Bläeckfisk is the Swedish translation for the word octopus. I am not Swedish, but I do own a lot of furniture from Sweden and I like octopuses while admiring their multi-tasking ability. I would like to travel to Sweden at some point, plus I think it is a pretty cool looking word. Anyhow, speaking of words, I guess you could say that is why we are here. Words are the foundation for way we try to wrap our thoughts around everything in the galaxy. The tendrils that lead to emotions and curiosity. I am not here to solve the mysteries of the universe, just to discuss words in general. Specifically words written by other people and have been printed off and slapped between two slices of thin card stock. Many of these sandwiches go on to bigger and better things, some bigger and better than others. So, I guess we will be talking about those as well. If you share an interest in words or enjoi seeing what they can look like in action....välkommen! (Swedish for welcome.)

Monday, March 19, 2012

F16: In the Land of Blood and Honey-Directed by Angelina Jolie

"Do you remember what is was like, before the battles?"

War is relentless. War is ghastly. And grim. And terrifying and something that I will never quite be able to fully wrap my head around. That being said, this really is a must see film. For as savagely brutal as the subject is, there is a whisper of tenderness to this multi layered drama that is worth experiencing. The film begins in pre-war Bosnia-Herzegovina and explores a potential romance between Serbian officer Danijel and a Bosnian Muslim artist, Ajla.  As the militant Serbians begin their ethnic cleansing, Ajla is rounded up with other young  women and sent a commanding strong hold where they are savagely forced into servicing the resident soldiers. Danijel is in charge of the outpost and upon learning that Ajla is now in his camp, risks his own fate by shielding Ajla from the monstrous acts that are being committed each day at the base. What follows is a snapshot of a fragile, forbidden relationship and its struggles to survive in the most dire of circumstances. 

First time director and screen writer Angelina Jolie seizes your attention with a powerfully ominous first scene that formulates the soul of what is to come. This work is essentially a self portrait of war and the horrendous atrocities that follow. War is hard at work killing, raping and humiliating people for nothing more than their belief in different ideas. Entire families are ripped apart and systematically gunned down and covered with earth. Cities are destroyed and memories are stained. Jolie's portrayal of these events are nothing short of numbing and for being such an icon of Hollywood, this film has all the artistic makings of a memorable indy flick. Outside of her choice to have the actors speaking English, there is a real feeling of authenticity to this movie and the eerie way she manipulates silence transforms these tragic events from abominable to haunting. I wish there was never a need to make this film but by reopening the wounds of this conflict, Jolie brings to attention to this abhorrent chapter in our modern history with hopes of teaching people about what took place in the early 1990's in Eastern Europe. Hopefully this film will serve as a reminder of the disastrous effects of war and at the same time remind all of us to treat each other with understanding and empathy. See this movie.

Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDBU8CqU0dg
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1 comment:

  1. Susan Michael BarrettMarch 20, 2012 at 8:05 AM

    Thank you for this post. Though it's hard to watch violence, I will see this. Brett, I just read Hunger Games which raises gut- wrenching questions about how humans war and govern. My usual response to war is to condemn and look away. Now I think it more helpful to stay, to contribute to (nonviolent) change. These happenings make me deeply uncomfortable.

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