Combs of Teeth

Combs of teeth
Held together by acrylic
Injected-molded resin
Pull themselves through
The thinning speckled strands

Putney Swope

So, here we have a motion picture that all but defies categorization.  This piece of guerrilla warfare, directed by Robert Downey Sr. (not to be confused with that other Downey) takes aim at the role advertising plays in our media-obsessed culture.  Made almost 50 years ago, it is difficult to find a more telling assessment of how we, as a society, merchandise desire.

Journey

We take away what we can
Glean from this life
A pilgrimage of purpose
Sifting the soil as we go
Fixing our faults on the fly
Breaking when we need to be

Rocco and His Brothers

When people speak of the Italian New Wave, at least as it relates to cinema, they are often discussing the piercing work of Luchino Visconti.  There are, of course, numerous other film makers who made a splash during this era (1955-1970), but none captured the ethos of what it meant to be starting out in life during a post-fascist world quite like Mr. Visconti.  His bold commentary on familial values, duties and the perks of being young, as seen in his epic tale, Rocco and His Brothers, stirs up many memories, lost opportunities and often a few regrets.

Groundhog Day

A journalist from a big city wakes up
In the same one-horse Pennsylvania town
Everyday hoping for something
Anything to be different

Persona

Maybe it was the stark, cold winters.  Maybe it was the notion of transubstantiation.  Maybe it was just the delirious visual impact of two stunningly beautiful actresses on the screen at the same time.  Whatever route you chose, Ingmar Bergman’s riveting drama from 1966 calls into question many of our assumptions about modern society.  How we honor the past.  How we prepare for the future.  How we live in the present.

Field Work

Lounging after laundry
Family over the hill
My Sunday steeped in green
Tea & The New York Times