen anything better on TV. Incredibly rich and beautifully made. The second to last episode of Season 2 was almost flawless - every shot, every look, every detail of character and performance was close to perfection. But it cost over two million per episode, so they stopped. Remember when Sophie digs that hole, saying just about nothing for a whole episode? That cost them $100,000. That's a lot of money for digging a hole in silence. But it was worth the money. There are rumours of a two-hour wrap up, because that's all they can afford. Fingers crossed.
Posted by: Christopher Kenworthy at January 10, 2007 11:32 AM
Once I started getting into the series I started googling about and found out all these issues about it not continuing to be made. I'm not sure I mind the current ending though.
Maybe I have had enough...
I think they might have taken perfection too far. It all felt so extremely choreographed - right down to every movement in the background. Almost cliched. It's as though they removed any 'randomness'.
I think a little chaos adds life to art.
Posted by: Nat at January 10, 2007 2:25 PM
That's how I felt about the very last episode. Not enough chaos, far too clean. But before that, I was happy.
In Australia, of course, we have to make feature films on an eighth of their single-episode budget, so chaos reigns. This may not be a bad thing.
Posted by: Christopher Kenworthy at January 10, 2007 7:30 PM
Sorry if I offended or disturbed anyone. I didn't ask for the dream...but I'm glad I had it. Have you ever had dreams that feel so real...I did.
BTW, Carnivale worked for me. If one has certain beliefs, as I do, then certain scenes were very disturbing. I think a lot of the credit can go to the writers...ok, and the actors, camera crew, props, make-up artists, music composers...what about the colour, or should I say lack of. I could almost 'smell' the scenes. It took me a while to get to sleep after watching some of the episodes.
Posted by: Dirt Settlers at January 13, 2007 7:22 PM
