I think too much as been stressed about the "shock value" of last weeks films. I feel like, while they are shocking and have been banned, the true value of them lies beyond the shocking images and if they are to be properly understood they must be accepted has inherently shocking and then moved on.
After last weeks discussion of "Flaming Creatures," I feel like the film has more to offer than what I originally classified as an erotic montage. I think that Jack Smith was attempting to portray this underworld of human emotion in the most direct manor possible- by bringing it to the surface. I think this is his true underground standpoint. In his time and even now it is unusual to see such a clear expression of sex and he desires to explore it in his film. I really liked the idea that the people in the film were assumed to be creatures- it added to the whole concept of the underworld. I think by giving the film this title, he wants to really exploit the mind in its visualization of sex but at the same time keeping this in a positive light.
"Blow Job," kept this similar concept but really honed in on the emotions of one individual, making us observe every slight movement and analyze every head tilt. I think that while this technique isnt as exciting to the brain, the eye is allowed to see more into the feelings of the individual while the brain rests in boredom. I found the film difficult to get through, but stimulating to consider.
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Everything you are saying strikes a chord with me. Though it was hard for me to get past the explicit aspects of Flaming Creatures, I believe that you are right, that you have to look past it to see the other things the film offers through its portrayal of sex. I am still deciphering everything, including the chandelier, which I believe Moses suggested could symbolize the 'bringing down' of Hollywood cinema and its standards and conventions. The only thing I do not understand is, how does he keep the film in a positive light? Is the rape scene really positive? All of the characters are joyous in the end, so that must mean something...and I wondered why some of the men were dressed as women in the film, why they chose to rape a woman, etc. Is this film making a statement about homosexuals/transexuals/bisexuals? And what significance could the vampire scene have, other than adding to the 'creatures' aspect?
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