How Sweet The Sound...

[sophieisgod]

I fucking love my course sometimes. Gimpy Brian may well be a gimp, but all is forgiven because I just saw Amazing Grace. Well, I say 'just saw', I've been home for four hours but Juanita only *just* got off MSN. Also, apologies if this post is slightly wanky and doesn't really make sense, but it's basically my notes for discussion in our seminars. If I was in York, I'd be writing this on post-its, but I foolishly left them there because I thought I wouldn't need them... Like my Peep Show DVDs and my hairdryer.


So I basically knew I'd love this film from the moment the credits rolled. Not only was there Ioan Gruffud (my love for 'Sexy Welsh Guy From Titanic' is finally vindicated!), there was Romola Garai (and now I know Atonement is in safe hands), there was quality old person acting talent (Albert Finney! Michael Gambon!) and a wide range of sexual men (Ciaran! Rufus! Stephen Campbell Moore!) Ahem.

I was slightly unsure about the flashback structure to begin with, just because it's so overused for biographies, but then it cut from sickly junkie Ioan to young hunky Ioan and my heart just went 'oh god', so I hurdled that obstacle quickly. I loved the transition from this broken man to the young politician brimming with hope. Ach. Also, Ioan has lovely eyes. And lovely hair. And looks excellent in shirtsleeves.

Pitt and Wilberforce! They were like this awesome historical tag team. I am aware that I have certain issues regarding certain kinds of male relationships onscreen, and dammit, this film didn't help them! I *love* when people start a 'journey' (I threw up a little writing that word, but I can't think of another way to say it!) together and end up in different places, especially when they're fighting for the same cause. Crap, I still need to write about The Wind That Shakes The Barley. Soon! Anyway, it makes me sad and it is excellent drama because of the angst. Plus, this actually happened.

I loved, loved, LOVED Rufus Sewell as Thomas Clarkson, even with his straggly bob. Partly for the character, partly because it was Roof. Anyway, the scene where he tries to convince Wilberforce to go to France? Probably the best in the film. And Rufus + a baby = a big puddle of me. Stephen Campbell Moore was only in about three scenes, but damned if he isn't as pretty as ever. *curses self for also leaving Bright Young Things DVD in York* I do like the pale freckly guys, but he looks hawt with a 'tan'. And I got very excited when Ioan called him a 'lusty adventurer'. These kinds of observations probably won't make it to the seminar, but I feel they are valid nonetheless...

Scenes that made me well up/cry real tears:
Wilberforce trying to make a speech while the entire House Of Commons denounces him and calls him seditious and shouts him down
Wilberforce going cold turkey and making Barbara talk to him about the baby
Olaudah Equiano crying in church
The final scene

The idea that these hot young politicians had fangirls makes me happy. And it also makes me sad that nobody really gets turned on about politics anymore. I mean, true, Tony Blair is in no way hot (although I don't care what anyone says, I still have a thing for Gordon Brown... And I am in no way confusing Gordon Brown with Gordon-Brown-as-played-by-David-Morrissey. Honestly.), and the left and right are shifting ever closer to the centre, but nobody gets excited about it anymore. Apathy isn't sexy, people.

Okay, incoherent seminar ramblings. I love how the issue of slavery got tangled up with all these other issues all the time. I mean, I don't *love* it, but it's bloody fascinating. The idea that something so repellant permeates so much of society and industry that's it's almost impossible to destroy... And that the idea of abolition and freedom was inextricably linked with other ideas of social justice, and by extension radicalism and revolution (again, Wind That Shakes The Barley). And the overwhelming fear and paranoia of a revolution in Britain. It's a theme that we see again and again... the abolitionists labelled as seditious, the Defence Of The Realm Act gagging the press in 1914 and shackling Ireland even further... Ach. That's completely alien to me, that a government would reason that disagreement is treason. Who thinks like that? But then you get into the whole 'Britain's too repressed to revolt' debate, and I suppose we had the Industrial Revolution instead...

Which leads me nicely to my next point. The thing I hate most about being British (by nationality, if not wholly by birth) is all the colonial guilt. Our whole fucking Empire, which the fucking Tories still look back on as the glory days, was built on slave labour and intimidation and a completely unjustified sense of entitlement. And yes, we wouldn't be where we are today without it, but I cannot for the life of me see how it was justified. Actually, Dylan Moran has a magnificent line about the British Empire. Basically, the army turns up in *insert name of country here* and says "You, you and you, fuck off, we're having tiffin."

And then (and now I'm completely off the point so feel free to stop reading because I really am just rambling now) I have to attempt to reconcile all the guilty guilty guilt, because being Catholic doesn't quite guilt you up enough as it is, with the Irishness which says "Fuck off, you bastards!". So half of me is mad at the other half of me. And I used to find it so hard in politics and history last year, when you'd have all the right-wing TWATS mouthing off about patriotism and empire and all my arguments were countered with 'but it was worth it'. When I was little, I asked my mum which half of me was Irish and which was English. She said my mouth was Irish...


Whoops, sorry, ranty rant rant. Awesome film.

Also, yesterday I went to Manchester to see my Wifey Louise templa_otmena and I saw 300 at the IMAX. Lord. And Sunshine tomorrow! And Will Arnett is in Blades Of Glory!

Ooh, and the Last King Of Scotland soundtrack is immense. When we were dricing to Preston to the pictures (all that, and it's coming to Sowwie next week anyway. Grrrr.) I had it on my iPod and it was sunny and it reminded me of that early sequence where he's on the bus looking at all the scenery. I mean, Lancashire is hardly Uganda, but it was nice.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Sophie, I don't know anyone who can write like you. The way you express yourself is incredible.

I hate you.

[pie-face88.livejournal.com]

And that was me, but I hadn't logged in. In case you were wondering...

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

Thanks, but it really isn't writing so much as it is just spewing out my stream of consciousness...

[darkangsty42.livejournal.com]

Amazing Grace!

The acting was what really stole the show. Everyone in it was in their top form.

I was totally lost for the first couple of minutes with the flashback stuff. But then it made sense. Ioan, I am convinced can look pretty anyway he wants. I made a comment to my mother, that if they revive the Hornblower series, at least we know he'll look good as an old Hornblower.

Wilberforce + Pitt = BFFLs. ♥

It was really nice to see Rufus in a role other than the conniving evil person. And I agree, the scene about going to France was the best part of the film. Seriously, 18th century politics > all other politics ever, with maybe the exception of corrupted Rome.

I'm pretty sure my jaw dropped more times than was decent when watching that film. Esp. the previously mentioned France scene and the part when he was labeled a sedtioner. (Is that a word?)

There were no tears, but everyone burst into applause in my theater when the movie was over.

Is it totally bizarre that I was completely turned on by that movie? You're right, politics pretty much is dead, but shouldn't movies like this, or TV shows like the early years of The West Wing do something for these silly, apathetic people? Coming from a pretty politically active family and community, it boggles my mind that people just don't care.

Michal Sheen as Tony Blair in The Queen was cute, if in an awkward way.

The tangling of issues of course, is always prevalent in politics. It's just that this happened to be more interesting/compelling than most instances. I agree with your comment about everything tying into revolution. I had just finished getting through the Enlightenment and the 18th century stuff in my European history class, and all I can say is it was a dangerous but sexy time. (It was the best of times, it was the worst of times... sorry about that.) On the revolution tangent, later down the line, when every nation was fighting for their freedom, I always found it fascinating that Britain's road to democracy was so much more organic than all the revolutions that were staged. Less sexy, but less people dying. And even for all the British aristocracy/conservatism in the 1800s, they always managed to be a few steps ahead of everyone. (ie, the Industrial Revolution)

Off that tangent...

You have colonial guilt, we have the Southern Tradition guilt, and basically everything that happpened up until the 1960s. Even though my dad's family's from the South, no one actually lived there at the time of the Civil War. For my family, it's more like the Pennsylvania Dutch and being the first people to kill off the Indians. Which is a whole other can of worms. It just sucks that every "great" nation was built on exploitment. Slaves, cheap labor, Indians, (both kinds) and any other minority without the technology to stop it.

Ironies of ironies, Wilberforce was a Tory. Albiet, an independent, but... then again Lincoln was a Republican.

At least you can put up a good argument with your Irish side. Since Americans are obsessed with their genetic makeup, mine's not terribly interesting. Basically all English and German with a dash of Greek. Hardly the exploited groups. *cough*

300 in IMAX. *iz madly jealous*

Last King of Scotland... STILL haven't seen it, and want to so badly.

[darkangsty42.livejournal.com]

Holy shit...

Didn't mean for it to be that long...

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

Hee, I totally thought "he's going to look so good when he's older!"

Rufus is immense. You should see him in Taming Of The Shrew, he's not eeevil in that, just sexy. Ooh, and Middlemarch!

Applause? Jealous. I keep waiting for a movie to get appluase over here, but it probably won't happen. Not in Southport, anyway. Although, the applause thing really bugs me in theatre. You see American clips of Les Mis, and it's like
'ooh, a flag!' *applause*
'ooh, they lifted the small child!' *applause*
'ooh, they went off and came back on again!' *applause*
Which is fair enough, if you want to show your appreciation, and I like the enthusiasm, just... don't applaud in the middle of a number!
Whoops, tangent!

So, guilt is fun, isn't it? It's the 200th anniversary of abolition this year (which you probaby know, since you know more about British history than I do! It's not my fault, I did Modern at A-Level! I can tell you stuff about the Holocaust!), so there are guiltcakes a plenty all over the place. Plus, there was a big hoohah because Tony Blair apologised without actually apologising. And stuff.

The whole political engagement via media thing is great in principle, but the only stuff we really get over here is satire, which isn't really conducive to participation. If you can track it down online, though, you should watch The Thick Of It, you should, because it's bloody hilarious.

The whole Tory thing makes me laugh, because where it actually used to be the name of the party, now it's more of a (usually derogatory) nickname.

IMAX... Gerry's abs were the size of my house.

Long rambly comments FTW!

[darkangsty42.livejournal.com]

I couldn't get into Middlemarch. I love all the other George Eliot I've read/seen, but just couldn't with Middlemarch.

I'm going to see Les Mis for the first time ever on Wednesday! I'm so excited!

History sort of equals = life. I used to be really hardcore into American history until high school and then it was all English and European history. I'll eventually get to Eastern history. :) I find the Holocaust fascinating in a horrifying way. But I could only watch Schindler's List once. I just felt physically ill watching it.

I wish people would just take politics seriously nowadays. Satire is fun, but just causes people to not want get involved in it. It scares me how apathetic my peers are. I don't care if you pick the Republican side, (okay, I do, but for the sake of the argument) just pick a side and care!

Tory is pretty much a slur in American history classes too. The books are always like "and then the Tories were evil and not patriotic and didn't dump tea! Never mind the pollution!"

It's already gone out of the IMAX closest to me. My friend and I were going to make a trip out of it, but alas.

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

Yay, Les Mis! Oh my lord, you'll see Lea Salonga! Except, I'll be crushed if you don't like it. I'm so in denial about how much of a fangirl I am that it's not even funny.

I didn't particularly like Middlemarch, after the first time I just skip to the Roof bits. Rosamund's hair! Ridiculous. But, I bought The Mill On The Floss the other day, and that was immense. Emily Watson wins at life.

[darkangsty42.livejournal.com]

Well, I adored the book. So I'm going in as a person not terribly fond of musical theater, but a huge literature/history geek. So take that for what you will. Of course, it's now under the pressure to live up to the book in my eyes. We'll see. :)

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

Ooh, found a link for TTOI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGf3iMJawAA

And see Last King Of Scotland. See it for James McAvoy, see it for the politics, see it for the performances. Just see it.

[darkangsty42.livejournal.com]

I shall check it out. :)

[agguss.livejournal.com]

*gasp* I had TOTALLY forgotten that Ioan was in Titanic! *fangirl squee* :DDD He was SO hawt in it.

The idea that these hot young politicians had fangirls makes me happy
Yes! Yes so much. I loved the thought too.

The thing I hate most about being British (by nationality, if not wholly by birth) is all the colonial guilt
I however, have a different point of view on the subject. Being from Argentina -an ex-Spanish colony- and a history lover, I usually think of what would be of us if colonization wouldn't have happened. (Personally, I would be in Europe now, since all my background is European, but that's another story).

I think that most of the colonies that were under the British Empire ended profiting from the whole business, even if it might have been bad at some point or another. The British Empire and then the Commonwealth gave many nations (or nations to be, at that time) the chance to grow, to be backed by an amazingly powerful country.

On the other hand, Spanish colonies ended up screeeeewd. Yeah. Both colonizations did some things bad, like completely forcing native populations, exploiting them and their land, etc, but standing now in the future I believe that the British colonization was much more profiting than the Spanish one...so you don't have to feel that guilty xD

I might be entirely wrong though. This subject need a lot of studying and I'm just basing myself on the knowledge I have ^^

[barelyshocking.livejournal.com]

This may or may not make you love me more. I am thinking the latter. I am a total Ioan fangirl. When I was eighteen, I wrote a letter to his fanclub (his mum, it would turn out) saying how much I adored and respected him. My first and only fan letter! I received a reply a few months later, which was a typed letter signed by his mum and a BLACK AND WHITE SIGNED PHOTOGRAPH OF IOAN. The best part is that the signature is in metallic ink and is A LITTLE BIT SMUDGED so I took this as proof that Ioan signed it himself, and smudged it himself.

I will scan it for you one day and show you. I also own all the Hornblower DVDs because something about sailors back in the old days makes me hot. Plus the Horatio/Archie love is TOO MUCH FUN.

Okay, the film. I agree with all you said, and I pretty much teared up in all the places you did. I thought Romola was fantastic. What a sexy, fierce woman.

It is interesting that slave trading came to an end because of a bit of political trickery, if the movie is historically correct. I was starting to lose hope, and I felt that nobody would change their mind and vote for Wilberforce's bill. Funny that he had to pull the wool over their eyes momentarily and rely on a random law in order to achieve his goal. It is a shame really. You would think that human rights would be the top of the agenda for all governments BUT of course this was back in the day, and in a way not much has changed.

I understand the empirical guilt thing now. I have to say, I feel it too in a way. I feel guilty for the way that Australia was colonised, and for some embarrassing moments in our history. The White Australia policy, for example, and the Stolen Generations. The government has finally made a move towards repairing the broken relations between 'white' Australia and the Aboriginal people, but it far overdue.

Colonisation and empire however has been a fact of the world for as long as people have been on earth. It doesn't excuse the atrocities, nor does it make the concept and execution okay. It is just something that has been ingrained in us, this desire to conquer and control.

ANYWAY! You are made of win ♥

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

THAT IS INCREDIBLE. THE SMUDGE IS CLEARLY A SMUDGE OF LOVE. He wants you, that much is evident. Man, 102 Dalmations. Fun times.

Romola is a goddess. I saw her play Cordelia King Lear and she was magnificently good :)

Yeah, I know what you mean. It's so depressing that the government wouldn't actually say "selling people is wrong. Let's stop doing that." Ooh, I think I heard about that reconciliation/apology thing. Kevin 07 and all that jazz, am I right? One of my friends lived over there for 10 years, and I was kind of shocked to hear about all that stuff.

Imperialism never ends well. Somebody should show these people Star Wars!

As are you :)