Nara Denning’s Madalien the Small was a very interesting take on an individual’s experience of coming to terms with a sense of identity and belonging. Personally, I really enjoyed hearing Denning’s descriptions of her influences in addition to her discussion of artistic process. I was really taken by her sense of community in the mission district, which truly speaks to that aspect of the arts that we’ve discussed as being an ideal situation for reflecting on cultural experiences.
As Madalien discovers this new world, in the film, she seems to lose track of herself, trying to assimilate to the “wild” ways of her new community. The realities of the world harden her and force her to realize and value certain aspects of her past and the world she once belonged to. And as she appears to long for familiarity, she finds a guide and hope in the moon, which ultimately draws her away from her insecurity and suffering. Her sense of disconnect regarding the morals, values, and actions of the characters around her parallel some of the feelings of immigrants who may feel forced to blend into their new surroundings. Some of the other themes she used included an awareness of “the other”, a living of “the dream”, and a sense of self-loss in relation to another.
The surrealistic tone is set by dream sequences and psychological charges, with dark undertones of manipulation, exploitation, and longing. The mood is set by instrumental music with minimal information provided by the changing title cards. This seemed effective in that it made you think more about what Denning was trying to portray and forced you to piece together some of the loosely presented topics. The focus on symbolism rather than the more common realistic approach gives the story more depth, engaging the viewer to question and analyze rather than just accept what is seen. Overall I enjoyed the film for its unique nature and for Denning’s timeless yet somewhat vintage aesthetic.
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Yes on the symbolism, music, and minimalism; I like that we can read the film in various ways, thus giving the narrative more depth. So it's an "immigrant narrative," and then it's a narrative about a newcomer learning how to fit in and understand her new surroundings.
ReplyDeleteIt was pretty cool to hear how immersed she is in artist community, that at any point in her neighborhood, she can meet new collaborators or come up with new ideas, and really be fluid about the creative process. It's enviable :-)