In "Bread and Tulips" the character, Rosalba, gets left behind on her touring trip. Instead of waiting to be picked up, she decides to hitch-hike home, but instead goes to Venice. She stays with the host of a restaurant, Fernando, and quickly begins a new life. She makes new friends, learns the accordian, and finds a job as a flourist.
This movie was about Rosalba's search for a new identity. She goes to Venice to get away from her controling husband, and to try to get away from the typical female stereotype of a housewife.We can see that's how her family regarded her when we see their home after she's been gone. There is laundry, dirty dishes, and trash lying around the house. It even takes a while for her to snap out of that lyfe style. When she first moves in with Fernando, the first thing she does is clean the appartment.
What I don't understand about this movie is how easily Rosalba can leave her family. She says she was taking a vacation, but she never really plans on going home until her husband's mistress tells her to go. And once she does go, she has no problem going back when Fernando comes to get her. Was there any trauma done to her family from her leaving home for good?
This story is also about Fernando's search for a new identity. We see twice that Fernando is suicidal, but we never get a full reason why. All he tells us is that he made some mistakes with his son, and now he's trying to make up for them with his grandson. But we do know that Rosalba has made him happy again. He now has a new reason to live: to be with her He tells her his "pheonix is rising from its ashes."
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Caterina in the Big City
Caterina and her parents move from a small town in the country to a new life in Rome. In the story we meet new classmates of Caterina's and see their opposing personal, social, and political views. We see that Caterina becomes torn between the classmates.
Caterina's parents also go through their own hardships. Caterina's father, Giancarlo, was a teacher in the country town. But when they move to Rome, he teaches at a local school and tries to become a writer. In the beginning of the movie, he comes off as kind of funny. He tells his class how he really feels about them, not holding back his true feelings. The extreme negativity towards his students can make you laugh. We never see a teacher talk this way to a class.
But throughout the movie we see that he's not a happy man. He gets irritated really quickly with his wife and kid. But he wants to famous. He wants to be someone inportant. He meets the parents of Caterina's friends, who are writers and big political figures. He comes off to them as annoying. He eventually sees his wife with their new neighbor, his childhood friend, Fabietto. I expect that his constant anger and irritation at his wife eventually drove her to Fabietto.
Caterina becomes friends with two girls, Margherita and Daniela, and becomes torn between their cliques. The two girls represent two opposing political sides. Margherita is left-neaning. She seems like a spiritual person and an acitivist. She and Caterina visit rallies and graves of poets. Daniela is right-leaning. She is a free spirited party animal. She and Caterina attend parties and go on shopping sprees.
Both of these girls put Caterina into situations she's not used to, and not comfortable with. With Margherita, she drinks and gets a tattoo. With Daniela, she goes out with rich, snobby girls and unintentionally steels from a store.
Caterina's parents also go through their own hardships. Caterina's father, Giancarlo, was a teacher in the country town. But when they move to Rome, he teaches at a local school and tries to become a writer. In the beginning of the movie, he comes off as kind of funny. He tells his class how he really feels about them, not holding back his true feelings. The extreme negativity towards his students can make you laugh. We never see a teacher talk this way to a class.
But throughout the movie we see that he's not a happy man. He gets irritated really quickly with his wife and kid. But he wants to famous. He wants to be someone inportant. He meets the parents of Caterina's friends, who are writers and big political figures. He comes off to them as annoying. He eventually sees his wife with their new neighbor, his childhood friend, Fabietto. I expect that his constant anger and irritation at his wife eventually drove her to Fabietto.
Caterina becomes friends with two girls, Margherita and Daniela, and becomes torn between their cliques. The two girls represent two opposing political sides. Margherita is left-neaning. She seems like a spiritual person and an acitivist. She and Caterina visit rallies and graves of poets. Daniela is right-leaning. She is a free spirited party animal. She and Caterina attend parties and go on shopping sprees.
Both of these girls put Caterina into situations she's not used to, and not comfortable with. With Margherita, she drinks and gets a tattoo. With Daniela, she goes out with rich, snobby girls and unintentionally steels from a store.
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