35 Shots of Rum

By: Claire Denis (French)

A family drama that focuses on blood ties and household relations, this film is mellow compared to our reading of Oscar Wao for the week. Lionel a widower has realized that Josephine has grown up and will eventually leave him. The real life emotion of having someone leave your side after being your sole companion for so long is relatable. I know my parents had a similar feeling when I left for college. This situation speaks to many in different ways.  It’s a movie of moving on and the shifting of structure. For example, Lionel dancing with the restaurant owner, the passion is obvious. Gabrielle is heartbroken. Josephine and Noe light up the dance floor as well. Afterwards everyone’s relationships have been altered with just one scene. Lionel realizes he has freedom from Gabrielle. Freedom is a recurring theme. It is especially reminded to us in the footage of the trains. We are shown trains at day and trains at night. Josephine and Lionel both ride in the trains. Lionel is a train driver which speaks to his life (stuck) in that situation, not being able to choose what he wants. There is a big difference between riding the train and driving the train. Trains made me think of Oscar and his attempted suicide.  The train was a deciding factor for him as well. Freedom to let go of everything burdening his life or to stick it out. He chose to jump but the golden mongoose had another fate for him. I think freedom is a big part of the Brief Wondrous Life.. too. Everyone in that book has the chance at freedom and to break the curse but they are continually creating more trouble for themselves and choosing the wrong path. Their relationships (like this movie) are about family. Daughters and sons and mother’s and father’s.  Except Josephine and Lionel have a much stronger relationship to each other then Beli and her children or with her own mother.

Both Claire Denis and Junot Diaz have the ability to create characters we care for. The emotions in both this movie and the book have the power to be both leading and misleading. We see that in Oscar Wao with his relationship with girls in his life, his mother Beli was blind sided by the Gangster, and Lola broke up with a boy that she later reflected, really loved her.  The power of creating compelling characters is a real art. Junot and Denis have styles that can help writers with their form. Junot has the ability to make light of dark situations without taking away their meaning and Denis has the talent of creating powerful characters. I can understand why the book and movie were chosen together.  Being able to write about family relations is directly related to what I’m writing.  In fact my writing could use some laughing points like Diaz has or simple but strong dynamics like Denis’s movie.