Django Unchained and more

Before I venture into a discussion about the controversial Q.T. film "Django Unchained," I've done some more reflecting and thinking about the previous post and I felt a need to dive further into the subject at hand. 

I feel like perhaps my opinion on addiction was lacking substances due to the fact that the person in question that I was in a relationship with was coming out of the spiral of a 5 year (but honestly much longer) addiction to drugs where she was involved in a very co-dependent relationship with another drug addict, which create a laundry list of emotional, mental and even physical issues for her. But, being the genuine nice guy (type-cast I've been okay with having my entire life, but which has actually found me in similar situations throughout my adult life, not so heavy as drug addiction, but more of the hero/savior role), I felt it was unfair how I was being treated because of past "trauma" she had endured from other guys. 

We talked. And talked. And talked. And talked. At length, almost to the point of beating a dead horse, which is ultimately why we could no longer be together...our differences created dialogues that went absolutely nowhere (because neither of us could see the other's point of view or was willing to accept the other's stance). I know, for me it became completely frustrating, to feel like I was never being heard. And let's be honest, I felt much smarter, intellectually, about the subjects discussed, even though she was basing things on firsthand experiences (which she used against me constantly).

 

A relationship is built on trust and communication. As well as my most important theory of "tabla rasa," meaning "blank slate." Although I believe people use their experiences to build their knowledge, I take it to a different level and treat every experience as a blank slate, yes, taking previous knowledge into account, but I give everyone and everything the benefit of being a brand new experience. My judgment comes from my experience with that person, and that person alone. Now, I never felt like I was treated the same way, and taking that along with "treating others how I want to be treated," I was in a constant state of "what the fuck?" to be blunt, since I was being treated in such a way that made me feel awful, because of how she was treated previously. I was constantly being compared, through her own words and actions, but also I could tell through her body language and actions, that she was constantly in her own mind, living in the past she had claimed to have dealt with, but it was quite evident to me that she had never dealt with things. She said that being with me brought things to the surface for her and she thought she had dealt with and so she was happy to be with me because I opened a Pandora's box in some ways for her and that I just happened to be the pit-stop on her life's map where the souvenir she acquired was some kind of actualization. Well, thanks. But, what about me? For every action there is a reaction, and now I feel like I have, in a sense, built a wall to protect myself from the likes of her. I have found myself reticent. And I know I shouldn't be. And I will try harder not be, since I recognize it within myself now. It took me a solid, very emotionally hard two months to completely process and look past that nine-month relationship where I invested 200% of myself to only get about 40% back. I am stronger for it, but I am still wondering, why? 

The relationship was doomed from the start. It's funny how retrospectively you can find all the red flags that create a linear connection to the end result. And I will be the first to admit that I get emotionally involved too quickly and fully before time allows. But I think that's what makes me a romantic. All in. Let's figure it out as we go. And hey, moving in together after 3 months was a mistake, but not always. It depends on both parties. Lessons were learned, expensively (both literally and metaphorically speaking). And I've started dating again, because I want to continue to work on myself and figure myself out, through experiences with other people. 

Phew. 

On to "Django Unchained." 

Quentin Tarantino is the kind of Hollywood guy that seems to embrace his influences, which in a sense renders him helpless against originality, but at the same time his influences are not very mainstream, so he is sort of being original, in the way, that he is bringing things to the front line. He is also perhaps one of the most pretentious, self-serving Hollywood-types of all time. I respect him as an artist, since all artists beg, borrow, and steal (much like in my profession of teaching). The best teachers are an amalgamation of a collection. 

He has directed and written some of the best pop culture movies of my generation. Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill (my absolute favorite of his), Death Proof, Inglourious Basterds and now Django Unchained. He is a self-proclaimed exploitation expert. 

After seeing the film, I don't understand what the controversy is behind this film (other than it is a white guy tackling a blip in slave history and treating it with humor and lots of vengeance, maybe that's just it, there is a black character set on pure adrenaline and vengeance against the white society that enslaved him, but hey, why the hell not). Everything at the hub of the controversy, Tarantino has been doing his entire career. You should have expected it all. Blood. Guts. Foul language (even the "n" word, this time actually used in the somewhat appropriate context). His strength has always been meaty dialogue. The guy can write dialogue and monologues so fucking well. I always find myself engrossed in just the language. There are no lessons learned here and it perhaps goes on for an unnecessary 30 extra minutes, but I didn't care. (In fact, I could have watched Kill Bill as one volume). I loved his inclusion of a German folktale about a hero rescuing a princess because he connects it so well to the story presented of Django trying to rescuing his slave wife from Leo D.'s character (who is by the way completely despicable and played so well). There is a scene involving what must have been the early inception of the KKK (historically inaccurate I'm sure) that is utterly hilarious. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this film, although my date did not in particular. Do yourself a favor. Mentally prepare yourself and go see it! 

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Friday night, I watched a triage of films. Real exciting, I know. Friday night?!

"The Quiet" with Elisha Cuthbert. Nothing to write home about, other than my crush on the blonde actress. 

"Quarantine" (starring Dexter's sister, I want to see her in more film roles), which I'm convinced is one of the best horror films to date, although it is  an almost shot-for-shot remake of a Spanish film titled "REC." It is intense and terrifying. The use of handheld camera at its best. It doesn't leave you wanting to vomit, like its predecessor "The Blair Witch Project" (which is also one of the best, and most successful, horror films of all-time). 

"Quarantine 2: Terminal" (which took the first film's premise in a completely different and original direction. Some have said it stands alone and is better than the first film.