One of the many exciting aspects of teaching the 70's Film & Culture classes at Flashpoint Academy is the weekly opportunity to re-discover this dynamic decade and its key films with a new group of students.
I have been on this journey before, traveling to this fascinating time, but it always seems fresh when I have some first-time travelers at my side, especially a group that is as curious and thoughtful as the students in my current classes.
During our first class, we watched Five Easy Pieces (Bob Rafelson, 1970), one of the small, character-driven films that kicked off the period. The second week, we screened The Long Goodbye (Robert Altman, 1973), a 70's take on Raymond Chandler's quintessential private eye, Philip Marlowe. This week, it's Coming Home (Hal Ashby, 1978), an anti-war film that deflates the clean, good guys vs. bad guys scenarios in early Vietnam-era films, such as The Green Berets (John Wayne & Ray Kellogg, 1968), which we viewed a clip from.
From Day 1, students' observations have been thoughtful and thought-provoking--both in class and in their blog response journals. It's great to read their posts, especially the ones where the author has clearly spent time not only writing about the films and our class, but thinking about them.
I started off the class--and mentioned this in my first blog--with the thought that at least for me, the 70's was not an era defined by its solutions or answers, but rather a decade defined by the questions. So, as my classes continue their travels in this decade, I hope they will stay curious, think deeply, and ask lots of questions.
We never know when or where our next inspiration will come from. Perhaps, like the maverick film artists who defined 70's cinema (including the ones interviewed in A Decade Under the Influence) and whose inspirations and influences came from far and distant places--Kurosawa, Bergman, Renoir, Hawks and Ford, our work will be inspired by the energy and creativity supplied by the 70's. Then again, you might just get inspired by the student sitting next to you, or the one posting a comment on your blog.
Stay open. Your story is still unfolding and is still open to interpretation, just like a good 70's movie.
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I agree and like to hear the thoughts and feelings of many of the students in class. There are many insights that I might have missed or not thought of.
ReplyDeleteI am also enjoying the book, although there are so many characters to keep track of!
I knew there was something to Hopper that was a bit off so it was cool reading about him during the shooting of Easy Rider. Definitely wouldn't of wanted to get in his way.
I also was glad to have read a bit about Ashby before our viewing of Coming Home. I did recognize him too when he rode by in the car in Coming Home from the picture in the book.
I can definitely see the change happening with old Hollywood on the way out and new breed of movie companies coming to existence. The drug use was way beyond what I would have expected.
I am realizing that there are many films I should take the time and view like MASH and the Godfather (yes, I haven't seen it yet.)
Although I'm not much of a book reader, this could be a book I would have to read twice, just to pick up all the things that might have not set in on the first time around.