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.