“I miss the good old days when people missed the good old days� Nataniel Jebão The first time I saw Candyman was 10 years ago as soon as it came out. I remembered that it was a good film. Yesterday I rented it to show my girlfriend. I was speechless, it was not good: it was simply fantastic. For starters Virginia Madsen is a wonderful actress, Tony Todd was good in it also. But the scrip… what can I say? S P O I L E R S It’s amazing how this film works the concept of myth. “I exist without needing to be� Candyman explains to Helen; “I am the whispers in the dark, the writing on the walls�. His essence is communication, hidden, unofficial. In the end Helen also becomes a myth; what was announced in the scene when investigating a murder: Helen comes out throw his mouth; he communicates, creates her as a myth. It’s in human geography that myths live, explaining and guiding people’s lives. To Jake, the boy, Candyman is the thug, then Helen herself and finally a piece of burning junk as he is defeated by her. Candyman is not “real� (a questionable concept in the movie), but it doesn’t mean he is powerless. He guides people’s actions; it’s he who guides Helen throw the movie. Although not the only explanation for the events he is by far the best one, the most reasonable, the most desirable, the most fulfilling. The stories we create to explain our lives, to amuse ourselves or for whatever other functions come back for us. They guide ours actions, dictate our perceptions. I could ramble on forever about this film and I haven’t got a clue about why I have posted this. Damn, this film is good.
Wow, I need to watch this movie again. I watched it when it first came out on video (has it really been 10 years? Jeez), and I wasn't very impressed. After reading your post, Dennis, I think it's because I didn't watch it critically. I was looking for a popcorn scary movie, and it failed on this level.
I remember you said, when talking about ‘Memento’, that you hated arrogant “artsy movies�. A movie, to be good, had to have a good story and be well told. I couldn’t agree more. The point is that every movie has messages, values and ideas that they transmit. It doesn’t matter if it’s the latest action blockbuster or the most arrogant “art movie�. People write stories in their lifetime, with their problems and ideas; this appears in their stories no matter if consciously or not. It can’t be helped. The degree these movies affect us is of course variable. For most people individual movies don’t leave marks; but the dominant culture works through repetition, showing the same images again and again until they become natural and granted like air. Remember MIB; they are a government agency that protects our word by keeping track of every immigrant alien on earth; to do this they must keep absolute secrecy by destroying people’s memories and ideas. Taken out of the movie, the absurdity and consequences become obvious, but we don’t realize it because we have seem this too many times and are too busy laughing while Will Smith “talks� to an alien throw stupid sounds (btw that’s the original meaning of the word “barbarian�, people who talk meaningless sounds). Lots of artsy movies in the end only reinstate the most common and shallow concepts, either “conservative� or “revolutionary�, while offering an amazing boredom. I have just watched “Vanilla Sky�; it fits this description perfectly. On the other hand “Conan, the Barbarian� is in my opinion a masterpiece, I have never seem US’ right wing ideology so well expressed and put together. Watch “Memento� again. This time think of how the concept (use, creation, transformation) of memory is treated in the film. Think not as the character’s memory, but as memory in general. Think of how different people remember things different and that memories change (not just fade) throw time. Why is the movie backward? Just to create suspense or is there something more? Some scenes will raise your eyelashes, as you see that they show more that appeared at first glance. I will bet that in the end you will be surprised of how many ideas and questions will appear; at least I had this experience. I apologize for my teacher’s frenzy. But to see this kind of stuff, and try to give other people the instruments to do the same, was my job; and I miss it.
