118. Harder dan Ik Hebben Kan &...

Lyrics

Je buien maken vlekken

(Your temper tantrums)
Op mijn hagelwit humeur

(Blacken my great mood)
Ik heb m'n handen op je heupen

(My hands are on your hips)
Maar m'n hoofd is bij de deur

(But my head is at the door)

Ze zeggen dat het went

(They say you get used to it)
Ik heb het geprobeerd

(I've tried)
Maar hoe ik het ook wend of keer

(But no matter how I look at it)
M'n huis beschermt niet meer

(My house protects no more)

Het regent harder dan ik hebben kan

(It rains harder than I can handle)
Harder dan ik drinken kan

(Harder than I can drink)
Het regent harder dan de grond aankan

(It rains harder than the soil can handle)
Harder dan ik hebben kan

(Harder than I can handle)

Je buien zijn de wolken

(Your temper tantrums are the clouds)
Aan mijn hemelsblauw humeur

(Ruining my good mood)
Ik heb m'n handen op je heupen

(My hands are on your hips)
Maar m'n hoofd is bij de deur
(But my head is at the door)

Je ogen blijven grijs

(Your eyes remain grey)
Ontkennen elke kleur

(Deny every color)
Het is alsof hier niemand woont
(It's like no one is living here)

Alsof er niets gebeurt

(Like nothing is happening)

Het regent harder dan ik hebben kan

(It rains harder than I can handle)
Harder dan ik drinken kan

(Harder than I can drink)
Het regent harder dan de grond aankan

(It rains harder than the soil can handle)
Harder dan ik hebben kan

(Harder than I can handle)

Je buien zijn te donker

(Your temper tantrums are too dark)
Voor mijn hemelsblauw humeur

(For my good mood)
Want mijn hoofd is in de wolken

(Because my head is in the clouds)
En m'n hand al bij de deur

(And my head is at the door)

Het regent harder dan ik hebben kan

(It rains harder than I can handle)
Harder dan ik drinken kan

(Harder than I can drink)
Het regent harder dan de grond aankan

(It rains harder than the soil can handle)
Harder dan ik hebben kan

(Harder than I can handle)

Het regent harder dan ik hebben kan

(It rains harder than I can handle)
Harder dan ik drinken kan

(Harder than I can drink)
Het regent harder dan de grond aankan

(It rains harder than the soil can handle)
Harder dan ik hebben kan

(Harder than I can handle)

These lyrics are quite uncomfortable to say the least. I chose to link this song to a movie about a husband who has to take care for his mentally ill wife. Luckily the movie has more empathy for the sufferer than this song. Having said that, one could argue that my interpretation of this song is more sexist than the song itself. The song is written and sung by a man, but its lyrics are gender-neutral. It would not have been entirely wrong to link the song to a movie about woman who is abused by her husband.

The Movie: A Woman Under the Influence (John Cassavetes, 1974)

It's easy to see why Nick Longhetti (Peter Falk) loves his wife Mabel (Gena Rowlands). You can imagine that many years ago, Mabel was the most popular girl on the block. She probably hung around in blue collar bars, where she was desired by all the men. They saw in her a free spirit who sang and danced in front of everyone. Construction worker Nick was the lucky one for for who she fell.  Now years later, it's clear that things weren't as rosy as they seemed back then. Mabel's behavior is the result of a mental illness, and nobody in this film is prepared for that.

I have written often that I am not really a fan of overtly realist modes of film making. I don't much care about documentary/fly on the wall aesthetics in narrative films. I often find them purposeless, as I don't think it's a film's job to present reality as it is. Moreover, I think film is an inherently subjective medium, and realist aesthetics are often used to present whatever is being shown as objective, as an unfiltered reality. I don't think that Cassavetes is doing that here, and the purpose of his aesthetic is very well clear. It allows him to focus fully on the actors, and in doing so allows them to portray their characters very vividly. They can now act in a theatrical way, and go over the top while their characters remain grounded in reality. This especially works very well for Gena Rowlands, who gives a fantastically unrestrained performance. She creates an often frightening character who even in her saner moments seems completely out of it. Even when she seems aware of the reality of the situation, it's not clear whether she grasps truly what is going on.    

That uncertainty is I think the greatest strength of A Woman Under the Influence.  There have been many films made about mentally ill, insane people. Very often these characters are rich, or members of the higher class. They are professors, or their sons, actors, businessmen, doctors, etc. And if they are not, the film makers are cultured, highly educated people. They know the problems their characters are facing, and try to make them understandable for the audience. I don't entirely like A Woman Under the Influence, but this is a film that is never more intelligent than its characters. Nick is completely out of his depth here; he has no idea how to deal with his wife's insanity. In fact, nobody around Mabel knows, least of all herself. And director John Cassavetes, at all times, remains on their level.

This is the first time I have seen this film, or any Cassavetes film for that matter. I had of course heard about it, and its themes. Now that I've seen it I think that any critic who tries to explain the reasons for Mabel's insanity is doing the film a huge disservice. There is a reason why Cassavetes doesn't even show a glimpse of Mabel's stay in the mental hospital.  A Woman Under the Influence declines to offer any explanation for what's bothering Mabel, and why. It is entirely in the dark about it. It mirrors its characters confusion and their utter despair in not knowing how to deal with this situation. In doing so, the film also shows why other films don't take this approach. This is a film that's 2,5 hours of yelling, quarreling and suffering without much progress of any kind (thematic, narrative, stylistic). Cassavetes is relentless. He never changes his tone, never allows any room for breath. It can sometimes be enormously frustrating to watch, as Cassavetes repeats the same beats and points a bit too often for my taste. I also wish he'd offer a window into what Mabel is fighting for. What kind of woman would she be if she were sane? What are her desires and values? How does she actually want to behave? I would have found the film more interesting if it gave at least some answers to these questions. I am aware though that declining to do so, may be the point, and that the film's actual representation of Mabel may be a more realistic depiction of madness.

117. De Vondeling van Ameland &...

Lyrics

Op het strand van Ameland

(On the beach of Ameland)
was hij als zuigling aangespoeld

(He washed up as an infant)
overboord gegooid

(Thrown overboard)
op een reddingsboei gebonden

(Bound on a buoy)
hij had zich op de golven

(On the waves he felt)
als in de baarmoeder gevoeld

(As in the womb)
en schreeuwde tot hij

(And he screamed)
door een jutter werd gevonden

(Until a beachcomber found him)

Ameland sprak schande van de jutter

(Ameland deemed the beachcomber a disgrace)
een zonderling die leefde van de wind

(A quaint living of the wind)
die al de raarste dingen had gevonden

(Who had already found the weirdest things)
hoe kwam die jutter nu weer aan dat kind

(How did that beachcomber come across that child)
als hij er daags op uitging om te jutten

(Every day when he went to comb the beach)
moest de vondeling altijd met hem mee

(The foundling had to join him)
en toen die na een jaar begon te praten

(And when he started speaking after a year)
was zijn eerste woordje: zee

(His first word was: sea)

Op het strand van Ameland

(On the beach of Ameland)
speelde de kleuter jarenlang

(The toddler played for years)
de jutter was zijn meester

(The beachcomber was his teacher)
die hem wijze lessen leerde

(He taught him wise lessons)
hij stond wijdbeens in het zand

(He stood on the sand, his legs wide open)
was voor de woeste zee niet bang

(Wasn't afraid of the furious sea)
en schreeuwde net zo lang

(And screamed until)
tot de vloed zich keerde

(The tide retreated)

Ameland sprak schande van de kleuter

(Ameland deemed the toddler a disgrace)
de vondeling die schreeuwde als de wind

(The foundling screaming like the wind)
hoe was het in vredesnaam toch mogelijk

(For God's sake, how was it possible)
dat de zee zich terugtrok voor een kind

(For the sea to retrat for a child)
wat hij riep zou niemand kunnen zeggen

(Nobody could say what he was yelling)
dat was uit de verte moeilijk te verstaan

(That was hard to understand from a distance)
en toen ze het de jutter vroegen zei die

(And when they asked the beachcomber, he said)
volgens mij roept hij: ik kom eraan.

(I believe he is yelling: "I am coming)

Ik kom eraan ik kom eraan

(I am coming, I am coming)
zee wind zon oceaan

(Sea, wind, sun, ocean)
ik kom eraan

(I am coming)

Op het strand van Ameland

(On the Ameland beach)
stond hij als knaap in de avondzon

(He stood as a boy in the evening sun)
hij zei geen woord

(He didn't say a word)
begon zich langzaam uit te kleden

(He started to slowly undress)
de vloed kwam hem tegemoet

(The tide was coming his way
hij zag alleen de horizon

(He only saw the horizon)
nog eenmaal draaide hij zich om

(Turned around once more)
liep toen de zee in

(And walked into the sea)

Ameland sprak schande van de jongen

(Ameland deemed the boy a disgrace)
die naakte zonderlinge vondeling

(That naked, quaint foundling)
men had zich boven op het duin verzameld

(People gathered up on the dune)
omdat men voelde dat er iets gebeuren ging

(Becuase they felt something was about to happen)
en toen begon hij plotseling te schreeuwen

(And then suddenly he started screaming)
zo hard dat het tot aan de duinen klonk

(So loud they could hear it at the dunes)
nog even zagen ze hem op het water lopen

(They saw him walk on water)
voor hij in de diepte zakte en verdronk

(Just before he drowned in the deep sea)

Ik kom eraan ik kom eraan

(I am coming, I am coming)
zee wind zon oceaan

(Sea, wind, son, ocean)
ik kom eraan

(I am coming)
Ik kom eraan

(I am coming)

It's obviously an indictment of the Dutch film industry that I had to link this song to an Irish film. It's not very surprising though. This is a laudable attempt of Boudewijn de Groot, (and cabaret performer Freek de Jonge, who wrote the lyrics) to create a Dutch folk tale. That is not a genre that has ever been very popular in Dutch culture. It's a bit of a shame. As this song shows the Netherlands' relationship with water provides plenty of opportunities to tell stories in this vein. I actually think this song is better than the movie I am about to discuss. 

The Movie: The Secret of Roan Inish (John Sayles, 1994)

This is one of the first films I saw in the cinema. It's definitely the first 'arthouse' film I've seen. I don't remember why, but in elementary school, we went on a class trip to see this film. I think I liked it a lot; I probably wouldn't have remembered it otherwise. I also probably wouldn't have remembered it if I saw it in high school. This is very much a film for young children. This does mean that I did not care that much about the film this time around, but this is a good thing. There are way too few good directors making films aimed at young kids. Pixar is sometimes criticized for not really making films for children. I think those critics do have a point. Having said that, I'd much rather re-watch Up than The Secret of Roan Inish (I'd also much rather re-watch The Looney Tunes or Tom & Jerry, than watch a Pixar film, but that's a topic for another post. For now, let's just say that films about robots and rats with feelings existed long before Pixar).

What I like most about the film is its relaxed, leisurely pace. It is no rush to get anywhere, and the first hour is mostly an excuse to tell Irish folk stories. These are literally the kinds of stories a grandfather tells to his granddaughter. They are part family history, part Irish history, but above all they are stories about the power of the sea, and the love for it. Fiona's (Jeni Courtney) grandparents used to live on the island of Roan Inish, close to the seals and the water. The war - the film is set in 1946 - and the financial problems forced them to move. Moreover, an accident caused Fiona's infant brother to disappear, making it emotionally hard for the elders to return to the island. They do long for it though, it's clear from the way they talk about it. I enjoyed some of these stories, but I have never cared much about mythical creatures. Unfortunately the key story here is about Selkies. A Selkie is half seal, half man, and the stories tell that the people of Roan Inish are their descendants. And it is said that those with dark hair still have Selkie blood in them. For that reason they are great seamen, able to navigate the waters with whatever means they have at their disposal, even an infant crib. Indeed, Fiona's infant brother was a 'darkie'. Could it be that he still lives, and is roaming around on Roan Inish?   

John Sayles tells this story with utter sincerity. He deserves a lot of credit for that, as well as for the fact that he doesn't care at all to make this story contemporary relevant. In fact, I'd say it's so old-fashioned that if the film had actually been made in 1946, it would have to be set around 1890-1900. In a couple of scenes characters speak archaic Gaelic, and you get the feeling that resisting the urge to tell the entire film like that took the film makers a lot of willpower. Of course that would made it less suitable for children, both those in the audience, and those acting. 

This is the only John Sayles film I have seen until now. I hope to see more of him, He seems like a director who would be right up my alley. In this film, it's quite interesting that he often films from a child's height. And the scene where we first learn of Roan Inish, is quite wonderfully conceived as well. Fiona's granddad points toward the horizon and tells her that the island is right of a light tower, and that only true descendants of the island can see it at the first try. Sayles than cuts to what Fiona and her granddad are watching. It's mostly water; far away on the horizon there are some fuzzy islands that are hard to discern, and I definitely could not see a light tower. Yet Fiona does see the light tower and the island. She is special, we in the audience are not.