From: marilyn brakhage (email suppressed)
Date: Fri Dec 18 2009 - 20:19:25 PST
Hi. I agree with your response. Of course, as Fred delineates, this
commercial is not at all an example of a Brakhagean aesthetic (which,
of course, you never suggested it was); it is quite opposite in its
intent and purpose. But do I think this filmmaker has been looking at
Brakhage films (or, at least, perhaps, the Criterion DVDs), and has
borrowed some compositional ideas? Yes, absolutely. . . . Not that
this is necessarily of any great importance, other than as yet another
example of how the avant-garde influences mainstream film and video
making, but if anyone finds this interesting, take a look at another
short film by this director (Malik Sayeed) at http://littleminx.tv/index.php?video=2
("She Walked Calmly Disappearing into the Darkness"). Again --
especially for those not so familiar with Brakhage -- this is NOT AT
ALL a Brakhagean aesthetic!! It is even, as Fred suggests, completely
antithetical. BUT, there are a few images here and there definitely
suggestive of some borrowed compositional ideas. They are completely
transformed into something OTHER (and Brakhage is not the only
influence) but . . . No conspiracy theories here (Allen) -- I just see
what I see, and I'd bet heavily on it. (It is not, after all, that
uncommon an occurrence.)
. . . I suppose someone could simply ask Sayeed, if they wanted to
know. Some people, anyway, are gracious about acknowledging their
influences.
Marilyn
On 18-Dec-09, at 11:42 AM, Chuck Kleinhans wrote:
> U.S. Frameworkers might have the same reaction I did to the new L.
> L. Bean Christmas commercial on TV. The first few shots are
> closeups handheld of a dog and a man climbing through snow...I did a
> double take, but as it proceeded you ended up with a nuclear family
> and the pooch romping on a snowy hill.
>
> [For non-US folks, LL Bean sells (mostly by online order) "classic"
> New England outdoor wear. Originally an outdoors outfitter (think
> trout fishing) they have evolved into the "sensible" earth-toned
> look you find among many Ivy League faculty.]
>
> Chuck Kleinhans
>
>
> __________________________________________________________________
> For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.
__________________________________________________________________
For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.