Blind

[Inigo Montoya]

Isn't someone supposed to start a thread for us to discuss before the chat?

I'll start.

First off... ****spoiler alert****

The visuals were gorgeous. I had to keep going back because I suck at movie subtitles.

I didn't get that she was so much older than him until Dr. Vincent said something about it when Ruben was in the hospital. Apparently I've read so many weirdo romance novels that I didn't grasp that her hair was gray and not just white blond. (She had hair the color of the moon... sigh )

What was up between Dr. Vincent and Ruben's mom?

And why did her attitude toward Marie seem to shift once Marie brought Ruben out of his shell?

I really did love the movie visually... I know that there's some symbolism involved in the grayness of it all and the subtlety of the color ... did it get more vivid when he could see? I should've watched it twice, I guess.

At the end, after he's re-blinded himself, do you think she was there? Or was he absorbed in his imaginary world?

I only had the very occasional, very mild dev twinge. Even though he's a lovely young man... I did love his hands.

I remain mildly disappointed that nothing blew up the whole time. ;D I swear, if I made these deep intellectual films I'd blow something up in each one just for the hell of it. ;D Perhaps off in the distance, during a deep conversation.

Anyway... let the deep discussion begin!

[ruthmadison]

I didn't get all that far in watching it...I thought Marie was an albino?

[~Z28gal~]

Yes, I didn't catch that either - that she was that much older than him. I thought she was just very pale (from hiding her face all the time and living on the tundra!) with white-blonde hair.

His mom wanted her to fix him, but didn't think she was "worthy" of him. I think his mom saw her as a freak, a monster (from the makeup scene) and only tolerated her because she was helping Ruben.

I chose to believe she came back to him after he re-blinded himself (that scene was rather brutal, even in its lack of detail) because, well, I don't do stories with unhappy endings! I thought the hand scenes were just gorgeous and eloquent, devness aside.

[devogirl]

Thank you for starting the thread! You beat me to it Oh and SPOILERS, obviously, in this entire thread.

I've watched the movie several times now, and yes, the director is very careful with the colors and also the soundtrack/sound effects. In the beginning it's all snowy and grey (SYMBOLISM). When Ruben gets his sight back it's all gold and red. Normally I hate movies with a miracle cure but here the scenes of him touring around Europe and Turkey were so gorgeous I actually enjoyed it. The music was beautiful too.

Marie is supposed to be an albino and with scars on her face and hands, also very ugly. But because it's a movie the actress is really quite attractive and of course not a real albino so her eyes aren't red. Also I think the scars are not so noticeable depending on the quality of the download. I think Ruben is supposed to be around 19 or 20 and Marie close to 40, which is a big age difference but you're right that it's not that apparent right away.

As for why Ruben's mother changes in her attitude, I think it's because she wanted someone to take care of him but not too much--she wanted him to be manageable but still totally dependent on her. (The scene where she suggests Ruben lie in bed with her--creepy!) She wanted Marie to read to him but nothing else. When Marie threatened to displace her, she got mad. And yes, the mother was having an affair with the doctor.

The ending is purposely ambiguous. The director has said that she meant the film to be like a fairy tale (the Snow Queen) but it's up to the viewer whether the ending is happy or not. He gives up his sight for her but does she come back to him? We don't know for sure but the last image is of him smiling, looking happy.

I got huge huge dev thrills from so many scenes. The scene in the bath, OMG. I could go on and on but I will wait for now. I'm really looking forward to discussing the film with you all tonight.

[Inigo Montoya]

Idk... it was because of the scenes of Marie as a child that I thought it her hair turned gray. She just looked like a normal blond kid to me.

And yeah, that scene where she calls him in... but, man! I love her bed. Love it! That blue metal business...

What was wrong with Mama, anyway? What was her disease?

[dentelle]

I loved it. Yeah, I recognise that dev feelings. It is very rare that I get them, but once in a while, I do get them. Since being operated on, I notice that some feelings are closer to the surface. Wierd.

I downloaded skype! woohoo. Well going to clean more house. I have to get things tidy tidy here.

[devogirl]

Thanks everyone for participating in the chat! Sorry I had to leave early, my internet connection kept cutting out. But anyway we had a lot of people, it was great talking to you all.

Anyway I think I'm in the minority loving this film, most of you found it slow and boring. Although I know there are more of you out there who enjoyed it, we missed you at the chat!

But I think the big difference is our dev tastes. For a blind-guy dev it totally pushed all the right buttons for me: the opaque contacts, the way he moved, the scenes from his point of "view," it was all just perfect. But if you're not into that, then it's not for you.

Someone asked me how I could enjoy a movie with a miracle cure, which normally I hate. I think it's because the cure is not the key to a happy ending, actually just the opposite, Marie runs away when he regains his sight. Then he blinds himself out of love for her, it's very shocking, especially the way it's filmed. Not that it's something I would ever want in real life, but in a fantasy it feels very romantic to me.

Anyway those of you who watched the movie but didn't make it to the chat last night, please let us know what you think.

[Valkyrja]

Forgive me for not being there last night... my computer is failing... and I couldn´t open the skype... I know... "In blacksmith's house, a wooden knife" LOL,,,, I´ve had no time to do my own computer so... I regreat have missed you last night...
I hope I could be there the next time...
I love the significanse of colors in the movie... it is really exquisite. (it recalled me "The Cook the Thief His Wife & Her Lover" where the colors make that movie possible)
The apparent coldness of hers, His rage and fury and the strange overprotective mother who, while doing everything possible for him to be independent at the same time, it seems she want to take his hand in every step without letting him go.
I like the movie...

[~Z28gal~]

Hiya girls -
I just wanted to say that the pep talk meant more to me than I can say. It's been really hard going through all this alone - even the people that do know I'm a dev don't really understand all the intricacies of a dev crash and burn. I felt like a huge load had been lifted off my shoulders when I realized that I wasn't the only one in this Alice in Wonderland version of relationship-land. So, thank you again - and if any of you ever need an ear, a shoulder or just a virtual hug, I'm here!
Much love,
Z

[sunnydays]

I had a great time on the chat. I really want to get my earphones and mic working in tandem for the next chat. I really enjoyed the movie. I thought it was a bit on the slow side but it worked really well for the plot.

I thought all the actors were very talented in playing their respective roles. In the beginning Ruben was out of control and unmanageable and he was really able to let go. Marie was such a joy to watch as she worked to show this spoiled brat that literature can unlock a world that two working eyes would never be able to introduce him too. And the mother - she was really good at making me dislike her. Hiring Marie to, basically, babysit Ruben but at the same time try to keep him isolated and dependent on her. It was great!

As soon as the point came where a cure was going to be possible (when Marie is listening outside the door were the Mother and Dr. Vincent are talking) I was expecting either a) the cure to be temporary or b) for Ruben to find some way to sabotage the results. While the way he blinded himself again is very gruesome (and actually quite graphic in an Alfred Hitchcock kind of way) it was not a real "shock" to me.

I do not see Marie going back to him, even though he cannot see anymore. She was so upset that he could ever see her; I don't think she will forget that he now knows what she does look like. He may not see her now but he remembers what she looked like and that is the image that she knows he will see.... if that made sense.

I just purchased my kindle copy of "equal opportunities" and am really looking forward to next month's chat! Yay!

[BA]

I enjoyed this movie very much. Even though I am not a 'blind dev' per-se, the movie was very sensual and he was very attractive. She was white blonde and quite scarred from what I was able to see on my computer. It was a visually stunning film.

It seems to me to be much more common (less taboo?) to make a very romantic and sexual film that features a blind character as opposed to a character with a mobility impairment. I was thinking about that a bit - how easy it is to sexualize a blind character b/c of what we think of their heightened other senses (especially touch). The only film I can remember that did an exceptional job of this with a wheeled character was 'Coming Home'. Why has something like that not been repeated?

Z28 gal, many hugs to you! Anytime you want, give me a shout.

[Valkyrja]

ohh... yes, Coming Home was the sexiest wheeler movie ever!!... The erotics were amazing... and what you say is rigth, it seems for them to be much more easier to sexualize a blind or deaf character than a mobility impairment one.

[ruthmadison]

Yes, BA, you are so right. Sensualizing blindness is much more common than mobility issues. I will have to ponder that one. I wonder if it's like with Marie, that there's an appeal that the guy can't see you, and therefore (supposedly) not judge you on your body.

[devogirl]

Jun 26, 2011 5:40:08 GMT -5 ruthmadison said:

I wonder if it's like with Marie, that there's an appeal that the guy can't see you, and therefore (supposedly) not judge you on your body.

Come on, Ruth! You know better than that! Do you prefer wheeler guys because of low self esteem? No! Please don't lay that stereotyped BS on us blind guy devs. I certainly am nothing like Marie--I know I'm hot!

But perhaps you were speculating on the appeal of blind characters in general, not necessarily from a dev perspective. BA is right, blind guys show up in fiction a lot more than wheeler guys, especially in romance. The sensuousness of feeling around might have something to do with it, but I think it's more because most SCI guys lose standard sexual function to some degree and writers are too scared to approach that topic. Also romance novels in particular are all about physical perfection--even when the hero is "wounded" it's in a way that makes him even more attractive, like a rakish scar or something. I have read a ton of blind guy romances, and in every single one, his eyes are beautiful, stunning, arresting, etc etc, some unusual color like gold or green, and always seem to be looking right at the heroine. It doesn't work that way! The authors are not really interested in the reality of blindness but use it in a decorative way.

Anyway blindness has always been a topic of fascination, the mythology of many cultures includes stories of blindness somehow linked to magical powers. Even today, there are lots of books/movies where blindness is used in a symbolic way (I hate that too BTW). But it's just rife with symbolic meaning. Wheelchairs less so, they're not as poetic (except to us, more's the pity).

[lavly]

i want to get into this convo so bad ...

there is sooooooooooo much to read i dont know where to start.... but just like to say i so love you guys !!!!