So, after having some time to think about this film and reflect on it, I'd love to hear any additional thoughts anyone has, or if anyone wants to share anything they have found out about it, please feel free to post it here.
Some relevant topics for discussion might include the portrayal of racism, the cultural hybridity of the film, or the portrayal of homosexuality. of course discussion of production elements such as direction, performance, script, design, sound or image are also welcome.
The motion graphics (spinning titles/credits) were well-done and entertaining; they imitated the cycling movement of a laundry machine.
ReplyDeleteThe spinning credits set me up for something I thought would be more playful and less serious, instead, I got a reeling tale of class and race warfare, entrepreneurship, and gay sex.
ReplyDeleteSuch is British film making.
The subtle display of homosexuality was a welcome change to today’s forced views of behavior. They two gentlemen kept it low key and without making you feel out of place, you can understand their feelings for each other.
ReplyDeletePlayful indeed. There were many scenes that conveyed the mood: the sneaky "quick lick" scene, the flashing of the breasts, the random man who is always on the phone in the laundrette, and others. Certainly, the seriousness allowed the playful moments to stand out; however, after viewing the movie a second time (on youtube.com), I think it is quite balanced, in terms of mood. The flow and direction, however, seemed a bit dynamic, u-turning from funny to seriousness in a short amount of time. Maybe the playfulness of the title/credits was meant to underline an aspect of homosexuality, possibly adding a hint of "flamboyancy" to the introduction?
ReplyDeleteThe 80's was a time for sexual and racial revolution, especially in homosexuality. It took these two controversial topics and showed us that it is acceptable without going to over the top. This movie was a goof reflection of that time.
ReplyDeleteMatthew: what does "Such is British filmmaking" mean? Care to elaborate?
ReplyDeleteJohn N: Good point on the film''s tonal balance; but not sure what you mean about the credits being connected to flamboyance?
Flamboyancy in regards to the style and action of the motion graphics; the way it cycled in and out, transitioning (dissolving) from one title to the next during the spin cycle and also the sound effects (acceleration / deceleration) conjured an image of a working laundry machine. I thought it was playful and creative, something uncommon for movie titles/credits, at least from what I've seen. And considering the fact that homosexuality is a major aspect of the film, and with all of the generalizations used to analyze/recognize homosexuality, e.g. color of lavender, I just thought there was a correlation between the flashy / lively motion graphics and the generalization that homosexual males were more flamboyant than heterosexual males. The decision to incorporate those specific motions/sounds with the titles/credits, for whatever reasons, had to be deliberate; the manipulation of graphics not only evoked images (machine, bubbles, centripetal force) but also emotions; I just thought the motion graphics were compelling, lively, and gay.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the detailed explanation; that's a very interesting take on the design of the credit titles.
ReplyDeleteI found this film portrayed English views on race and homosexualilty to be quite close to what they are today. While a large part of the country has definitely accepted and embraced people of different backgrounds and sexuality, another part has not. Growing up right outside of London I regularly traveled into the city to watch football (soccer) matches. The team I support is from East London. East London, much like the rest of London has a very high number of Pakistanis living there. The chants that are sung at these matches today still incorporate the racist terms aimed at pakistanis that where used in the film. Unfortunately everyone, even the pakistani supporters sing these chants containing these racist terms, it has been accepted as part of the atmosphere. I compared this to when Johnny used racist slang infront of Omar. Omar never corrected Johnny, or his friends when they used the phrase. Omar accepted the use of the term.
ReplyDeleteFunny how a place where you go to get laundry clean needed a bunch of dirty work done to get itself going. Seemed like everyone was doing a service to someone (such as the idea that Johnny was helping to do someone's dirty laundry, or kicking out tenants). Or that Omar having taken interest in this business was itself feminine (since women tend to be the ones doing laundry for their husbands, etc). Also the joke about him being asked about hair styling while at Powders, as well as him trimming toenails, sort of reminded me of salon work.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting that traditions were included in the cultures clashing of the movie, such as Nasser's wife putting a curse on Rachel by medicine. Even in a modern time, this kind of thing still keeps the heritage alive. Of course, the movie sums up the issues that are still around currently, such as racism and the economic troubles. - Melody
ReplyDeleteWas I the only one who was waiting for something horrible to go wrong in this film from the beginning? I was on the edge of my seat waiting for Johnny's loitering friends to commit a hate crime against Omar, or else find it in them to beat Johnny when he first started working for Omar. When it finally came down to the fight at the end, I was suprised when they all came out alive. Maybe I need to expand my 80's movies because apparently my experiences don't involve happy endings. But despite my burning suspense for death, I was suprised that the relationship between these men was so relatable. I am from a different country and I have little experience with such a regimented social class system, but I always understood where the two were coming from. And I can't praise the ending anymore than "I loved it." It was an ending in real life, it keeps going but at some point you have to stop watching. Unlike real life we can't call Omar and Johnny to check up on things and see how the dryers are running.
ReplyDeletei miss the 80's
ReplyDeleteI am torn on how I feel about the credits. I see the validity concerning the analysis on why and how they were placed but I only yearn for something a bit more abstract. The cyclical motion and bubbles referring back to the title just didn't really seem to do it for me. The musical score, on the other hand, was really entertaining for me. It was a little cheesy, but I thought that it was really funny, especially at the times where it did not seem to connect with the tone of the scene as well as it could have. I found something endearing about that.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with Alex on the ending. I love how it is so open ended. Yes, it is a tad unsettling, but as a lot of real life endings are. In fact I think I was most please with how things went in the last 1/3 of the film.