"Excuse me miss, do you like pineapple?"

My initial general impression of Wong Kar-Wai's "Chungking Express" was that it was mediocre, and I had no idea why Quentin Tarantino thought so highly of it. It seemed slow and boring and did not genuinely affect me the way some films do. However, once it was established that Cop 223's pining and obsession was in a way cute, and that he was hopelessly lovesick and meaningful, the film started to grow on me. It is a romantic tribute to people's lives and how they change with time and experience hidden under the craziness of an action movie (provided by the blonde lady).

My favorite part of the film was the way teh second cop told his soap, his dishrag, and his teddy bear to get over it, and to start takign care of themselves. It was so lighthearted and fun I couldn't help but smile. I also loved the impressionistic aspect of the film that we discussed in class. Once i realized how connected the art movement was with the way the film was made, the real purpose of the film comes through. It is blurry and fast paced and so full of life because the characters are changing and experiencing.

Elephant

I have to start off saying that this is by far one of the best films I've ever seen. Yeah, people can huff and puff about how ridiculous it is to follow someone's back for thirty seconds or more, but it was so great. I absolutely loved how the director took the lives of these high school kids and made such poignant remarks on their lives and violence in such an understated way that spoke so loudly. The way that all of the senses and time were distorted, often to the extent where I questioned reality. The way that the breathing was so loud, yet the gunshots in a closed room seemed muted, and the way that the camera was so focused on the individuals, yet the world around them was a blur and unimportant. (that part, i think, can be translated into the universality of the possibility of the situation). The constant juxtaposition of the film made it really interesting. The way that everyone's lives were situated on their own track and how truly interconnected they really were kept me thinking, and it reminded me very much of the way "Crash" worked.
The social aspects of the film were just as intriguing to me as the visual ones. The way that John cared for his drunk father and warned the people not to go into the school afters seeing the boys walk in with the duffels made him a hero in my eyes. Elias captured people, and was generally well-liked. The girl with the sweatpants was a loner, but was just as much a victim as anyone else. The principal was a figure of authority but became a victim as well. No matter the position or standing of a person, no matter the way that the characters interacted with their surroundings, they were all subject and victim to the actions of others.
The violence was so random and so brutal that, even though I knew what was coming, there was really no way i could have been prepared to visualize it. The question that is constantly asked is "well, what was the root of this violence?". Clearly one of the boys was bullied, but what realy put them over the edge? What kind of hate made them buy guns and use them to "pick off" people, like some sort of game? Was it a social thing or was it within themselves, two people who are naturally drawn to violence, who,when given the opportunity, will act? None of it made sense.
I think that this is my longest post so far, and I think that says a lotabout the impact a movie can have on a person. It has been over two weeks since the film, and I'm still thinking about it. I look at school differently. I look at people differently. It's amazing.