Love Scenes and Strong Women

To be honest, I was not confident that I would respond, in positive attitude, to the silent films we've seen in class. I was worried that I wouldn't appreciate many of the standards nor styles of that era of film. I didn't really enjoy Birth of a Nation and I watched only the first half of the Great Train Robbery prior to the class and I didn't exactly have "strong feelings" toward them. Yet I proved myself wrong seeing more of them and seeing that silent films do carry a depth that I thought they lacked. I'm glad for that.

I really enjoyed both Breaking Blossoms and Within Our Gates for a number of reasons. I never knew that topics such as abuse, rape, or even "the gangsta ways" were portrayed in these sort of films, early on. I guess, in a way, since the MPAA was not formed until later on, all topics were fair game.

One scene that I found really memorable in Breaking Blossoms is that one image of Cheng leaning beside Lucy while she was lying in bed and he was just smiling at her. I think what made this image really strong for me was that first of all, there was a tint of pink on the film, and second, that specific camera angle was distinct but uncommon. I feel that I was uncommon for the fact that most positions like that are filmed, I feel, from either over the shoulder of the subject leaning, looking at the subject on the bed, or beside the bed, looking up towards the subject leaning. then, of course, there would be sight lines to match up since the scene is between two subjects. Seeing that specific color scheme and camera angle has left a great impression on me and how i view these films.

A scene from Within Our Gates that i resonate with is basically any close up shot of Sylvia. I feel strongly with these shots because, since were following her story, and because it is a silent film, the only real way to know what she's thinking and what she's feeling is seeing her pain and seeing her expressions through those close ups. The story is supposed to be an emotional journey through the eyes of Sylvia and the only way to do that is to see what she goes through and she how she feels and see her confidence to keep going. I might be a bit bias here, since i look up to strong female roles, such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ellen Ripley, Jane from Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Echo from Joss Whedon's Dollhouse, etc., but I can honestly say that I feel like adding Sylvia Landry to this list because of many similar qualities. Sylvia fought through heartbreak and kept going, she risked her life to save a child as well as those she cared for and loved, a man tried to hurt her but she fought back, and she thought through problems and got to a solution, all traits that the other women also have, respectively.

These films really left a lasting impression on me. I hope the other films do the same.

-RMBAS