O Heroi _ C. Collins

- The class differences between the characters in o Herói.

- o Herói and La Vie Est Belle are very different films that both take place in war torn countries. Similarities? Differences?

- Prostheses (and/or their lack) appear in the films Turtles Can Fly, Kandahar, Saving Face, and o Herói. How might you read these films comparatively? 

Also, after viewing many non-Western films this semester, I would like you to think about what connections you are noticing and what repeated themes have caught your attention. Please begin to reflect on why you might be seeing these connections and/or why you think these themes are so prevalent (taking for granted that in many ways the films I chose do reflect not only a flawed world view, because they cannot appropriately represent “world film,” or “postcolonial film,” but also my own personal biases).

Vitorio's prosthesis is an object that might be used in a comparative way to the mask in Black Girl and the shoes in And So Angels Die in that they all show a loss or a removal of a piece of one's self. In Black Girl the mask represents a token that is first given perhaps as a peace offering or a gift but soon the mask takes on a much deeper meaning.  When the female protagonist is left enslaved, abandoned and abused within the french household the mask represents an element outside of the apartment. The mask represents a sense of "self", an element of family (since she bought it off of what appears to be her kid-brother), a representation of her culture. Vitorio's prosthesis takes on many meanings as well.  The prosthesis represents to Vitorio a piece of what makes him whole, it also expresses what he has lost externally when he was forced into fighting against the war. When Vitorio had his leg stolen he very obviously is now only a shell of who he once was, he has had his freedom to move about taken away. 

Class differences play an extreme part in the movie O Heroi,  and it becomes apparent very quickly just how much power is available to the upper class. Vitorio has given twenty years of his life as well as one of his limbs.  His country awarded him with a medal and no support for his PTSD, or any help finding work. Vitorio gave his all and now lives poor, on the streets.  His only coping mechanisms include drinking and the quick release of oxytocin via sexual activity with local sex workers. Joana represents to upper-middle class society, she has more power than Vitorio-- she is able to bring him into her home, give him a warm meal and use her connections to assist him in finding his prosthesis   Does she help him because she realizes that he is disadvantaged while she lives a comfortable life? Does she help him because he reminds her of an old friend from years ago? Is she doing this to assist her boyfriend's political connections? Pedro represents the highest tier that being of the privileged upper class. Pedro was able to seek his education in the U.S.A, he had a guaranteed job working for his politically connected uncle. Pedro has influenced and connections, he is able to assist Vitorio to gain back his lost leg. 

La Vie Est Belle and O Heroi both take place in war torn countries but focus on very differing elements of war. La Vie Est Belle focuses much more on the economic disadvantages brought upon civilians during war times. Basic goods are hard to come by for many of lower class, scrounging to make a small amount of money is a struggle,the rent is constantly increased but the cash flow does not does not increase to handle inflation. O Heroi on the other hand focuses more on the struggles of a soldier, post war. 

O Heroi

This movie was an interesting combination of many characters that, as you said, stories were weaved together. Each of the main characters runs into another or is involved with another in some way. There are many examples of this from, the thugs stealing Vitorio's leg and it winding up with Manu, Manu's teacher running into Vitorio at the hospital and trying to help him to Vitorio eventually finding the disgrace that stole his prosthetic leg in the first place. Personally, I believed that Vitorio was Manu's father. I was actually surprised to find out that that was not the case. I was so sure of it. However, I think the movie was better in that way, than if I were to have been correct.

I think that most of the characters were in similar classes, I mean, most of the kids seemed to be in the same position. Vitorio was obviously the worst off, I mean he was a war hero and he did not even have a place to sleep! I suppose you would consider Manu and his grandmother toeing the poverty line, but at least they had a place to live and food to eat. Just by the looks of her home, Joana seemed to be in the middle class. It seemed evident that her former classmate was probably a rich kid his whole life, with plenty of opportunity, seeing as his uncle was in the government and he studied abroad. Also, he just seemed like a snob, he seemed as though he had an aura about him like "I'm above you."

In terms of the comparison between this and La Vie Est Belle, the main similarity was the following of a protagonist with some sort of a struggle, Vitorio and Kuru. Obviously Vitorio's struggles were far worse than Kuru, but Kuru still struggled nonetheless. Another similarity is the complete distance in class levels from the common people to those in the government. The man from the government seemed like he had no idea that all those people had lost limbs due to landmines. Also, Vitorio and Kuru seemed to be real ladies' men. They both pursued multiple women throughout the film. The main difference, to me, is still between Vitorio and Kuru. Kuru had a lofty dream, he was shooting for the stars, he wanted to be a musician. Vitorio just wanted to get a job, and maybe a place to live.

A common theme is basically every movie we have seen would be poverty. There has been unanimously a character or many characters that have been very poor or downtrodden.

O Heroi - Maggie Varga

Watching Vitorio day-to-day live a post-war life was very depressing to me. He struggled for necessities and held on to the fact that he was a "war hero." He was stuck in his past, and he seemed to have slight post-traumatic stress disorder. He couldn't assimilate to life after the war. Instead of finding work, which I'm sure was difficult anyway due to that economy, he would go to the club and drink often. He seems a little irresponsible, and uses being a war hero as an excuse for his actions.

Once his prosthetic leg gets stolen, he seems to focus all of his attention to getting a new one or finding his old one. His leg represents his ability to live life no longer as a cripple,  which is his own personal freedom. This is similar to the mask in Black Girl and Mory's shoes in And So Angels Die. Freedom is tied to these items and once they are in the possession of the character, they feel their life has changed, when in reality they could control their own freedom. Diouana could have quit the job and returned home, but she let the family she was working for consume her. Similarly, Vitorio could have made the best of his situation and worked hard to get his life back in order, but he let the leg consume him.

In this film, there is an eerie background feeling of sadness or loss. Everyone, it seems, is looking for someone or something they have lost in the war. Whether it be personal items or children begging for their mothers via the television, it struck me hard how little these people have, mainly due to war. Judite has to resort to prostitution, which I'm sure she would not be doing if it wasn't for the poverty and war. On the other hand, in La Vie Est Belle, there is an atmosphere of hope and life after the war. Songs are sung and people just generally seem to be loving life. Although both settings are filled with poverty, the tones of the films are very different.

Throughout this class I think we've seen many films of people struggling. I've become much more aware of other cultures and the way they live. Before this class, I was very engrossed in my own life and the issues surrounding the U.S. only. Since most of these countries usually are low income, many are not presented in the news when crisis happens. Shocking images of other cultures have opened my eyes to more world issues.

o Herói -Hina Anwar Response

o Herói showed an interesting perspective on war by displaying what life was like for people after it. Each individual character was affected differently and yet somehow all their stories became entwined. I felt bad for each individual character,Vitório especially since he had been affected by the war most directly. After all the fighting was done all he had were the clothes on his back and a missing leg. What was strange that no one even sympathized with him until the teacher came along. The only people that were really concerned about his war veteran status were prostitutes, which was also weird. You would think that his biggest concern would be finding a job and trying to survive. It was also really rude of him to prefer the teacher over the prostitute and because of his missing limb he seemed to think he wasn't good enough with her. It was as if he was implying he was on the same level as a prostitute which is unfair. Judite did what she had to survive which is more than what you could say about Vitório. The teacher to was also very stuck up in a sense. She wanted to help people so badly, but she would never look at Vitório as anything more than another one of her projects. Her love interest was even a man of high social standing. The film just demonstrated how much people are defined by their class above all else.

The prosthetic limb motif reminded me of Kandahar. Both films portrayed the false body parts as a sort of godly figure. Vitório desperately needed his as did many of the refugees chasing after them when they were falling from the sky. They were a privilege not everyone could have. Even when Manu gets a prosthetic limb he forms some sort of strange attachment to it, asking it to bring his father back to him. He even slept with it which was weird. The boys who stole the limb were also infatuated with it. It held a deeper meaning beside its intended use.

 Its just horrible to know that after war so many people suffer and even when resources are available all over the world, they aren't available where they're truly needed. The soldiers are affected and so are the people of the country with the loss of loved ones. And although I wasn't that fond of the teacher, it would be nice if more people made an effort to help others. Sure Vitório got a job in the end, but what about the other soldiers. And what about Manu who resorted to a life of thievery, instead of focusing on his school work? That thread was never tied up.aa

La Vie Est Belle _ C. Collins

What does “life is rosy” mean? What cultural messages are conveyed through this film—in your opinion?

La Vie Est Belle is a film that shows the hypocrisy of the upper class through the use of humor which allows the viewer, no matter their social status to laugh at the hypocritical nature of all people. Humor is used to show that no matter how "rational" and financially secure a person can be, the superstitions of a society affect all people.  This can be seen when Nvouandou the childless (and childish) club owner, who is doing very well financially, puts on his Sunday best so he appears proper when visiting the local witch doctor-- he drives over to the run down shack in his lavish white Mercedes. He needs to visit the witch doctor because he has still not had a child with his wife of twenty years, he has fallen out of love with his wife and there seems to be issues in continuing a sexual relationship. The witch doctor tells Nvouandou that he must take on a second wife who is of course... a virgin (wow what a stereotypical answer). This scene is so absurd because of the extreme contrast.  We associate rich people with a more rational thought process, they don't need to use "magic", "prayer" etc. to get by because they have all their basic needs already taken care of so they don't need to resort to fantastical thinking. Usually people who are poorly off place their faith in something outside of themselves to improve their lives. It also is a humorous contrast because through out the movie we become aware of how much the rich depend on the poor.  Nvouandou depends on the witch doctor for guidance.  Later Nvouandou depends on Kourou to keep and eye on, as well as woo his virgin bride for him. Kourou is a poor man who is trying to make it big using his musical ability. Kourou instead of relying on the influence or money of a parent (unlike Nvouandou) uses his skills and ability to not only "make it big" but to also get the girl he wants. The only issue with being someone who needs to use tact, and skill is that people of this background can sometimes use their skills in a manipulative way as seen when Kourou gets Nvouandou's young wife into bed under false pretenses. Although both men come from very different backgrounds, one rich the other poor, one the master of the house, the other a worker in the home-- they both have one thing in common, they are both constantly working to obtain happiness. Life is Rosy for these men because they both have drives to live happily. Some people think happiness comes from things, but after a while both become aware that as long as your basic needs are met, you are pushing towards a goal, and you have someone who loves you by your side,  you can go far. Nvouandou is able to reassess his life after the distraction of his second wife is gone, to realize he already had what he needed in life. Maybe life isn't perfect, but if you look hard enough you'll find that it is indeed rosy. 

O Heroi response by Jessica Weiss

I am very interested in the class differences not only in O Heroi, but globally. After the war in Angola, the government officials didn't seem to have the common people in mind. He promised to help all of them (referring to the scene with all the disabled veterans), which is a lie already. You get the feeling that while he is persuaded to do the radio talk with Vitorio, it was primarily to make him seem like a caring person who wanted to help the people, it was a publicity stunt. The government official has a nice office and a nice suit and a nice car, which greatly contrasts almost all of the people and images seen in Angola with the exception of the teacher. Sometimes, as a middle class person I forget the privileges I am afforded because I see many similar people, my neighbors of West Chester who have inhabited this wealthy area for the 24 years of my life. We all know that in the recession the rich are getting richer and the middle class is shrinking. My family has seen this as my mom was laid off from her job and we are living off her retirement money, when a few years ago we only had a couple years until the mortgage was paid off. Compared to the Angolians, my life is greater than that of the government official and teacher, despite the current recession. Even the struggling in West Chester are afforded some options with places like Safe Habor and other soup kitchens. Then again, since the late 90's there have been countless reports of the ways the rich are increasing their wealth. They wealthy 1% own more than half the American wealth. The average CEO is making more than 250 times that of the average person. These injustices across the globe are disturbing, yet also it sounds like they must similar. In a Small Place, the descriptions of the Swiss banks and how they work is something I never understood. It scared me to think of how the Swiss country and it's people benefit so mcuh from their private, non-questioning banks that allow criminals and extreme wealthy people to hide their money from taxation. These are all complex ideas, and I'm not saying that I'm correct or that I have researched anything in depth, but it shows repeatedly through history that there is extreme corruption in government when it comes to classism.

The appearance of protheses in Turtles Can Fly, Kandahar, Saving Face, and o Heroi were presented with different importance and need in each movie. It's hard for most of us to imagine what living life without an arm or leg would be like, yet some of the characters in these films had no choice other than to adjust to life with a manmade limb. In Turtles Can Fly  the young boy carried on with all his daily activites as if he wasn't missing an arm, and complained or spoke about his disadvantage because of the other problems he had to deal with. In Kandahar, we saw dozens of people lined up at the Red Cross demanding prosthetic arms or legs and even racing one another to get the few that dropped from planes. A similar reaction was in Saving Face where the women felt they couldn't be themselves or go out in public with reconstructive surgery to their faces. I feel that in o Heroi, Vitorio's prosthetic leg was a crutch for him to operate functionally and helped him regain his manhood and pride that he lost in the war.

The thing I noticed most about this film was how much I my expectations differed from the actual ending. Throughout the entire film I thought Vitorio and his girlfriend were in fact Manu's parents, assuming there'd be some cliche happy ending. However, it was even better for them to continue living average lives but with a little more hope than they throughout the beginning of the film. Vitorio found a nice job and began acting as a father figure for Manu, a boy whom he had to ties to whatsoever.

Response to O Heroi

I large reason why I like foreign films is that they take such small details and make them seem so important or meaningful. The prosthesis, the mask, and the shoes are all objects used in African films to say something in particular about the characters and the situation they find themselves in. They were all items owned by someone in poor status that was given new opportunities. However these opportunities were not always positive or reassuring. In “O Heroi” the prosthesis was given to a poor soldier who was living on the streets because he could not get a job. I think that him losing the prosthesis made him focus on other aspects of his life and made him stronger. However, the prosthesis was a symbol of him getting his freedom back and being able to feel normal again. The mask in “Black Girl” symbolized the female character’s culture and her pride. She gave to mask to her employers because she believed they would show her new things in France and give her freedoms she has never had at home. She took it back once she felt betrayed. The mask then seemed to symbolize being haunted for the cruelty the employers showed her. The boy chased the man and made him feel haunted or responsible for her suicide. Lastly, the shoes in “And So Angels Die” symbolized freedom and grief. The young man was given a new chance at freedom when his family left him and he no longer had to struggle to care for them. Although he was heartbroken he was able to go about finding his way. He was proud to be able to bring gifts for his family and have the freedom to leave when he wanted. The grief was felt by the father. He knew he was hard on his son and therefore was determined to make the shoes fit. It was like he felt obligated to show his gratitude.    

            As for class differences, there were several aspects shown. The poor soldier was at the lowest level by living on the streets. He had one set of clothes besides his uniform and a simple bag of items. He was living on meager amounts of money and food. As for Manu and his grandmother, they were of a slightly higher social class. They could not afford anything fancy but they had the necessities. They had a small home that provided meals and comfort daily. Manu’s teacher was of an even higher social class due to her heritage. She lived in a nice apartment owned by her parents who travelled and owned other properties. She was able to afford much nicer clothing and provide some supplies for her students.  The classmate of the teacher was the richest of all. He got to go to school in another country and had a job lined up for him with his rich uncle. His family was in politics so they were well off. He was always able to have fancy suits and drive a decent car. He acted like money was not an issue when he was at the hospital after hitting a street child.

Body & Soul: Black Girl/So Angel also Die

The body and soul were two elements I found to be very connected in the films Black Girl and So Angels Also Die.  Both main characters feel a very physical and spiritual longing for their homeland or what they believe to be their homeland; when several individuals recited a poem about Africa in So Angels Also Die it felt as if they were suffering from not only suffering from an aching soul but as if they were amputees aching for a lost limb as well.  Diouna commits suicide because she cannot bear the separation; however, her pain seems to translate into a caged animal that has been locked in a zoo surrounding only by imitations of her natural environment. 

Separation by distance and spirituality were again displayed in So Angels Also Die in the main characters mixed raced children.  Their mother is a white French woman.  They are automatically a part of two worlds where they may never be wholly accepted.  I do not know if colorism is prevalent in Europe but I cannot imagine that though those two children will be able to have a clear vision of who and what they are.

Interesting Oddities: La Vie Est Belle

La Vie Est Belle was an interested film to view.  Examined through my own cultural view it has the making of a romantic comedy but there are serious messages being displayed which are covered with a gold film.  Juxtapositions of happiness and solemnity are peppered throughout the film from beginning to end.  The movie opens joyfully; Kourou comes upon a group of villagers and he inspires the crowd to sing with him.  But this idyllic moment is cut short as soon as a rickety, treacherous truck rolls by blaring more modern music from its speakers.  Then his homemade instrument is broken while strangers laugh at his misfortune. More of the comedy comes later in the film when Kourou’s boss attempts to woo Kabibi with tactics of street harassment.  He follows her in his car, catcalls her and harasses her until she gets in, but he is such a bumbling character that the situation conveys both the ridiculous nature of what is occurring while causing unease in my Western mind at the thought of getting into a car with a strange man.

There were many aspects of this film that I could laugh at but still felt uncomfortable with.  For example, Nvouandou’s dance to fix his impotency is amusing, but knowing that at the end of his performance he will perform in another way with Kabibi was very unsettling.  It was unsettling because of how accepted it was in that society.  So many things occurred in this film that I could not imagine seeing in the United States.  Kabibi’s friend attacking Mamou at her own house, the midget kebab seller, Kabibi’s mother sending her off to a man- it was all very different from my experience as a young woman.  

o Heroi

        When watching o Heroi, I couldn’t help but feel bad for Vitorio, who lost his leg in the war. The fact that he had been in the war for twenty years shows his dedication to the Angolan cause and it is sad to think that his repayment (in the form of a prosthetic leg) is stolen by street kids. I also couldn’t help but notice that he often referred to himself as a war hero. Although he certainly was a hero, it was odd to hear him say it so frequently. Most heroes do not refer to themselves as heroes, but rather say that they were just doing their job. Although Vitorio deserved the prosthetic leg, he acted like he was entitled to it because he was a Sergeant in the army. Surely there were other Sergeants in the army who lost limbs, which is why Vitorio’s behavior seems somewhat strange to me.

            Although at times Vitorio acts entitled, after spending twenty years fighting for a country, it is fair to assume that the country would do something for a veteran who devoted his life to the war. Hence the prosthetic leg given by the hospital. His prosthesis represents freedom and independence from war, gratitude for serving, and hope that the leg will help him transition into post-war life. Likewise, it also symbolizes hope in Manu’s eyes because he uses it to pray for his father. He hopes that God will reunite father and son and Manu will get to see his father again. Although the leg is just a piece of plastic, it is so much more than that to Manu and Vitorio.

           After watching the film, I saw similarities between Vitorio’s prosthetic leg, Diouna’s mask, and Mory’s shoes. Mory gives nice shoes to his father as a symbol of respect. He respects his father, even though he pressures Mory to take a second wife. Although Mory disappoints and disobeys his father, the respect he has for his father is apparent in the shoes he gives to him, even after Mory leaves. Diouna gives the mask to her employers as a symbol of hope. She hopes that they will be able to give her a better life by paying her wages that she can send home to her family. As she realizes that her life is not any better than it was, Diouna takes back the mask when she loses hope that things will get better. Vitorio’s leg is given to him by the hospital as a repayment for serving twenty years in the war. When he is given the leg, he is ecstatic because he functions more normally then he could when he had to use two crutches. His prosthesis represents freedom because he is able to walk freely. It also represents his freedom from the military and the life he knew since he was fifteen years old. When the leg is stolen, he still has the freedom from the war, but he has to resort back to using two crutches again. A difference between Vitorio and Diouna is that while Vitorio loses his leg, he does not lose his hope. He still continues on with his life, even managing to fall in love and save a young boy from being beat up. While he wanted his leg back, it was not the focus of his life.

            A common theme between many of the films this semester has been war and its effects. War has either been present, as in Turtles Can Fly, forthcoming, in The Reluctant Fundamentalist or recouping after it occurred, as in Black Girl, And so Angles Die, o Heroi, Kandahar, and La Vie Est Belle. In each of the films, the characters have had to deal with war. Some had to prepare for it as war was on the brink, others had to deal with it on their home land as countries invaded, and others had to deal with the hunger, heartache, and destruction that it left in its wake. These films have showed me parts of war that I never considered, because as an American, I typically only notice the things that affect my country. I do not consider the struggles and destruction other countries have had to build from. 

o Herói - Jamie Hughes

While watching o Herói, there were several ideologies I noticed in terms of social class that struck me as not only being relevant in native countries, but also in our everyday lives. Throughout the film each character was part of a certain social class: Vitorio and Judite were all in the lower social class while Joana and her boyfriend were upper class. The ways in which they interacted were particularly interesting because I felt it reflected a lot of what I see day to day in our society.

To start, Vitorio went from being the top dog to poor post-war solider that only had his badge to his name. Sadly, I am sure many war heroes feel this way when they go back to their homes. It must be a strange feeling to at one point be a hero in the eyes of your people and respected by so many, and then to return with high hopes of welcome but instead receive a hard time making a living with only stories to tell. Vitorio ends up almost poor and spends the money he does have on having sex with prostitutes, which is ironic but I will get to that later.

Judite, the prostitute that Vitorio begins to date, is fighting for a living through prostitution at a nearby club. She is part of the lower class and falls in love with Vitorio, who is also in the lower class. Not to make a sweeping generalization, but in many cases people tend to gravitate towards other who are of equal social class as themselves; it makes people feel comfortable and almost as if they are matching up or getting what they deserve.

Joana on the other hand is on the wealthier side and dresses nicely with beautiful skin and hair. She is sweet and innocent with a heart of gold, also ironic. She has a boyfriend but is not completely satisfied with him because he always wants to have sex and is not really into what she feels or wants (sound familiar?) As she is waiting outside the hospital to make sure Manu is OK, she begins to talk to Vitorio. Joana finds him intriguing because he actually listens to her and is infatuated by her beauty. As the story usually goes, the less wealthy man is appealing to a richer woman because of their sensitive and kind heart BUT they do not want to pursue them because they do not fit in with their lifestyle. This story stayed alive as Joana and Vitorio end dinner on a sour note because he knew she pitied him and Joana went back to her wealthy boyfriend.

Is it just me, or do these ideas sound similar? Our world is based on judgment and order. We are taught at a young age there we need to fit into a group and we are not to venture far from it. For example, in high school whether you want to admit it or not there were social groups, from jocks to nerds to the slutty cheerleaders, they were always there. Yes, they may not be as poignant as the teen movies make them, but I for one know that I was a ‘jock’ and the majority of my friends were jocks. I did not hang out with anyone from the math or sciences clubs even though I loved both of those subjects, simply because that did not follow the social order. 

Gambo's O Heroi

The 2004 film o Herói by Zézé Gamboa was filmed toward the end of the 30-year war in Angola. Gamboa originally worked for Angolan television, but ever since the war’s end in 2002, he says the Angolan film industry has been booming, even though there are no film studios. The Angolan film institute IACAM was in ruins for decades, but is now up and running, and has been charged with building more cinemas, and assisting Angolan film productions. Gamboa attests that many people in Angola are illiterate. He adds, “they can't read books, but they understand everything about films. They speak the language, see the images. It is a powerful medium for development.” Gamboa also says that he sees his films as contributing to the task of national reconstruction. “The Hero is a universal story,” he says. “In Central Europe, Latin America, Africa and in all the places where there is or there was war, hundreds of thousands must deal with the stigma, try to survive and become a part of post-war society. The aim of this movie is to show children—the former instruments of war—that it is possible to live in peace.”

In o Herói, Vitório, who was forced to fight in the war at age 15 and then fought in the war for 20 years, has lost a leg to land mine and now lives on the street in Luanda. The film opens with Vitório impatiently waiting to be fitted with a prosthesis and increasingly hinges upon his prosthesis, which is later stolen by a gang of street kids. Eventually, Manu, a kid who has lost his father and mother to the war, buys the fake leg on the black market, and it becomes an object that he prays to or with, asking for his father to be returned to him. Meanwhile, Vitório befriends Judite, a prostitute who is searching to be reunited with her missing son. Many families have been separated and many family members disappeared as a result of the war. Also, because of the war, the economy is faltering. Teachers in Luanda are on strike, and Manu’s teacher Joana has little patience for a classmate who returns to Angola after studying in the United States. The film then begins to weave these characters’ stories together. 

I’m interested in responses that take the following into account:

- Vitório’s prosthesis as an object that might be compared and contrasted to the mask in Black Girl and the shoes in And So Angels Die.

- The class differences between the characters in o Herói.

- o Herói and La Vie Est Belle are very different films that both take place in war torn countries. Similarities? Differences?

- Prostheses (and/or their lack) appear in the films Turtles Can Fly, Kandahar, Saving Face, and o Herói. How might you read these films comparatively? 

Also, after viewing many non-Western films this semester, I would like you to think about what connections you are noticing and what repeated themes have caught your attention. Please begin to reflect on why you might be seeing these connections and/or why you think these themes are so prevalent (taking for granted that in many ways the films I chose do reflect not only a flawed world view, because they cannot appropriately represent “world film,” or “postcolonial film,” but also my own personal biases).

La Vie Est Belle - Jamie Hughes

           After watching La Vie Est Belle I felt a sense of joy, which is different from most of the films we have watched in class. For the most part, we have watched films or documentaries about struggles and overcoming them but necessarily in a ‘fun’ or ‘comedic’ way, unlike this film.

            Throughout this film I smiled because it showed how simple it should to be happy, which no-a-days is something that has been lost. Kourou is happy as long as he can sing and enjoy music. Whether he is washing dishes and clothes, or shining shoes, he remains happy; this exemplifies the saying ‘life is rosy’. To me, ‘life is rosey’ means embracing life’s ups and downs and enjoying what is already around you. It’s about breathing in a positive attitude and realizing the good in life opposed to the bad. When I hear the word rosey, I think of being in the cold and having rosey cheeks; in the miserable cold weather, everyone always smiles when they have rosey cheeks. I then think about the old saying ‘take time to small the roses’, meaning allow yourself some time to just enjoy what is around you and stop hustling all the time. I think this is a lesson that more people need to learn in this on-the-go world we live in.

            On the cultural side of things, it was nice to see a film that shed a different light on Africa. Simply from watching or reading the U.S. media outlets, Africa is perceived as a place of need and poverty. Always showing sad starving children as a part of a donation fund or showing small African kids with military weapons are the main imaged depicted in media, which is sad. This film I enjoyed for the fact that it showed Africa as a positive place that is happy and can do things on their own. Even in a town like Kinshasa, where there is a mix of poor and rich, people can find happiness, like Kourou found in music.

Oh La Vie Est Belle - Gabby Propato

"La Vie Est Belle," life is rosy. Yet here in this film, everything does not seem quite so rosy all the time. I think the phrase that "life is rosy" is, in a way, kind of ironic. Let us look at our characters. We have Kourou who is in love with a woman that he cannot have, Nvouandou and Mamou who do not have a very happy marriage because they have not produced any children, Kabibi who wants to be with Kourou but is now married to Nvouandou and of course, the little person who repeats "la vie est belle" throughout the film. While I do not think that these characters have quite "rosy" lives, coming from an American perspective  I think the phrase is played out differently in this film. 

The characters in this film make their lives rosy on their own. They might not have everything they want or feel they need, but they do things to make themselves happy. Mamou sets up Kabibi and Kourou (which works for that couple) in the hopes that her husband will send her away and return his affections to her. You can see that she is happy when her plans are working. So even though viewers might not see her life as that great, she feels her life is "rosy" when she gets what she wanted. Likewise with the other characters. The little person, despite that his rent constantly goes up, continues to be happy selling chicken kebabs. He sings constantly that "la vie est belle." And then at the end, after Kourou attempts to kill himself because Kabibi kicks him out after they have an intimate night together, they end up together. We as Americans might not see these characters' lives as rosy and nice, but to them they could have things be a lot worse. 

I think the cultural message conveyed in this film that (as the other films in this class have gone to show) Americans are privileged. Not everyone in America has the same privileges of course, but for those of us who do, our lives seem to be pretty rosy in comparison to the lives of other people. The people in this film make their lives "belle," they do not just the things in their life that make for a happy life. Instead they find things that make them happy, no matter how small. To them, these things are not small, they are everything. "La vie est belle" is then not a fixed thing experienced by everyone, but rather a perception that people form for themselves. 

La Vie Est Belle - Maggie Varga

I do agree with most people posting, La Vie Est Belle was one of the more entertaining films we have watched so far. I think the aspect that drew me in the most was the music. Music always intrigues me, which leads me to like every genre out there. Seeing the people light up, especially the children, when that song was sang really makes me believe that music can bring people together and give them joy. Although throughout the film only one song was sung, it was a fun tune and all the people seemed to enjoy it.

In the reading, Manthia Diawara mentions when Kourou travels to Kinshasa on his journey to become a musician, he is easily mistaken for someone of high class just because he puts on a suit. The article says in Kinshasa, the poor live right next door to the wealthy, but appearance matters more than anything. Extravagant clothes and fancy cars let the people of the town know what class you are in, and higher class people barely acknowledged the poor. This could be compared to any city in the United States. How many times have you walked by a homeless person without even looking in their direction? And I am sure you were wearing clothes that they only dreamed they could afford. I'm guilty of this too, but it helps open my eyes. 

Although the poor in Kinshasa have obvious hardships, they are happy to live in the town. In the article, Diawara mentions that Kinshasa is a city with "magical powers to make one forget one's problems." This can be seen when Kourou is working as a lowly shoeshine. As he works, he sings and gets others around him to sing as well. The people never seem down about their job or their lives. This scenario reminded me of the song "Get Rhythm" by Johnny Cash, where he sings about a young  boy not being upset by working hard as a shoeshine. When he asks the boy how he doesn't get down on himself, he says "get rhythm." Music can help make any job bearable and keep people optimistic. 

Since the people of Kinshasa are, for the most part, optimistic and find many ways to enjoy life, I think they truly believe "Life is Rosy." No matter the situation they are put in, they find a way to make it better. It may be the "magical powers" of the city making them feel this way, but I think it is possible for anyone to see that life indeed is rosy.

La Vie Est Belle

This film was a refreshing change of pace after the last two movies that we watched. It was a combination of a story of a man with a dream and a love story. Kuru had many obstacles in front of him in this movie. He has to leave his village because the radio has ruined his music career and he wants to resurrect it somewhere else. He sees Kabibi on his journey to Kinshasa, you can tell that he is in love immediately.

The reading brought up a good point about Kinshasa. It has two kinds of representations. First, it is kind of a fresh start for Kuru. It gives him a chance to renew his music career, it gives him a chance to make a few dollars while he is waiting and it gives him a chance to find love. However, it is also a strange place in sort of a state of disarray. The town is run by Nvouandu, who has little regard for the poor, other than the women he is trying to seduce. Plus, the town is basically in the hands of a which doctor, which is a little creepy.

Now back to Kuru, he hits a few roadblocks on his quest for Kabibi and music. He bounces around a few different jobs, partially because he is on the run because he stole money from Nvouandu but I digress. He is trying to get some money together to buy Kabibi a typewriter. Kabibi angrily marries Nvouandu because of the night Kuru spent with her neighbour, but she cannot fight her love for him. After many roadblocks (near arrests, almost losing Kabibi, a suicide attempt) Kuru finally ends up with a music career and Kabibi.

The movie was without a doubt the funniest movie we have seen, which was a nice curve ball. Life is rosey is interesting to think about. I say that because, in the movie, life is not always rosey, but everything manages to work out. My interpretation of that saying is that if you keep a positive outlook on life, things will find ways to work out.

La Vie Est Belle -Hina Anwar

                The film La Vie Est Belle was pretty amusing to watch. At first I wasn't sure I would like it because it was supposed to be about music and the beginning was very misleading. However, the antics of the characters in the film were actually really funny if not a little awkward. Some of the humor may have been used to ridicule the social classes.  For instance Nvouandou's belief that dancing on one foot while not touching his virginal wife for a month will solve his impotency problem. I think he had no real way of solving that problem and it was meant the rich used their money on meaningless things such as a witch doctor. It was also used to make Kuru look better and comment on how money isn't the solution to everything and that happiness can't be bought.

It was interesting seeing how Nvouandou was the "boss" of the town and so everyone had to obey him. Yet Kuru's friends and Nvouandou's second wife all opposed him to give Kuru his happiness. Nvouandou had everything and then Kuru ended up taking his second wife. He also got to be a singer because of Nvouandou even though he had been the one saying that Kuru was nothing more a servant.  What was weird was Kuru's changing social class. In the beginning he had no clothes and money yet somehow in the middle of the film he got nice clothes and stopped looking like a beggar. It made me wonder if it was so easy to jump between social classes in the Congolese culture.

What made me really happy was that Kabibi took advantage of her situation. She didn't really like her husband, just his money and since he had no intention of consummating their marriage for a month she actually took advantage of it. For once there was a female character that didn’t just sit around and do nothing. She was actually intelligent in how she handled everything instead of taking the role of the doting wife. The only part of her character that I did not like how she passed out in grief at Kuru's "suicide".

The whole suicide and then passing out thing was over dramatic. Kuru and Kabibi got into a fight, there was no need for such drastic action. Couples fight, it's only natural. Things weren't always going to be rosy.   

The catch phrase "life is rosy" was really annoying, or maybe the character and the way he said were annoying. I think it meant that life can be great despite the many hardships people face. Kuru was struggling for a while and yet there were still things to look forward to in his life like his music and Kabibi. Overall the film was funny, if not a little overdramatic. 

La Vie Est Belle Response

I really enjoyed watching La Vie Est Belle.  I felt that it was a fairly relaxed movie in terms of its sub context and themes, so it was easy to watch without thinking about every little thing that was going on.  There were some themes that stood out in the movie such as gender roles, and religion regarding witch doctors but they weren't the main ideas of the film.  The main message of the film was just to stay positive no matter what predicament you might be in.  If you looked at the character that Papa Wemba played he was basically a bum with dreams of having a band, and despite the fact that he doesn't have anything.  In contrast to Papa Wemba is his boss who, despite being the richest man in the movie seems to be the one with the most problems.  His wife is probably messing with Papa Wembas friend in the film, he has erectile dysfunction, and he can't get the virgin he wants even after he marries her.  He is not truly happy even though he has a lot of money, and Papa Wemba's character ends up with everything he wants at the end of the movie, because he didn't look externally for happiness.  If you think about it, the midget was a midget that sold chicken and his life probably wasn't the best, but he was also one of the most happiest, upbeat people in the film.  When Papa Wemba is about to hang himself the story reminded me of Romeo and Juliet a little, but it's like Romeo and Juliet with a happy ending.

Jessica Weiss on La Vi Est Belle

Just like with American Hollywood films who don't necessarily expose or have a political agenda, they still reveal a lot even with what they don't talk about. I think Mwese did what African cinema needed by making the films less political and more relateable for an African audience. It was ingenious to cast a popular musician, Papa Wemba into a working class man role. By being ordinary, he is given people someone they can relate to and look up to. I was surprised that the article said that the dwarf was a 'lonely and unhappy person' because it certainly is not depicted that way. He seems to be awarded certain sexual privileges by the apartment owner woman, and he is constantly saying that “life is rosey.” The article also mentioned that the lyrics in the film are often about hard work instead of relying on African governmental help, but the main character isn't someone I thought of as a hard worker. He often went from job to job getting fired or just leaving and doing as he pleases because it wasn't his true passion. To me, this meant that life is as rosey as you make it, and that it didn't really have a lot to do with success or money. Kibibi goes to school to be a secretary and has 100 word per minute typing which is very good, but even without a job she is still happy when she is going on adventures with her new sister wife and with Papa Wemba. Most of the characters in the film had the most happy lives when their social lives and love lives were enriched, which I think is a universal theme for any audience. The silliness in it was all universal, and that is why I enjoyed this film very much. As usual, one of the main things I have trouble getting over as an American is the less explicit verbal communication between these characters from another setting. I wish that before Papa Wemba attempted suicide that he would have written Kibibi a note explaining why and how he got the diamond star earring instead of just assuming she would never listen. He got to win her heart when she wasn't very interested at first, so I think he could get her to listen again.

The constant repetition of "Life is Rosy" throughout the film is basically a reminder that life isn't so bad if you look at it from a different angle or aspect. Exhibit A - The little person who kept repeating the phrase the most appeared to live in a housing complex where his rent was being raised, and he made his living by selling chicken kabobs. He certainly didn't have the ideal life and was one of the unfortunate civilians in the film, yet he was probably one of the most cheerful in the film.

The idea of life being rosy that I took from the film is that you may not get the ultimate happiness or truth in what you're looking for, but you have to find a way to make it work. Even those with money and marriage found themselves in unhappy situations although they had "found" what they'd been seeking. Another thing I found in the film is that no matter how mad a group gets at another, they put aside problems when it matters most. Just before the two "deaths" at the end of the film, both characters had been verbally attacked, yet the community was their to support them and reassure their wellbeing.

This film reminded me a lot of the Shakespeare story "A Midsummer Night's Dream", where a group of young people fall in love with one another, but don't receive the love in return from their prospects. From my vague memory of the film, the problem arises from the influence of a spell from the fairies ... this magical reference similar to the witch doctor in "La vie es Belle". In both the film and play, a huge mess arises once people develop opposite love interests and there is a slue of miscommunication between all characters. It was amusing watching the film because of the great lengths some characters would go to for their lovers, which is a common theme in most Shakespeare plays.