Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Blow Up

Bergman and Antonioni? Is there some cosmic irony at work here?

Who can ever forget L'Aventura? Or Blow-Up in swinging London? Or the 1975 Jack Nicholson movie. What was it? The Passenger? Zabriskie Point and all those windmills. The Red Desert. Think about the titles. Antonioni had a lot in common with Camus. Alienation, the 20th century disease. The 21st? Who knows? I think think we even have a culture anymore. Maybe the culture of celebrity. Comparisons to ancient Rome keep filtering up. Anyone for fiddling?

Now another task is on my list that stretches soooo far. Rent some of these films. Can the past be revisted? Step into the same river? Oh no, but still. Some of the emotional resonance is bound to return. Rent Persona, definitely. The Red Desert, too. Wild Strawberries. Maybe Blow-Up. And don't forget Hiroshima, Mon Amour, the great work by Renais. Just thinking of the titles of each of these movies brings a strong image to mind. Let's not forget Fellini and the statue of Jesus being carried over Rome by helicopter. Brilliant.

The great ones are falling.

Is anyone watching the new Glenn Close show on Fox Tuesdays at 10:00? Can't remember the name. Damages? Too many commercials, but definitely suspenseful and a little different. The beginning was a prologue that keeps driving the plot. I can't tear myself away.

Class reunion (never mind how many) coming up on Friday, and we leave for Denver tomorrow. I'm taking a Alan Furst novel and The Poisonwood Bible by Kingsolver. One of my totally reasonable fears is being stuck on a plane with nothing to read. Some people sit for hours just staring into space. One wonders. But one always wonders. At least I hope so.

Last post until Monday. Then I will have 20 years worth of news to report. Will it be fit to print?

Grapeshot

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