Cabin in Disguise

Hello all,
I am happy to report that I thoroughly enjoyed both the readings and the film this week. Yip a dee doo da.
Both Naremore and Knee, but especially Naremore, were informational, even engaging. No old testament genealogical type lists of critics here. And, they both point out interesting things about the film and the context of the film that I didn't notice before. Although, after reading the articles, they make perfect sense and bring a greater understanding of the film.

The film, oh what a difference about ten years make. We get a story and a perspective. We get some introspection into the characters. In fact, It's easy to point out that the characters, although still types, are more fully developed than the one dimensional ones we've seen thus far.

Okay, well, I don't want to sing praises, in a voice not half as awesome as Waters or Horne.

I'm doing the presentation this week, so I'll only cover a bit here and hope, from my discussion questions, that we can cover alot of the other really interesting stuff that the film and readings bring up.

I noticed that modernity itself was a flag for evil within the film. The only modern conveniences, telephones, electricity, air conditioning, were in hell, as were jazz. In the club, Paradise, one of the nice dichotomies and dualisms that Knee discusses, is the only place in the film where men and women interact in an accepted way. Within these spaces is where we find both Ellington and Armstrong. When Petunia enters the modern space, characterized by both jazz and the Afro-centric modern art of the murals on the walls, she becomes opposition to good. She even wears a foreign headress to further seperate herself from her religion. Back at the homefront, the unused automatic washing machine sits on the front porch, an emblem to all - none of that devilish electricity here. We don't see Lil' Joe in a car until he has turned "evil" when he is let off at the entrance to the club. In fact, once all of the modern elements of the club Paradise are destroyed by "god" and his tornado, it becomes a Christian view of paradise, a place where the folks wear white robes, talk to god's own associates, and hit the steps to heaven.
Even from the title song (and a tiffany or debbie gibson, I think, song from the eighties), heaven is a place on earth. But, not just any place, it's the good clean place, uncorrupted by the evils of telephones and air-conditioning. It's the rustic cabin, the dirt yard.

But, I found it interesting that, even when modernity was wiped out, capitalism still stood strong. The reverend/god's messenger didn't look for Joe's name in the book of life. He looked for it in god's ledger, telling Joe he was "in the red". He owed God. And, the messenger pointed out to Joe that God didn't bargain. This ain't no flea market where you can trade for what you need; it's straight capitalism. Pay up or pay the price.

It's interesting that the movie clearly says modernity bad, capitalism A-OK.

I don't want to ramble about every little thing I found interesting. I will say, however, that it's interesting that we are supposed to think that the elements of this plot are only existent in an all black world. Instead of dealing with race issues, the white folks responsible for making this film ignore them altogether. I think it hearkens back to all the seperate but equal politics that come to a head a bit after the film is made.

I look forward to discussing more of these exciting findings on Tuesday.