Reading Response 3: Due January 25

Reading Response 3: Due January 25

Hugh Davis, “Shakespeare, He’s in the Alley”If you are not already familiar with the story of Henry IV (Parts I and II) and Chimes at Midnight, consult:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_IV,_Part_1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_IV,_Part_2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimes_at_Midnight

1. What are some of the broad characteristics of the “Van Santized Shakespeare” in My Own Private Idaho, and what are some specific ways in which Shakespeare is fused with contemporary Portland?

Van Sant used “Shakespeare to suggest the 'timeless' nature of the story, showing that the events 'have always happened, everywhere.'” This is compared broadly with the relationships between the love, companionship, father/brother roles, and the same troublesome reactions polictically, as a respected father mayor would have in the case of a mischeivious son.
Van Sant is reviving Shakespeare in his movie by using the street hustlers along the same storyl ines and “gritty quality” as Henry IV, “reworking dialogue and same basic plot.” He compares Scott to the King Henry IV's son, Prince Hal. Van Sant places Shakespearean clothing on some of the street characters, “evoking Elizabethean dress,” and “Michael Jacksonian outfit to suggest a court fool.”

2. What relationship do the characters of Mike and Bob have to the original texts?

Bob Pigeon is the traditional Falstaff (Chimes) “recognized by his girth, his age, and his wit, but Mike also takes the role of the knight in Vant Sant's film.” Bob is Scott's lover and “true father”. Scott is related back to being Prince Hal (of Henry IV). Hugh Davis, also examines a transgender relationship of Mike and Scott in relation to Falstaff's lover Doll Tearsheet. Mike is like a younger Falstaff to Scott, as Mike is following in the same footsteps of Bob, in regards to loving Scott, even though Mike doesn't trust Scott. Mike also goes to search for his mother in which the Henry plays, the mother is absent. Scott and Mike share a brotherhood in regard to the plays, and partial brotherhood/lover in Idaho.

Why does Chimes at Midnight become a significant frame of reference in addition to the original Henry IV plays?

Van Sant's film is a remake of Chimes at Midnight which is based off of Henry IV.

3. What are some of the effects of changing Falstaff from a “knight lowering himself” to street hustlers in Portland?

Falstaff as a knight lowering himself would only be different in that he was in a higher position with the King, from Henry IV plays. He was a street hustler in Van Sant's film from the beginning, which included the same type of character as a thief and immoral.
“Falstaffs are not slumming knights but are, in fact, characters of the slums and streets.”

What significance does the rejection of the Falstaff characters have in this new context?

The Rejection of the street hustlers would normally not be focused on near the end of the play/film, but instead Van Sant does focus mostly on them and the betrayel they feel from Scott (Hal). Van Sant is trying to ask the viewer what is more important “money and prestige” or loyalty to “friends, family, and the lives touched.”

Why does Davis argue that Van Sant seems to align himself with the Falstaff characters?
Van Sant continues the story with the “oft-marginalized characters, instead of heading off to see the king,” as most endings of movies/plays do. Davis is creating a link between Van Sant's sympathy toward these characters as he would would like society to see him, perhaps as a personal attention or that of an “indie” filmmaker.

4. How does the changed context affect our understanding of Scott Favor?

Scott was built up to be an almost personal savior for the street hustlers, especially with calling Falstaff his “true father”, although being his lover. His companions he left by the side and turned his back on Falstaff. Scott is now viewed in a light to show the “universal and timeless pain” he has caused to those were closest to him.Michael Newman, “Indie Culture: In Pursuit of the Authentic Autonomous Alternative.”

5. Why does Newman believe that “indie” is a distinction not determined by an industrial definition?

Newman believes that "indie" is more of a culture than that of just the way that it is produced. The "indie" culture is focused at the consumer who feels he/she is more of an individual on an off-beat path from the normalities of society (mainstream). He argues that "indie" is a taste culture that also satisfies the "privilege of a social elite of upscale consumers."

What does Newman believe is the “tension at the heart of indie cinema and culture between competing ideals and realities”?

On one side, the indie cinema feels that they are the solution to the "shit shovelers," mainstream that constantly produces the same type/style (indies argue with the mainstream lack of style) of films, portrayed as a "mindless conformity,... contaminating its audience and causes deleterious effects." The other side of the argument is that "Indie" cultures "serves the dominate opposing structure." He elaborates more on this with the two examples of the film, Happiness and the VW ads, "Sunday Afternoon" and "Milky Way." The "indie" followers, from this document have an ideal that if ever the "indie" films or music should interact with mainstream, that they are no longer, "indie," which is definitely not the situation all the time.

6. Newman argues that “there was a stable cluster of meanings associated with “independent,” and that these meanings span various artistic forms and their audiences.” What were these meanings, and what artistic forms were associated with them?

Newman points out the "cluster" of meanings associated with being "independent", such as "alternative, hip, edgy, uncompromising," with these terms surrounding not only movies and music but also with clothing, creating an "autonomy" from mainstream. Newman points out that "autonomy and authenticity are markers for the ('Indie') purity and that mainstream is

Within this discourse, how do independent filmmakers maintain or lose credibility?

Such examples would be of the music group, Nirvana. Even with Nirvana diving into "mainstream" they still tried to maintain their "indie" credibility with wearing a t-shirt that says "Corporate Magazine Still Sucks" on the cover of 1992 Rolling Stone magazine. Also, Soderbergh continues to display an “experimental aesthetic” to his films. The filmmakers can can keep their credibility as long as the “indie” culture doesn't feel like they are “sell outs.” If an artist becomes too popular, (now part of the “dominant culture,” they are considered mainstream, threatening their “indie” (different from the rest, The Other) credibility.

7. What does Newman argue was the “major shift in the popular understanding of “selling out” and its relation to alternative credibility”?

Mainstream and alternative culture can be successful working together. Newman argues that there is no cut and dry line that separates mainstream from alternative media. A major shift in seeing the positive side to both working together would be in the examples he used such as The O.C., “using indie bands on the prime time network” “In the late 1990s there was an upsurge of popular music being licensed for use in tv commercials, such as Moby, Fatboy Slim, and Nick Drake.” Which Nick Drake being “indie” music in the 70s, was brought back for the “Milky Way” VW commercial, causing the same sales upon airing the commercial as it did when he was actually alive.

8. How does Newman support the claim, “Like traditional high art, indie cinema appeals to an audience who has the wherewithal to appreciate it, which is to say knowledge and interest, and a community of like-minded people.”

Newman discusses that “like-minded” people have the same taste or likeness in style of the “indie” culture, such as the music being known as “college rock,” inferring the “indie” culture as not only those who would be in this classification at a certain “education level but also that of a social class.” Newman describes “indie” as “radical, challenging the central status quo, diverse, and democratic (anyone can make it).” From what I gather, “indie” culture is diverse, but almost a popular diversity, which then is it really that diverse since it is so popular to be different?

9. Why does Newman suggest that the example of Todd Solondz’s Happiness “reveals how the indie scene attempts to have it both ways: it seeks autonomy but also profit, authenticity but also a marketing push, art without the taint of commerce but enough commerce to make the art pay.”

I watched the trailer for Solondz's Happiness, and I thought to myself, if the movie is good, then why couldn't someone make money at it? Why isn't the “indie” culture happy if someone can make money, instead of automatically assuming that they are sell-outs? A main goal of “indie” film is to make uncompromised films, Soderbergh is mentioned as one that has reach success and continued with his “indie roots” with Erin Brockovich, Out of Sight, and Ocean's Twelve. With these movies, Soderberg was able to infiltrate the alternative culture into mainstream.

What role did Universal actually have in the distribution of the film, and how does this complicate the claims about artistic autonomy?

Universal's CEO, Ron Meyer, rejected the film due to a masturbation scene, to save any defense he would have to make with the stockholder's concern about the morality in the movie. Although, Universal turned right around and gave money to the distributor, in case the film did well, to gain profit. Solondz's tried to use Universal for the release of this alternative film, complicating the “indie” culture by using a mainstream distributor. The desire of “indie” culture is to be “aloof from anything that seems too driven by the values of business culture,” but yet sought out the mainstream distributor in hopes of getting the “art pay.”

10. Why does Newman conclude the following about critics who condemn the mainstream co-optation of indie culture: “A central problem with this perspective is that it gives too much uncritical credibility to the “authentic” subculture, failing to identify its function in maintaining class distinction. It also, crucially, misrecognizes the relation of indie culture to commercial culture as one of actual autonomy—as if such a thing were possible.”

Using mainstream to help facilitate the distribution on “indie” culture has been happening for decades now. Any critic that condemns the use of mainstream co-optation with indie culture has lost sight of being able to have any kind of support for the indie culture. The two cultures both use each other for their own mutual benefit, the alternative media gets introduced to a broader part of the world, and the mainstream is able to use the indie culture to develop within the elite a sense of being different, example VW ads with Nick Drake music.