Pierre Niney and Paula Beer in Frantz

REVIEW: Frantz subtly reminds of the consequences of war, both redeeming and brutal

Frantz (2016, Germany and France) is a pensive reflection on warfare, loss, revenge, despair, truth, love and forgiveness.  Set at the conclusion of World War I, it opens with a young woman named Anna (Paula Beer) placing flowers at a grave in Quedlinburg, a small German town. She is startled when she sees fresh flowers already there and the next day observes a mysterious stranger crying at the grave.  She’s mourning the loss of her fiancé, Frantz (Anton von Lucke), and soon learns that this French stranger was Frantz’s friend when Frantz was studying in Paris before the war. 

This friend - Adrien (Pierre Niney) - is first rebuffed by Frantz’s family, with whom Anna lives, and despised by the local Germans.  Anna convinces Frantz’s parents to open their hearts to him despite him being French.  Gradually, Adrien becomes beloved by Anna and Frantz's parents, Hans (Ernst Stotzner) and Magda (Marie Gruber), as he recounts his days with Frantz in Paris on various excursions.   In a later scene in a bar, Hans criticizes his German friends who scorn Adrien.  Hans blames himself and all the fathers - French and German - for their sons’ deaths.  They sent them to battle to do their duty, to serve their fatherlands.

When Adrien first speaks of his days in Paris with Frantz, the high contrast black-and-white film shifts into muted colors, then later back to black-and-white as the setting returns to the Hoffmeisters’ home. These shifts happen various times in the film.

Director Francois Ozon and assistant

Director Ozon comments on his blending color into a predominantly black-and-white film: 

“Working in black and white for the first time was an exciting challenge, but it was also heartbreaking, as my natural tendency is to emphasize color and technicolor. It was thus difficult for me to give up color in certain locations and scenes. Especially the scene in nature, where they walk to the lake, which is a reference to German Romantic painter Caspar David Friedrich. So I decided to use color as a dramatic element in flashbacks and certain scenes of lying or happiness, to suggest life bleeding back into this gray period of mourning. As blood runs through veins, color irrigates the black and white of the film.”

As Anna and Adrien become closer, the darkness she sensed initially when he spoke of Manet’s painting of a pale boy with his head thrown back becomes more apparent.  Later, Adrien swims in a nearby lake as Anna watches wistfully. She notices he has a war wound and when asking him about it, he responds, “My only wound is Frantz.”  The foreshadowing leads to the real reason for his gloom, and ultimately he and Anna part as he returns to France and Anna realizes her burden.

The Hoffmeisters are sorry to see him go since his musicality and his demeanor - shy yet stormy - remind them of their son.  Anna holds onto a secret, not wanting to break the hearts of this family.  After she confesses to her priest, he remarks, “What would the truth bring?  Only more pain.  Only more tears.” 

I am reminded of Erich Remarque’s brutal novel, “All Quiet On The Western Front,” as I put my thoughts together about Frantz. The message is the same.  War has savage consequences and in the end it is simply one human being fighting against another human being, with all the complexity, heart, faith, fear and sorrow of his or her opponent.  The consequences ripple outwards and can damage permanently.  Or lead to wisdom.  There is an element of choice in the consequence, as Anna realizes.

Directed by Francois Ozon - who is also known for earlier works such as In The House (2012), Swimming Pool (2003) and 8 Women (2002) -  adapted Frantz from the 1923 film, Broken Lullaby, by Ernst Lubirtsch. 

Nominated for close to two dozen awards, Frantz has won the Spotlight Selection at this year’s Sundance Festival, the Director’s Choice Award for Best Foreign Feature Film at the Sedona International Film Festival, the Best Young Actress Award for Paula Beer at the Venice Film Festival and Best Cinematography at the 42nd Cesar Awards.

The cinematography of Pascal Marti is extraordinary, with sharp shadows, clean lines, bright whites, and scenes evocative of paintings of villages, bars, battlefields and the countryside.   Here is a link to the trailer:  https://youtu.be/oop8_CgSgmo   The film is in German and French with English subtitles.

In New Mexico, this film opens TODAY - Friday, April 14 - at Center for Contemporary Arts (CCA), 1050 Old Pecos Trail Road in Santa Fe (phone: 505.982.1338).  In Albuquerque, it is screening at  Regal UA High Ridge 8, 12921 Indian School Rd NE  (phone: (844) 462-7342).

Sources: IMDB, the Film website:  http://www.musicboxfilms.com/frantz-movies-152.php
Photos are copyrighted.  Jean-Claude Moireau - Foz/Courtesy of Music Box.

MacLaine’s “Last Word” as a curmudgeon offers some unexpected moments

     

Harriet (Shirley MacLaine)  is not a happy soul.  She lives alone in a house that exudes wealth and boredom. She is snobby to her staff, always knowing better than them and everyone else for that matter.  A half-hearted suicide attempt lands her in the hospital briefly where she dismisses the doctor’s advice and heads back to her solitude.  

As Harriet skims the paper that next night, she notices an homage to a “beloved teacher” who has died “surrounded by her loved ones,” written by obit writer Anne (Amanda Seyfried).  Harriet decides she needs a legacy before she passes, her “Last Word,” if you will, the title of the film directed by Mark Pellington.

She heads to the newspaper offices and confronts Ann, dismissing her recent obits as flat out lies.  Recently deceased Louis Shenken was “a bitch”  and Eugene Baker sang all the time because he was “a drunk,”  but Ann’s obits make them look magnificent.  

Harriet browbeats Ann into working for her so she’ll get her own brilliant write-up.  She wants the four elements of a good obit: a great headline, loved by family, admired by co-workers, and having touched someone’s life unexpectedly (preferably a “minority” or “a cripple” - her words).

Predictably, none of these elements exist as Ann does her research, but Harriet won’t go away quietly, and when Harriet goes to a center for at-risk kids and picks out precocious and somewhat vulgar Brenda (AnnJewell Lee Dixon) as her do-gooder project, Brenda quips that she must be doing community service for drunk driving like other white folks who show up there.

What is unexpected is Harriet’s love of vinyl and her ability to talk herself into a DJ job. That foray gives this film distinction and broadens the stereotypes.  

Of course, the ice thaws between Brenda, Ann and Harriet and this motley crew goes on a road trip, complete with a not-so-nice luncheon with Harriet’s estranged daughter (Anne Heche) and a hike in the night woods complete with a jump in a lake (sort of). In the end this buddy film leaves the viewer with a warm and fuzzy glow.

Says director Pellington about Harriet:  “She’s showing Anne and Brenda—and herself—what kind of life that she wants to lead,” notes Pellington. “She is encouraging them to figure that out for themselves. Open yourself up. Don’t be afraid to fail. … She takes what could be sentimental, greeting-card life lessons and makes them completely human and grounded.” 

What stands out to me about veteran actor MacLaine is how nuanced her acting is: just a slight lift of an eyebrow, turn of the corner of her mouth, a shift in her posture speaks volumes.  While I love her earlier films much more (especially “The Apartment” (1960) and “Terms of Endearment” (1980)) - I’m always happy to see her still shining brightly.  More films are in the works according to IMDb.  Here’s a link to the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXMP4ptVdKI

Sources: 

http://www.bleeckerstreetmedia.com/editorial/women-united   

IMDb  

the film

The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution reads:

“Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States.”

America has 5% of the world’s population but 25% of its prisoners.

Since the 1980s, seven times as many people are now behind bars.

For African American males without a high school diploma, around 80% will end up in jail or prison. Why aren’t the alternatives chosen more often: drug court, mental health treatment, house arrest, community service, restorative justice, close supervision by parole and probation, halfway houses, fines, restitution?

These facts alone should provoke thought. Filmmaker Ava DuVernay (“Selma”) explores these disturbing truths in her eye-opener documentary, “13TH” (2016, 100 minutes).

Nominated for Best Documentary Feature for an Oscar, it is a film that compels the viewer to dig deep and realize why there is a connection between mass incarceration and poverty, and in particular why the impact is so forceful on people of color.

Many of you know that I rode my bicycle from Albuquerque to Baltimore to raise awareness of the value of re-entry programs and how they reduce crime, benefit families and result in of course fewer crime victims. They also save the taxpayers so much money since programs cost around $20,000 a year on average and incarceration is more in the $80,000 range (and much higher for federal prisons and facilities for juveniles).

I’m still working on this issue, and one way is to encourage you to see this film. It’s on Netflix and from time to time is screened in local theaters around the country, often in the film festival context. Perhaps after the Oscars, it will find a larger audience.

“13TH” explores the link between slavery, the Thirteenth Amendment and today’s massive system of incarceration. DuVernay has succinctly pieced together historical events, archival news footage and imagery along with expert opinions establishing an unexpected link: the link between an amendment intended to guarantee freedom and the utter lack of free movement of those incarcerated.

I winced as I watched the deconstruction of D.W. Griffith’s 1915 film, “The Birth of a Nation.” Filled with disturbing and terrifying images of black men, the film predicted the rise of racism, injustice, the torture and death of people like Emmett Til and Medgar Evers and the lack of balance in the criminal justice system when race and poverty are factored in.

Post-civil war freedom came with a price: more incarceration for petty matters requiring involuntary servitude identical to slave conditions, restrictions on voting, the rise of the KKK just as the black middle class was gaining strength and the demonizing of African American males. The murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till, the early civil rights movement leading to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the later so-called wars on crime and drugs, including Clinton’s promotion of Three Strikes laws and mandatory sentencing, are all connected in this film to the end result: mass incarceration.

Think about this: why were penalties for possessing and dealing crack so much more severe than the same for cocaine until the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010?

When states and the federal government turn over to for-profit companies the detention and monitoring of inmates and former offenders, are there any “for profit” incentives for those businesses to ensure successful re-entries and reduce recidivism? This documentary explains what ALEC is and shows its influence on lawmakers that results in increased incarceration and corporate earnings rising at the same time.

Contemporary opinions are sought from many, including U.S. Representative Charles Rangel, New Gingrich, professor Henry Louis Gates, Americans for Tax Reform founder Grover Norquist, professor and political activist Angela Davis, civil rights advocate Michelle Alexander and writer (“The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness”) and others.

It is beyond chilling just hearing the words of George Zimmerman when he calls the police about teenager Trayvon Martin, heading home after buying candy: “He’s got his hand in his waistband….and he’s a black male.”

Ponder all of the meaning and the consequences of this mindset.  Wonder why we still are not having open, honest discussions about race.

Here’s a link to the trailer. https://youtu.be/V66F3WU2CKk

Sources: Next America: Criminal Justice Project, IMDb, “13TH”

New Mexican filmmakers remind us of Gandhi's message - and courage

New Mexican filmmakers Kell Kearns, Director and Co-Producer, and Cynthia Lukas, Co- Producer, have created a moving tribute to Mahatma Gandhi that documents his final years before his assassination on January 30, 1948. It screened at The Guild in Albuquerque in November 2016, and in 2017, this film will be broadcast by American Public Television on PBS . 

The film weaves together archival film, photos and commentary from several experts along with one of Gandhi’s grandson to tell the story of his final years. It is an excellent introduction to Gandhi’s sacrifice for those who know little about his life. By focusing on his final years, the film producers ask and answer the question: were Gandhi’s final years his finest? 

When Gandhi was released from prison by the British in 1944, it was done because British authorities did not want him to die a martyr while locked up. They believed Gandhi, weak and in his late 70s, was near death. They had no concerns that he would continue his nonviolent movement to remove British rule from India. 

Gandhi healed himself and then shifted his focus to the violence that was killing thousands upon thousands of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs. For his remaining years, he practiced self-sacrifice by occasional fasting, he continually met with opposing forces, and and tried to bring people together in peaceful co-existence. 

One of his most brave and dangerous pilgrimages is called “The Miracle of Noakhali.” After the slaughter of countless Muslims and Hindus, Gandhi and others walked barefoot 165 miles from one village to another with a message of peace. He interacted with people from both sides, believing conflicts would resolve when he asked Hindus and Muslims to live together peacefully. 

In the end, Gandhi is assassinated by a fellow Hindu. Gandhi’s death so shocked his fellow Indians that genocide by both sides stopped. It is believed that the feeling of loss by all and his self-sacrifice is the reason why Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs co-existed from that point forward in India. Gandhi’s goal, “an end to the pain of the suffering ones,” was achieved to an extent. His message of nonviolent resistance has resonated throughout the decades following his death. 

“Gandhi’s Gift” is Director-Producer Kell Kearns’ 15th independent film. Previously, he directed two acclaimed PBS Biographies: one of Martin Luther King, Jr. - “In Remembrance of Martin,” (1987), the second about the great Sufi poet - "Rumi Returning" (2007).

"Gandhi’s final years are especially inspiring because he showed our world a way out of the descending spiral of violence and hatred,” Kearns said. 

He and Co-Producer Cynthia Lukas are fortunate to have interviewed witnesses who actually grew up in the Mahatma’s presence. “One fascinating aspect of making this film has been meeting those who are living and teaching Gandhian principles of nonviolence, equality, interfaith harmony and sustainability,” Lukas said.  The link below gives more information on the film.

www.gandhisgift.org. 

TIME SLIPS AWAY

Over a year ago I began planning a cycling event where I would ride my bike from Albuquerque to Baltimore to raise funds for and awareness of programs to help those released from prisons live successful lives.

In 2016, I spent the first few months training, then tending to a loved one's illness and then finally heading out on April 2nd.  I arrived in Baltimore on June 1st and if anyone wishes to read details about the journey, here's a link to that blog, one that I write separately in order to specifically focus on social justice issues.

http://lindsaywaitewordpresscom.wordpress.com

I actually put just about 1400 miles on the bike on the trip, raised a bit over $4000 that was divided among 4 nonprofits that have good reentry programs, and proved to myself I could do it (despite at times bad roads, bad weather, the occasional chasing dog, an injury, and more bridges than I ever expected-we need major work on infrastructure in this country).  

Getting back into my daily routine was tough since I left so many of my personal projects on hold while I traveled.  

Photography takes a lot of time in and of itself, so I had to "catch up," if you will, with my work at the Albuquerque Photographers' Gallery,  adding some new imagery to freshen up my display.

My work with two prison ministries was also awaiting me upon return.  In one, we spent the fall reading and discussing Bryan Stephenson's "Just Mercy," his perspective on death row inmates, the difficulty of getting the innocent released (one out of nine), and the horrors of the lives of those facing this sentence.  We also got to hear a speaker tell his story at UNM - he had been wrongfully convicted of a murder and was on death row, much of it in solitary, for decades.

The other ministry with which I am involved spent two days recently in Las Cruces at a men's facility where we unite family members and especially the children with the inmates in a day of joy, thanks, music, craft-making and sharing.

There were high hopes that mass incarceration and the collateral damage to our society would finally be addressed since it was a topic of discussion among several politicians.  Bernie seemed to address it most honestly but a number of others pledged to deal with this issue.   Until we effectively handle the racial and class disparities regarding incarceration - and offer positive programming and social supports both in and out of prisons - we are failing as a society.  I'm not sure how this will end now that election results are in. I do not have high hopes.

I have been working on a number of writing projects, keeping in touch with family who have had to face health difficulties, and working with someone for whom I am a mentor of sorts to help him get his life on a good track, which it is.   

I'll try to keep this blog more active now that the gargantuan amount of work needed for last year's event has concluded.

I'll end with quotes by renowned writers:  

Dostoevsky: “The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons.” 

Nelson Mandela:  "“It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.” 

As I get closer to my 3400 mile cycling (with perhaps a short train ride) fundraising trip from Albuquerque to Baltimore via Florida, I'm starting to get nervous.  Riding through dozens of uninhabited miles - at times on roads with simply shoulders - is scary. What am I thinking?

The goal of starting my own nonprofit to focus on re-entry of people from prison to society was an initial goal.  I had practiced law for 27 years (the last 5 as an assistant public defender). I continued  in the legal field for 7 more years (research, mediations).  Moving to Albuquerque, I was fortunate to find a job with a start-up nonprofit that focused on reading and graduation.  I met many wonderful people in Albuquerque working on the same issues.  I learned how hard it is to start your own nonprofit.  I also learned about people, nonprofits and community organizations throughout this country that already have fantastic programs to assist with re-entry.

Hope.  Promise.  Reduction of recidivism, homelessness and the crime rate.  More productive citizens.  Fewer crime victims.

Thus, New Beginnings Work is born.

Thanks to my sister Kathleen for helping with the design and planning.

Wings for Life, Crossroads for Women (both in Albuquerque), Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake and Volunteers of America Chesapeake (both in Baltimore) all offer excellent programs and services for those working to put prison life behind them.    These are the organizations for which I am raising money.

A car accident (where I collided with a person who ran a red light) put my training on hold and I still have lingering neck, shoulder and back issues but I'm moving toward healing.

I'm hopeful I can begin on March 5th!  More to come.  Peace out.

My screenplay "Homestead" builds momentum with Best Period Screenplay award at recent New Hope Film Festival.

"Homestead" is the story of two families. James witnesses his coal miner father dying after a severe beating by anti-union thugs. Bitter, the boy runs away and starts a new life. As a steelworker, he has his own battles with Pinkertons and scabs, who are under orders: destroy the union. A fiery battle leaves countless injured and dead but James learns there is more than revenge. Recently, this screenplay was selected as Best Period Screenplay at the New Hope Film Festival! And, thanks, ReelHeART for the live read and award last year!