English title: The Rules of the Game, though a literal translation would be The rule of the game
I love this movie so much I don't even know how to begin to talk about it. is it a comedy? yep. a drama? indeed. a 'dramedy'? thankfully not. a comedy of manners? absolutely. an allegory, an analysis, a critique? yes. yes. yes.
a perfect snapshot of a moment in time? very much so. set between the wars at a time when an aristocracy on its way down was meeting a bourgeoisie on it way up; when the servant class was morphing into the working class.
that we even have La règle du jeu to watch is little short of a miracle. its remarkable story, lifted straight from imdb:
"
Despite now being considered one of the best films made by many historians, the picture almost became a lost art. Claiming that it was bad for the morale of the country (due to impending war), the French government banned the film about a month after its original release. When Germany took over France the following year, it was banned by the Nazi party as well, who also burnt many of the prints. Allied planes then accidentally destroyed the original negatives. It was thought to be a lost picture. In 1956, some followers of director Jean Renoir found enough pieces of the film scattered throughout France to reconstitute it with Renoir's help. Renoir claimed only one minor scene was missing from the original cut.
trailer
...Everyone has their reasons
NOTE: many think, me amongst them, that the scene below is crucial, the moment where the different threads of the movie come together. it is also EXTREMELY DISTURBING. excruciating to watch.
it is a "country hunt" of the kind the guests at a chateau or a country manor of the time would participate in. it features the slaughter of woodland animals, including <gulp> bunnies.
the 'hunt'
it thrills me that this movie, who could have so easily being lost forever, is available to us. it is a gift. Jean Renoir was a great director, a great filmmaker, and a great humanist. we are lucky to have his work.
The big debate in teaching primates, among other animals, is that while some say they are learning language, others insist it is merely communication, generally for a reward like food, that the primate has learned. In other words, simply a learned response, no different from a dog learning to sit or roll over for a treat. Are primates just a more trainable subjects?
There's a specific notation that I can't copy the first article I want to point out, so here is the link. It is an opinion piece on an online freelance site. I do not know anything about the author so I can't tell you what her background is.
The next article is long and I don't want to clog up anyone's Neighbourhood view, so here is a link from the New York Times, June 6, 1995 edition. The article is titled "Chimp Talk Debate: Is It Really Language?"
Additional interesting link:
at least that was my conclusion after reading the excellent series of articles on dental health by June Thomas of Slate
it is long, enlightening and I can't recommend it enough.
some key points:
- why ist dental care separated from health care? there is ample evidence that dental health (lack of) correlates to serious chronic conditions including heart disease, diabetes, digestive problems, etc,
- dentists are doctors but not "really doctor doctors". the significant differences between medical and dental practices
- dental insurance 'separate and unequal' from health insurance
- the prevention model has been very successful in dentistry yet not in medicine
- the appalling lack of dental care to large numbers of individuals
- dental care hasn't gotten barely any mention in the current health care reform debate
When I was a kid I remember liking Born in the USA. I never really considered myself a Springsteen fan, but that was a huge song in the early 80's. Fast forward to the 90's and I remember watching him getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I was more excited to see Max Weinburg since I had become a fan of him on the Conan O'Brien show. Boy was I ever disappointed. I don't even remember what they played (probably Born in the USA) but damn, that song went on for.ev.er. I started to realize that all the Boss really ever had were a couple of really catchy riffs, sexeh charisma and twenty musicians who only knew the basics. I mean seriously, maybe it's only because I've only had exposure to the singles and the popular tunes, but I can't recall any stand-out musicianship in any of his stuff.
Regardless of that, I can't help but still like a few of his tunes. They're catchy, what can I say?
Ha - at the end of Dancing in the Dark the crowd is going nuts doing that oh-ay-oh-ay-oh-ay-oh-ay thing. They do that at a fuck ton of Maiden shows too. I seem to recall finding out it was a soccer thing.