A PHOTO ADRIFT

This is a still photo from the film Aguirre, the Wrath of God, directed by German filmmaker Werner Herzog.

This picture is from the final part, when Aguirre is on his boat adrift, in the middle of the Urubamba River, with only the company of small monkeys that got into the boat and one of them ends in Aguirre’s hand during his ending speech. The film was shot in the early 70’s, and the director of photography would be the same who took the photo (Thomas Mauch is his name, I think).

I chose the picture because it expresses a little bit the whole aspect of the movie; the greatness of the unknown and how much it can transform us as we challenge it. But, as usual, there’s a different movie for everyone. I wish I could tell you more about the film, ‘cause I consider that there’s more to talk about the relation between the photograph and the rest of movie, as I said before. I feel like I’m giving you the half of the cake. I guess the invitation is open.

INCEPTION: REVIEWING THE DREAM

Imagine a world when people can access into other people's mind. What kind of director would do that in a film without making anything cliché? What about the guy behind films like Memento, The Prestige, Batman Begins or The Dark Knight?

Well, 2 days ago I saw Inception. Christopher Nolan tells us the story of Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), an extractor (“Dreams thief” if you like) who is the best at stealing people's ideas through their dreams. Wanted for justice for his ilegal job and separated from his family, Cobb sees the chance of recovering his old life by Saito's offer, who orders him to put an idea in a bussiness man's mind, along with Cobb's ensemble team.

A sci-fi/action thriller, with psychological layers. As in Nolan's film, there is also a deep drama in Cobb's life, who lost his wife, Marion Cotillard. A brilliant film to see in 2010.

A few words...

I want to make this clear from the beginning: At the end of the semester, I couldn't wait to finally finish it, and, if you ask me, I think that would be enough to explain my feelings about the period.

It’s not a lie that I don’t consider myself as a top class student, but neither a lower one. Actually, in the first months my grades were pretty good, but as many things it seemed that was too good to be true. Just like an airplane, I took off to land crashing. I would say that tiredness and uncommitted disposition aren’t a very good combination. But I didn’t feel that complains and argues would save me just like that. In the end, as a good Chilean, I put my all effort and dedication to going on… at the last minute. What can I say? I’m a patriot, I think… 

As for now I’m in the “so far, so good” state. I’m still putting out of my mind the idea that holiday is over. I keep once in a while “respectfully” rejecting alcohol parties. And of course my so called “film addiction” is quite normal, and it hasn’t complicated things in my studies at the moment.