正在同步电影信息
JohnGianvito'snewdocumentary,thefirstoftwofilmsfocusingondecommissioned,andhazardous,U.S.militarybases—onenamedClark,theotherSubic—inPampangaprovince,Philippines,takesitstitle(minusparenthetical)fromthecontrailsleftbehindbyairplanesathighaltitude.Apre-creditssequenceshowsseveralsuchimages,inadditiontoarollingstreamatsunrise;thedriver's-eyeinteriorviewofacar,signalclicking,asitpreparestoturn(whichwayunspecified);andfadedphotographsthatdepict,wewillcometolearn,incidentsandasidesfromthePhilippine-AmericanWar(1899-1913).Whatconnectsthesedisparateobjects/mo(ve)mentsisasharedsenseofimpermanence—thefeelingthateverythingwe'reviewingisfleetingand,likely,soonforgotten.<br/> ThethreeGianvitofilmsI'veseen—this,2007'sProfitmotiveandthewhisperingwind,and,mypersonalchoiceforbestofthe'00s,2001'sTheMadSongsofFernandaHussein—shareafascinationwith,andinsomewayseektoredressthehumanpropensitytowardcultural-historicalamnesia.I'msuresomewouldconsiderthisamorerecentmindset,oneexacerbatedbytheeverlargerandlargernumberofADD-distractionsthatprovedetrimentaltomorereflectiveandperceptivethought.(This,tome,isitsownkindofamnesia:thoughbased,admittedly,moreonfeelingthanfact,Igatherwe'veallofusbeencreatingfalsehistories—dickingeachotheroverwhetherwieldingbonesoriProducts—sinceatleasttheUpperPaleolithic.)<br/> Technologyheightenstheproblem,butitcanalso,correctlyanddevotedlyharnessed,provideindelibleandlastinginsight(salvationofasort).OneofmyfavoritemomentsinFernandaHusseinisasimpleshotofatelevisionplayinganearly-'90sArsenioHallbroadcast:Wearinga"USA"-emblazonedjacketandtalking,atfirstratherhumbly,abouthowdifficultitistobefunnyinatimeofcrisis(themovietakesplacepre-,during,andpost-IraqWarOne),thehostproceedstojokeaboutanewspaperarticlethatusesthewords"Iraqiintelligence,"tohimanoxymorononthelevelof"goodPorky'smovie."Speakingformyself,ifIwasintheroomwhenthatwasoriginallyairing,IbetIwouldhavelaughed,thoughIliketothinkitwouldhavebeenthathollowPavlovianlaughterthatcomeswhensomethingissupposedtobefunnyandwhich,hopefully,soondissipateswhenthebetterpartofourbeingreassertsitself(goodhumorcutstothesoul;badgoadstheglands,upstairsanddown).<br/> Ifweacceptthattelevision,likeamoviescreen,isafilteronreality,thenwhatGianvitodoeshereisputafilteronafilter.Suddenly,it'sasifwe'rewatchingfromoutsideourownconsciousness(ithelpsthatGianvitodoesn'tusethecameraattachmentthatremovestelevisionbroadcastscanlines—afurthercuetothesenses)andtheproblematicaspectsofHall'sjestcometothefore:despondency,racism,ill-information,plainol'shoddyhumor—adesperatepandertothemob.(ThatGianvitochoosestoshowablackmandishingthisout—I'msureLettermanandCarsonhadmorethanafewchoicebonsmots—addsanadditionallytroublinglayer:QuothAvenueQ'slispingAsian,ChristmasEve,"Evlyone'saritterbitlacist!")Alljokingaside,thisscenegetsmeeverytimebecauseitshowshoweasyitisforanypersontogoignorant,tocovetandtrustimmediatesensations/impressionsoverallelse.Gianvito'smoviesdemandthatwecontemplate,livewith,question—alwaysquestion(andthatincludespushingbackagainstthefilmsthemselves).<br/> InVaporTrail(Clark),Gianvitoacknowledgesthedesireandtheneedforhisaudiencetoresistwhattheyareabouttoexperience,cuttinganearlysequencearoundabriefnarrationbythelatehistorianHowardZinn—thespeakerhimselfachoiceprovocation."Allhistoryisselectionandemphasis,"hesays,"neutralneitherinoriginoreffect."Thebiascomesout,asitdoesinmostofthedirector'swork.Indeed,it'seasyenoughtopegGianvitoasahard-coreleftistsinceFernandaHussein,ProfitmotiveandVaporTrail(Clark)allcontainsomebitofrighteous—atworst,self-righteous—angeratthoseinpower.Butwhatmakeshimagreatdirectoristhatheallowsthetoolsofcinematomediateandtransformthepersonalbeliefsthatalesserartistwouldposit,forevermore,assovereignandinfallible.<br/> Oneofthewaysheachievesthisisthroughthelengthofhisfilms,evenifsomeoftheawkwardnessinherenttoFernandaHussein(especiallyinthefictionalscenes)ortheintentionalrepetitivenessofProfitmotive(amostlyuncommentedoncollageofprogressiveactivistgravesites)ortheextensivetestimonialsbyFilipinofamiliesinVaporTrail(Clark)(eachattestingtothehardshipssufferedbecauseoftheabandoned,pollution-heavyClarkAirBase)makesonewonderifanadditionalpairofeditorialhandsmightimprovethings.(At264minutes,VaporTrail(Clark)isoneofhislongestworkswhileFernandaHusseinandProfitmotiveclockinatsimilarlyagainst-the-"norm"runningtimes—168minutesand58minutes,respectively.)NodoubttherearethosewhowillcometotheHarveyScissorhandsconclusion,andperhapswithgoodreason.Formyself,notasecondinanyofthesefilmsiswastedorwasteful(whichisn'ttosayabovecriticism),mainlybecauseIseethemascumulativefirst,incidentalsecond.<br/> There'sasenseofsymmetrytoVaporTrail(Clark)thatonlybecomesapparentinretrospect.(Ifeelthatifonewereabletostepbackandviewitasastand-aloneshapeorstructure,itwouldresembleaninfinitysymbol,thoughonemalleableenoughtoallowfortheadditionsandsubtractionsbroughttoitbyeachspectator.)Inthemoment,thefilmisconstantlyshiftingmoodsandtones—elegiachere,didacticthere(thelattermostnotableinthehistoricalsectionswhereflatnarration,stillphotosandextensiveonscreentextimmerseus,quiteheadily,inthePhilippine-Americanconflict).Iwouldevensuggestthatitfrequentlyswitchesgenres,incorporatingvarioustropes,impressionsandsensationsfromfictionalfilms(apracticewithprecedentinGianvito'sbodyofwork:FernandaHusseintitlesitssecondsectionwithaknowingpunon/allusiontoD.W.Griffith'sOrphansoftheStormandopenswithasilentmovie-likeirisout).<br/> ThemostintriguingofthesecomesfromthewayGianvitoviewsthetwoactivists,MyrlaBaldonadoandTeofilo"Boojie"JuatcoofthePeople'sTaskForceforBasesClean-Up(PTFBC),whoactasthemovie'sostensibleVergils.Theyareindeedourguidestothesurroundinghorrors(eversincetheJune12th,1991eruptionofMt.Pinatubo,whenalargenumberoftheFilipinopopulacesoughtrefugeatClarkAirBase,physicaldefectsandprematuredeathhaveincreasedexponentiallyandgovernmenthelphasalwaysbeen,toputitpolitely,unreliable),butGianvitodoesn'tshuntthemtothesidelines.Rather,hedevelopstheirstoryinparalleltothelargerfocus,typicallyinleisurelysequencesthatbringtomindthosetimesinlateHowardHawksfilmswherenarrativethrusttakesabackseat(withoutcompletelyvanishing)anditfeelslikewe'rejustobservingpeopleintheirlanguid,relaxedelement.<br/> Moviessooftenhypeupthelivesofactivists(theSimonWiesenthaldocumentary,IHaveNeverForgottenYou,turnedtheNazi-huntingengineerintoaglobe-trotting,ass-kickingJamesBond,completewithbreathlessNicoleKidmannarration)thatit'ssurprisingtoseethemhereinmanyinstantswhereurgencyisnotthedrivingfactor("activism"notalwaysdemandingconstant"action").Thecrack-a-smilebestoftheseisJuatco'sextendedmusicalintroductiontoameetingoflocaladvocateswhoarewaitingfornewsaboutapotentialvisitbyPrinceAndreaofMonaco—alevity-inducingcontrasttotheseriousnessoftheoccasion,andonethatcomesfullcircleinVaporTrail(Clark)'spenultimatescene.Andthemostmovingisanastonishingsingletake—beachsideatsunset,nearly20minuteslong—inwhichBaldonadoexplainshowshebecameradicalized.