Last Blog Post RIP IB Film

Films about outsiders aren't really that rare. We love to watch them because we like to see stories that we don't always hear about and make us see a completely different life that we never thought we'd see. I was out almost every day for My Own Private Idaho, and I can't make enough of an educated guess to write about it so I'll focus on Flirting.

Flirting had two outsiders. The first one that we meet is Danny. He's an outsider because his personality differs from that of the other students at his school. He's kinda weird and stuff y'know. He has one good friend and he didn't like rugby, right? That's kind of why he didn't fit in a lot. Private schools are tough to make friends in because most of the people have one set personality and whoever isn't like that will just kind of hang around with others. We followed him around. We were where Danny was and we experienced what he experienced. That way, we kind of mentally isolated him more. We were only primarily seeing his side (with the exception of some scenes where we saw Thandiwe on the other side of the lake, but she's the outsider in her school so it's kind of the same thing) and his interactions with others, rather than seeing people interact with each other more. We experienced his life.

And also Thandiwe's life to a lesser extent. Who was more of an outsider due to her race. The interaction between both outsiders and the way both of them learned about each other makes them be isolated together in a way. And this is because we followed Danny for most of the film. Following Danny led to following Thandiwe and the bond that they created.

I'm gonna miss you Mr. Boswell. I'm glad I switched out of physics and joined your class. It's been a wonderful two years.

Post Zach's Blog Last

Films with an outside group at the center of the narrative are very common, rightfully so because they're stories can be some of the most interesting. However in the vast array of films about outsiders, Gus Van Sant's My Own Private Idaho sticks out as an enormously unique film.  Part of that is due to its subject matter, not many filmmakers have chosen to tackle this particular subculture, but it is mostly due to the wide range of styles that Van Sant incorporates.

Apart from the dramatic elements of the story and the subtly humorous moments, there are quite a few interesting and unique stylistic choices that Van Sant employs.  Namely, the use of documentary style semi-interviews with the street kids as they recount stories of their experiences to the camera.  These scenes serve the purpose of getting the camera close up to the kids, as though we are a part of their group.  The way it is framed we are not sure who the kids are talking to or who is listening to them.   The film exudes a profound sense of empathy for these kids and their situation.  This is distinctive from say a Harmony Korine film, with scenes like this Van Sant puts the focus on the kids, their story and creating a sense of empathy.  There are also elements of magical realism such as the magazine cover scene and the near seamless integration of Shakespeare's language into the dialogue.  On top of all of that we have the tableau sex montages which provide a unique spin on shooting and editing sex scenes.  (Defying the rules of sex scenes that Robert and I so eloquently demonstrated in our presentation last year)

The styles present almost make it feel like Van Sant is experimenting to find what works for him.  However it never feels messy, the styles all flow together and make for a truly distinct viewing experience.  I love this film and I think it is a perfect example of unique and fresh storytelling.

Wow this is the last assignment I'll turn in late for IB Film.  I'm getting a little emotional.  Thank you to Mr. Boswell for helping me develop an intense passion for viewing and analyzing film. So long everybody, it's been real.  I wish you all luck in your future endeavors.  I love you guys.

I don't want a D

Outsider art is one of my favorite movements. On an average Sunday afternoon, you can find me listening to Daniel Johnston while sorting through piles of paintings left by dead janitors.

That being said, my good friend Owen P. Kelley was right in saying that I would enjoy My Own Private Idaho. Directed by Van Sant, MOPI deals with what was at the time a hot topic: MALE PROSTITUTION. Tackling such a taboo topic is bound to marginalize the film. But even with its limited reach, MOPI manages to make real what people wished would remain out of sight. Mikey and co. are portrayed as complex people, each with his own personality and unique dream. I can hear what you're saying: "but wait, Johnny, even mainstream films strive for character depth!" ALAS, it is exactly this character depth that turns Van Sant's film into an outsider one because these characters are so controversial in their raw and unique emotional authenticity.

the last hurrah: my own private blog post

Well, here we are.  The final blog post, on the final days of high school.  This is long overdue.  Here it goes.

After watching the film in class, I was scrolling through my Tumblr dashboard and found that the American Apparel blog had posted a screencap from the film.  I think that says a lot about what kind of company American Apparel is.  My Own Private Idaho, directed by Gus Van Sant, is film about an outsider among outsider.  I think American Apparel was trying to get us in touch with that sentiment in order to buy their over-priced t-shirts and crop tops.

This film, having been made during the wave of queer-genre films in the nineties, is set up to basically be a part of that subgenre that found itself in the mainstream.  Though it does occupy its fair share of the film as Mike treads the waters of male prostitution and inevitably falls in love with his best friend, Van Sant finds distinct ways to lead the audience away from what was mainstream gay cinema.  One of the strongest aspect of the film especially was how the sex scenes were edited and shot.  This isn't Blue Is The Warmest Color  or even Shame where the gratuitous and often overly-explicit sex scenes eventually become plain overkill.  The way the film hands to you on exactly what's happening during intimate moments draws away from the fetishism it could have easily become.

Within the first 5 minutes of the film, we see Mike on the brink of climax.  Instead of sustaining the action to the peak, it cuts to a dilapidated barn collapsing on what we can assume is the same road in Idaho we spent during the intro to the film.  This specific moment serves two purposes.  It gives what could have been an incredibly intimate moment, a man reaching his climax, a so-called break in the action.  It leads the audience away from the fetishism and instead makes you very aware of emotion while also creating comedic relief.  Secondly, the symbol of the dilapidated barn falling onto that Idaho road is very symbolic of Mike's life.  I think it's a possible allusion to the end of the film, where he is dilapidated, worn, broken, and tired.  And still, he falls back on that same road in Idaho.

The sex scenes also take a turn for the weird when Van Sant made the choice not to have them actually go through all the motions and instead edited together the characters frozen, in the middle of the action, not moving.  They are like still lifes, but the camera is placed in an awkward and sometimes unflattering position in the action.  Even more so, they're more than just snapshots, shots that go in and out, speeding up the pace.  They linger for moments, allowing you to absorb and observe everything going on in the scene.  They still maintain the eroticism, but the effect isn't as jarring.

I think Van Sant wanted to contribute to the queer new wave and the genre that was entering the mainstream at the time the film was made.  It was an important movement for the queer community.  But Van Sant wasn't a man for the mainstream.  He told the story of an outsider among outsiders, and that's what this film is. A narcoleptic prostitute among other prostitutes against the world.  Nothing is conventional, not even the journey.

The entire film is on YouTube, by the way.

it wouldn't be ib film if i'd done this on time

Films about outsiders are not always outsiders in the world of film. In fact, they're usually pretty common, and their production will usually follow the normal guidelines of popular movies. My Own Private Idaho and Flirting are both films about outsiders that are also outsiders in the world of film. Idaho especially stood out to me because of its unusual editing, risky topic, and theatricality.

Idaho contains multiple dream/hallucination sequences that involve a lot of images that are only somewhat related to the plot. Clouds rolling across the screen, houses burning down, vintage-looking film of a woman and child--all of these appear multiple times throughout the film. Dream sequences or hallucinations in films are often used to help the hero discover their true calling or some such cliche, but here, they are mostly used to present the main character's narcolepsy. The film also uses title cards for each location, an unusual sight. Another odd choice was the insertion of the teens speaking in a Portland diner. None of them are actually characters in the film, and the way they speak is almost documentary style. They seem to be giving interviews about their personal lives, again as though they are in a documentary about male prostitutes. The most out-there editing technique is the one employed in every sex scene: we never actually see any real sex, we just see still frames of the actors in sexual positions and poses. Most directors shoot sex scenes with a lot of movement everywhere, close-ups of body parts and lots of noise. Idaho, however, creates sex scenes that are full of imaginative sexuality but devoid of movement.

The other notable outsider aspect of My Own Private Idaho is the film's extremely risky subject material: male prostitution, narcolepsy, criminals, and even a little incest. These are not exactly the kinds of things one sees in blockbuster films. All of these bizarre topics are wrapped in Shakespearian dialogue and the story of Henry the Fourth.

Completely forgot this was happening

It's fitting that both Gus Van Sant's and John Duigan's respective 1991 releases are largely unheard of, as their central characters remain on the threshold of society themselves. My Own Private Idaho tells the story of Mikey, a street hustler, while Flirting follows Danny, a socially reserved teenager in a strict prep school. Both characters are estranged to some degree from their parents and have only one or two close friends, and thus spend most of the films on their own, allowing the audience to become much more familiar and intimate with their arcs.
 
In Flirting's case, Duigan constantly follows Danny. The audience goes where he goes, sees what he sees, and is allowed into bedrooms, locker rooms, private quarters, and any other school facilities that a student might have access to. This point of view allows for a much more intimate portrayal of Danny's escapades (especially his romance), something not often seen even in other notable coming-of-age films.  The lack of parental presence and the fact that every single scene involves Danny contribute even more to the film's separation from conventional teen dramas/romances.

Van Sant certainly avoids any notion of mainstream success with the very premise of My Own Private Idaho. In 1991, the subject of male prostitution was still something not often seen in feature films, much less explored in depth. Van Sant decided to take this controversial topic and write highly sympathetic and rich characters, who prove to be compelling despite their less-than-reputable profession. Additionally, Van Sant makes heavy use of symbols and fantastic imagery (the falling barn comes to mind) to illustrate a character's emotion rather than focus solely on the film's plot. It's probably also worth mentioning that the film is broken up by location, and the audience is made aware by color-coded title cards (PORTLAND... SEATTLE... IDAHO, etc.), an unconventional editing decision if any. Such unique (and jarring) directorial choices contribute to the film's overall isolated and disjointed mood, which appropriately reflects Mikey's own internal conflict.

étranger

I felt like My Own Private Idaho (MOPI) and Flirting are "outsiders," or aren't mainstream movies because they had some of the French influences. Nudity was of course one of the things that stood out. In MOPI, there were couple scenes where main characters were photographed naked for magazines and such. This created awkward, yet somewhat humorous atmosphere in the movie, which I think set MOPI apart from other mainstream movies (same thing for Flirting as well). Another thing I noticed is that there were many episodes in a movie--sort of like The 400 Blows--they were episodic. For instance, in Flirting, there were episodes of spanking, rugby, dance hall, boxing, intense tension between girls, and Danny and Thandiwe's secret meeting. There was only one basic theme--in Flirting, for example, love between Danny and Thandiwe--and all the other episodes added different perspectives to that theme.

The French influence--nudity and many episodes--is what I think separated MOPI and Flirting from other movies and made them the "outsiders."