This week in the film series, we bring you three artfully thrilling movies whose professionalism and formal mastery exist uneasily with a deep-rooted cynicism. And then we introduce you to the department of Film Studies!
28 WEEKS LATER
USA. Dir: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo. 2007.
FRIDAY, Sept. 28, 7:30 p.m. $4
IMITATION OF LIFE
USA. Dir: Douglas Sirk. 1959.
SATURDAY, Sept. 29, 7:30 p.m. Free!
CHINATOWN
USA. Dir: Roman Polanski. 1974.
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 3, 7:30 p.m. $4
FILM STUDIES OPEN HOUSE
THURSDAY, Oct. 4, 7:30 p.m. Free!
One thing I’ve learned about the apocalypse: from the deranged Brad Pitt character in “12 Monkeys” to the doctrinaire Fishes in “Children of Men,” radical hippies always seem to be part of the problem. David Boyle’s “28 Days Later” follows this paradigm pretty much to the letter: a group of overzealous animal rights activists release a highly contagious virus that fills its victims with murderous rage. This summer, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo’s sequel cashed in on the zombie craze with a premise laced with ‘tude, but chose a decidedly different political target: “28 Weeks Later ”(Friday) follows the U.S. government’s inept efforts to establish a “green zone” for survivors who hope to return to Britain. How to keep out the zombies, whose irrational anger drives them to kill innocent victims without regard for their own welfare? Ok, so maybe I exaggerated about the real world relevance. But if you want grime and gore, you won’t be disappointed (at least we know Fernadillo’s heart is in the right place: he once directed and starred in a short film about Alejandro Jodorowsky).
“Imitation of Life” (Saturday) offers a more polished rendition of human ugliness. The 1939 version of this movie was about a white woman who gets rich off of her black maid’s pancake recipe. Apart from Juanita Moore’s, um, syrupy portrayal of the subservient black woman Annie, Sirk’s 1959 remake is generally more progressive. The beginning of the film follows working girl Lora Meredith’s transformation into a famous actress, with Annie’s struggles confined to the periphery. But as the two women age, Sirk places more emphasis on the contrasting fates of their daughters: Lora’s archetypal teenager Susie (played by an appropriately cloying Sandra Dee) and Annie’s daughter Sarah Jane, who can pass for a white girl. While Susie must contend with an all-consuming Electra complex, Sarah Jane’s self hatred drives her to disown her mother and embrace a life of sin. Of course, because it’s a Detlef Sierk film, the bad girl is much more alluring and complex than either of the white leads, and the best scenes take place in strip clubs. Stick around for the alternate ending, in which John Gavin’s character’s evident Chicano heritage is discussed frankly and at length.
Next week, we bring you one final exercise in pessimism: “Chinatown” (Wednesday), Roman Polanski’s consummate film noir (and crucial quasi-prequel to “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”). The shameless corruption and flagrant dehumanization on display in this picture rival only the construction and operation of the Usdan University Center in its scope and intensity. I don’t have anything novel to say about this film—it’s just perfect, and you should see it as many times as you can (especially on a big screen). It will reaffirm your belief that movies can whisk us away to an absorbing fictional world and at the same time harshly reflect the realities of our own historical condition. Afterwards, come to the Film Studies Department Open House (Thursday), where you’ll learn how to devote your Wesleyan career to the study of CINEMA. We will be screening some exceptionally well-made and provocative senior thesis films from the past few years (plus, there will be cookies). Also, on Friday we’ll be showing “Transformers,” and I hear a certain bombastic bad boy (no, not Thaddeus) might be in attendance.
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