Turtles Can Fly

The Film, "Turtles Can Fly," by Bahman Ghobadi, is set in a refugee camp on the border of Turkey and Iraq and involves mainly children as characters. The protagonist in the movie is an older boy named Soran, also known as Satellite, who goes around the village installing satellites and antennas for the people, so the villagers can know more about the war. Satellite's other roles in the village is to make deals with other people to sell the mines and to watch over the children in the village, who deactivate mines in the field in order survive and receive income. You notice that many of the children has lost their arms, legs, homes, and do not even have family members, such as Hengov, who is known to foretell the future and travels with her sister, Agrin, and her so called son, Riga, who is blind and must be tied down because he sleepwalks. Throughout the movie, Satellite becomes attracted to Agrin and gives her everything he can, such as trying to catch the "red fish" for her and giving her and Riga gasmasks, but Agrin's harsh past, when Saddam's soldiers raped her, scarred her forever and she can bear to live. In the end, not able to withstand the horrid memories, she ends up drowning her son and jumping off a cliff in order to leave the pain.

A scene that I thought was significant is when Satellite and his children go into the city to the black market as Satellite bargains to buy guns to prepare for the war. These scenes are symbols of globalization because the village and the people, while in poverty, are obtaining the worldly objects and technology such as guns and weapons in order to defend themselves . Another scene that i thought was important was when Hengov, the armless boy, removes a landmine with his teeth. The director takes a close shot at this scene because he wants the audience to be anxious and nervous and see the risk Hengov is taking, showing us that the mine could explode anytime. Also, this scene shows the resilience of the children in the village. While many of the children lost their arms, hands, and legs, they still brave into the minefields to survive and earn money.

The Death of Mr. Lazarescu

In “The Death of Mr. Lazarescu” an old man develops what he believes to be complications due to his stomach ulcer surgery from 14 years ago. The paramedics arrive and take him hospital to hospital in search of a place that is willing to operate on him but cannot find one. The movie is Romanian and it shows many characteristics of Romanian film. In a world of globalization, this film seems to be almost strictly Romanian. Common characteristics of Romanian film that “The Death of Mr. Lazarescu” contains are long takes, low lighting, and few camera angles. From start to finish, the film is approximately two and a half hours and it feels that long watching it.

The film seems to drag on because of the long takes and heavy conversation which are something not common in Hollywood films. In some scenes, the low lighting prevents you from even being able to see the characters faces and read their reactions. I believe this takes away from the film. Because of the few camera angles and long takes, it seems like the movie was shot with only one camera, and editing was almost not necessary. Other than the credits, the film lacked any music or sound that was not part of the scene. Many of the elements of the film that have been named make the film very dull and make it drag on forever. The plot seems to lack depth and does not keep the viewer interested. The Romanian characteristics that are in the film make the film difficult to watch for American viewers that are used to action films.

-Robert Hicks

Joint Security Area

In Joint Security Area, the murder of two North Korean soldiers in the Korean Demilitarized Zone heightens tension between North Korea and South Korea and threatens war. Major Sophie, a young woman who is half Korean, half Swiss, heads the investigation, representing the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission. As she looks beyond the written depositions of the witnesses and realizes the inconsistencies in the stories, an unexpected past is revealed, making the murders even more tragic and the message of the story even more powerful.

The film embeds an interesting role of ethnicity, self-identity, and the racism that can occur even within the same culture. Major Sophie’s unique ethnicity addresses a modern diversification and modern racism. The apprehensiveness at which she is welcomed and the repetition of her being half Swiss and a newcomer to Korea, almost suggests a loss to her credibility as a supervisor on the investigation in the opening scenes.

The racism between North Koreans and South Koreans marks a more traditional racism, rooted deep in the tensions of the past. Over and over, the term “brother” is used, realizing that despite the long-standing tension between North Korea and South Korea, the countries were once united and that this discrimination has been around for much longer.

The parallel between modern and historical discrimination within the same culture is just one way director Chan-wook Park compares traditional Korea and modern Korea.

The character of Major Sophie and her authority in the film also parallels the social rise of women in both modern North Korea and South Korea. However, the traditional role of the woman is also not forgotten, seen in the glimpses of the frailty of Major Sophie.

In this sense, Joint Security Area is a breed of both traditional and modern Korean elements.

-Priya Kurani

Praise For Nine Queens

Fabian Bielinsky's 2000 film, Nine Queens, is a crime film that follows two Argentinean con men, Juan and Marcos, over the course of two days. Following a chance meeting, the two men begin to commit minor cons together, but by the end of the day they are involved a lucrative scandal involving selling a rare stamp set to rich Spanish businessmen. Along the way the two men intertwine themselves with a diverse set of characters each representing different aspects of Argentine society. From a rich widow and her much younger boy friend to numerous petty thieves, Bielinsky embodies the sense of falling barriers between Argentina’s diverse population.

The quality of film making is immaculate in that not only does the moving dialogue capture the thieves’ moods, but the cinematography captures the roller coaster of emotions as well. With hundreds of thousands of dollars at steak, the men are torn to their breaking point pushing their moral limits (at least in the case of Juan). Twists and turns throughout the plot leave the viewer on the edge of their seats until the very last minute. Not only is there action, but there is comedy, deception, scams, and drama as well. This film truly embodies what a crime thriller should be; not just a few hours of cinema keeping the audience glued to their seats, but it has a genius twist leaving the viewer to question what just happened.

Nine Queens has much more to offer than two hours of amusement, it also serves as a modern perspective of Argentinean society. The society is full of different walks of life that must live together. Whether their interaction takes place through petty crimes, business deals, or begging in the subway Bielinsky touches it all. The modern Argentina is apart of a global society that embraces both capitalism and the falling social barriers between classes. This film deserves praise for its value as not only a cunning tale of deception, but a reflection of the pros and cons of Argentinean society as well.

-Steven Lauter