Feminism to Mantel is the chance to be a man. Not the chance to escape having to marry and breed or face obscurity. That does seem to be the case, but equally disturbingly, since when is feminism "a done deal"?
It's a bit woolly, isn't it, this idea of universal girlhood? I'm tempted to say, like Camille's Vieux Cordelier appeals for "Freedom", it is a retreat into sophism in the face of political realities. I'm sure Ms Mantel would be the first to get a bit peeved if she suddenly had to turn over her bank account to the nearest available man. I always have to wonder what people are thinking when they write articles like that. I mean, clearly on one level they are very much thinking of their own situations when they write, but on another they don't seem to consider all the implications even for themselves, let alone for everyone else and their disparate circumstances.
I can respect a teacher who shows Danton, or any other film, for the reasons you say yours did. But so many don't. And I know too many people who watch the film and come out thinking something like, "Wow, the parallels between Revolutionary France and Communist Bloc countries are so powerful. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose." I obviously didn't see Danton that way, but neither was I able to see it as you did. I was too busy having my brain broken by all the distortions and falsifications the film contains. I guess it's hard not to pity Robespierre as he's portrayed, but like in PoGS, this is mostly at the expense of his friends, family, and colleagues. The two works actually have a lot in common, come to think of it. That's probably why they seem to be so mutually reinforcing among people who read the one and watch the other. *sighs*
I think Wadja's film proves that this type of personality isn't just a problem when it occurs in women. But goodness, men and women must all be so very different mustn't they? Wadja and Mantel, you bloody well deserve each other. How very, very true.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2010-03-07 01:21 am (UTC)That does seem to be the case, but equally disturbingly, since when is feminism "a done deal"?
It's a bit woolly, isn't it, this idea of universal girlhood? I'm tempted to say, like Camille's Vieux Cordelier appeals for "Freedom", it is a retreat into sophism in the face of political realities. I'm sure Ms Mantel would be the first to get a bit peeved if she suddenly had to turn over her bank account to the nearest available man.
I always have to wonder what people are thinking when they write articles like that. I mean, clearly on one level they are very much thinking of their own situations when they write, but on another they don't seem to consider all the implications even for themselves, let alone for everyone else and their disparate circumstances.
I can respect a teacher who shows Danton, or any other film, for the reasons you say yours did. But so many don't. And I know too many people who watch the film and come out thinking something like, "Wow, the parallels between Revolutionary France and Communist Bloc countries are so powerful. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose." I obviously didn't see Danton that way, but neither was I able to see it as you did. I was too busy having my brain broken by all the distortions and falsifications the film contains. I guess it's hard not to pity Robespierre as he's portrayed, but like in PoGS, this is mostly at the expense of his friends, family, and colleagues. The two works actually have a lot in common, come to think of it. That's probably why they seem to be so mutually reinforcing among people who read the one and watch the other. *sighs*
I think Wadja's film proves that this type of personality isn't just a problem when it occurs in women. But goodness, men and women must all be so very different mustn't they? Wadja and Mantel, you bloody well deserve each other.
How very, very true.