Lara Croft: She Puppet

What are the general claims about the film as a rejection of modernist aesthetics? (anti-art, feminism, etc.)

The first general claim is that instead of using everyday people or friends (“nobodies”) much like other of her works, Ahwesh uses a well-known video game heroine, Lara Croft, and uses the video game images to comment on the game’s ideals in return. While basically all of the films we’ve seen “star” regular people, not models/celebrities, attempting to act or just being themselves at times, She Puppet uses the basically ideal model of what society(at least the video gaming world) believes a woman should be and look like.

Secondly and more importantly, Ahwesh, by using the gameplay of Tomb Raider synced with voiceover, deconstructs the game itself to exploit its unconscious flaws(i.e. never ending violence, etc.) and also defamiliarizes the audience of mise-en-scene, works of drama, and the gameplay action. By utilizing these two techniques, Ahwesh creates a postmodernist/postfeminist viewpoint of how demeaning pop culture images can be and also how an virtual supermodel heroine can be controlled by the hands of a gamer, most likely a male.

These claims are supported by Wees by stating how things in the film are much different than they normally are in gameplay. Most noticeably, the sound effects and music(I forget if there is any in the game) have been removed or altered and replaced by feminist thoughts and passages read by a woman’s voice. Also, instead of running through the game, killing everything that gets in Lara’s way, the movements of the video game protagonist are altered most of the time to simply stand still to appear like she’s observing the world around her. In other sequences, the character doesn’t even put up a fight and gets killed several times in a row. With these images combined with the voiceovers, it really makes it seem as if we are hearing Lara Croft’s deep feminist thoughts as she runs through a male-dominated cyberworld.

To what degree does the analysis correspond with your own?

My analysis of the film was basically the same as Wees’s. The film really felt like a film to me and not just video game clips. Having played the game in the late ‘90s, I was familiar with the Lara Croft character and the controversy surrounding her image and role in video games. Knowing this, I was surprised that I hadn’t seen something like this before that exploited Tomb Raider’s sexual themes. Viewing the gameplay as a film with voiceovers of seemingly Croft’s inner thoughts, it really made me look at it from a different perspective and gives a whole new meaning to the game. It was actually interesting to see the game “played” differently to give Lara a whole new personality, one of feminine values and not just eye candy for gamers.

la réponse à la lecture: Week 1

Describe your response to the descriptions of the learning environment at Black Mountain College (Ch. 4 and Ch.8)

I believe that no college student could ask for a better learning environment that the one of Black Mountain College. With an enrollment that never passed ninety students, one was guaranteed a hands-on education without the clutter. I love the lack of requirements and rigidness because I feel that a learning environment is best at one's own regulation. Also, the fact that students were "expected" to have a voice is a very refreshing idea compared to nowadays where we seem to have little. I do agree with Rice with his arts in the curriculum idea. With today's pop culture-craved society, its tough to find real art anywhere unless you search hard. I blame this mostly on the lack of emphasis on the arts in college education and more centered focus on business (just take a look at the CIS building on campus). Yes, money makes the world go 'round, but what good is it without art?
In addition, I dig the idea that BMC was a place for original and unique students as well as professors, some whom didn't seem fit at other universities (i.e. Rice and Albers). This sort of open learning vibe seemed to have rubbed off on several artists such as Rauschenberg whom said he learned more from the environment than the classes themselves. Although it was before the Hippie counterculture movement, I believe that Black Mountain College may have been one of the birthplaces for it, especially in a free-spirited place like Asheville.

Describe your response to the description of "The Event" organized by John Cage.

As far as this "The Event" goes, it seems to me like one of those "you had to be there" moments, because the description on paper just cannot give the live presentation any justice. This had to have been on of the first installation experiences ever witnessed and I'm somewhat jealous of those who attended. The randomness of empty cups in all the seats was a cool idea and some students seemed to have caught on as they brought in coffee for the cups. It's really a bummer college is nowhere near the openness and spontaneity of events like "The Event".