Use of Profanity

Nowadays when we hear curse words either in movies or on TV we cringe because we associate profanity with a poor attempt to try and make something cooler or just give unnecessary spice to a scene in a movie.   It seems for today's standard, profanity is preferable in any action movie or blockbuster to make it more “mature”.  Truthfully, no movie needs profanity to build suspense, escalate drama, or even make it cooler; plenty of movies where able to successfully do these things without it (like Lord of the rings, Star wars). But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for it.  Like in the movie “fridge” we just watched today, profanity was spat out at just about every other word.  But I thought this profanity had a purpose other than to make it more mature and cooler, its purpose was to make the viewer uncomfortable and it really helped bring home the sense of lowliness and messiness of the homeless people living on the street which in turn made the premise of poor people helping poor people even more special.  This isn’t the only movie with a good use of profanity either, movies like Grand Torino use it to help the audience better understand and relate with the environment that is being presented.  

I guess what I’m trying to say is there is a time and place for the use of profanity.  But I feel like nowadays it is just a given that a movie has it, and most the time for no apparent reason.  And I definitely feel like for Christians making a film, curses and such should be used as a last resort to get a point or mood across.

Really Makes You Think on Yourself

The biggest thing that hit me today as we were discussing, same with a lot of people on the blog is the quote that Prof. Leeper shared today from Tony Campolo. It also challenged me to a great height.

‎"I have three things I'd like to say today. First, while you were sleeping last night, 30,000 kids died of starvation or diseases related to malnutrition. Second, most of you don't give a *hit. Lastly, you're more upset with the fact that I said *hit than the fact that 30,000 kids died last night." 

This quote struck me hard with the way that society really thinks, especially in America. It also challenged me to put a different perspective on life. In the states we don't totally realize what is happening in other countries as much as we definitely should. It is so devastating that we really don't do much about it to help out. We take things here wayyyy to much for granite. Also the fact that we are a polite society where we take the cus word in way more harm then the fact that 30,000 kids dying every night from starvation. 30,000 kids? Like it's heartbreaking to even think about it. What is wrong with society? I looked up some facts on google and it says America is only about 11% in poverty. Places in Africa are at almost 60% poverty. In America we thing 11% is really really bad and then when you look at a country like Africa, we don't even realize that it is that terrible. I really feel like we need need to step up and make a change in foreign countries who have almost nothing.This picture that I found just implants a sadness to me.

With the films we watched today, I would definitely point out that they we're very depressing. Just the fact that there are so many people who stand behind a window and watch. They let things happen that they could prevent but are to infatuated with their own life. Same with the quote from above. "The Fridge" made a great point in that where the lady at the window just stares, and the man at the door just tries to protect himself for his own self being, not to understand what is happening. The firefighters at the end of the film also made me think that sometime we are those people. The ones who want to help out but procrastinate to help. Taking too long to realize the situation and act on it. 

We are called to be a servant of God. Sharing the love of Christ and just to bring joy and love to everything we do. This is something to work on, instead we sometimes go into a self box I guess you could say. This somewhat sums up what could be a "theme" of these films. Instead we really should be more Christ-like and live and breath the love that he had. The two verses below reflect on this. 

And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God [for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance. Ephesians 5: 2

For God is not unrighteous to forget or overlook your labor and the love which you have shown for His name's sake in ministering to the needs of the saints (His own consecrated people), as you still do.
Hebrews 6: 10

Silence

Let me quickly introduce myself. I am Johan Lee, and I am a Korean, but I have lived most of my life in Moscow, Russia. My parents are missionaries. I am currently studying Animation, and I am a junior. I am taking this class now, because I am a transfer student. I am actually glad to take this class now, because I appreciate art more than before.

The reason that I am studying animation is because of my love for humanity. I feel like art is the pinnacle of humanity. I believe that art is a higher expression of history and literature. Yes, for me, animation is another form of art, rather than mere entertainment.

Well, I enjoyed today's discussion and films that we've watched, because all those films showed how oblivious we can be. I think that starts from unwillingness to let opinions go. Even in my walk with Christ, I am fearful to define anything, because the moment I start to do that, there is no space for something new about him.

A highly acclaimed Korean-American artist Paik Nam June(look him up, he's pretty genius), who is famous for "video art" once said, "something new is more interesting than the truth". I don't fully agree with this, but I think there is something to think about.

Paik Nam June's famous work

Recently, I've read a Japanese novel "Silence" by Endo Shusaku. This novel is about a Catholic missionary in Japan in 17th century. 17th century was a period of time when Japan accepted Christianity, but also it was a time when they started to fiercely persecute Christians. 

The fact that a Japanese wrote something that has to do Christian morals and dilemma itself is interesting enough, because only 1-2% of Japanese population is Christian.

This book is very relevant to our discussion, because the biggest dilemma that the missionary goes through is "Why is God silent in the midst of persecution? Why is He allowing this kind of suffering?"

The climax of the story begins when Japanese soldiers would  stop torturing Japanese Christians only if the missionary gives up his faith.

I won't ruin the book for you, but he later realizes that God did not eliminate suffering, but he chose to suffer with us. However, the steps that led him to that conclusion is hard to digest. It can be very controversial. I really recommend this book to each one of you. Look this up, you will be drawn as I was.

One thing that I started to understand recently is that everything I believe and cling onto will be crushed or challenged regularly as I read, watch, encounter... Especially, when it comes to dealing with people from different culture or circumstances, I have to give up what I know and learn how to approach them FROM them. It excites me, because that is how people mature and learn how to communicate with the others better. I guess it is a form of humility.

If you jot down main characters from Dostoevsky's work. These are some people that you will find: tax collectors, prostitutes, idiots, criminals, adulterous woman...etc. Do these people ring any bell to you? Yes, these were people that Jesus had fellowship with. Dostoevsky also lived among them as he wrote his novels. Dostoevsky understood this people. Maybe Dostoevsky was the most Christlike person ever in history. 

I also wish to understand them, not as someone who knows the truth or better, but as a fellow human. If art is just an expression of who I am and what I like, it is no different from masturbation. Maybe art is to share the pain of humanity, and turn it into something gold.

I would like to end with Michelangelo's quote, "I am still learning."

Emotions

 

I've been challenged to draw a comic for every blog post. So here's my first one. When Professor Leeper gave us permission in class to "take it out on him" on the blog, I had to take the opportunity to (by the way, that is Professor Leeper in the comic, as well as myself. I can understand if you can't tell...^_^; I'm not that great at drawing from real life).

So, despite what the comic suggests, I'm not actually going to rail on Leeper or on the movies we saw today. Yes, they were emotionally disturbing and made lunch a difficult ordeal, but isn't that what art should be about? If it produces an emotional response, whether it be joy or depression, isn't it doing its job? It reminds me of a quote from the Mamet reading last week: "Stanislavsky says there are two kinds of plays. There are plays that you leave, and you say to yourself, "By God, I just, I never, gosh, I want to, now I understand! What a masterpiece! Let's get a cup of coffee;' and by the time you get home, you can't remember the name of the play, you can't remember what the play was about. And there are plays-and books and songs and poems and dances that are perhaps upsetting or intricate or unusual, that you leave unsure, but which you think about perhaps the next day, and perhaps for a week, and perhaps for the rest of your life. Because they aren't clean, they aren't neat, but there's something in them that comes from the heart, and, so, goes to the heart."

I'd say that today we had a lot coming to our hearts. Or at least I did. And while it does make me sad and empty feeling, at the same time it is a strange reminder that I am human. I am responding normally. I have a heart and it beats and yearns and breaks at these films. That's what makes them beautiful, the masterful way they were able to make me respond. If that makes any sense.

Thirty Thousand, and Shit

‎"I have three things I'd like to say today. First, while you were sleeping last night, 30,000 kids died of starvation or diseases related to malnutrition. Second, most of you don't give a shit. Lastly, you're more upset with the fact that I said shit than the fact that 30,000 kids died last night." - Tony Campolo

I've thought about this quote more than any other I've ever been told. It's so true and profound; I feel no need to talk about this. It's something that we should all think about, and then assess our perfect Christian-American culture we've created. 

Here's some notes I took down that I thought were important:

• What's the point of story if you know right where you are. 

• Say what you feel, not what you ought. (I love this.)

• Join the human race. You're doing a disservice to your calling if you distance yourself. (I'm looking at you, Christian artists.)

• Christians have so many answers we're always wanting to tell them to everyone. (I think this can be annoying. If you have an atheist friend, or just an agnostic, what do they care about if the Bible says so? It's just an old book to them.)

• We think it's out job to be "clean."

• Jesus told stories to learn from, not to be analyzed. (I think this is more important than most people realize. We take Jesus' great parables and learn from them, but in any other story we hear, we just have to pick it apart and take a deeper meaning from it. A meaning that we've often made ourselves.) 

• Film can show unspeakable truths. The things we cannot say.

And maybe my favorite thing I've ever heard about analysis. And I hate deep analysis:

• "Analyzing things is the way we protect ourselves."

As for this week's readings, I like Buechner, but it is something that I'll want to read more than once. I'm also glad Lewis said that he has created stories from images, because that's exactly what I have done. Every film I've made has started with one image, and then I've based a story around it. I'm glad I'm not alone.

I love the power that a film/image can do. The films we watch were all powerful in different ways. I think the first two did a good job at making us think about something we can grasp on to.

The third film was experimental and a non-narrritave. Not a great combination if you're looking for straight forward storytelling. Honestly, the beginning scene threw me off. Threw us all off. I get that's what it was supposed to do. But, I think that it was too out of place to really fit into the rest of the film. Unless it was just to get us into a horrific mood, then it did its job. Their whole world was exaggerated, but I couldn't figure out how that scene fit in with everything else. Definitely a film to watch again and discuss more. Is there a point? Is there a clear message? We ran out of time, but I wanted to know more about the "guilt" aspect of the short film. 

After it ended, we had a very quiet room. I love that. That's the power of film. 

Silent Day of terror and tears

Today we probably could not eat alot. Could not see things in our normal eyes. Probably had a hard time today. I know I did, seeing and hearing something that Leeper said really got to me. For instance, the quote from Tony Cuppala-" I have three things to say. One 30,000 kids die from hunger, two most don't give a shit, three you probably cared for me more for saying shit". Sorry its a quote, even I hate to swear. But hey this is really what Leeper was getting at.

We cant just be perfect for jesus. Sin is in our lives and will always be. War will always be happening in the middle east politically and biblically stated. we cant be perfect. Probably all of us have had high school friends who showed us things we did not want to see. Heard things and learned things we dont want to hear about.

I am really now understanding and really thinking as he stated of how we are in film major or animation and we want to stay nice, but we are artsy. We on campus we probably all thought lets go see how good christian people should act. Saying words from society is easier to say from what God wants us to say. Because we all heard them said on "Jersy Shore", "MTV", or watching those bad "R" films. But sometimes we should just shut up and say nothing.

Another thing I got out of today was when we were talking about something like what would you do and say if you were there to late. Like from that sad song about a girl OD'ing and dyeing in an ally. The father was there to late. What would you do if your family or friend was dyeing or dead and you could have helped but you were late. Then when you go to the procession, wake, funereal, is that the time to proclaim you thoughts about living godly and being good and saying christ is the way.  NO you should just be there to support and be there. I cant relate to this cause I have never been to a wake or a funeral death in the family so I really cant say much. But I understand where Leeper is coming from.

2 Corinthians 4:7-12

New International Version (NIV)

⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰ We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. ¹² So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

This verse helped me alot when I felt depressed and sad mid summer after my last mission trip because i told my pastor some feelings I have been holding in for my deer life. I now read this and think where I am truly going no matter what happens.

I am sorry to say this but we all wont have that perfect family, perfect friends, perfect personality. We are all different.

But please dont worry things are better in my life I think, I hope just please pray for me because i am really unsure cause I am away in college not knowing whats happening back at home to say the least. 

:(((((   :(((((((

Romans 10:9

New International Version (NIV)

⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Speaking What You Feel

I really enjoyed the reading on C.S. Lewis tonight, he wrote "I don't believe anyone knows exactly how he 'makes things up'. Making up is a very serious thing. When you "have an idea" could you tell anyone exactly how you thought of it?". I think C.S. Lewis is absolutely correct, sometimes you just get a creative spark and run with it. Don't spend time dwelling on why the idea might have came to you, just accept it for what it is, a mystery. I am finding myself very much enjoying the excerpts from C.S. Lewis, and agreeing with him in his thinking, often.

Today, when we watched "The Fridge" in class, I believe that the film touched everyone of us, and pulled at our heartstrings. You could sense the somber mood, in the classroom, after the film. I think that it is so crazy that films can do that to you, they can make you feel exactly what the characters are feeling. I hope to learn how to do this one day as well.

A quote that really stuck out in my mind today was, "speak what you feel, not what you ought". I find myself sometimes saying things that I know the other person wants to hear, rather than what I am really feeling inside. I learned, that it is better to let people know up front exactly what you are feeling, maybe it will challenge the other persons thinking as well, instead of telling them what they expect you to say to them.