Technology enabled distractions/attractions
. . . . . . . name that tune:?
Well there was a time when you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show that to me do you?
. . . . .
I do some things that slow down my reading. Then there are things that I do that lengthen my movie ‘understanding’ time -they don’t slow it down they add to it -- – I may have to watch a scene of a DVD a few times.
FIRST: This is the best book I have read in a long time, I am sure anyone and everyone would find it a lot of fun, Benni’s Margherita Dolce Vita
http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,1979866,00.html
In Benni’s novel Margherita Dolce Vita the song was "SONG TO THE SIRENS" by Tim Buckley. .
For some reason I felt I had to check the song out, find the lyrics, maybe download an MP3. And I found (no surprise) the song makes sense – enhancing the characterization of the boy and the events. A boy asked a girl if she knew Song of the Sirens; he, reputed to be a bit crazy (reputed by his own perfectly perfectionist parents); the girl existing firmly in a reality in her observant mind. Lyrics and mp3.
Biblical references are common in fiction – even I can spot them—all that creepeth . . .; literary references as well (an author shouting: hey, I read this, have you?). And they can be googled . . . . but is it necesarry, helpeful, beneficial, to know the words to a song? Knowing the lyrics was not required to understand the character, but knowing DOES ADD A [juicy, tastee, sweet? ] DIMENSION to understanding.
What about an English song in a German movie? A movie with a theme of class struggle / friendship / (how is that for american cultural penetration?). THE EDUKATORS – a radical group (2 young adults) break into affluent homes and re-arranged the furniture. Then things went awry and they kidnapped an evil capitalist (who turns out to be a 1968er: a former radical turned conservative . . . before 30 no heart; after 30 no brain . . . type)
Watch the trailer: http://www3.ifcfilms.com/theedukators/ or read
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Edukators
[of course upon reading the wikipedia entry I found this DISTURBING BREAKING
NEWS: The German version shows the three edukators taking Hardenberg's
boat into the Mediterranean to destroy the signal towers on an island that
supply most of the television to Western Europe.
In my SONY DVD
that does not happen, there are some shots of what may be ‘signal towers’ but look like radio telescopes to me – but no boat setting out, no nascent terrorist switching of the boob tubes. So is SONY editing the movie’s msg?
God forbid anyone would want to turn the tv’s of North America off – a dangerous
idea. we could only watch purged DVDS! Of course: ONLY THE BEST IDEAS
SURVIVE ]
But I digress - clearly my Orwellian paranoia, so:
I heard a song playing, an attractive lyric at the end of THE EDUKATORS. I wrote down a few lyrics, “strong but you needed” and googled that with ‘lyrics’ and got a song, googled it with the movie title. There it was, lyrics, then I liberated an MP3. Jeff BUCKLEY’s Hallelujah – ia song with its own wikipedia entry. Is that much info on one song worth looking for?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallelujah_(song)
The song itself had a wikipedia entry, and it was kind interesting, it read in part:
"Hallelujah" is frequently used in television and movies during sad or tragic
scenes. It has been used in movies as diverse as Basquiat, The Edukators (Die
Fetten Jahre Sind Vorbei), A Lot Like Love, Shrek (in which sexual content is
edited out), St. Ralph, Deliver Us from Evil, Kissed by Winter, Barfuss, Lord of
War and "When Night is Falling", and TV series such as Holby City, House, Grey's
Anatomy, Falcon Beach, The L Word, The O.C. (twice by Jeff Buckley, once by
Imogen Heap), Hollyoaks, The West Wing, Scrubs, Without a Trace, Cold Case,
Criminal Minds, ER, The Shield, Nip/Tuck, Crossing Jordan, Drama and Nicole,
Rescue Me, LAX, House M.D. and Numb3rs. It was also used in the Third Watch and
"Without a Trace" episodes dealing with the 9/11 tragedy.
ITS A GREAT MOVIE by the way. I had seen the lead actor Daniel Bruhl in GOODBYE LENIN, saw this as an amazon.com suggestion with him in the lead . . . and read the bit about furniture. Furniture as protest . . . pass the absinthe.
+
In WHATEVER by Michel Houellebecq the song Le Sud by Nino Ferrer is admired – I downloaded the entire album. Houellebecq played it in a bar describing it as “a magnificant record.” Clearly part of the ambiance, and I was missing it. Was it fast or slow? I found it. And it is an excellent listen, and its French, as is the novelist– no Yankee penetration here. (both this and the BENNI were translated). WHATEVER is about the monotony of contemporary life and work. Automatrons Eventually he will hear Gwen Stefani and toss her into a chapter set in LAX - an automatron factory?? [for now Gwen has to settle for SNL and Smallville . . .]
THE EXAMPLES:
BENNI:
Tim Buckley Song To The Siren lyrics
Long afloat on shipless oceans
I did all my best to smile
til your singing eyes and fingers
drew me loving into your isle.
And you sang Sail to me, sail to me,
Let me enfold you.
Here I am, here I am
waiting to hold you.
Did I dream you dreamed about me?
Were you hare when I was fox?
Now my foolish boat is leaning,
broken lovelorn on your rocks.
For you sang Touch me not, touch me not,
Come back tomorrow.
Oh my heart, oh my heart shies from the sorrow.
I'm as puzzled as a newborn child.
I'm as riddled as the tide.
Should I stand amid the breakers?
Or shall I lie with death my bride?
Here me sing: Swim to me, swim to me,
Let me enfold you.
Here I am, Here I am, waiting to hold you.
+++
EDUKATORS:
Jeff BUCKLEY
Hallelujah
Well I heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do ya?
Well it goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall and the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Well Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
And she tied you to her kitchen chair
And She broke your throne and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Well baby I've been here before
I’ve seen this room and I've walked this floor
(You Know)I used to live alone before I knew ya
And I've seen your flag on the marble arch
And Love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Well there was a time when you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show that to me do you?
But remember when I moved in you
And the holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Well maybe there's a God above
But all I've ever learned from love
Was how to shoot somebody who'd OUT DREW YA
And it's not a cry that you hear at night
It's not somebody who's seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah <<(held for a long time) Hallelujah
