Review of John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme"

"A Love Supreme" is often considered John Coltranes "magnum opus", his career-defining work that still remains as relevant and inspiring today as it was when it was released in 1964. This album features Coltranes classic quartet with Mccoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. All the musicians on this record contribute equally to the music, as well as standing out on their own many times throughout the recording. This record isn't meant to be put on for just enjoyment purposes, it's music that's meant to challenge any pre-concieved notions of what jazz can be, breaking down any restrictions and bounderies in its way. Throughout "A Love Supreme" are moments of triumph, anger, celebration, sadness, and reflection. To truly appreciate this album, one must completely immerse themselves in the spiraling music and approach the album with an open mind. As mentioned before, this isn't easy listening, it's not music that is "catchy" or that has a "good beat", this is music about life and all it's various emotions. This is true art in all its meaning.

"Acknowlegment", the first track of the record, begins with the classic four note theme provided by bassist Jimmy Garrison. The piano comes in as well as Jones' classic afro-cuban groove that maintains a focused theme, but includes slight changes and builds intensity throughout the track. The band provides an intense yet hypnotic framework for Coltrane's masterful solo's. Coltrane apoproaches his solos like a mad musical scientist, violently searching for melodies and often engaging in a musical conversation with himself, answering to his own leads, and elaborating on musical ideas. The music continues to build and build until it finally peaks with musical fury and intensity and stays that way for a good amount of time. The music then calms down and ends with the repeated vocal chant "A love supreme" which follows the bass line that starts the record. This is probably the most accessible track on the album, but by no means the strongest.

The second part of the suite, titled "Resolution", again begins with Garrison. He plays a dark unaccompanied intro which soon launches into a full musical onslaught with the rest of the quartet all coming in together. Coltrane plays a middle-eastern tinged melody that demands the full attention of the listener, and is supported by Jones' bombastic drumming. Elvin Jones plays with reckless abandon, adding fills and unpredictable comping throughout the track. Everyone's playing is extremely busy but it works for the music. Tyner comes in with a solo that's one of the many standout moments on the album. The solo takes many musical turns and is filled with ferocity and passion. Coltrane comes in and plays with even more intensity than is found anywhere in acknowlegement. This is probably my favorite track on the album.

The third part, titled "Pursuance" is the longest piece on the album and begins with an Elvin Jones drum solo. Elvin's solo's will most likely leave non-drummers scratching their heads as they would probably sound random and unfocused, but the truth of the matter is his solos are very musical and well-crafted. A theme is always implied, and Jones explores the theme and incorporates different dynamics and parts of the kit into his beautiful solos. As the solo comes to an end, the rest of the quartet comes in with dazzling speed and fury. Of all the parts of the suite, this is the fastest and I would argue it covers the most musical ground. The solo's are excellent as always and the musical vibe is one of passion and adventure. Tyner's playing in particular is so colorful and moving. His playing is probably my favorite part of the whole album.

The last part of the suite "Psalm" is probably the least accesible on the album, but it's a perfect closer for the record. It's evident that there's no real structure and this is mostly a  free-form piece of music. Coltranes playing is less ferocius and more delicate on this track, as is the playing from the other members of the quartet. It's a very poetic peace that gives off a certain mystique and is played beautifully. The climax of the piece leaves you feeling like you've experienced a musical journey that's like nothing else. Indeed, this is a perfect way to close the album.

Rumor has it that this record is about Coltrane's personal relationship with God, and listening to this album certainly gives off a very spiritual vibe. When looking at the different parts of the suite, "Acknowlegement, Resolution, Pursuance, and Psalm" its pretty obvious that the album has strong religious connotations. However, regardless of what's really the meaning of the album, this is music that will always stand the test of time, and will always be regarded as a genre-defining classic.

Final Group Presentation

Members: Tisha, Danielle, Matthew Britt

We did our presentation on the use of film scores in film. We briefly covered the history, different kinds of scores, and the different trends regarding the use of music in movies. We showed clips of Almost famous and Edward Scissorhands. We did a powerpoint presentation.

Group Project Summary

Group Members: Matthew Britt, Brad, Nick, Brian, Mike (I think)

-We talked about Japanese theater styles such as kaubiki and it's influence on Eisesnstein, and how it influenced his appraoch to film. With Kabuki being a very unqiue and dramatic style of theater, Eisenstein was impressed and influenced by the way everything came together in a Kabuki performance, and how elaborate the performance's were. This influence could be seen with how Eisenstein used montage in his film's; how he combined and elaborated individual shot's with other shots, building a more elaborate and dramatic picture. At the end of our presentation we showed a youtube video about Kabuki.

Matthew Britt
12/19/10
Spirit of the Beehive
Victor Erice
1973
Drama
Spanish

"The Spirit of the Beehive" is commonly reffered to as a masterpiece in Spanish filmmaking. A gloriuius film that masterfully incorporates subtle-political commentary, Spirit of the Beehive is a timeless piece of cinema that will always have a special place in the history of cinema and history in general, especially in the discourse of post-civil war Spain. The film has extraordinary depth, and while offering insightful political-scrutiny, it also deals with the isolation of childhood, and a child's reliance on the imaginary and fantasy. As mentioned earlier, the film deals with heavy symbolism pointing to a political message. Its characters, dialogue, and production all contribute to this groundbreaking and memorable film.

Chris Darke's article "Les Enfants et les Cinéphiles" The Moment of Epiphany in The Spirit of the Beehive" deals with the concept of the "epiphany" in film, and how this is transmitted to the viewer. Darke elaborates on this moment, and emphasizes the importance of such moments in film. An NY times review of the film mentions the atmosphere of "evasive silence", and how this silence within the family points to a larger picture of "evasive silence" in Spain. The review also offers a complete well-written review of the film that captures the essence of the movie.

In Darke's article, Darke speaks of the moment where Ana, the main character in the film, is watching Frankenstein, and describes her intense emotional-reaction to what she sees in a specific scene where Frankenstein interacts with the little girl (in Frankenstein) by the river. Darke describes this moment as an "epiphany" and relates this to the overall singular power of film. Although as viewers of the film, we don't exactly see what Ana sees in the movie, we see her full emotional response to what she is seeing. The filming techniques, and the use of jump shots and effective lighting allow us to fully experience this "epiphany" ourselves as viewers. I definitely can relate to this feeling , because due to the masterful presentation of this film, I felt many strong feelings throughout this film, particularly with this scene.

This film was definitely one of the best films I've ever seen. I appreciate how layered this film is; how on the surface it seems to be a story of a little girl's imaginary relationship with a fictional character, but is really about the social and political effects on a torn country forced to silence after a bloody civil war. This is without a doubt a milestone of cinema.

Matthew Britt
12/19/10
Breathless
Jean Luc Godard
French New Wave/drama
1960

Jean Luc Godard's "Breathless" was a very interesting film. It fits nicely into the period described as "French New Wave" because it deals with a youthful character defying the norms and expectations of his culture. Much like Trouffaut's "400 Blows" the film is centered around the idea of an outcast who tries to escape what he views as an imprisoning society, but ultimately fails. I enjoyed this film a lot. It gives off a certain feeling of a youthful resentment to "ordered society".

Matthew Britt
12/19/10
Luis Bunuel
Un Chien Andalou
Silent Film
Surrealism/Avant-Garde/Experimental
1929

The second film we watched in class "Un Chien Andalou", was my favorite of the semester. Certainly avant-garde; the film had a disturbing mood to it and was all about the images presented. The silent film was certainly created to inspire and challenge the audience to come up with individual interpretation's about what the film is saying. The music played a crucial part in the mood and execution of the film, and I noticed that the music had recurring themes and tones; just like the images themselves. The shots were impressive and experimental; with multiple shots becoming a new scene and evolving into something else. This was truly a unique work of art that startles and inspires. I loved this film.

Response to two articles

The article "Film of Paul Bowles Short Story Rediscovered" was really interesting. I can only imagine the frustration and heartbreak the director, Sara Driver, felt when the negative was destroyed. Spending all that time on a film, which sounds like a great one, only to find out that there were no watchable copies left must be a filmmakers worst nightmare. It definitely seems, however, that fate was at play, and the circumstances of the film being lost and then rediscovered again brings even more meaning to the film. The article influenced me to look out for the film, and to read the short story. Being a bookworm myself, this sounds like something I really need to get my hands on.



The second article was also extremely interesting and inspiring. I think it's really beautiful and moving that there's a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring and showing films that never got the exposure and promotion they deserved. It goes to the show how inspiring and powerful art can be, and how dedicated the people who appreciate high art are in getting this art out to the public. In the article I particularly liked the comparison of "Limite" to Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring", and I feel that this connection gives me an idea of what seeing the film would be like. The film sounds like it's truly a brilliant work of art and I will love to get the chance to see it one day.

Jean Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast

Matthew Britt
12/19/10
Jean Cocteau
Beauty and the Beast
Fantasy
French
1946

Seeing this version of Beauty and the Beast was interesting because, one; i didn't know this version existed and two, I always loved the famous Disney version as a child. The film techniques and general quality of the film were certainly ahead of its time for 1946. One thing about the film that really makes it important in my eyes, like all the other film's we've viewed in class, is its ability to create mood and atmosphere through simple means; and the unlimited power of a single shot. The film relies heavily on romanticism and plays out like a romantic poem. This film really touches upon childhood emotions in the same manner fairy-tales and classic childhood tales would. Watching the movie certainly brought me back to my childhood. Seeing the progression of the story, and how Belle eventually falls for the beast, the movie really emphasizes a certain dream-like and magical feeling; with romantic theme's dealing with how true-love is skin deep and often unpredictable. The costume's and makeup used in the film definitely helps in creating the romantic mood; as well as the scenes that take place in the Beast's castle. It's extremely impressive how the director, Cocteau, was able to create a fantasy-world that's uniquely his own, and massively appealing.

In David Galeff's "A Sense of Magic: Reality and Illusion in Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast", Galeff discusses Cocteau's enthusiasm towards the power of a fairy tale, and his quest to touch upon the inner child of his audience. This article really gives insight to Cocteau and his passion's as an artist for mystery, the imaginary, and the sense of the impossible being possible. In Roger Ebert's review of the film, Ebert stresses the context of when the film was made, and the fact that there was limited means for creating special effects. This really points to the authentic magic of the film, and Cocteau's masterful talents as a director.

In Galeff's article, he speaks of how Cocteau requests "naivete" from his audience, in order to fully appreciate the magic and fairy-tale effect of the film. "In requesting naivetee from his audience, Cocteau is asking for a regressive belief in magic, a belief in the improbable so necessary to the fairy tale". This quote really confirms what I felt when I saw the film. Throughout the film there was a pervading sense of magic and this very unique feeling that made me harken back to my days of being a child and being immersed in the romanticism of a captivating imaginative tale. It's interesting that this article confirms that this response is what Cocteau was expecting from his viewers. In Ebert's review, Ebert notes a similar response to the film. "Its devices penetrate the usual conventions of narrative, and appeal at a deeper psychic level". This is ultimately what this masterful film achieves.
In a review written by Donald Faulkner, the reviewer states "this film proves that there's no such thing as technique, but only invention". I think this beautifully sums up the power of the film. This piece of cinema stands out on its own due to its uniqueness in it's dream-like quality and imagination. The filming techniques used in the film were effective and masterful; such as the creation of tension through dramatizing certain shots and the use of motion to add to the buildup of particular scenes. As mentioned before, the various sets and costume's employed in the film really establish a unique dreamworld of its own. This was an extremely well-made film.

Kurosawa's, "Rashomon"

Matthew Britt
12/19/10
Rashomon
Japanese
Akira Kurosawa
Crime-Mystery
Won the "Golden Lion" at the Venice Film Festival

Rashomon is certainly an intellectually-stimulating film. I was really impressed with Kurosawa's utilization of the different point's of view throughout the film. I felt that this really made the film interesting and fun to follow. It was interesting to realize that the director only used a few different location's in the filming. The overall approach of the film was very minimalistic and it was impressive in that sense, because Kurosawa's talent for building a strong story that can stand on it's own is very evident. I thought the idea of contrasting the  perspectives from each person who told their version of the story was very original, and really made me think of what Kurosawa was trying to say with this film. It's obvious that he's interested in how people deal with the truth, and how they create their own truth's, or recollection's of what happened, to protect themselves. Kurosawa is clearly analyzing morality and honesty, and how different people deal with these things. Perhaps the reason why Rashomon is so timeless, is because these are universal issues.

In Jeanne Lombardo's article "Japanese Film Greats-Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon" Lombardo focuses on Kurosawa's innovative filming techniques, and points out recurring shots in the film that are symbolic. Lombardo notes how- "Kurosawa’s repeated shots of the sun seem to hint at the underlying truth of things, bright as sunlight but hidden by the leaves of self-interest and self-preservation and seen only fleetingly" -Lombardo. This observation really helped me appreciate Kurosawa's talents as a director due to his complete reliance on a shot itself, without any dialogue or hints at what the recurrence of the sun might mean, to get a point across. That is, in my opinion, true art. Roger Ebert's review of Rashomon discusses the importance and influence of the film on cinema. Ebert emphasizes the theme of the film, being the subjectivity of truth, and provides insightful background of the film, and how many people in the business were reluctant towards the film, such as the head of the studio in which the film was produced, who "had his name removed from the credits". All this points to the groundbreaking quality of the film, and the fact that Kurosawa was taking a risk by creating such a film.

Lombardo's article talks about the films opening scene, being "set to the incessant drumming of the rain". I think choosing to begin the movie with this particular scene is a testament to Kurosawa's genius film making abilities. Right away, I was lured into the movie, and I believe this scene ultimately captures the atmosphere of the whole film. In his review of the film, Ebert mentions how "when it was released, nobody had ever seen anything like it". The interesting thing is, even through my 21st century film-viewing perspective I understand this, because I have never really seen anything like this movie myself. The fact that the movie is done in such a minimalistic manner and is able to give off such a profound and deep message is amazing to me. This confirms Kurosawa's abilities to create such a deep and penetrating work of art while utilizing so few resources.

I loved the fact that the film was silent because I always believe silence leaves room for more interpretation and adds an interesting dimension to the film. The silence creates a certain atmosphere which goes beautifully with the film. It's clear that Kurosawa has an appreciation for presenting a story in such a way that is "bare", meaning that it stays minimal in its presentation and leaves plenty of room for the audience to interperate their own meanings and feelings towards the film. The low budget and eerie tension that runs throughout the film is absolutely necessary for this film to come through as strongly as it does; such as the lighting, and use of just a few location's. It's also clear that Kurosawa has an immense appreciation for literature, and story-telling. The minimalistic filming approach to me is beautiful. I feel like by having a somewhat "stripped down" approach, like Kurosawa had with this film, really puts emphasis on the power of an image; or shot.

400 blows

Matthew Britt
10/26/10
400 Blows
French
1959
Francois Truffaut

One thing I definitely noticed about this film was that it focused on utlizing certain shots to build up tension and create a certain atmosphere. Just like "The Battleship Potempkin", the film relied on tension and intense emotion from the different scenes. The emotion and atmosphere came more from the directing than it did from the narrative, in my opinion. A great example of this would be the last scene, where the boy runs toward the ocean, but then quickly back to land, with the film ending with an intense look on the boy's face, directed towards the audience.

In John Conomos's "Truffaut's The 400 blow's, or the sea, Antoine, the sea", Conomos =talks about Truffaut's love of literature and how it is echoed in his film-making. He describes the film as lyrical, almost relating it to a beautiful novel, in the sense of how the story progresses, and the lyrical scenes that take place. In Roger Ebert's review of the film, Ebert stresses the simplicity of the film, and how the film is based on feeling; and how that's beautiful in it's own right. Evert's review basicaly says that with 400 Blows, you don't have to over-analyze or dig for meaning, all the meaning of the film is right there in front of the viewer, and it's all easy to relate to.

In Conomos's essay, he mentions how the final scene's "are some of the most hauntingly personal scenes in all of French cinema". These scenes are haunting and personal because they touch upon a universal nerve that audiences, regardless of where they're from, can all relate to. As Antoine runs back from the water, the audience is familiar with the allegory; that universal feeling in life of being stuck between individual fulfillment and the "right choice" in order to survive in a harsh society. In Ebert's essay, Ebert mentions over and over again the simplicity that the film convey's. This ofcourse is seen throughout all the film, as the film emphasizes the emotion's from the boy, which is shown by facial gestures throughout the scenes. One reason this film is so timeless and important is due to it's ability to use simplicity and play on basic human emotions through it's simple use of effective cinema.

I loved this film. This film is actually one of my favorite film's of all time, and the last scene in particular left me with a feeling I only rarely get from amazing film's. Everything about the film, the utiliziation of the different shots, the acting, storyline, atmosphere, etc...is perfect. I can truly say this film's a masterpiece that deserves to be apart of the all time greatest-film discourse.