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Big essay coming. I’ve been working on it for 2 weeks now.<\/p>\n
Mirrors. So often they are associated solely with the world of women. Especially in art. Women are the ones who are represented looking in mirrors. Primping, preening, turning, looking for reflection, or maybe satisfied with what she sees, calm contentment in her self-contained beauty, but more often than that – looking for enlargement, or confirmation of something. That she is worthy, beautiful, that the outer image of beauty can be created, again and again. Searching for the fantasy that she is erecting of herself. Looking for it in the glass. This has not been men’s way, or their role in art. Narcissus is the exception, and look what happened to him.<\/p>\n
But in the 70s and early 80s there was a sea-change in the culture, our culture, great shifts, still not completely understood, or seen fully – and naturally these shifts were reflected in the films of the time, and the characters being created. Especially the male characters. How do we see ourselves? How do we reflect upon ourselves? Our roles? Who we are as we navigate our lives?<\/p>\n
Women looking in the mirror is a typical image, and for the most part, we know what she is doing when she looks upon herself. She applies her mask. It is an armoring up, rather than a stripping away. But when a man looks at himself in the mirror – (and not in a perfunctory practical “let me straighten the knot in my tie” way) – there are completely different connotations.<\/p>\n
It has a supremely unbalancing effect on the audience.<\/p>\n
The vulnerability makes some of these moments nearly unwatchable (and therefore iconic images in American cinema). We do not expect this silent questioning self-regard of men – it was unprecedented, at least in our cinematic history. It’s not vanity that is going on here. Not just<\/i> vanity any way. Something else is happening.<\/p>\n
That’s what my essay is about.<\/p>\n
Michael: this whole thing was inspired by something you said to me recently. So I suppose … this will be for you, when the damn thing is finally finished. I have a photo of the two of us – which is connected to my theme of reflection and fantasy and contemplation, in its own way. Silly, really, but I’ll include it.<\/p>\n
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Big essay coming. I’ve been working on it for 2 weeks now. Mirrors. So often they are associated solely with the world of women. Especially in art. Women are the ones who are represented looking in mirrors. Primping, preening, turning, … Continue reading