A Sunday Afternoon At BAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                   This past Sunday, David and I, plus our neighbors, Dan and Jennifer trekked to the BAM Cinema to see an artistic program, consisting of three Maya Deren short films, and then David Lynch's 2001 classic, "Mulholland Drive," his best film, next to "Blue Velvet," but more complex, and one I had not seen in--my God!!!!!!!!!!!--18 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                     The sensory overload was so overpowering that I decided to write about each Deren film individually, and then culminate with a post on "Mulholland Drive."  So, bare with me, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is Deren herself, as she appeared in the first film shown, the 1943 short film, "Meshes In The Afternoon."  The recurrent image of her body or shadow running along a sloping wall, either in pursuit, or pursuing someone, foreshadowed David Lynch, which made it appropriate to show these films with "Mulholland Drive."  It also amazed me that this film, made in 1943, spoke of two separate Hollywoods.  Over at 20th Century-Fox then, "The Song Of Bernadette" was in production, with Jennifer Jones going for her Oscar gold.  Deren resembles a cross between Jones, especially in hair style, and Elizabeth Short, the Black Dahlia, in all her mysteriousness.  Had I not known the film was released in 1943, I might have said Deren was making a connection.

As for feminism in cinema, who ever said it just sprung up in contemporary times?  For this film, with its images of opening flowers being shown, and placed in strategic locations, is about the power of the vagina, both how straight men go mad for it, and gay men fear it.  The most frightening moment of the film is when she places the flower atop her vagina, albeit clothed.

This and 'Bernadette.'  Can you imagine?  I mean, if Jennifer Jones had worked for Deren, she sould have had an altogether different career.  Maybe not as noteworthy, but possibly more interesting.

But all this is my conjecture.  Others may have some themselves.  "Meshes In The Afternoon" is a vaginal nightmare that compels the viewer, no matter he or she feels.

Deren is both fascinating, and overlooked!  I am glad she is getting her chance, now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!