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Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 2646
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, August 27, 2006 - 07:29 am: | 
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http://www.slate.com/id/2148102/fr/nl/
television
Flood Story
Spike Lee's When the Levees Broke.
By Troy Patterson
You flip on When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Parts (HBO, Monday and Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET) with a head full of ideas about its director, Spike Lee, only to emerge with one more: that he is also a minor master of what we'll have to call filmic jazz. Since She's Gotta Have It, his 1986 feature debut, it's been tempting to read the most attractive and energetic elements of Lee's style—the quick cutting and fast-talking didacticism, the confrontational monologues and provocative collages—as straight debts to Jean-Luc Godard and the French New Wave. But his two-night documentary about Hurricane Katrina and the people and places it wrecked is a reminder that the director's greatest artistic debt might be owed to his father, Bill Lee, a jazz bassist and composer. The style is as American as gumbo or Gershwin.
The film's prologue is an impressionistic road map to the four hours that follow—that is, a road map to a town with half its roads washed out. It cuts together images of New Orleans from before and after the flood: streetcars, spray-painted alerts of corpses, stock-footage segregationists, Mardi Gras krewes, water rising so high that it threatens to submerge a green sign marking Humanity Street, survivors at the Superdome, tape of the lazy Mississippi. On the soundtrack, Louis Armstrong sings about the lazy Mississippi and wonders if you know what it means to miss New Orleans. What follows has an academic thoroughness, a tabloid sense of immediacy, and an aversion to the sentimental. It can get to feel arduous—unflinching explorations of genuine tragedy do tend to wear you down—but it's never gratuitous or dull.
Lee and his producers unobtrusively interview almost everyone you want to hear from and even a few people you don't: politicians, journalists, intellectuals; Sean Penn, because he was on the scene; Wynton Marsalis, because being a talking head is the sort of thing he does instead of being serious. The movie not only gets Kanye West talking forthrightly about what was going through his head when he did his effective bit of performance art ("George Bush doesn't care about black people") at the post-hurricane telethon, it also captures writer Michael Eric Dyson doing an impressive Dr. Evil impersonation when talking about the stunned nonreaction of Mike Myers, West's on-screen partner that night.
But the film's most memorable slices of thought come from regular people, and their accounts of in-the-moment terror and continuing disruption ring with irregular eloquence, a well-chosen blend of religion and pop. One woman describes getting the news that Hurricane Katrina was half an hour from shore and starting to beg for holy mercy—"I'm getting my husband prayed up. I'm getting me prayed up"—before realizing, in a shock: "You know what I never thought about—God's will." She reappears a bit later to talk about how the wind ripped and rolled through her neighborhood: "It's just like that Daryl Hannah movie … The 50 Foot Woman or whatever the hell she was. That's what Katrina was. She was pulling our shit apart." There's even something empathetic in the way one beer-swilling woman says of the politicos and engineers who built the levees, "I hope they can sleep at night."
It was especially nice to learn why the guy who famously redirected Dick Cheney's one-time Senate-floor imperative to Patrick Leahy—"Go f*** yourself"—back at Cheney during a news conference said it twice. "Well," he thought, "I better say it again just to make sure that he heard it." That's how the refrains, profane as well as sacred, go here: Voices pile in asking for nothing more or less than to make themselves clear. When the Levees Broke is a monument of oral history. Without fanfare, Lee orchestrates a multivoiced blues for the common man.
Troy Patterson is Slate's television critic.
Copyright 2006 Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive Co. LLC
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Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 6266
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, August 27, 2006 - 10:33 am: |
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I agree with Patterson. There was something that was plaintively musical about what Spike achieved.
The "Cheney! Go fuhk yourself!" part was just PRICELESS. That shyt should be put on billboards, tee shirts and bumper stickers.
Hahahahaha!!!! |
Rustang
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Rustang
Post Number: 404
Registered: 04-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, August 27, 2006 - 12:18 pm: |
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Yeah, the reporter slept through one there.When Cheney said that he hadn't heard that before the reporter should have gotten a confused look on his face and said something like "Really? Hmmm, that's odd.I would have thought that you heard that sort of thing on a regular basis." |
Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 6273
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, August 27, 2006 - 12:24 pm: |
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Rustang,
I just hope the guy who told Cheney to f-himself don't end up faced down dead in a Mississippi ditch somewhere. |
Tonya
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 459
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, August 27, 2006 - 12:27 pm: |
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Abm,
After the first two acts I thought to myself, without a doubt, this is Spike's greatest accomplishment. I'm a HUGE fan of the movie MALCOLM so, before this documentary, I felt Malcolm was his best and was certain he could do nothing to top it. I see now, I was wrong. And, of course I'm not a film critic, don't know much about the makings of a documentary, but this has risen Spike to the top in that area, IMO. The thing that intrigues me the most is, he was able to take something so real - so raw - and make it look completely choreographed (incredible). And by doing so we were permitted to see the victims in the same dignified way we’re shown other victims of other tragedies, but without the illusions that others are afforded - the special affects - thus keeping the authenticity of it intact. I can’t understand how he pulled it off, though I know it had something to do with the down to earth realness of jazz. |
Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 6278
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, August 27, 2006 - 02:39 pm: |
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Tonya,
I couldn't agree with you more. Nor could I have said it any better. |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 5006
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, August 27, 2006 - 11:41 pm: |
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IMO, Spike Lee used the lens of his camera as a mirror. The reflected images were the "stars" of this documentasry. What HE did was not that extraordinary. He didn't even seem to have assumed the duties of an editor. To me, this work was more like the angst of the blues instead of like the exhilaration and spontaneity of jazz... LOL. |
Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 2648
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 28, 2006 - 09:52 am: |
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Cynique:
Don't you LIKE anything?
Aren't you tired of being so NEGATIVE all the time?
In fact why don't you take a little space here and just list a few things that you LIKE for a change. I want to see if you can come up with more than two or three.
Try to live by MY motto:
It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness. |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 5007
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 28, 2006 - 10:21 am: |
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This from an idiot who does nothing but attempt to ridicule and belittle anyone who doesn't concur with his position on an issue. You don't light a candle, chrishayden, you light a fire cracker. I can't believe you'd try to portray yourself as being noble. You don't curse the darkness, you pull down the shade. BTW, YOU are the only regular poster on this board who I don't like. |
Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 2656
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 28, 2006 - 11:47 am: |
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You worship the ground I walk on.
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Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 5012
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 28, 2006 - 12:01 pm: |
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No I don't. You really hold that distinction I have bestowed on you, crissyboy,as hard as it may be for your ego to accept. And, actually, you don't walk; you crawl. Crawl as in "snake". LMAO. |
Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 2658
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 28, 2006 - 12:43 pm: |
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Snake? That's positively Freudian! |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 5014
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 28, 2006 - 01:40 pm: |
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ZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZ |
Ntfs_encryption
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Ntfs_encryption
Post Number: 644
Registered: 10-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 28, 2006 - 02:01 pm: |
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”After the first two acts I thought to myself, without a doubt, this is Spike's greatest accomplishment. I'm a HUGE fan of the movie MALCOLM so, before this documentary, I felt Malcolm was his best and was certain he could do nothing to top it. I see now, I was wrong.”
True. You are wrong but not for the reasons you think. First of all, his film of Malcolm X was mediocre and marginal at best. I was disappointed. There was a big flap about who would direct the movie about Malcolm’s life, him or Steven Speilberg. Spike rolled in the floor and threw a temper tantrum and pulled out his platinum race card. He felt because his skin was black and so was Malcolm’s, that he would be best suited to tell the story. There is no doubt in my mind that Spielberg would have produced a classic film portraying Malcolm’s life. I was very disappointed when I learned of the decision to give Spike the nod.
I’m not a big Spike Lee cheerleader but I will admit his most recent movies have greatly improved. Even though he gets credit for tackling subjects that most people are uncomfortable with, his films where rather weak and very amateurish. But like I said, as of late, he has improved. I liked his last film, “Inside Man”. I thought it was a good film. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised.
”IMO, Spike Lee used the lens of his camera as a mirror. The reflected images were the "stars" of this documentary. What HE did was not that extraordinary. He didn't even seem to have assumed the duties of an editor. To me, this work was more like the angst of the blues instead of like the exhilaration and spontaneity of jazz... “
Thank you. That was an honest and accurate assessment. Outside of the subject matter (which was very emotional), there was nothing particularly outstanding going on in terms of innovativeness, editing, creativity or uniqueness about the film. It was just a montage of interviews and film clippings of the disaster. Yes, it was gut wrenching watching those scenes of the horrific property damage and the human misery and suffering was completely unjustifiable. Contrary to the defensive excuse making by right wing spin masters and excuse makers (i.e. Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage, Michael Reagan, et al), the grotesque failures of all levels of government can never be over stated.
It is now a documented fact that Mayor Ray Nagin, Governor Blanco, and Mississippi Governor Barbour delayed mandatory evacuation orders and had no reasonable comprehensive evacuation plan to remove those who didn't have adequate transportation (mainly the poor and elderly). And Bush, Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff, Michael Brown (former FEMA director) were all MIA. There is no excuse nor any acceptable rationalization for the massive failure and total incompetency of the local, state and federal governments. NONE!!
To be honest, when the Katrina debacle initially happened, I tried very hard to be impartial to the growing chorus of criticism and hoped the situation would quickly be addressed and the people would be rescued from this monstrous disaster. But after a reasonable amount of time, the situation continued to deteriorate and more and more people were being put at risk. Then, one day I was watching the news ( I had been continuously monitoring the situation everyday –I was getting sicker and sicker) when they showed a black woman who had been on a bridge for days. She described the heroics of some of the people and how the children, elderly and sick were suffering. The heat and humidity was unbearable and they had not had food nor water for days. She then said she could not believe something like this could happen in America. She never ranted nor screamed with bitterness, she was just beaten down by the situation. She put her hands over her eyes and began to cry. I WILL NEVER, EVER FORGET THAT. That hit me in the face like a Mason brick. All the will I had up to that point to resist the growing caustic chants of racism disappeared. I knew that the plight of those people was not being taken seriously as it should have been because they were black and poor. There is no way they would have suffered as long as they did had they been thousands of white suburbanites caught in a massive flood. But they were black and poor. The only thing missing was being gay and they would have had the three ultimate strikes against them.
But I did appreciate what Spike did and I think he did a good job. But like Cynique said, it was about the ”subject matter” and the brutal reality of being poor in America that made the film important and compelling. Not impressive technical innovativeness, filming techniques, editing or uniqueness of the film.
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Tonya
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 480
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 28, 2006 - 02:30 pm: |
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His "pulling out his platinum race card" had that much bearing on how you felt about the movie. You sound like you may have had a little tantrum yourself, hmmm. Race must be awfully important to you.
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Ntfs_encryption
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Ntfs_encryption
Post Number: 647
Registered: 10-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 28, 2006 - 09:06 pm: |
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”His "pulling out his platinum race card" had that much bearing on how you felt about the movie.”
Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! You are so funny. The race card was totally independent of his documentary about the victims of Katrina. They were separate issues. But of course there is no why you could make that distinction. That would be asking too much.
”You sound like you may have had a little tantrum yourself, hmmm. Race must be awfully important to you.”
Not hardly my dear. No tantrums here –at least not by me. Is race important to me? Of course it is! But unlike you, I don’t use my concerns to grandstand and deliriously indulge in race baiting and demonizing people for their skin color differences.
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Tonya
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 489
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 28, 2006 - 10:21 pm: |
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You’re a dyslexic asshole. I’m serious, you don’t comprehend. This is the 3rd conversation we've had where you’ve been completely clueless---where you have not gotten it. Was the “race card” comment totally independent of his documentary? Yes. But it WAS in reference to his MOVIE…MALCOLM. Wasn't it? You said Spike played “the race card” in order to become the movie's director. And that it made you “very disappointed.” And so it dawned on me that you’ve been using terms like “race card” and “race baiter” at least since this movie was made; therefore, you’ve been bitching about race for almost as long as I’ve been alive. You’re an interesting person, Ntfs--comical & easy going at times--but you ought to start looking inward because you have a habit of accusing people of doing the things YOU do. Projection? A cry for help? Maybe. |
Ntfs_encryption
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Ntfs_encryption
Post Number: 650
Registered: 10-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 29, 2006 - 07:27 pm: |
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”You’re a dyslexic asshole. I’m serious, you don’t comprehend. This is the 3rd conversation we've had where you’ve been completely clueless---where you have not gotten it.”
Duhhhh…??? I don’t get it????? OMG! Ya know something, you remind me of an algebra student with a C- average, who mistakenly ended up in an Advanced Stress Analysis for Materials class for graduate engineers. Totally confused and incapable of understanding what is taking place. Yet you continually maintain that I don’t get it? What is that I don’t get?? How can you make such a claim when I have been very definitive and clear about my positions. Just because you disagree, don’t try to turn the disagreement into a personal attack or a word game to avoid your inability to respond with a post that has traces of intelligence.
”Was the “race card” comment totally independent of his documentary? Yes. But it WAS in reference to his MOVIE…MALCOLM. Wasn't it? You said Spike played “the race card” in order to become the movie's director. And that it made you “very disappointed.”
Uhhhhh….was there a serious point in there somewhere? If so, exactly what was it? Yes, Spike Lee did play the race card. He made race an issue when race had nothing to do with the ability to produce a well made movie. Instead of focusing of why he felt he could do a better job, he made the fact that he was “black” a core argument for being allowed to make the movie. If he had stated why he believed he could technically produce a superior movie with better accuracy and historical realism, that would have been an argument that would have focused on being a better director. No problem there. Having black skin would have been irrelevant. He didn’t do that. But somehow, the mere fact that I mentioned this offends you. Why?
”And so it dawned on me that you’ve been using terms like “race card” and “race baiter” at least since this movie was made; therefore, you’ve been bitching about race for almost as long as I’ve been alive.”
Uh huh……again, what was the point? That I’ve been discussing racial issues and conflicts before you were born? Is that your point? I know I shouldn’t say this, but sometimes when I read your posts, I worry about you. It seems like something as simple as walking across the room to look out an open window would be a daunting mental struggle for you. And I say that not to be disrespectful or mean spirited, but I can’t say it any other way. You seem to be unable (or unwilling) to recognize the most obvious and simple things. Rather than debate the issue at hand, you and I always end up on this convoluted obtuse angle of yours that avoids the questions I ask you and shifts skepticism to me about my ability to write with clarity and insight. Ohhhhhh….I don’t know about you……
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Tonya
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 510
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 30, 2006 - 08:56 pm: |
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((("Uhhhhh….was there a serious point in there somewhere?")))
Duhhhhh...yeah!! And I'm going to 'plain it to you like you're a 4rth grader because it's obviously necessary.
You said this:
”After the first two acts I thought to myself, without a doubt, this is Spike's greatest accomplishment. I'm a HUGE fan of the movie MALCOLM so, before this documentary, I felt Malcolm was his best and was certain he could do nothing to top it. I see now, I was wrong.--Tonya”
True. You are wrong but not for the reasons you think. First of all, his film of Malcolm X was mediocre and marginal at best. I was disappointed. There was a big flap about who would direct the movie about Malcolm’s life, him or Steven Speilberg. Spike rolled in the floor and threw a temper tantrum and pulled out his platinum race card. He felt because his skin was black and so was Malcolm’s, that he would be best suited to tell the story. There is no doubt in my mind that Spielberg would have produced a classic film portraying Malcolm’s life. I was very disappointed when I learned of the decision to give Spike the nod.
I responded to you like this:
His "pulling out his platinum race card" had that much bearing on how you felt about the movie.
You countered this way:
Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! You are so funny. The race card was totally independent of his documentary about the victims of Katrina. They were separate issues. But of course there is no why you could make that distinction. That would be asking too much.
Which prompted me to come at you like this:
You dumb ass. We weren't discussing the documentary. Who said your comment was about the documentary??? Not me.
You took it upon yourself to critique what I wrote about the MOVIE MALCOLM and that's what our conversation was about, hence my initial response: “His ‘pulling out his platinum race card’ had that much bearing on how you felt about the movie.” I was referring to your reaction to the Malcolm movie---because you and I never once talked about his documentary on this thread. Get it??????
So if ANYBODY is incapable of making distinctions it's YOU. And you wonder why I refuse to take you seriously. I'm not giving you an "intelligent" response--much of a response at all actually--because, honestly, it's a waste of time. (sigh) You probably won't get that either but oh, well.......You really aren't worth my time. |
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