How Sweet The Sound...
Apr. 6th, 2007 02:10 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sophieisgodI 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![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
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.
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.
