Midnight Cowboy

Nov. 5, 1991

In 113 minutes, director John Schlesinger can make you feel uncomfortable. His film, Midnight Cowboy is a tale of attempted sexual exploits of a young Texan stud. It contains themes that are less risqué today than when the picture was released in 1969. Homosexuality, prostitution, gang rape, and sordid sex abound and last throughout the film. Back in 1969, these topics were not as openly discussed, or shown, as they are today, and the film seems less likely to cause a stir now than during its first release. But the reason you’ll feel uncomfortable is that this film breaks down in the telling. The plot is simple, but Schlesinger’s direction is unclear; it makes hardly any sense when seeing it for the first time. Schlesinger takes liberties with the film medium. Certain filmic aspects which he uses confuse an otherwise simple story. Flashbacks occur so often that they’ll leave you wondering about what you are seeing. Odd angles and shots make the film seem twice as strange. You don’t understand what you’re seeing. You don’t know what the point is being made by the director . You won’t care about what you’re watching. It’s too bad, because Midnight Cowboy makes a good point about friendships.

At the heart of the film is the character of Joe Buck who is played brilliantly by Jon Voight. He is a swaggering cowboy who believes that he’ll make lots of money in New York City sexually satisfying rich, middle-aged women by prostituting himself. Needless to say, he doesn’t make it big as a male prostitute. In fact, his first trick not only ends up not paying but also swindles Joe Buck into loaning her money for cab fare. Joe Buck is completely out of place in the big city which leaves him at a disadvantage. He is a man innocent of the ways of hustling, and cannot hustle a trick without a the help of someone with some street knowledge. He eventually meets a crippled small time hood, Ratso Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman), who thinks of using Joe as his meal ticket in exchange for help. Ratso wants to be his pimp, but their relationship starts off ugly as Ratso cons Joe Buck out of twenty dollars. Later, they become the best of friends, and it’s Joe Buck who supports them and cares for the sick Ratso.

Now that doesn’t sound too confusing, right? Wrong. The characters are more complicated than that. Schlesinger, in his attempt to show the underside of life in the big city, peoples the film with indecent characters. They run the gamut from a two bit, hustling thief, Ratso, to Warhol-like, drugged out artists. Not one of the characters are likable. Even Joe Buck, who at the end seems to be a decent person, leads the life of a male prostitute. This is not a job for such an ambitious person. Yet, his complex character is interesting for the fact that his life has been dominated by prostitution. Schlesinger points out through flashbacks that Joe Buck had a rotten childhood. His grandmother had plenty of male friends who had visited her plenty of times; she seemed to be a prostitute. He was also victimized at his peak sexual age by a gang. What little attention he got from his grandmother hinted toward sexual advances; he could’ve been molested as a child. Who knows, because the flashbacks to his childhood are indecipherable.

The most dizzying scene of the film is the party scene. It is of a Warhol-like gathering. Artists, stoners, and groupies gather in a loft to smoke dope and watch pretty, dancing lights. Joe Buck and Ratso go the party in order to get food and maybe make some money by picking up women. In this scene, Schlesinger reaches the epitome of distraction with plenty of flashy tricks. More flashbacks into Joe Buck’s past occur which are just as confusing. During the party scene, Schlesinger continues to make the plot confusing by his untimely switch into a psychedelic state. He has groovy music play as Joe Buck takes his first hit of a marijuana cigarette. Grotesque images flash on screen to highlight the weird atmosphere of the party. Strange camera angles and rough editing also impart a disorienting feel to the party. If you had hardly followed the film up until this scene, when you get to this point, you’ll probably furrow your brow and ponder what is it that Schlesinger wants to say.

Midnight Cowboy is obsessed with sex. Joe Buck thinks to make money from being a gigolo, but the cowboy routine suggests homosexuality. Throughout the movie, Joe Buck isn’t the only male prostitute prowling the streets in western garb; there are plenty of others who have the fringed shirt and cowboy hat. They all are gays, and in fact, Joe Buck has a few homosexual encounters to help pay the bills. In its time, the openly expressed homosexuality would have been considered very risqué for a major motion picture, but now in this politically correct world, men loving men is almost casual to hear about and see. The film doesn’t exploit gay love, but makes more of a statement on the relationship of two men, namely Joe Buck and Ratso. They don’t have homosexual tendencies, but what they do have is friendship. Their relationship is like the one between Lenny and George in Of Mice and Men. One is the brains; the other is the muscles. They have dreams of going to Florida and basking in the sun. They rely on each other to the point that if one falls so does the other.

Midnight Cowboy tries hard to establish itself as an important film. In some ways it does, and in others it falls short. The general story without the confusing details is a tragic tale of man’s search for an end to his loneliness. It’s a simple story that is similar to a great classic of literature, Of Mice and Men. It is a moving film, but John Schlesinger’s direction hinders the film from achieving its goal. Schlesinger mistakenly adds unnecessary elements to the film. He imposes his authority onto the story and creates confusion. Schlesinger cannot tell the story straight, but has to embellish it with a confusing style which ultimately leaves you puzzled. In Midnight Cowboy, the telling overshadows the tale.

G’uh? B’uh.

Bored at work. Who does like to work? I sure don't and on my current project, I'm about at the stage of not caring. If it was only better, or something I would've wanted to do, then maybe I would actually attempt something, but I'm just checking out things.I'm giving some links here that discuss animation. If you remember of my take on the last decade of film, the Pixar film, The Incredibles, was the one film to really stick with me through the decade. I had said that watching that had been a revelation of what animation as a medium can do. Also, I expressed my disappointment in the rest of American animation. It doesn't try to stretch the boundaries in terms of stories. Then I expressed fondness for the Japanese animation director, Miyazaki, and his Spirited Away. Is it international animation that is more daring?So, I'm thinking that I have plenty of time on my hands to research and understand the state of animated films. In particular I want to look at the difference US and international animated films.http://www.thehousenextdooronline.com/search/label/Pixar%20Week
http://www.salon.com/entertainment/movies/film_salon/2009/12/29/seitz_miyazaki/index.html

Link of the Day [7.02.08]

Back before I was a Master at Computer Science, I had to take a class for Computer and Human Interactions. This tried to impart in all the students the need to design for the user. There were GUI tips. Web design tips. Keyboard layout tips. Mousing tips. Joystick and computer input device tips. All was spelled out to help us students understand that the computer was a tool for humans.

One of the important people in the field of human compatibility was Bruce Tognazzini who wrote a lot about it. Here’s his take on iPhone from last year. I can’t believe it has been one whole year since iPhone introduction. In another few days…. 3G!

http://www.asktog.com/columns/072iPhoneFirstTouch.html

Salamat

Thank you to my friends and family for the well wishes that I received on Saturday. Grad school, while boring, was fun and challenging at times like so many other endeavors we choose to attempts. And getting the congratulations from you all made it all the better. I really appreciated the cake as well.

I wasn’t going to go to the ceremony, but once there on the floor, I thought to myself that I was glad I did. (And not just the girls) It was surprisingly awesome to be out there, then onto the dais for the ceremonial handshake.

Thanks!

Graduation

I think I finished up my masters degree this week. I turned in the final assignment and am now just waiting for the sheepskin to be sent my way. Barring any unforseen errors by myself or by the school, it should happen. I will be a Master of Science in Software Engineering!

The graduation ceremenony is on the 17th and I am pondering on whether to walk or not. I feel obliged since I did pay for the gown, but I really don’t want to be there on that day. I would like to, so that I know that I have accomplished something, but I’m too shy about it. I would walk for my parents to show them that their progeny also value education and for my grandparents who lead my parents to getting schooled. I wouldn’t walk because I would rather be riding my bike on that morning.

All in all, I am again undecided. Like a freshman.

Lookin Up

I wonder if things are going to get better once school is done.

I’m trying to cram something in tonight, because of class tomorrow. It’s half assed right now (that link will work later this evening. I’ve got dishes in the sink. I’ve got laundry to fold in the drier. I’ve got some to iron. When will this shit end?

Internal Server Error? WTF!?

This is really weird. When I test out my homework from home (Mac OS X 10.5.2: Safari AND
Firefox), it works. At work (WinXP: IE 6.0), I supposedly get some kind
of HTTP response 500: Internal Server Error. Give it a shot because I want to know if it's just me or if it's
IniTech's firewall rules.
http://db.cs.loyola.edu:4414/hw5/commandResponse.jsp?command=blowupWhat's supposed to happen:
You click on that link, which submits a query to the page
"commandResponse.jsp." The query is that string, "command=blowup."
Submitting this command should cause a "divide by zero" error and the
server should throw an exception. Yet, there's a page to catch this
exception which serves up an HTML page that "blowup" the server. If it
works. The failure that Internet Explorer sees (or IniTech's firewall)
relates to the "divide by zero" exception as it seems to have received
the HTTP 500 response. Currently, I don't know WTF.Submit your results in comments. Specifically mention what OS (Win or
Mac) and what browser (IE, Firefox, etc.) Thanks for the help.If you want to see the rest of Assignment 5, go here:
http://db.cs.loyola.edu:4414/hw5/

“Down here you’re on your own.”

December 20,1992

Even in the wide open plains of Texas, film noire can still exist. The filmmaking team of the brothers Joel and Ethan Coen postulate the notion that Texas can be the perfect setting for film noire. In Blood Simple, there is no need for the claustrophobic feel of a big city to enhance the bleak aspect towards life in film noire; it can easily be done in the great vastness of the plains of Texas. The Coen brothers are able to serve up a unique thriller with offbeat humor and still stay true to some aspects of film noire. They don’t just follow the genre’s conventions, but direct the film in a style all their own that they elevate film noire to an exciting level. In every way imaginable Blood Simple is typical of a film in the genre, but there are times in the film in which the Coen brothers break the mode of film noire which makes for a very original film. Their debut in Blood Simple will lead the Coen brothers to be a strong creative force in cinema.

Blood Simple opens, as most film noire movies do, with a character doing a voice over narration. Later, you’ll recognize the voice as being that of the private detective, Visser (M. Emmet Walsh). With the Texan drawl and a heaping dose of sarcasm in his voice, the brooding, pessimistic attitude of film noire comes through within the first few minutes of the film. Visser’s narration consists of one idea: nothing is fair in the world, especially in Texas. In fact one of Visser’s lines is, “One thing I know about is Texas, and down here you’re on your own.” The narration has a very pessimistic outlook and sets the tone for the rest of the film. Texas too can have the brooding, dark atmosphere that is the trademark feel of the big city in film noire. Even though the narration does not continue past its first use, the pessimistic attitude, which the narration was filled with, remains the major theme for the rest of the film. Incidentally, to show how deeply dark this film is, the character doing the narration will be dead by the end of the film.

Another film noire convention that the film utilizes is the character of the leading female role as being that of a “black widow.” They are femme fatales that cause the downfall of the men in the film. Abbey (Frances McDormand) destroys all the male characters who come to know her. First, it’s her husband, Marty (Dan Hedaya), who suffers. Marty must put up with the ungrateful wife that Abbey is. He also has to put up with her many extra-marital affairs. In defense of her though, Marty is not a loving husband; he drove her out of the marriage. The second man to fall because of Abbey is Ray (John Getz). Their affair together seems to be a promising one, but he can never fully trust her. His lack of trust leads Ray to suspect that he is close to being shown the door and ousted for another man. The mistrust Ray has is an obstacle for their love. In the end, Ray is murdered and cannot get the chance to express his love for her which is ultimately sad and an example of the pessimism in the film. The last man to die in the end is Visser. He literally dies at her hands. All the males seemed to have been chasing after Abbey, and in the end died because of her.

Abbey is a black widow in all meanings of the words. She looses her husband, and Ray who tried to court her is dead. But in film noire conventions, the woman has an active role in causing the downfall of the males. What the entire film is about is Abbey and her extra-marital affair with Ray. She starts the chain of events that led to the murder of her husband and lover and the killing of Visser. She doesn’t know it, but she is the driving force behind the violence and tension of the film.

As film noire suggests by its very name, things are dark both thematically and visually. The bleak outlook on life is reflected in the sparse usage of light. Many of the scenes in Blood Simple occur during the night. By having things happen at night, the director can control the lighting scheme. Joel Coen and his cinematographer, Barry Sonnenfeld, return to the classical noire style in many of these night scenes. The classical style is very expressive with the use of light. Everything seems to happen beneath low key lighting. The use of expressive lighting usually happens in the interiors of cars. In the first scene after the introductory narration, Ray and Abbey are in a car driving down a mysterious stretch of road; they are lit in a low key lighting scheme. Their faces are practically in the dark and are illuminated by the instrumentation on the dashboard. Partial showing of people’s faces in film noire makes for the character to be more mysterious.

Low key lighting also utilizes pools of light to separate the important aspects on the screen. The final scenes of Blood Simple also have the expressive lighting that is found in classical film noire. They take place at Abbey’s apartment which has huge, undraped windows suitable for expressive lighting. When it’s dark in her apartment, menacing shadows are cast throughout the room. The final scene in which Abbey is stalked by Visser contains many examples of low key lighting, pools of light, and menacing shadows. During the scene, she hides among the shadows, and most of the time the only part of her figure which can be seen is part of her face. It is the way light and shadows are used that gives film noire that dark, brooding atmosphere. Another fitting example of expressive lighting within the climactic scenes is when Visser fires blindly at Abbey through the thin walls of the apartment. His shots go through the wall, and they leave behind holes in the wall from which light streams through into the dark. Again, this scene reflects the pessimistic attitude, because it happens at night when the world is more menacing and dangerous.

The darkness within the frame also pervades the theme of the movie. Blood Simple is very bleak, and it does not have a happy outlook towards life. Besides opening with a cynical narration, there are many points in the film that exude the bleak attitude common to all film noire movies. One such example is the unhappy ending to Abbey’s affair. Most everybody is dead, and her lover, as well as husband are on the casualty list. Marty, Ray, and Visser, the male characters, die after they have become involved with Abbey. Love doesn’t conquer all but gets shot through the heart by a high powered rifle. Another cynical example is the foreshadowing of death. To imagine oneself riddled with bullets is very morbid and pessimistic. Ray gets a glimpse of his fate when he finds a picture of himself murdered. What can be more bleak than having the knowledge that your fate is that of being murdered in the prime of your life? Even what people say is tinged with a pessimistic view of life. Marty at one point comments on his messed up life. He says, “I’m staying right here in hell.” His life is a living hell without Abbey, and although he doesn’t know it, but it is also a hell with her. Abbey, as a destructive force in the lives of her men, is also very pessimistic. The black widow theme surrounding her character plays on the darker side of male-female relations. Finally, the most fatalistic image from the picture is the closing shot. It is from the point of view of the dying Visser as he looks up at the bottom of a bathroom sink and watches as a drop of water is on the verge of falling on his head. The director seems to be stating that life is like the underside of a dirty sink; it’s all mildew and scum. The bathroom sink metaphor sums up the entire feeling of a downbeat life and cynical world which hangs over the heads of the characters of the film.

One convention of film noire which Blood Simple does not seem to address is the suffocating atmosphere of the city. It doesn’t exist in the film, because there is no city; it’s just the vast expanse of Texas used as the backdrop to the suspence. But still, the Coens are able to get across that Texas can be as oppressive a place as a big city through their choices of interiors. The Coens don’t need a huge city to overwhelm the characters and make them appear insignificant, because they supply their own oppressive areas. Enclosures exist throughout the film from the confines of the interior of a car to the claustrophobic effect of being buried alive. Nothing symbolizes the confinement of the characters in their own private hell than Marty’s premature burial. The Coens also use effective lighting to enhance the dark feel of the film. Darkness and shadow pervades most of the film and it can symbolize how confining life is. The Coens without an urban setting can still convey enclosures by subtle means which are hard to get at a first glance.

Being in a genre which has been a cliché for some time could lead you to suspect that Blood Simple is a predictable film. But when the Coen brothers decide to do film noire, they do it in style. They are extremely original in their approach to filmmaking, as well as to storytelling. The many twists of the plot and the double-crosses will leave you engrossed in the film. As an example of film noire, Blood Simple does a fine job in following many of the conventions of the older, more classic noire films, and it forges a different route compared with those classic films. In some sense Blood Simple fits the noire genre by not being a perfect example of the film noire style, because the genre’s films are varied, and it’s hard to pick one which best exemplifies the genre. With Joel and Ethan Coen at the helm though, film noire won’t be as easy to attach a cliched epitaph to.

A teacher on strike

No class.

I think I failed both my finals.

As long as I have a cumulative average of a B for both classes, I’m not worried.

One more semester left.