this is a comment on "xanga.com/readallabout" blog for Nov. 30

The thing that I get most out of reading this piece is the fact that everything in the life of a Navajo is motion oriented. What really stuck out for me is how in the Navajo language, everything is spoken as if it "moves into" something else (i.e. "move into safety"). This is very evident in the examples given of their filmmaking. Motion seems to be the most important thing. It doesn't matter what the ending of the film is, what counts most is how you get there. In other words, how the story travels or moves from beginning to end. There is also the "journey" factor. In almost every film they make, the human subject of the film is always going on a journey. Just like the person whose blog I am commenting on, I find it very interesting how a cameraman can hold a camera so still while filming movement. And the fact that the Navajo filmmaker can master such fluid motion in their films at a level that even Hollywood professionals find difficult, is just amazing.

I also found especially interesting how structured the Navajo lifestyle is. Everything has to equal out. This was pointed out in the part of this reading when it was mentioned that if there are three male students, there must be three females as well. It is also worth pointing out how concerned the Navajo are with the origin of things, which is partly evident in the way they make their film subjects go on their aforementioned journeys. Furthermore, the Navajo seem to feel that their mere existence might affect the world negatively, as portrayed in Al's film about how he sees himself as an "intruder."

Putting all of this together, I find it very interesting that the Navajo lifestyle seems to be very obssessive compulsive. They are very concerned with order, as evidenced in the one film in which the filmmaker had to start on one side of the lake and work his way around, and worried about the effect that their existence will have on the world. More evidence of this is how all things must be even. Since this is how their lives are led, this is also how their films are made.

Omar Gatlato

While watching "Omar Gatlato," I couldn't help but feel a little confused. First of all, it seemed as though the first half of the film was documentary, while the last half was more in the style of a narrative film.

For the first 45 minutes or so, Omar narrates his own story as the camera follows him around. We pretty much see every painstaking detail of Omar's day to day life. This is good for the sake of realism. With this kind of filmmaking you get an uninterrupted look at the film's subject and his surroundings. Then the second half of the film takes a slightly different direction. The narration stops, and the whole "realistic" feel seems to vanish from the film. The filmmaker goes from a documentary depicting the life of an Algerian male in the Casbah, to telling a narrative story about the same man trying to locate a mysterious girl. Obviously, realism can be depicted in any kind of film, but I just wanted to get this out of the way.

As far as realism itself is concerned, I can only really see certain generalities of it here. Some of the women are dressed in a traditional style and gangs run wild trying to rob men and women alike. Omar and his fellow Algerians find pleasure in simple things such as the movies and music. The cassette player that Omar owns is pretty much his version of complete luxury. And the movie drives the point home that they live in a harsh and dangerous world. I know the realism in this film delves much deeper, but I find it difficult to pinpoint. From what I have read about the film, I know that it is supposed to show men as being inferior to women. This is how realism is related to gender in this film. I don't see it. I do see that Omar finds it hard to sleep in the same room as his sister seeing as they are now both adults, leaving Omar to feel out of place in his own home, but this can't be all there is. Realism related to self-determination is a little easier. Omar becomes obsessed with the female voice he hears on a tape and will not rest until he finds this girl. We can all relate to that type of motivation regardless of the motivating factor. But again, is this all there is? I also have the same problem with realism related to the post-colonial situation in Algeria. To me this film is certainly meant to be sympathetic to the formerly colonized people of Algiers. I believe it is meant to show that although they are "free," they are still colonized within the Casbah.

All this is what I can clearly see while watching this film. This fact leaves me with an uneasy feeling. I feel as though I am missing the whole point of why we viewed this movie. But to be absolutely honest, I don't see anything much more than this.