Final Cover Page
Mid-Term Cover Page

Playlist: Reflection

Original Playlist
Nanni Moretti as Giovani in The Son’s Room

Revised Playlist
Revised: Nanni Moretti as Giovanni in The Son’s Room

Wiki Posts: Reflection

Created Glosses:
Research Gloss: schedule prescription…
John is away all day…
I always fancy I see people…
He asked me all sorts of questions…

Additional Glosses:
A step like that…
Behind that outside pattern…
There comes John…
But if John says so…

Glosses Created with Class Groups:
The Most Beautiful Place!
I turned it off with a laugh…

Collages: Reflection

Character Collage
Syd’s Circus
Full size image
Explanation
Poem Collage
Amused to Death
Full size image
Explanation

Video: Reflection

The Fate of the Few
Explanation

Group Podcast: Reflection

The Theme of Change

Posts and Comments: Reflection

Short Story Posts/Comments:
Re: The Things They Carried
Re: Where Are You Going…
Re: In the American Society…
Everyday Use: Changing Names and The Quilt
Everyday Use: Conceptions of the Phrase
A Good Man is Hard to Find: The Misfit
Symbolism in the Red Convertible
The Yellow Wallpaper: The Cause of Depression Post
The Yellow Wallpaper: The Cause of Depression Comment One
The Yellow Wallpaper: The Cause of Depression Comment Two
How I Met My Husband: How I Met My Husband: What If…
A Rose for Emily: A Rose for Emily: Sequencing and such
The Story of an Hour and The Storm: The Story of an Hour and the Storm: At the ‘Cadian Ball
Something Literary: Frontline

Playlist Comments:
Re: Revised Playlist

Collage Comments:
James Bond – Casino Royale: Portraying Character Traits
He’s Just Got No Time: Great idea…
Revisions
Revisons
Revisions
Revisions
Very Impressed…
Revisons
Revisions

Video Comments:
Re: The Eagles and Ficton Video
Re: Americanized
Re: Video
Cool…

In class we discussed the red convertible as a symbol and what it could stand for. I agree with what most people said—that the car stands as a symbol of the brothers’ relationship together. The car was new and a gateway to other things, just as their relationship took on a new face when opened up to so much freedom. As said in class, the car became a way to uphold the lost relationship during their separation and then became beat up and broken, finally being fixed for a moment, but not long enough to last, as it was pushed into the river along with Henry Jr. I think the symbol is definitely one of their relationship and also, in class we spoke of the freedom that the car represented—in the sense of being able to drive the car wherever they wanted and wherever they wanted.

I also think the red convertible could also be drawn into parallel with two different historical ideals—firstly, of course, that of the Vietnam war. Not only did it take away the freedom of Henry, but it changed the culture, mainly popular culture, of America. It wasn’t only Henry that this happened to, but many people across the entire nation. But more closely related to Henry, the red convertible could also be a symbol of the assimilation of the brothers into the American society. If one could draw a parallel to the historical native Americans that embraced some of the technologies that the European settlers brought to them, the effect of the native Americans loosing their culture, land, and freedom to the Untied States government is very similar to what happens to the boys’ freedom. In this sense, it would be appropriate that Lyman began by explaining how he was so good at making money inside the American system. It shows where the invasion materialism into their society started, with the car as a symbol of the advancement that could be made, but that also brings, in the end, the downfall of the tribe, of the boys.

I was afraid that the size of my video would be too large as it's over 10 MB, so I uploaded it to youtube and am embedding it here. I hope this is okay.

Excerpts from my explanation are below, the full explanation is attached:

When the video project was assigned, I happened to be listening to the music of Edith Piaf and Vera Lynn. Both singers were popular during World War II, particularly in their native countries—France and England, respectively. So I thought World War II would be an interesting place to start in choosing a subject for the video. With English-native Vera Lynn as a sort of inspiration, I decided to base my film on the English side of the war. More often than not, when Americans think of WWII, it’s of Pearl Harbor—and rightly so—or of the Holocaust—again sensible. Still, I think that the story of the English in the war is interesting considering that their own Royal Air Force (RAF) was most responsible for the first real defeat of the Nazi offensive. I decided, then to portray the domestic side of the war for the English, using video of what it was like to be living in England during the war—on the ground. I wanted to represent the citizens and what they would see during the war, not just battlefields. This being said, I also wanted to choose a point in the timeline of the war of which there was much actual war footage in order to create a picture of life at the time—this means citizens, bombings, air raid shelters, sights of RAF pilots and their planes.

Over all, I hope that this video accurately portrays the events that could have occurred to any family or person during the bombings during WWII. I don’t want to say it’s necessarily an anti-war message, as I believe that however unwanted, this was a necessary war to combat Hitler’s regime, although it does show the destruction that war brings. I merely hope to show what it would have been like for normal citizens, like any of us in this class, and pay homage to the people who had to live through such atrocities. The US was hit in Pearl Harbor and this, of course is almost the same, but we were spared from Hitler’s armies attempting to hit our major cities—deliberate attempts at hitting our civilians. I am drawn to say that, at this time in our country, people have no idea how to respond to war and it doesn’t concern them really because it’s not personal. That’s not to say people don’t care, it’s just not a part of daily life. And I take into consideration, 9/11, which also hit us personally and did kill many citizens, but still I would go as far to say that this was a contained attack in one place, at one time on American soil. I wanted this video to translate the feeling and sights of a war that affected people personally and on a daily basis in order to, perhaps, give a starting point to think of how lucky we are that we don’t have to live through atrocities like 9/11 for seven months, for that’s how long this bombing lasted, the beginning marked by daily bombings, 57 nights in a row. Uncountable amounts of gratitude go from me, personally, to the British character during this time for standing for democracy in the face of so many dangers, and I hope the act of making the video shows at least this much.

In thinking about the short story, I took into consideration the problem we came up with in class of not being able to really judge The Misfit as a character because we didn't know his earlier crime that put him in jail--if it was very bad like a murder or just something smaller/something he wasn't guilty of which caused him to give up hope with society. I would have to guess that it was a pretty bad crime considering his ability to rob and kill so openly. Even if he had been in prison for an unjust reason, I think he seemed a fair bit at ease with the entire situation and had henchmen so it seems like he definitely knows how to do what he's doing.

Also, I thought just having the name "The Misfit" could lead the reader to believe that he was already someone who didn't have a place in society and in very general thinking, therefore a prime suspect to be a criminal. I'm assuming he got the nickname because of his crime, so I personally take it that he certainly must have been guilty of the crime he was convicted and it must have been something pretty bad (especially with the Grandmother's comments about his crimes).

What other things do you all think added to justification of him being called "The Misfit" and help us to figure out his background? Perhaps his lack of faith in religion inside the southern Bible belt?

I was looking around some more on the internet about Alice Walker's short story and found an argument about the phrase "everyday use"--the conceptions the characters have about it. Dee claims that Maggie would put the quilt to everyday use and that leads the audience to believe that she has quite the same idea of what exactly everyday use is, as her mother and her sister. She envisions "everyday use" as the normal daily routine (using it as a cover-up, a decoration on the back of the sofa, something for the kids to sit on, etc). Yet, one might also consider that in Dee's life, the daily routine consists of many different situations that the heritage (and therefore the quilt) should be able to live through as a representation of what was and not what necessarily is, as heritage is more often than not merely an artifact today, something we appreciate, but cannot use in the physical sense. Dee's "everyday use" of the quilt may be different (showing to friends, discussing, ect), but it would still be "everyday use" for her. That being said, Dee might not even know how to discuss the quilt and therefore would fail in enforcing her own heritage out of her own indivudal "everyday use" if she doesn't know the background of the quilt at all, so is this still a relevant argument?

I also read the article that Brenna pointed out in class (Here’s the link to the article, it’s really interesting if you want what I’m saying below to make more sense).

It’s obvious that in Everyday Use Alice Walker created a character, Dee, that was active in the 1960/1970’s civil rights movements, namely Cultural Nationalism which is an association that focused on black liberation through reintroduction to African roots (by “wearing of robes” and “sandals” and like in the story, changing names).

The names Dee uses when she comes back to visit her family are seemingly normal African-type names (to the average American, English-speaking person), but after reading a bit, I found that the article that points out that the first names Dee has aren’t actually normal words in any African dialect—they are all either spelled wrong or distorted in some way. The article also points out that the names are only closely related to words from Eastern African dialects (which, if Dee had known historical information on of the African slave trade routes, most likely would not be the region Dee’s ancestors came from).

By using this plot point, I think Walker was trying to point out two things about heritage. Firstly on a large, societal scale, the myths that some of the population had about black roots in Africa (as Dee was obviously following the crowd and bearing the “style” that the narrator claimed she had), and secondly on a small, personal scale—Dee’s own struggle with celebrating her African roots while ignoring her own personal roots as a southern African-American because the very fact that she changed her name means she willingly let go a large part of her past (as the story pointed out that she was named after her grandmother).

As far as the quilt goes, I was happy that Maggie was able to keep the quilt because I, like some others in the class, felt that Dee didn’t understand the point of heritage. I’m not talking about the everyday use vs. museum piece argument—just that in my opinion (after reading the article) Dee is just a victim of a fad (I’m NOT saying that all the people part of that movement were part of a fad, but that the article points ou that some were) because the heritage that she thinks she’s learning isn’t even her own (because most of her information is wrong) and she might not have ever been interested in any type of heritage at all if she hadn’t befriended the people she did. So I would say, if Dee had gotten the quilt, what would have happened to it after she grew out of the fad (as I’m assuming this was the point Walker was trying to make, that Dee’s interest in heritage was a part of her “style”). It would have been no use to anyone as a physical representation of every day use or museum type remembrance of heritage.

However keeping in mind the fact that Dee was sent away from her family by her mother for school, is it possible that her mother’s actions are the underlying cause of the increase of Dee’s alienation from her immediate heritage? I think it’s possible, but who knows. What do you all think?

Cover Page

Playlist: Reflection

Original Playlist
Nanni Moretti as Giovani in The Son’s Room

Revised Playlist
Revised: Nanni Moretti as Giovanni in The Son’s Room

Wiki Posts: Reflection

Created Glosses:
Research Gloss: schedule prescription…
John is away all day…
I always fancy I see people…
He asked me all sorts of questions…

Additional Glosses:
A step like that…
Behind that outside pattern…
There comes John…
But if John says so…

Glosses Created with Class Groups:
The Most Beautiful Place!
I turned it off with a laugh…

Collages: Reflection

Character Collage
Syd’s Circus
Full size image
Explanation
Poem Collage
Amused to Death
Full size image
Explanation

Posts and Comments: Reflection

Short Story Posts/Comments:
The Yellow Wallpaper: The Cause of Depression Post
The Yellow Wallpaper: The Cause of Depression Comment One
The Yellow Wallpaper: The Cause of Depression Comment Two
How I Met My Husband: How I Met My Husband: What If…
A Rose for Emily: A Rose for Emily: Sequencing and such
The Story of an Hour and The Storm: The Story of an Hour and the Storm: At the ‘Cadian Ball
Something Literary: Frontline
Collage Comments:
James Bond – Casino Royale: Portraying Character Traits
He’s Just Got No Time: Great idea…

For my playlist I chose to describe the character Giovanni from Nanni Moretti’s film La Stanza del Figlo (The Son’s Room). In this film, Moretti (Director and Actor) plays a man who has a seemingly tight nuclear family, is respected as a professional psychiatrist, has a still-intimate marriage, and all around ordered life. However, that order is broken when his son dies unexpectedly. He becomes disenchanted and lost within his own life that used to be so simple, growing distant from the family and friends that were once his touchstone. He begins to rethink everything, finding less and less meaning in the life that he thought he used to treasure, discovering that perhaps he actually took it for granted. In the end, with the help of one of his son’s friends, he comes to terms with his son’s death as well as any parent can come to terms with such a tragedy, and in the last shot we can see that the future should be a step forward in the process of moving on. I’ve tried, with the songs I’ve chosen, to describe the main character’s emotional journey, portray the themes such as the professional vs. domestic life, family interaction, loss, grief, and moving on throughout the film as well as provide some insight to the situation.

Here is the trailer, just as a point of reference for imagery:

1.) Well Respected Man – The Kinks

'Cause he gets up in the morning
And he goes to work at nine
And he comes back home at five-thirty
Gets the same train every time
'Cause his world is built 'round punctuality
It never fails

And he's oh so good
And he's oh so fine
And he's oh so healthy
In his body and his mind
He's a well respected man about town
Doing the best things so conservatively

This song describes the manner in which Giovanni lives his life at the beginning of the movie. The opening shots are of him doing his daily morning jog through his hometown which promotes the idea that he clearly has an organized lifestyle and is able-bodied at his job. There is an order here that he is dependent upon as he later realizes, to an unfortunate end. In general the song is upbeat and reflective of the way in which his character could be seen others in film.

2.) This Heaven – David Gilmour

All the pieces fall into place
When we walk these fields
And I reach out to touch your face
This earthly heaven is enough for me

So break the bread and pour the wine
I need no blessings but I'm counting mine
Life is much more than money buys
When I see the faith in my children's eyes

This song represents the close knit quality he attributes to family life, apparent in the way he is shown interacting with his wife and two children, and the familial theme in the film. The laid-back mid-tempo style of the song, almost bluesy, combined with the confident lyrics, creates an air of contentment about Giovanni’s life. Of course, events happen that foreshadow the eventuality that he may not know his children or appreciate his family as much as he thinks he does, but this song acts as an illustration of his state of mind towards familial matters at that point in time.

3.) On the Run – Pink Floyd

Instrumental

At the monumental turning point in the story, when he is informed of his son’s death, Giovanni immediately begins to feel life racing all around him. There is a particular scene in the movie I’m pairing with this song—at some point after his son’s funeral, he wanders aimlessly around his town, ending up at a local fair or carnival. The shots in the movie create a spinning type of effect as if to show how everything around him—internally and externally—simply doesn’t make sense. He puts himself inside one of the rides and everything just continues to spiral. I feel this song creates that thematic idea of displacement during grief, that begins to run through the film, for Giovanni, of uncontrollable things surrounding him by using odd sounds like running footsteps, Doppler effects, laughing, high pitched noises—all slipping in and out of the rhythm of constantly repetitive, disturbing, fast-paced synthesizer.

4.) Golden Slumbers – The Beatles

Once there was a way to get back homeward
Once there was a way to get back home
Sleep pretty darling do not cry
And I will sing a lullabye

Perhaps more of an uplifting song, ‘Golden Slumbers’ was chosen to signify the themes of illusion and futility in grief—that life cannot be the way it was. Giovanni attempts this directly after his son’s death. He tries to return to normal life as if his every day ordered life could continue in the same way as before. He goes back to work, makes inquiries about his son’s death (his reasoning is debatable), and tries to comfort himself and his family. I feel that the lyrics of this song both lift and let down the listener over top of equally emotionally-confusing piano-played music with string arrangements in the background. I think both create an eerie sense of hope, yet convey a sense of something lost or left behind—a mix of emotions, a bittersweet moment.

5.) Darkness, Darkness – Robert Plant

Darkness, Darkness hide my yearning
For the things I can not see
Keep my mind from constant turning
To the things I can not be
Darkness, Darkness be my blanket
Cover me with this endless night
Take away this pain of knowing
Fill this emptiness with light
Emptiness with light now

After trying to continue as normal, Giovanni’s outlook on his personal situation begins to decline as he becomes less and less communicative with his wife (the movie shows her in very obvious grief), locks himself away in his office at home even when he’s not working, and then when he is at work, he becomes inattentive to his patients, too consumed by his own thoughts and problems to help them. To me, this song simply oozes solitude—an institution inside the theme of grief, being that often, when people become depressed, solitary wallowing, if one will, is the only option the depressed sees. The way in which the lyrics are sung convey a sense of detatchment to the fullest—the voice very slow and tired, almost ragged. Along with the lyrics, I feel like even the music puts over a sense of weariness, particularly (for me) with the prominence of silence in the beginning and then the bass, being a low, deep instrument. The music basically a slow tempo, represents Giovanni’s own slowness, as if he himself is moving in slow-motion. The eastern influence in the song also represents a type of foreign sound surrounding the lyrics just as this deep, dark depression is inherently unknown to Giovanni.

6.) Little by Little – Robert Plant

Little by little, my heart grieves
Little by little, I call your name
Little by little, my tears fall
Little by little, everything changes
Little by little, the time goes
Little by little, the days pass by
Little by little, the air clears
Little by little, I can breathe again

After realizing what is happening to himself (being ineffectual at every aspect of his life—father, husband, psychiatrist), his wife (who is clinging to her son’s memory by trying to contact a friend whose letter came in the mail for her son after his death), and his daughter (who has become fairly anti-social at school, even getting into a fight at her basketball game) Giovanni becomes angry, for a moment yelling at his wife and breaking things, etc—after which he realizes that he simply cannot carry on in his current manner. As well as his son, he’s loosing everything he holds dear. This sudden awareness and admittance gives him a little space to “breathe.” The background sound effects, while obviously dated as results of the synthesized sounds of the eighties, sound to me like something clean, something new. The idea of something generated by a computer feels just feels uncontaminated in some way and I feel Giovanni is reaching a point where tries to obtain that new fresh air so he can “breathe again.” Still, overt immaculacy often feels clinical and I think the lyrics point to this eventuality in Giovanni’s life—that finding that point of clean-break is not so easy. It must come day-by-day, “Little by little,” however sought after or not.

7.) This Train Don’t Stop There Anymore – Elton John

You may not believe it
But I don't believe in miracles anymore
And when I think about it
I don't believe I ever did for sure
All the things I've said in songs
All the purple prose you bought from me
Reality's just black and white
The sentimental things I'd write
Never meant that much to me

I used to be the main express
All steam and whistles heading west
Picking up my pain from door to door
Riding on the storyline
Furnace burning overtime
But this train don't stop,
This train don't stop,
This train don't stop there anymore

In light of his recent grasp of his own failings, he quits his job as a psychiatrist, citing that he can no longer look at problems of his patients objectively. He doubts his own profession and other aspects of his life, appraising that perhaps the things he once believed in (like his work) weren’t what he thought they were and because of this new consciousness, the faiths he had in humanity, life, family, himself, etc before his son’s death, he can never return to believing in the same exact way. The song is made up of music by piano—full, punctuated chords that serve as supports for the somewhat sad and poignant melodies—and lyrics that speak quite literally about Giovanni’s decision to move away from what he thought he knew, strikingly, a thematic representation of the commencement of moving on after loss, a moment of new insight, yet laced with a new reality.

8.) Love Reign O’er Me – The Who

On the dry and dusty road,
The nights we spend apart alone.
I need to get back home to cool, cool rain.
I can't sleep and I lay and I think,
The night is hot and black as ink.
Oh God, I need a drink of cool, cool rain.

Only love,
Can bring the rain,
That makes you yearn to the sky.
Only love,
Can bring the rain,
That falls like tears from on high.

Love, Reign o'er me.

With the help of that friend Giovanni’s wife was trying desperately to contact, both the main character and his family begin the emotional journey away from what has happened (quite literally they drive away from town together) and thus starts a new beginning for the family. A metaphorical release of the son occurs and the family can grieve together, but more importantly return to loving each other again, even if never in the same way. I have to admit that this song was chosen more for the lyrics than the actual portrayal of them by the singer. There is most certainly a strong feeling of emotional development in Giovanni, the lyrics speak louder of his transformation than even the strong string arrangements of the song. However, these strings along with the piano create a very strong sense of the theme of emotional change—change in hope—parallel to Giovanni’s awakening.

9.) Tears in Heaven – Eric Clapton

Time can bring you down
Time can bend your knees
Time can break your heart
Have you begging please

Beyond the door
There's peace I'm sure.
And I know there'll be no more
Tears in heaven

While it’s quite obvious why I chose this song, I didn’t only choose it because it’s real life inspiration was the same exact type of situation (a father loosing a son), but rather I chose it because it has a sense of hope in the song that epitomizes Giovanni’s full recognition of his pain, the need to change his life in order to deal with it, and his attempt to do so. The song isn’t just one player, but the acoustic nature of the song (especially the guitar) provides a sense of lone sadness, aligned with the lyrics of hope (of moving on) to produce a bittersweet moment for Giovanni. The bridge of the song with (what I can only assume is a) key change is particularly heart-wrenching with its sad lyrics yet momentarily uplifted music.

10.) All My Love – Led Zeppelin

Yours is the cloth, mine is the hand that sews time
his is the force that lies within
Ours is the fire, all the warmth we can find
He is a feather in the wind

All of my love, all of my love
All of my love to you child

The last song, again, was written for a similar event (a father loosing his son). I think it definitely rounds out Giovanni’s feelings for his son in a different way than the previous song in that, "Tears in Heaven" is a recognition of his grief for his son’s death whereas this song is more of an acceptance (as far as acceptance can be expected to go in a situation like this) and ode to his son, which I feel he is ready to begin making at the end of the film—the ode being his reconnection with his family. Again in this song, the use of synthesizers is used by way of a keyboard—it conveys a sense of clean and new, perhaps paralleling the new, clean start Giovanni is making. On top of that, the music is up-tempo, and somewhat uplifting during the chorus as a promise, while still maintaining a kind of tainted, low key sound during the verses that could represent the ups and downs of the mourning period that has been and that will still come for Giovanni.

In taking into account both the film and the written version of the story we can assume that the illness being treated in "The Yellow Wallpaper" is, of course, one of depression, and more specifically, postpartum depression (It is fortunate Mary is so good with the baby. Such a dear baby! And yet I cannot be with him, it makes me so nervous.). Perhaps not as much in the text version, but in the film, at the point in the story in which John wakes to find Charlotte staring at the wall and asks her to come back to bed as to not catch cold, she kneels by his bedside and speaks of the building confusion she has—the more she talks to herself (as a result of her incarceration), the less she is able to understand. What stood out to me, though, in her speech was the point at which she mentioned joining a “brotherhood” of writers at one point in her life.

As such, I thought that perhaps the depression could be caused by a many number of things, most significantly the oppressive nature of the narrator’s relationship with her husband, John, even before her rest cure therapy, and her professional ambition—the contrast between the individualistic position of a female intellectual and the submission as the role of wife and mother during the Victorian age. There are many examples, some we have pointed out in class, of the suppressed nature of the female in the 19th century domestic sphere and were exploited in the film, especially though the scene in which John’s mother essentially points out every failing Charlotte has as a homemaker in the shadow of her so-called treatment.

This level of expectation for Charlotte in both arenas—the academic and domestic—and the contradicting repression upon her in both spheres—in the academic by men who, at the time, most likely wouldn’t have had as much respect for a woman’s mind, and in the domestic by men and also other women who rely largely on the social Victorian hierarchy for structure in societal interaction—could have been quite a heavy weight upon the shoulders of the narrator, the dichotomy inside herself pushing her into depression (or, in the least, adding to the probability of a lapse into illness).

What do you all think? Could there be any more reasons for her depression, or is it quite obvious that it's merely postpartum and I'm just rambling?

For my playlist I chose to describe the character Giovanni from Nanni Moretti’s film La Stanza del Figlo (The Son’s Room). In this film, Moretti (Director and Actor) plays a man who has a seemingly tight nuclear family, is respected as a professional psychiatrist, has a still-intimate marriage, and all around ordered life. However, that order is broken when his son dies unexpectedly. He becomes disenchanted and lost within his own life that used to be so simple, growing distant from the family and friends that were once his touchstone. He begins to rethink everything, finding less and less meaning in the life that he thought he used to treasure, discovering that perhaps he actually took it for granted. In the end, with the help of one of his son’s friends, he comes to terms with his son’s death as well as any parent can come to terms with such a tragedy, and in the last shot we can see that the future should be a step forward in the process of moving on. I’ve tried, with the songs I’ve chosen, to describe the main character’s emotional journey throughout the film as well as provide some insight to the situation.

Here is the trailer, just as a point of reference for imagery:

1.) Well Respected Man – The Kinks

'Cause he gets up in the morning
And he goes to work at nine
And he comes back home at five-thirty
Gets the same train every time
'Cause his world is built 'round punctuality
It never fails

And he's oh so good
And he's oh so fine
And he's oh so healthy
In his body and his mind
He's a well respected man about town
Doing the best things so conservatively

This song describes the manner in which Giovanni lives his life at the beginning of the movie. The opening shots are of him doing his daily morning jog through his hometown which promotes the idea that he clearly has an organized lifestyle and is able-bodied at his job. There is an order here that he is dependent upon as he later realizes, to an unfortunate end. In general the song is upbeat and reflective of the way in which his character could be seen others in film.

2.) This Heaven – David Gilmour

All the pieces fall into place
When we walk these fields
And I reach out to touch your face
This earthly heaven is enough for me

So break the bread and pour the wine
I need no blessings but I'm counting mine
Life is much more than money buys
When I see the faith in my children's eyes

This song represents the close knit quality he attributes to family life, apparent in the way he is shown interacting with his wife and two children. The laid-back mid-tempo style of the song, almost bluesy, combined with the confident lyrics, creates an air of contentment about Giovanni’s life. Of course, events happen that foreshadow the eventuality that he may not know his children or appreciate his family as much as he thinks he does, but this song acts as an illustration of his state of mind towards familial matters at that point in time.

3.) On the Run – Pink Floyd

Instrumental

At the monumental turning point in the story, when he is informed of his son’s death, Giovanni immediately begins to feel life racing all around him. There is a particular scene in the movie I’m pairing with this song—at some point after his son’s funeral, he wanders aimlessly around his town, ending up at a local fair or carnival. The shots in the movie create a spinning type of effect as if to show how everything around him—internally and externally—simply doesn’t make sense. He puts himself inside one of the rides and everything just continues to spiral. I feel this song creates that illusion of uncontrollable things surrounding him by using odd sounds like running footsteps, Doppler effects, laughing, high pitched noises—all slipping in and out of the rhythm of constantly repetitive, disturbing, fast-paced synthesizer.

4.) Golden Slumbers – The Beatles

Once there was a way to get back homeward
Once there was a way to get back home
Sleep pretty darling do not cry
And I will sing a lullabye

Perhaps more of an uplifting song, ‘Golden Slumbers’ was chosen to signify the attempt Giovanni makes directly after his son’s death to return to normal life as if his every day ordered life could continue in the same way as before. He goes back to work, makes inquiries about his son’s death (his reasoning is debatable), and tries to comfort himself and his family. I feel that the lyrics of this song both lift and let down the listener over top of equally emotionally-confusing piano-played music with string arrangements in the background. I think both create an eerie sense of hope, yet convey a sense of something lost or left behind—a mix of emotions, a bittersweet moment.

5.) Darkness, Darkness – Robert Plant

Darkness, Darkness hide my yearning
For the things I can not see
Keep my mind from constant turning
To the things I can not be
Darkness, Darkness be my blanket
Cover me with this endless night
Take away this pain of knowing
Fill this emptiness with light
Emptiness with light now

After trying to continue as normal, Giovanni’s outlook on his personal situation begins to decline as he becomes less and less communicative with his wife (the movie shows her in very obvious grief), locks himself away in his office at home even when he’s not working, and then when he is at work, he becomes inattentive to his patients, too consumed by his own thoughts and problems to help them. To me, this song simply oozes solitude. The way in which the lyrics are sung convey a sense of detatchment to the fullest—the voice very slow and tired, almost ragged. Along with the lyrics, I feel like even the music puts over a sense of weariness, particularly (for me) with the prominence of silence in the beginning and then the bass, being a low, deep instrument. The music basically a slow tempo, represents Giovanni’s own slowness, as if he himself is moving in slow-motion. The eastern influence in the song also represents a type of foreign sound surrounding the lyrics just as this deep, dark depression is inherently unknown to Giovanni.

6.) Little by Little – Robert Plant

Little by little, my heart grieves
Little by little, I call your name
Little by little, my tears fall
Little by little, everything changes
Little by little, the time goes
Little by little, the days pass by
Little by little, the air clears
Little by little, I can breathe again

After realizing what is happening to himself (being ineffectual at every aspect of his life—father, husband, psychiatrist), his wife (who is clinging to her son’s memory by trying to contact a friend whose letter came in the mail for her son after his death), and his daughter (who has become fairly anti-social at school, even getting into a fight at her basketball game) Giovanni becomes angry, for a moment yelling at his wife and breaking things, etc—after which he realizes that he simply cannot carry on in his current manner. As well as his son, he’s loosing everything he holds dear. This sudden awareness and admittance gives him a little space to “breathe.” The background sound effects, while obviously dated as results of the synthesized sounds of the eighties, sound to me like something clean, something new. The idea of something generated by a computer feels just feels uncontaminated in some way and I feel Giovanni is reaching a point where tries to obtain that new fresh air so he can “breathe again.” Still, overt immaculacy often feels clinical and I think the lyrics point to this eventuality in Giovanni’s life—that finding that point of clean-break is not so easy. It must come day-by-day, “Little by little.”

7.) This Train Don’t Stop There Anymore – Elton John

You may not believe it
But I don't believe in miracles anymore
And when I think about it
I don't believe I ever did for sure
All the things I've said in songs
All the purple prose you bought from me
Reality's just black and white
The sentimental things I'd write
Never meant that much to me

I used to be the main express
All steam and whistles heading west
Picking up my pain from door to door
Riding on the storyline
Furnace burning overtime
But this train don't stop,
This train don't stop,
This train don't stop there anymore

In light of his recent grasp of his own failings, he quits his job as a psychiatrist, citing that he can no longer look at problems of his patients objectively. He doubts his own profession and other aspects of his life, appraising that perhaps the things he once believed in (like his work) weren’t what he thought they were and because of this new consciousness, the faiths he had in humanity, life, family, himself, etc before his son’s death, he can never return to believing in the same exact way. The song is made up of music by piano—full, punctuated chords that serve as a supports for the somewhat sad and poignant melodies—and lyrics that speak quite literally about Giovanni’s decision to move away from what he thought he knew.

8.) Love Reign O’er Me – The Who

On the dry and dusty road,
The nights we spend apart alone.
I need to get back home to cool, cool rain.
I can't sleep and I lay and I think,
The night is hot and black as ink.
Oh God, I need a drink of cool, cool rain.

Only love,
Can bring the rain,
That makes you yearn to the sky.
Only love,
Can bring the rain,
That falls like tears from on high.

Love, Reign o'er me.

With the help of that friend Giovanni’s wife was trying desperately to contact, both the main character and his family begin the emotional journey away from what has happened (quite literally they drive away from town together) and thus starts a new beginning for the family. A metaphorical release of the son occurs and the family can grieve together, but more importantly return to loving each other again, even if never in the same way. I have to admit that this song was chosen more for the lyrics than the actual portrayal of them by the singer. There is most certainly a strong feeling of emotional development in Giovanni, the lyrics speak louder of his transformation than even the strong string arrangements of the song. However, these strings along with the piano create a very strong sense of emotional change—change in hope—parallel to Giovanni’s awakening.

9.) Tears in Heaven – Eric Clapton

Time can bring you down
Time can bend your knees
Time can break your heart
Have you begging please

Beyond the door
There's peace I'm sure.
And I know there'll be no more
Tears in heaven

While it’s quite obvious why I chose this song, I didn’t only choose it because it’s real life inspiration was the same exact type of situation (a father loosing a son), but rather I chose it because it has a sense of hope in the song that epitomizes Giovanni’s full recognition of his pain, the need to change his life in order to deal with it, and his attempt to do so. The song isn’t just one player, but the acoustic nature of the song (especially the guitar) provides a sense of lone sadness, aligned with the lyrics of hope (of moving on) to produce a bittersweet moment for Giovanni. The bridge of the song with (what I can only assume is a) key change is particularly heart-wrenching with it’s sad lyrics yet momentarily uplifted music.

10.) All My Love – Led Zeppelin

Yours is the cloth, mine is the hand that sews time
his is the force that lies within
Ours is the fire, all the warmth we can find
He is a feather in the wind

All of my love, all of my love
All of my love to you child

The last song, again, was written for a similar event (a father loosing his son). I think it definitely rounds out Giovanni’s feelings for his son in a different way than the previous song in that, "Tears in Heaven" is a recognition of his grief for his son’s death whereas this song is more of an acceptance (as far as acceptance can be expected to go in a situation like this) and ode to his son, which I feel he is ready to begin making at the end of the film—the ode being his reconnection with his family. Again in this song, the use of synthesizers is used by way of a keyboard—it conveys a sense of clean and new, perhaps paralleling the new, clean start Giovanni is making. On top of that, the music is up-tempo, and somewhat uplifting during the chorus as a promise, while still maintaining a kind of tainted, low key sound during the verses that could represent the ups and downs of the mourning period that has been and that will still come for Giovanni.