Our second Brando film.  Not a great film.  It is the one Brando film that we're doing that did not garner any awards or even nominations.  But this film -- based on a real event -- nailed Brando's rebel reputation and presence with the teens.  (See again the Schickel piece that I read from opening night that is in the General section of the Reading Room.)  And it confronted head-on one of the key issues of the day: juvenile delinquency (yiii, how dated a term that feels now) and teen rebellion.

In these senses, then, the film was very popular, very influential, and today, though not considered a great film, The Wild One has the status of a cult classic -- signaling a wave of such better films as Rebel without a Cause (making a star of James Dean, a kind of Brando movie kin) and Blackboard Jungle (which contains Bill Haley's "Rock around the Clock" -- the bold battle cry of the music revolution).

The short opening paragraphs of the Dirks article in the Reading Room will provide a handy overview of the place of this film in film history.


But before we begin with the Wild One, some businessey items:

1)  As I mentioned last night, we are virtually at mid-term in our short course, so under the new Blackboard space called "Show and Tell," you will find (soon if not right now!) a "test" (not anonymous) and a "survey" (anonymous -- Blackboard tells me only if you completed the survey or not and batches the responses without identifying who said what).  Please complete these two short pieces right away.  Some of the items on the "survey" may move to the "test" next time, so you will want to alert yourself to that possibility now and make any adjustments necessary.

2) Also as I mentioned last night, there's a new Fun House space open encouraging you to think visually.  Awww, there's no requirement that you post in this space, but I really encourage you to step out and use another part of your brain to relate to the course material or the course format -- and entertain the class community.  Remember, "If you aren't willing to play the fool, you'll never learn anything truly new."  Will a couple of you break the ice here?

3) And again following up on comments last night, take a look at the "yearbook" for the earlier western class via the link in "Links to Love."  We'll be doing this again with a new wrinkle probably -- picture and text entry as before, but now an audio recording of you as well.  More on specifics later, but right now work on getting a picture.  I think that those in the past course can use the same picture if they want, but you might want to substitute another.  So everybody should be thinking now of a digital image to use.

4) And yet another follow-up to last night:  In addition to the yearbook material, the other final matter will be intelligent conversation with someone or someones outside the course.  I'll ask you to choose a film, find a partner or partners not in the course (either here or offcampus -- even contactable by phone), watch the film with that partner or partners, engage in intelligent conversation, and report back on the experience.  More details later, but, for now, think ahead about who you would do this with (fraternity brother, girl friend, parents, etc.).  Start to line someone up, in your head, at least, if not literally.


Ok, on to Brando and the Wild One: 

• I forgot to underscore this with Streetcar, but I will expect that you look at the film at least one more time this week -- maybe not all of the film but pieces -- in order to do your work well (your analysis post, for instance).

• Do that "first shot" response to the film on the Wild One blog in the Pooling Place right awat Wwednesday before heading off into the more structured thinking about the film.
  

• This film is based on a specific real event and a general fear of violence by young people -- about rampant juvenile delinquency.   There was much discussion about the causes of and solutions for juvenile unrest and rebellion in the 50s.  To get a sense of what the "talking heads" were saying, go to the Reading Room and read either Linder's "Conform" article or Linder's "Mutiny" article.  You will find a lot you can skip over in these articles, but scan for the kinds of things that might help you understand the creation of the Brando character of Johnny.  Linder represents the kind of thinking in the air that framed this film.
  

• Listen to 3 of my podcasts: "The Five Eyes: Strategies for a Culture of Conversation," "Hypothesize," and "Analyze."  About 15 minutes total.

• In your new group for the Wild One in "Good Conversation," do an hypothesize post and an analyze post -- 2 posts.  See prompts about these posts below.
  

• Return periodically to your group space in order to read and reflect on the posts of others after you have done yours, and reply if you want, though it isn’t necessary.

Here are the "five eyes" with a brief description of each to complement the podcasts and help you focus your hypothesis and analysis posts for today:

• Hypothesize: what is the film about? 
  
• State what you think is the director's purpose in a short, crisp sentence or two, and then proceed to elaborate on, describe, explore, and support your hypothesis in a paragraph. 

• Analyze: how does the film work? 
  
• Examine in detail specific examples from within the film that show the director’s technique (craft/art) achieving (or perhaps trying but failing to achieve) his or her purpose. 

• Synthesize: how does this one film compare with other films? 
  
• Compare and contrast specific points about this film with other films, seeking insights not apparent when viewed individually. 

• Internalize: how does this film relate to me?
  
• Open yourself up to the film and look for important issues and experiences with which you can identify or connect with and which can help you interpret or "enter" the work emotionally. 

• Criticize: what is my evaluation of the film?
  
• Take a substantial position on the film, either as a whole or on some significant part of it -- make an evaluative claim about an important matter susceptible to various interpretations and argue it.

Hypothesizing:

I'm looking for clear, concise, underlineable statements in your post like the examples I passed out in class.  Here's an example of an hypothesizing post to play off of, with the key "purpose" statements bolded.

• Wellman really paints a dark picture with The Ox-Bow Incident.  He is obviously making a point about the dangers of a 'mob' mentality, but beyond that i feel that he is claiming a need for true democracy in the world.  In the movie justice needs to be done, and instead of taking the proper measures a mob is formed and total disregard for the law follows, resulting in the wrongful death of three men.  But it wasn't just a mob of angry people; once Teatley joined and took charge he became the dictator and the mob members were his 'followers'.  So this is where I believe that Wellman is making a statement against tyranny and for democracy.  Teatley has assummed the roll as dictator and he manages to manipulate all the laws (ie: getting the deputy to deputize everyone) to turn the verdict in his favor and claim the lynching as a just action.  Even though it is spoken that every man is entitled to a fair trial, the mob is driven by their leader, who convinces them that they are taking just measures, to kill the 3 strangers.

Analyzing:

Having formed an hypothesis about what the film is about, what element within the film would you go to first as an example?  Here's a sample analysis post to play off (very long! you don't have to be that long!), with the key structural parts bolded:

• The hypothesis that this movie is about knowledge and how we come to acquire and interpret that knowledge can be supported in various scenes and with in various characters through out the movie.  The characters and the relationships between the characters in the movie are very confusing.  For instance, early in the movie we soon notice a certain relationship between Ethan and Martha, however we are uncertain of what it is and when it occurred.  Several times they are seen exchanging glances and a few times Ethan kisses Martha on the forehead.  When Ethan returns home to the burning house, the first name he yells is Martha, not his brother’s name of whom he is related to and grew up with.  The audience is left to make assumptions as to what Ethan and Martha’s relationship was.  They are left to perceive what happened between the two in the past.  Another example of a confusing relationship is the one between Marty and Ethan.  Ethan is very rude to Marty right off the bat although we do know that Ethan found Marty (supposedly) as a baby, stranded somewhere.  However, we do not know what accounts for Ethan’s disavowal of his rescue of Marty.  Then at one point in the movie Ethan begins to confide in Marty, saying “There is something I want you to know”.  However, Ethan is unable to finish his statement and again the audience is left guessing as to what Ethan was going to say.  Is Ethan Marty’s father?  What was Ethan going to say?  Later Ethan recognizes Marty’s mothers scalp in Scar’s tent.  Why, if she had been just a casual acquaintance, does he immediately recognize it after tall these years?  Again, Ford never tells us that Ethan is Marty’s father; he just gives the audience hints that it might be the case.

Ok, I look forward to seeing you use a coupla of your eyes!